The State of Things

Note: This segment is a rebroadcast from January 16, 2018. Education equity is becoming a popular phrase among educators, but what does it mean, and what is North Carolina doing to provide a sound education to both privileged and disadvantaged students? Nonprofit news organization EdNC explores the topic in their new documentary series “ Equity Meets Education ,” a story told through the eyes of four African-American leaders.

Note: This segment is a rebroadcast from January 16, 2018. A study from the Public School Forum of North Carolina confirms a large and growing gap in public school funding between the wealthiest and the poorest counties. The study found that in 2015-2016, the 10 highest spending counties spent $2,364 more per student than the 10 lowest-spending counties, and the gap has increased every year since 2011.

Cheetie Kumar grew up in Chandigarh, India with America on the mind. Her family talked often about moving overseas to pursue a fresh start in the United States. Her parents lived through Indian Partition in 1947, a bloody conflict during which Kumar’s mother lost both of her parents. For their family, moving to the U.S. was both about finding new opportunities and gaining distance from trauma.

It takes a team to research, write and stitch together the many elements of a daily talk show. Laura Pellicer is one of the producers who makes that behind-the-scenes magic happen each day on The State of Things. She joins host Frank Stasio on the other side of the studio glass to share her most memorable interviews and moments on the job in 2018.

It was a big year in North Carolina news. The man known to many as “America’s Pastor,” evangelist Billy Graham, passed away at the age of 99 . Hurricane Florence tore through the state causing billions of dollars in damages, and protesters toppled the confederate Silent Sam statue on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The average age of heart attacks is declining according to new research. A recent study published in the journal Circulation shows that a higher proportion of heart attacks are occurring in people under the age of 55 — and specifically younger women. Close to a third of heart attacks now occur in women under 55.

As a kid, Dulce Sloan wanted to be a serious thespian. She spent much of her childhood in plays and taking advantage of the opportunities for actors in Atlanta.

Peter Holsapple met his future band mate Will Rigby when he was just eight years old. They were in the drum section of their elementary school band, and little did they know they were beginning a musical journey of a lifetime. The two formed “Little Diesel,” the first punk band in North Carolina, along with childhood friend Chris Stamey.

Education and school safety were top of mind both locally and nationally this year. WUNC reporters Liz Schlemmer and Lisa Phillip covered everything from the Silent Sam protests to the student-led walkouts after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Hosting family and friends for the holidays often means a lot of mopping, sweeping and scrubbing. However, biologist Rob Dunn says people need to use moderation in their cleaning. Pesticides and antimicrobials kill off many beneficial species that live indoors and eliminate competition for resistant species like German cockroaches, bedbugs and MRSA bacteria.