Once so key to the plantation economy of the Deep South that politicians sometimes referred to their diplomatic strategy simply as “King Cotton,” the crop’s demand from US manufacturers is on an unrelenting — and accelerating — decline. … Companies … Read more

Amanda Martinez, a postdoctoral scholar in American studies, writes this piece for NPR on Beyoncé’s upcoming country album and the challenge of Black artists and women in getting played on country radio. “As much as Beyoncé’s challenge to the machinery … Read more

UNC-Chapel Hill announced the creation of a new scholarship for undergraduates studying the humanities, after sharing news of a major investment by an alumnus on Tuesday. Stephen Israel, a former vice chairman of the consulting firm Korn Ferry and UNC graduate … Read more

Minneapolis is at the center of the debate over two key questions facing the ride-hailing industry. How much money do Uber and Lyft drivers make? And what minimum pay should they be guaranteed? … If the ordinance passes, it remains … Read more

Beginning March 11, 2024, North Carolinians will be able to legally place sports bets online, the effects are already evident with ads virtually everywhere: social media, billboards, television and even podcasts. Rosa Li with the University of North Carolina at … Read more

Super Tuesday is over, and the matchup for North Carolina’s 76th governor is set. Now, the actual race begins. … In a poll from Meredith College, taken before Super Tuesday results, a presumptive match-up between Josh Stein and Mark Robinson … Read more

A research team at UNC is studying how amyloid plaque forms in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients in hopes of developing breakthrough treatments for the disease. “If we understand how (amyloid plaque) forms, can we understand how to deform them, … Read more

A civil rights movement in Durham shocked the nation when Black movie patrons refused to accept “no” for an answer at white ticket booths. At Carolina Theatre, Black patrons were restricted to the top balcony – and it took a … Read more

Alexei Navalny was asked four years ago what he’d tell Russians if he were killed for challenging President Vladimir Putin. “You’re not allowed to give up,” he told a documentary maker. “If they decide to kill me, it means we … Read more

Chanequa Walker-Barnes, a professor of practical theology and pastoral care at Columbia Theological Seminary in Georgia, has an unusual approach to Lent. Instead of giving up chocolate or fasting, “sometimes I’ll say I’m giving up self-neglect,” she told me. … … Read more