Emmy Berger

The U.S. Census Bureau has proposed removing questions on race and ethnicity from the 2030 U.S. Census along with other changes. We discuss how these changes could impact how North Carolina gets counted.

Artificial intelligence has been making its way into this campaign cycle, with concerns about AI-generated campaign ads leading to confusion over content. Two-thirds of Americans are at least somewhat concerned about AI’s use in this year’s midterms. Thirty-one states have enacted some form of regulation for AI in political campaigning, but North Carolina has not. We discuss how AI is shaping our elections.

Mosquito-eating bats eat nearly their entire body weight in insects every night, but bats are under threat of extinction. This Halloween season, we look at efforts to reverse the trend.

While sports betting has been debated in North Carolina for years, bets on the midterm elections are raising new concerns about prediction markets. We discuss the ethics of election prediction markets, whether they constitute gambling or a new financial avenue and potential regulatory measures.

Charlotte is experiencing a bookstore boom, despite rates of reading for pleasure being down nationally. We explore the impact of AI use, social media and more on traditional literacy.

As Election Day for the midterms inches closer, the polling industry across the country is focused on getting accurate predictions about what will happen on Nov. 3. In recent years, midterm election polling has proven to be more accurate than presidential election polling. We discuss polling methodology, margin of error, how to interpret poll results and more.

Mail-in or absentee voting for the midterms began in North Carolina in early September. Though not as popular as early or Election Day voting, it provides important access for many, but there have been numerous attempts to curtail mail-in voting and call into question the legitimacy of votes cast in this way. We take a look at those efforts, the new rules in place and what’s behind these efforts.

North Carolina native Nina Simone was a classically trained pianist turned singer who blended jazz, blues, classical, gospel and protest music. She also blended music with her fight for civil rights. In Asheville, while in high school, she met poet and playwright Langston Hughes and formed a decades-long friendship and creative partnership. That's the topic of a new book about them both by NC State professor Jason Miller.

Testosterone is getting a lot of attention these days. The defense secretary pushed for new guidelines on testosterone screening for troops, while young men and boys are increasingly exposed to social media influencers promoting ways to boost the hormone. We discuss the rise of testosterone culture and its health implications.

NASCAR star Mark Martin rose from the small-town tracks of Arkansas to the speedways of NASCAR, carving a career out of consistency and precision. Now, Martin has written about his career, his time living in Charlotte, and his passion for racing. He joins us to discuss “Never Lift.”