The State of Things

Of the nearly 16,000 enrolled members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee , fewer than 300 can fluently speak the Cherokee language. Most of those speakers are over the age of 50 and think their heritage language is on the brink of extinction.

Paula Poundstone got her start as a stand-up comedian nearly four decades ago at open mic nights, meticulously planning out her jokes but invariably ad libbing. Over the course of her career in comedy, she has worked to strip away the scripted nature of her routines to become truly improvisational. She has also let her witty humor wander farther and farther from the stage, as a voice actor, NPR quiz show personality, author and most recently podcast host. Poundstone is the author of " The

There is some scripture that inmates at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women can deeply relate to: stories about women who suffer at the hands of abusers and decide to fight back, and text that exalts God despite challenges and pain on earth. When musician and prison volunteer Susannah Long started a songwriting workshop in the facility, she used this scripture as the jumping-off point for inmates to express their lived experience by creating their own songs.

Is the high cost of health care keeping black women from following up on breast cancer treatment? A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reveals black women are less likely to adhere to breast cancer follow-up treatments.

How does coal ash impact human health? A new review of existing research shows a link between living close to a coal power plant or coal ash pond and higher risks of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as higher risks of premature mortality, lung cancer, infant mortality, and poor child health. The research does not draw a direct link between these conditions and coal ash.

In North Carolina some voters are weighing in on an issue that has a big impact on immigrant families. The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement officials to partner with immigration agents. Six counties in North Carolina currently have 287(g) agreements: Cabarrus, Gaston, Henderson, Mecklenburg, Nash and Wake. The program has become a hot topic in several of North Carolina’s County Sheriff’s races.

The story of white supremacy in the United States is littered with the names of famous, white men who wielded power over influential institutions. But scholar Elizabeth Gillespie McRae argues that focusing solely on the dramatic acts of figures like George Wallace or David Duke obscures an important part of the narrative of white supremacy: the role of white women.

The race for North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District is one of the most competitive and expensive in the state. As of Oct. 22, more than $2.8 million had been spent on ads for the contest between Wake County Commissioner and Democrat Linda Coleman and Republican incumbent George Holding .

Recent changes to state law have turned the battle for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court into a highly-anticipated contest. The General Assembly eliminated judicial primaries, and for the first time in years, judicial candidates will list their party affiliation on the ballot.

Liberal democracies like the United States agree that the use of torture is abborhent, distasteful and wrong. Our very identity rests on the understanding that we uphold human rights and do not engage in the cruel savagery of older or other governments. And yet the use of torture in this country, and the ways in which those in power have justified it, goes back as far as our founding.