The State of Things

Last week, WikiLeaks made thousands of emails public that showcased communication between top members of the Democratic National Committee. The leaked emails suggest top D.N.C officials supported Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton above Senator Bernie Sanders during the primaries. The hack raises concerns regarding the cybersecurity of groups like the DNC and whether or not governmental officials are prioritizing the protection of information. Guest host Adam Hochberg talks with

Note: This segment originally aired February 19, 2016. Pauli Murray and Eleanor Roosevelt could not have come from more different backgrounds. Murray was the granddaughter of a mixed-race slave, while Roosevelt’s ancestry gave her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. But the unlikely pair sustained a profound and decades-long friendship. They met by chance in 1935 when Murray was at a government-sponsored camp for unemployed women. They got to know one another through letters,

It is a long-standing tradition for presidential candidates to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in election years. This year, the event is in North Carolina, a key swing state. That is especially appealing to the candidates in this election because veterans regularly vote in larger numbers than other voters. But this year, veterans are not enthusiastic about their choice in either party.

This show originally aired on May 27, 2016. As a kid growing up in Raleigh Leon Capetanos never imagined that he’d spend most of his life out West. He was an aspiring poet and studied writing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After participating in a talent program in Hollywood, he got a call from Universal Studios to join their writing department, and his career took off from there. His screenwriting credits include “Moscow on the Hudson” “Down and Out in Beverly Hills” and

This show originally aired on October 6, 2015. In an era where humans and the environment are inextricably tied, how do we approach environmental politics, economics and ethics? In what ways do the historical perspectives on the relationship between humanity and nature shape how policymakers approach current environmental issues like climate change and global warming? Duke Law professor Jedediah Purdy tackles the complexities of life in the anthropocene period and the possibilities for the

This program originally aired April 4, 2016 Lee Smith started writing stories when she was nine years old and sold them for a nickel a piece. Many of them were inspired by the gossip, true stories and daily grind she observed at her father's dime store, deep in the coal mining mountains of Virginia.

The NBA announced that the 2017 All-Star Game will not be held in Charlotte as planned. The decision comes after state lawmakers did not make enough changes to the law known as House Bill 2 to satisfy the league. It could cost the state more than $100 million in economic impact and the decision will be a factor in the gubernatorial race between incumbent Gov. Pat McCrory and Democratic challenger Roy Cooper. Meanwhile, as the Republican National Convention wraps up and the presidential campaigns

More than 2,000 women and girls were forcibly sterilized in the first two decades of North Carolina's state eugenics program from 1929-1950. While many governmental institutions and scientists propelled the movement forward, the new book "Bad Girls at Samarcand: Sexuality and Sterilization in a Southern Juvenile Reformatory" (LSUP/2016) traces the story of one reformatory's unexpected role in the process. The State Home and Industrial School in Eagle Springs, N.C. was initially created to house

Note: this program is a rebroadcast. While many types of jazz include some kind of improvisation, New Orleans-style jazz involves multiple performers improvising at the same time. It takes talent, trust, and rhythm--three things employed by the Second Line Stompers, a Triangle-based jazz group. The group performs jazz standards from the 1920s-1940s, including many made famous by Louis Armstrong. They perform at the Irregardless Café in Raleigh tomorrow and the Glenwood Club in Raleigh on Sunday.

The Republican Party has gathered in Cleveland to officially declare Donald J. Trump as the 2016 presidential nominee. While Trump supporters hope to "Make America Great Again," many GOP establishment politicians opted not to attend the festivities. And Ted Cruz’s refusal to endorse Trump draws criticism from the crowd.

In the 1960s, when a young woman named Violet has an accident that leaves her with a disfiguring scar, she sets off on a journey from her home in North Carolina to seek the help of a healing preacher in Oklahoma. Along the way, she meets two soldiers who help in her discovery of inner beauty, and guide in her understanding of racial divides in a new era for the American South. This premise of celebrated North Carolina author Doris Betts' book, "The Ugliest Pilgrim," is the inspiration for the

From Jungle Book to Jaws and Babe to The Lion King, the stars of the silver screen are often not humans but instead are our four-legged friends. Though no animal has ever won an Oscar, viewers have embraced animal actors and characters in film. Listeners share their favorites in this month's Movies on the Radio. Host Frank Stasio talks with Laura Boyes, film curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art, and Marsha Gordon, film professor at North Carolina State University about animal films. Check

In the past two weeks, violence by and against police has dominated headlines and rattled the country. Protests from movements like #BlackLivesMatter continue while celebrities use speeches and social media as a platform to make their voices heard. Meanwhile, the ESPN documentary series "O.J.: Made In America" looks at race relations since the 1960s through the life of former athlete O.J. Simpson. Host Frank Stasio talks with pop culture experts Natalie Bullock Brown, professor of film and

Knight was recently on The State of Things in advance of his appearance at the Durham Comics Fest. Keith Knight has considered himself a cartoonist since he was in diapers, doodling on the walls of his family home near Boston. While that spirit of creativity has not changed, the content of Keith's work has taken on more profound issues. Keith is known for drawing a weekly political cartoon called "(Th)ink" that often provides commentary on police brutality, racial profiling, and the black

Donald Trump announces Mike Pence will be his running mate in his bid for the White House. Trump delayed the decision last night in the wake of the attack in Nice, France. He revealed his choice of the Indiana governor on Twitter earlier today. His decision comes as the Republican party gears up for its convention in Cleveland. And on the Democratic side of the ticket, Bernie Sanders steps aside and endorses Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominee. Meanwhile, legal challenges to North