6+ day, 6+ hour ago (140+ words) On Thursday and Friday, tune into WUNC for special holiday programming, which include The Splendid Table's Turkey Confidential, Horn of Plenty and Radiolab's The Turducken. WUNC to air special Thanksgiving programs As families and loved ones gather together for the Thanksgiving holiday this week, don't forget to tune in to special programs on WUNC. Turkey Confidential from APM will air on Thursday at 12 p.m. Join Francis Lam from The Splendid Table as he walks through special Thanksgiving rituals and his special food preparation techniques. At 8 p.m. join us for Horn of Plenty, an hour of music and stories focused on the traditions of the holiday. And at 12 p.m. on Friday, tune in for The Turducken. Join Lulu Miller and the Radiolab team for three fun stories that explore quirky traditions connected to Thanksgiving....

3+ week, 3+ day ago (159+ words) The financial situation of many public school employees in North Carolina is bleak. WUNC education reporter Liz Schlemmer interviewed several educators as part of a reporting series called "From Politics to Paychecks." The series explores how political decisions are affecting NC educators' finances and families. Liz joins Jeff Tiberii to talk about the educators she met in putting together this series, and about the politics and policies shaping their lives in very significant ways. Liz Schlemmer, education reporter, WUNC North Carolina native Mason Deaver's debut novel, I Wish You All the Best, about a teen coming out as non-binary to their parents, is making its way to theatres, after a successful film festival run in 2024. Mason Deaver, designer and novelist The team behind the WUNC podcast has put together an audio walking tour of downtown Durham" with stops at a…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (538+ words) In a rare reversal, the full UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees went against a vote by one of its own committees on resident undergraduate tuition. In a 6-5 vote, trustees approved a proposal from UNC-Chapel Hill administration to raise in-state undergraduate tuition by 3%. The board also voted to raise out-of-state tuition by 10% and increase the overall student fee rate by 3%. The decision will lead to a $264 increase in resident tuition and fee costs for the incoming class of 2026. Tuition has been flat for in-state undergraduate students at all of the state's public universities since 2017, due to a directive from the UNC Board of Governors. This year, the UNC BOG decided to let universities raise tuition for the first time since then. Yesterday, the majority of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees' budget and finance committee decided they didn't want to take…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (317+ words) The Museum of Life and Science in Durham hosted its 5th annual Youth Climate Summit on Tuesday. Dozens of high school students from across central North Carolina participated in educational workshops, hands on activities, and climate planning. "The Youth Climate Summit is for teens who are passionate about climate action to come together," said Madeline James, associate program manager for nature and sustainability at the museum. "The goal is that we move from knowledge to action together with our community." Educational workshops held in the morning touched on issues including extreme heat, sustainable energy and the impacts of carbon emissions. Presenters came from various organizations, such as the North Carolina State Climate Office and Bald Head Island Conservancy. In the afternoon, activities ranged from removing invasive plant species to creating a take-home compost bin with worms. Students also packaged leftover food…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (264+ words) Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools officials presented a plan to the State Board of Education Tuesday morning to repay the district's vendor debt by 2027 at the latest. Last week, the district entered into a contract that will erase its debt to a custodial services company. It also paid off what it owed the state through community donations. Now, WS/FCS is focused on tackling its remaining debt to two vendors. The first is ESS, the company used for substitute services. The district owes it roughly $6 million. Officials say they plan to clear that amount through monthly payments over the next two years, with the last payment in July of 2027. But Interim Superintendent Catty Moore says this timeline is the worst-case scenario. "We know that there are some commitments for some additional funds from the community that should come in that will…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (507+ words) At Durham Food Hall, a new vending machine has become the subject of much intrigue " instead of chips and candies, it offers to feed patrons in a different way: by sharing knowledge about the city of Durham through zines. The Hyperlocal Durham vending machine, installed in late October, sells a variety of shortform works that are mostly made by artist and bike advocate Kelsey Graywill. Zines, which have surged in popularity in recent years, are often self-published pieces of literature that can display the maker's artwork and also convey useful information. The vending machine offers zines that span a variety of topics. They include maps of local ice cream and coffee shops, urban foraging spots, places important to the area's Indigenous history, queer historical landmarks, and even locations around town to have a good cry. Graywill, 29, moved to Durham from…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (221+ words) Dozens of Winston-Salem residents gathered on a Waughtown street corner Thursday to protest the federal immigration crackdown that has swept across North Carolina this week. Car horns and whistles sounded as demonstrators waved flags and held signs reading "Your ancestors were immigrants too" and "These are human lives." Organizer Marilyn Lacunza says many community members are in hiding and businesses have shuttered as Border Patrol carves a path through the state. "No one should have to deal with the fear of being attacked just because you're taking your kid to school, or, you know, you're getting them something to eat or just simply putting gas in your car." Lacunza says some residents are volunteering to patrol streets and report any ICE sightings as Border Patrol shifts operations away from Charlotte. The whistles are a nod to that grassroots alert system....

2+ week, 5+ day ago (201+ words) As COP30 U.N. climate talks start in Brazil, the host country president warns of "extremist forces" spreading climate lies as he calls for a global roadmap to end deforestation and fossil fuels. The unique challenges of hosting this year's COP30 in Brazil As COP30 U.N. climate talks start in Brazil, the host country president warns of "extremist forces" spreading climate lies as he calls for a global roadmap to end deforestation and fossil fuels. - Israeli settlers and soldiers are redrawing the map of the West Bank Carrie Kahn As the world looks to Gaza, settlers in the West Bank are seizing land and terrorizing villages with impunity. Listen " 7:47 - A day after a deadly police raid in Rio de Janeiro, 2 very different stories emerge Carrie Kahn More than 130 people were killed in Rio de Janeiro's deadliest-ever police raid targeting a major drug cartel. Listen " 3:53 - Venezuela prepares…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (219+ words) Federal Border Patrol agents are in North Carolina carrying out arrests in Charlotte and the Triangle. This federal operation is part of a months-long effort by the Trump administration to crackdown on illegal immigration. We get the latest. Jay Price, Military Reporter, WUNC reporting from the Triangle Eduardo Medina, reporter for The New York Times based in Durham, reporting from Charlotte Tupac Shakur remains one of the most revered and influential hip hop figures of all-time " twenty-nine years after his premature death. The legendary figure was part poet, part activist, part actor " and his brief career was one of incredible success. A new book chronicles the life of Shakur - from his childhood in New York City, to his California days as the central figure of the West Coast rap scene, to his legacy. Shakur also had some little-known ties to…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (210+ words) The immigrant worker organizing group Siembra NC has a new immigration enforcement app. The initiative comes in response to the border patrol operation in Charlotte. The app, "OJO Obrero" or "look out, workers," tracks ICE movements and actions with the help of community input. Unlike other crowdsourcing apps, like Waze, the reports " indicated on a digital map " are only sightings that have been independently confirmed by Siembra NC moderators. Communications strategist Emanuel Gomez Gonzalez says the app is designed to be a historical record that cuts through the noise. Gonzalez says the data so far has shown that the Department of Homeland Security's operation in Charlotte is targeting workers. "Trying to get themselves to work, that is what we have seen," says Gonzalez. "Videos already coming out of people being questioned at the grocery store about their place of origin,…...