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The Broadside
The Broadside
WUNC

Each week, The Broadside highlights a story from the heart of the American South and asks why it matters to you. From... more

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Episodes

The ballad and the flood

This week, we visit the small town of Marshall in western North Carolina, a region ravaged by Hurricane Helene earlier... more

26 Dec 2024 · 39 minutes
Deck your halls with Rauch balls

In this special holiday episode, we meet the Jewish man from Gastonia, North Carolina who became the world's largest manufacturer... more

19 Dec 2024 · 24 minutes
Tony Hawk and the skateboard rabbit hole

On a rainy day in 1979, a photograph was taken of a young girl skateboarding down a street in Fayetteville,... more

12 Dec 2024 · 18 minutes
Can we save Christmas (trees)?

From the White House to your living room, North Carolina’s iconic Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree in... more

05 Dec 2024 · 20 minutes
The mystery of the Brown Mountain lights

For more than a century, people near Brown Mountain have witnessed unusual displays of shimmering and sometimes even exploding lights.... more

28 Nov 2024 · 17 minutes
Storytelling's surprising digital age revival

Trading stories is an ancient and deeply human experience. But today, most of the stories we consume come to us... more

21 Nov 2024 · 18 minutes
The world's biggest video game is from North Carolina

Fortnite was an unlikely hit from an unlikely place: North Carolina-based Epic Games. Innovative game design and smart leveraging of... more

14 Nov 2024 · 20 minutes
A Day in the Life: The artist

This week we're launching a new kind of episode where we spend an ordinary day in the life of someone... more

07 Nov 2024 · 21 minutes
The weirdest and wildest political stories

It’s Election Week in America–and if you’re like us, you’re probably a little burned out with politics. So we’re offering... more

31 Oct 2024 · 21 minutes
Why it's so hard to find a good couch

Known as the "Furniture Capital of the World," North Carolina is famous for its high-quality furniture. And for over a... more

24 Oct 2024 · 22 minutes
Bonus episode: Let's go to the fair!

The North Carolina State Fair is one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the United States, drawing nearly... more

23 Oct 2024 · 5 minutes
Is it becoming too hot to work?

The South is seeing the effects of a warming climate. 2024 was the hottest summer on record for much of... more

17 Oct 2024 · 20 minutes
Hurricanes, helicopters and how we help

Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast and brought unprecedented flooding to the mountains of western North Carolina. Helene is a devastating... more

10 Oct 2024 · 22 minutes
The art and alarming science of political ads

This year, a record $12.3 billion will be spent on US political campaigns. The majority of that is earmarked for... more

03 Oct 2024 · 23 minutes
The gravestone grudge that changed cemetery law

If you walk through a cemetery, you’ll see some common phrases on the gravestones. Many of them are used so... more

26 Sep 2024 · 14 minutes
The Latino South

Although Latinos make up some of the most diverse communities in the South, they're often portrayed as one people or... more

19 Sep 2024 · 23 minutes
How y'all conquered the world (Revisited)

You might have noticed that the word “y’all” is popping up everywhere. For decades, linguists have noted that regional American... more

12 Sep 2024 · 19 minutes
Is this the death of DEI?

Over the past decade, universities across America embraced DEI policies. The University of North Carolina System enacted its own in... more

05 Sep 2024 · 18 minutes
The new Southern Hollywood

Lights. Camera. Tax breaks, y’all. For decades, Hollywood has set up shop in the South. But in recent years, the... more

29 Aug 2024 · 25 minutes
How the Greensboro Six changed golf forever

In 1955, six Black men in Greensboro, North Carolina did something radical. They attempted to play a round of golf.... more

22 Aug 2024 · 14 minutes
What happens after a hate crime

On February 10, 2015 three young Muslim Americans were murdered in a Chapel Hill, North Carolina apartment. What initially seemed... more

15 Aug 2024 · 27 minutes
Pro wrestling climbs back to the top rope

Regional pro wrestling was once a major cultural institution throughout the South. For decades, each state had its own stars... more

08 Aug 2024 · 22 minutes
Love found while ‘chasing the light’

Cheryl Shelton-Roberts and her husband, renowned photographer Bruce Roberts, worked for years to preserve North Carolina’s iconic lighthouses. Meanwhile, their... more

