The nation's political eyes are on North Carolina. First, for the gerrymandering lawsuit that the state supreme court is expected to rule that will determine lines for U.S. House and General Assembly elections this year, but also for the U.S. S

Waiting on the NC Supreme Court

Jan 20th, 2022 30m 48s

Bob Orr has had a long career in the public eye. His latest career move actually falls in line with what he first went to UNC Chapel Hill to study.The radio student is now hosting a podcast focusing on Western North Carolina's Congressional dis

The Porch: Pulling The Pin

Dec 17th, 2021 57m

On this episode of The Porch, a production of the BPR news team, we hear from -

Green burials: How to combat climate change from the grave

Dec 16th, 2021 16m 15s

A lot contributes to climate change. A Warren Wilson College professor decided to examine one factor that many might find uncomfortable to talk about but is something we will all face - our death.Mallory McDuff is the author of 'Our Last Best A

Closing out 2021 into 2022's uncertainty

Dec 16th, 2021 25m 20s

2021 in North Carolina politics saw a lot of what marked the state's politics in the prior decade - lawsuits and court rulings that left just as many questions as answers.Just as candidate filing for the 2022 primary election got underway this

The Porch: We Have All The Time In The World

Nov 18th, 2021 57m

In this episode of The Porch, a production of the BPR news team, we hear from -

It's not even 2022 yet

Nov 18th, 2021 21m 18s

New maps made new lines. Those inspired Western North Carolina's Congressman to run somewhere else, meaning the region will have a member of Congress come 2023. Maybe.Republican Madison Cawthorn announced November 11th he would run in the newly

Section 8 program in the South reinforcing segregation

Nov 17th, 2021 19m 21s

A federal government housing voucher program is making the problems it was designed to alleviate only worse in the South. That's according to a six-month investigation done by the USA Today Network.Fred Clasen-Kelly is the reporter behind the i

Reparations - and the pace and need for them in Asheville - headline annual conference

Nov 5th, 2021 20m 6s

Just one month after the protests following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Asheville City Council approved a resolution calling for reparations for the city's black community. 16 months later, most of the details are still be

'It got worse': UNC Asheville faculty release annual Political Terror Scale

Nov 1st, 2021 17m 7s

For almost 40 years, faculty at UNC Asheville have helped in the creation of the annual global Political Terror Scale. The report measures and codes human rights violations by countries across the globe.Mark Gibney is a professor at UNC Ashevil

The Porch: The River

Sep 17th, 2021 57m

In this episode of The Porch, a production of the BPR news team, we hear from -

2021 Haywood County Floods, One Month Later: An Audio Postcard

Sep 16th, 2021 18m 8s

On August 17th, historic flooding caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred devastated Western North Carolina. Haywood County was hit hardest, as six people were killed in the Cruso, Canton, and Bethel areas.To mark the one-month anniversar

What Will It Take To Take It Seriously

Sep 14th, 2021 18m 30s

On August 17th, flash floods caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred left six people dead in Haywood County, and devastated homes and businesses there and in neighboring Buncombe and Transylvania Counties. While the analysis is ongoing of

'Embrace The Complexity' - North Carolina's New State Historian On His Approach

Aug 26th, 2021 21m 53s

Dr. Darin Waters will take over next month as North Carolina's Deputy Secretary for Archives and History. The job in the state department of Natural and Cultural Resources comes with many responsibilities, including being North Carolina's state

The Porch: Summer Sun

Aug 20th, 2021 57m

In this episode of The Porch, a production of the BPR news team, we hear from:

How WNC Bucked The National Trend In The 2020 U.S. Census

Aug 19th, 2021 23m 34s

The 2020 U.S. Census figures arrived last week eagerly anticipated - and late (for a variety of reasons). One of the big early takeaways from the initial Census data that was released was that rural areas all around the United States lost popul

The Porch: Viral Humor

Jul 16th, 2021 55m 54s

Since BPR launched "The Porch" last summer, the news team has produced episodes centered on racial justice movements, policing, the insurrection on the US Capitol, all of this and more, while also navigating an unprecedented global pandemic.

The Porch: One Year Later, How Closer Are We To Racial Justice?

May 20th, 2021 57m

One year after the racial justice protests following the police murder of George Floyd, how much closer are we to the goals stated by the marchers in Asheville and Western North Carolina?That's the topic of this episode of The Porch, a producti