Isaac-Davy Aronson

Duke University has named its first Hindu chaplain. Usha Rajagopalan's peripatetic young life in India exposed her to diverse forms of Hinduism, and for the past decade she's been educating Triangle residents about her faith through workshops, discussions – and puppets. 

AIG was one of the most vilified culprits of the financial crisis, but now the insurance giant says it was actually duped by Bank of America. AIG claims in a new $10 billion lawsuit that the Charlotte-based bank misrepresented the quality of its mortgage-backed securities.

Mary Johnson Rockers is an accomplished singer-songwriter in her own right, but the last couple of years have been a collaborative venture with the members of her band. Mary Johnson Rockers and the Spark are out with their first album, “Hummingbird Heart.”

For nearly two decades, the North Carolina Literary Review has been gathering the state's celebrated writers in its pages, and introducing new ones to a wider audience. To mark its 20th issue, host Frank Stasio talks with editor Margaret Bauer, Rives Chair of Southern Literature at East Carolina University, which publishes the North Carolina Literary Review. Two longtime contributors to the Review, James Applewhite and Bland Simpson, read from their work in the latest issue, centered on the theme of environmental writing.

North Carolina’s legislature has enacted some of the most stringent requirements in the nation for women seeking abortions. How the bill will affect medical practice in the state? What legal challenges is it likely to face? Host Frank Stasio finds out what's in the bill and how this new state law fits into the convoluted history of family planning in America with WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie; Senator Warren Daniel (R-Burke & Caldwell), who is a primary sponsor of the bill; Dr.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ousted two leaders of the school's athletic program this week. Football coach Butch Davis was fired and longtime Athletics Director Dick Baddour announced his resignation. It's all fallout from persistent allegations that football players violated NCAA rules regarding academics and gifts.

While North Carolina State University fans uncovered plagiarism on the part of a football player from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, it was the News & Observer that double checked the story and gave it mainstream media play. UNC journalism professor Adam Hochberg says that this combination of citizen and professional journalists has its pros and cons. Hochberg and WUNC reporter Dave DeWitt join guest host Isaac-Davy Aronson to consider whether we are better for it when citizens become journalists and journalists carry on the work of those citizens.

Singing used to mean trouble for Lizzy Ross. Her elementary school teachers couldn’t make her stop singing, even in class, so they’d fuss at her or call her parents. In college, singing and songwriting became Ross’ creative outlet. Her solo debut CD, “Traces,” was released last year and her voice drew comparisons to Janis Joplin and Grace Potter. She’s now working with her band on a follow-up project and touring North Carolina to promote her jazzy blend of folk and rock music. Ross joins guest host Isaac-Davy Aronson to talk about her time in the studio and on the road and to perform live.

It's been a busy couple of weeks at the state Capitol. Lawmakers have approved a new electoral map that could drastically change the state's legislative and congressional make up for the next decade. And the legislature has voted to override an unprecedented number of Governor Bev Perdue's vetoes.

Questions of racial identity and cultural heritage have long surrounded a group of Appalachians called the Melungeons. In recent years, curiosities have been piqued about this loosely connected group of people, spawning DNA testing, numerous books, Web sites and a documentary film.