Author: The Carolinian

The Conversation - By now, Americans know the strange math of minting: Each penny costs about 4 cents to make. Chances are you have some in a jar, or scattered among pockets, purses and car ashtrays. As small as it is, the penny punches above its weight culturally. If it ever disappeared, so too might the simple kindness of "take a penny, leave a penny," alongside timeless classics like penny

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="780"] Sylva Police Department social worker Galadriel LaVere responds to a situation alongside police officers. Credit: Courtesy of Chris Hatton[/caption] By Rachel Crumpler NC Health News Chris Hatton oversees a 15-officer police force in a small western North Carolina town in Jackson County - a place where he says many calls to 911 aren't really police matters at all. A "suspicious" person loitering. Someone yelling in the

[caption id="attachment_14713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'The First Thanksgiving, 1621,' by Jean L. G. Ferris. Library of Congress[/caption] THE CONVERSATION - Nine in 10 Americans gather around a table to share food on Thanksgiving. At this polarizing moment, anything that promises to bring Americans together warrants our attention. But as a historian of religion, I feel obliged to recount how popular interpretations of Thanksgiving also have pulled us apart. Communal rituals of

[caption id="attachment_14888" align="alignnone" width="1760"] Photo Credit: Eric Lee / St. Louis Public Radio[/caption] The Guardian-Viola Ford Fletcher, who as one of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa race massacre in Oklahoma spent her later years seeking justice for the deadly attack by a white mob on the thriving Black community where she lived as a child, has died. She was 111. Her grandson Ike Howard said on Monday that

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mark Paylor Jr. sells his 4M Farms produce, eggs and meat during the Harvest Market Festival at the Southeast Raleigh YMCA Oct. 26, 2025.[/caption] RALEIGH, N.C. - The brown beauties Mark Paylor Jr. sells by the dozen epitomize Black eggs-cellence. And his greens - oh, his greens! "They're delicious," Lisa Yebuah said. "Sometimes I do a combo of the greens and cabbage together when I want

The Conversation - Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and feasting. However, amid the joy of gathering and indulging in delicious food, it is essential to keep food safety in mind. Foodborne illnesses can quickly put a damper on your celebrations. As an immunologist and infectious disease specialist, I study how germs spread - and how to prevent them from doing so. In my courses, I teach my students

The Conversation - Every fall I anticipate the winter holidays with almost childlike joy. I look forward to familiar traditions with friends and family, eggnog in my coffee, and the sense that everyone is feeling a little lighter and more connected. At the same time, I feel anxious and annoyed by the manufactured sense of urgency around gift giving: the endless searching and second-guessing shaped by advertisers, retailers and cultural

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1298"] Bishop William Barber and NC clergy condemn cuts to Medicaid and the failure to fund the ACA tax credits. (Photo: Clayton Henkel/NC Newsline)[/caption] NC Newsline - Bishop William Barber, North Carolina faith leaders and dozens of activists gathered at the N.C. General Assembly Monday to symbolically eulogize the thousands of people that they believe will die as a result of cuts to Medicaid and other social

NC Newsline - North Carolina published statewide digital skills standards last month that identify key knowledge and abilities for residents and will soon launch an online course, joining a number of states that are hoping to strengthen digital literacy. The North Carolina Digital Skills Standards, published by the state's information technology department, is a framework that can be used to help residents understand basic digital skills. Next, an online learning

WUNC - 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