Stories from WUNC's The State of Things with Frank Stasio
Latest episodes
-
47 min
The Great Power And Great Responsibility Of Using Psychedelic Medicine
The world of psychedelics is painted with neon colors and smiling, white hippies with long hair who use hallucinogenic substances for wild, recreational trips. But psychedelics lik…
-
31 min
Sex And Bodies Belong In Our Headlines. WUNC To Continue Broadcasting Embodied
Back in November, WUNC chose to discontinue “The State of Things,” North Carolina’s only live public radio program heard in the mountains, on the coast and in the Piedmont. Those o…
-
20 min
Hidden Symbols in Quilla’s New Album, ‘The Handbook of Vivid Moments’
Anna Luisa Daigneault, known as Quilla , is the audio muse that makes the Embodied podcast sparkle. WUNC collaborated with Quilla to craft the theme for Embodied and other backgrou…
-
32 min
Frank Stasio’s Fondest Shows: Meet Little Brother
In 2003, Frank Stasio spent time in North Carolina guest hosting The State of Things, and one of the conversations from his early days on the show is one of his most-memorable from…
-
17 min
Frank Stasio’s Fondest Shows: The Bucket Brothers Tune Their Talents
Logan Valleroy and Casey Valleroy might be teenagers, but their musical prowess makes them seem like professional musicians. The brothers have been playing music since they were yo…
-
47 min
Frank Stasio's Fondest Shows: North Carolina's Unions And Organized Labor Saved Lives In 2020
Union membership in the United States is at a record low. About 10% of workers nationwide are currently union members, and only 2.7% of workers in North Carolina are unionized , wh…
-
17 min
Not Your Old-Fashioned Bookworms: How Librarians Became Digital Connoisseurs In Pandemic
This March, our world turned digital. Zoom meetings, virtual school and video chats dominated work, school and home life. To ease this transition to computer-based life, the state’…
-
29 min
‘Has The World Ended Yet?’ Students Reflect On Letters To The Future
The letters begin with various greetings. “Dear 50 year of age self.” “To my future children.” “Dear future me, It’s me, I mean you, but circa 2020.” These are the words of a group…
-
47 min
Frank Stasio’s Fondest Shows: Meet Cecilia Polanco, Who Runs 'So Good Pupusas'
Cecilia Polanco’s parents did not dream of their daughter owning a food truck when they emigrated from El Salvador to the United States in the early 1980s. Their expectation was th…
-
47 min
Frank Stasio's Fondest Shows: Meet Surf Philosopher And Educator Maia Dery
For Maia Dery, sitting still has never been much of an option. Her teacher had her sit out in the halls to not disturb other students, and as soon as she had her precious drivers l…
-
12 min
A 'Black Economic Development Zone' Grows In Rural Durham County
Activist Skip Gibbs was in the midst of leading a protest in Durham this summer when he felt that something wasn’t right. In the crowd, which had gathered to demand that the city c…
-
19 min
All The Songs We Sing: A Celebration Of North Carolina’s Black Writers
Twenty-five years ago, renowned poet Lenard D. Moore invited a group of his peers into his basement for a session of writing critique. That monthly gathering evolved into the Carol…
-
19 min
Ben Phantom's Music Video 'Saigon' Documents His Father's Return To Vietnam
Asheville-based singer-songwriter Ben Phantom ’s father never talked about his time in Vietnam. So when he finally decided to go back for a visit after 42 years in the United State…
-
31 min
In 'Broken Faith' Reporters Uncover Decades Of Abuse At Spindale Church
When former schoolteacher Jane Whaley and her husband, Sam, founded Word of Faith Fellowship in Spindale, NC in 1979, no one could have imagined all that the institution would beco…
-
16 min
With Rezoning Approval For Downtown South, Affordable Housing In Raleigh Remains A Concern
This week the Raleigh City Council approved rezoning for Downtown South, a $2.2 billion development project that will bring shops, housing and a soccer stadium to southeast Raleigh…
-
48 min
Frank Stasio's Fondest Shows: Meet Bree Newsome, Who Removed South Carolina’s Confederate Flag
Activist Bree Newsome Bass gained national attention in the summer of 2015 when she was arrested for scaling the flagpole at the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina, and removin…
-
48 min
#BackChannel: Celebrating 'This Christmas', Steve McQueen's Powerful Film Anthology & More
Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen took over a decade to fully realize his vision of a collection of stories about the West Indian community in London in the '60s, ‘70s a…
-
47 min
Frank Stasio’s Fondest Shows: Meet Lumbee Scholar And Filmmaker Malinda Maynor Lowery
Malinda Maynor Lowery is a Lumbee Indian whose family goes back more than 10 generations in Robeson County. Lowery was born in Lumberton, N.C. but raised in Durham, where from an e…
-
45 min
Black Businesses Continue To Innovate During COVID-19
When the first wave of federal COVID-19 provisions became available to businesses in April, Black business owners received a very small amount of relief funding. And the North Caro…
-
11 min
More Protections Needed In NC State Prisons As COVID-19 Cases Rise
Increased coronavirus case numbers and deaths in North Carolina have taken a lethal toll on people inside state prisons. The number of coronavirus-related deaths has doubled since…