01 Aug 2024 · 18 minutes
How beach music taught Southerners to 'dance sexy'

A type of music known as beach music has been baked into the culture of the Carolina coast for generations,... more

25 Jul 2024 · 27 minutes
Bigfoot is from North Carolina

Appalachia is Bigfoot territory. In a big way. This week, we look at the mythical beast's legend, lore and sizable... more

18 Jul 2024 · 19 minutes
Can we bring red wolves back from the brink (again)?

Red wolves were declared extinct in the wild in 1980. But in a stunning success for conservationists, a captive breeding... more

11 Jul 2024 · 19 minutes
The other Declaration of Independence

July 4th, 1776 is arguably the most important date in American history. That's when citizens of the colonies declared total... more

04 Jul 2024 · 18 minutes
The surprising cricket capital of the South

The game of cricket is rapidly gaining popularity across the US. The country is currently co-hosting the Men's T20 Cricket... more

27 Jun 2024 · 21 minutes
The science behind saving an island

Sugarloaf Island protects the community of Morehead City from hurricanes and storm surge. But in recent decades, it’s begun to... more

20 Jun 2024 · 17 minutes
Craft beer’s emerging Southern flavor (Revisited)

In the last decade, the craft industry’s boom has steadily spread across Southern states. There are now thousands of breweries... more

13 Jun 2024 · 19 minutes
Charlotte the stingray's tangled web

Earlier this year, an aquarium in a small-town in western North Carolina claimed that a stingray named Charlotte got impregnated... more

06 Jun 2024 · 21 minutes
The hunt for a long-lost musical masterpiece

Perhaps more than any other artform, the 20th century was shaped by jazz. And piano player and composer Mary Lou... more

30 May 2024 · 21 minutes
Billy Graham’s statue and the legacy of ‘America’s Pastor’

During his prolific six-decade career, Billy Graham traveled across the world preaching Christianity to millions. Along the way, he became... more

23 May 2024 · 21 minutes
NASCAR's racing simulator revolution (Revisited)

NASCAR is the most popular motorsport series across America, but its roots run deep as a regional sport in the... more

16 May 2024 · 21 minutes
Our trash lives next to this community

When it comes to where our trash goes, for most of us it's out of sight, out of mind. But... more

09 May 2024 · 17 minutes
How many dollar stores are too many? (Revisited)

This week, we're revisiting a story from last year that's recently been back in the headlines. Discount stores like Family... more

02 May 2024 · 21 minutes
Zombie deer and our looming conservation crisis

The majority of funding for state wildlife programs comes from hunting licenses and taxes associated with hunting, fishing and guns.... more

25 Apr 2024 · 20 minutes
Can we save the banana from extinction?

The grocery store banana as we know it is a monoculture, which means that from Tokyo to Tulsa nearly everyone... more

18 Apr 2024 · 12 minutes
Breaking Southern baseball's color barrier

A little more than 75 years ago, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball's major leagues with the Brooklyn... more

11 Apr 2024 · 21 minutes
The toxic spill that left a legacy of change

A decade ago, thousands of tons of toxic coal ash poured into the Dan River. The spill—the third largest of... more

04 Apr 2024 · 20 minutes
Teachers challenge the nation's toughest union ban

North Carolina and South Carolina are home to the most restrictive public sector collective bargaining laws in the country. In... more

28 Mar 2024 · 22 minutes
Women's basketball is having its moment

Women have been playing basketball since the game was invented, but the most fervent fandom has always been reserved for... more

21 Mar 2024 · 20 minutes
Tornado Alley is moving to the South

Each year, as March fades into April, violent storms unleash dozens of tornadoes across a huge swath of the country.... more

14 Mar 2024 · 17 minutes
Why cola became king

The South is the birthplace of all the big cola brands. Since the first Coca-Cola was poured in Atlanta in... more

07 Mar 2024 · 21 minutes
Robert F. Williams' bold history lesson

As the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, Robert F. Williams led the small town of Monroe, North... more

29 Feb 2024 · 26 minutes
Purple, teal and the rise of basketball fashion

In 1988, the NBA finally came to North Carolina — and the newly minted Charlotte Hornets made an unconventional choice... more

22 Feb 2024 · 16 minutes
More power poles, more problems

Electric vehicles and renewable energy sources are in their boom era — and that means the need for electricity is... more

15 Feb 2024 · 15 minutes
Craft beer’s emerging Southern flavor

In the last decade, the craft industry’s boom has steadily spread across Southern states. There are now thousands of breweries... more

08 Feb 2024 · 19 minutes
How one business built Black Wall Street

At the turn of the 20th century, the epicenter of America’s Black middle class was in a midsize city in... more

01 Feb 2024 · 24 minutes
NASCAR's racing simulator revolution

NASCAR is the most popular motorsport series across America, but its roots run deep as a regional sport in the... more

25 Jan 2024 · 20 minutes
Place, Erased: Environmental ghost towns

Any kind of environmental crisis – whether it's caused by an act of God or big industry – can upend... more

18 Jan 2024 · 19 minutes
EVs are reshaping the South one small town at a time

Stanton, Tennessee -- population 400 -- is getting ready to welcome a Ford auto-manufacturing campus that will employ 6,000 people.... more

11 Jan 2024 · 17 minutes
The remarkable story of daredevil Tiny Broadwick

This year marks the 120th anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright's powered airplane flight at Kill Devil Hills in the... more

04 Jan 2024 · 25 minutes
Featuring: Embodied - How fandoms build community

This week we're highlighting a recent episode of the award-winning podcast Embodied (which is also produced at WUNC). We hear... more

28 Dec 2023 · 36 minutes
The kids are alright: NPR Student Podcast Challenge finalist

NPR's annual Student Podcast Challenge is kind of a big deal. In 2023 alone, they received over 3,300 entries. This... more

21 Dec 2023 · 17 minutes
Recovering from long Covid could be a long journey

We now know an incredible amount about the COVID-19 virus. But long Covid symptoms and treatment options remain a blind... more

14 Dec 2023 · 18 minutes
Millions across the South can’t trust their tap water

The water supply for millions of people across the South has serious problems. Many of these folks live in majority... more

07 Dec 2023 · 19 minutes
One state could be a test case for tackling the opioid crisis

Recent litigation to hold drug makers accountable for the opioid epidemic has led to settlements totaling $50 billion that are... more

30 Nov 2023 · 17 minutes
Featuring: North Carolina pottery from clay to kiln

As we all take the week to reconnect with our loved ones, we're presenting a story about what's on our... more

23 Nov 2023 · 24 minutes
The process to return Native American remains is broken

For over a hundred years, Western archeologists built vast collections of looted Native American artifacts and human remains. For many... more

16 Nov 2023 · 21 minutes
My next-door neighbor is a weapon of mass destruction

An army depot in Eastern Kentucky once housed something extraordinary and terrible: an arsenal of chemical weapons. The dangers of... more

09 Nov 2023 · 24 minutes
The takeover of The Robesonian

In 1988, two armed Native American men occupied a newspaper office in Southeastern North Carolina. In an effort to raise... more

02 Nov 2023 · 20 minutes
How many dollar stores are too many?

Discount stores like Family Dollar and Dollar General have become ubiquitous in the American landscape — especially in the South.... more

26 Oct 2023 · 21 minutes
What it takes to make music in prison

As a person incarcerated in the state of Virginia, rapper Deon Thomas doesn’t have access to a recording studio. Instead,... more

19 Oct 2023 · 26 minutes
Asian American Studies has arrived

Asian Americans are the fastest growing demographic in the country, yet historically, they've been near-invisible in our popular culture. But... more

12 Oct 2023 · 20 minutes
A look inside America’s climate data bunker

Embedded in a warehouse within the Blue Ridge Mountains, climate scientists are collecting rows upon rows of weather data going... more

05 Oct 2023 · 21 minutes
How y'all conquered the world

You might have noticed that the word “y’all” is popping up everywhere. For decades, linguists have noted that regional American... more

28 Sep 2023 · 19 minutes
Introducing: The Broadside

Each week, The Broadside highlights a story from the heart of the American South and asks why it matters to... more

14 Sep 2023 · 1 minute
The Broadside
A look inside America’s climate data bunker
The Broadside
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Description

Embedded in a warehouse within the Blue Ridge Mountains, climate scientists are collecting rows upon rows of weather data going back centuries.... more