Jesse Steinmetz

The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in American history. Yet more than 160 years later, its legacy is still being written, and one historian argues a key part of that legacy involves free people of color. At the beginning of the war, nearly half a million people of color were free, and he says their stories ultimately helped lay the groundwork for a more expansive vision of American freedom.

Over 12% of North Carolinians were living in poverty in 2024. However, a new report finds a much larger group in North Carolina still struggles to make ends meet. An additional 28% of the state’s households earn above the federal poverty threshold but not enough to afford basic expenses. We discuss the study and the affordability crisis impacting families.

As the city grows, getting around has become increasingly challenging. Efforts to relieve congestion on I-77 recently came to a halt when leaders rescinded proposed toll lanes. Public transit has grown slowly, with commitments to build the Red Line and the east-west Silver Line. However, those projects could take a decade or longer to complete. We untangle the ins and outs of transit in Charlotte.

Millions of bison once roamed North America, from Alaska to North Carolina. After being hunted to near extinction, fewer than 1,000 were left by the late 1800s. Today, bison and a handful of other large animals are having a surprising renaissance. We speak with the author of a new book about why many animal populations have plummeted and why some are making an unexpected comeback.

Proposed plans to reduce toxic chemicals in North Carolina’s waterways face pushback from the public because some argue they don’t do enough to stop pollution or hold polluters accountable. Meanwhile, the EPA is in the process of weakening federal chemical regulations.

Moshe Gildenman was a civic leader and musician in a small Ukrainian town until — one day in 1942 — Nazis murdered 2,000 Jews in his village, including his wife and daughter. He escaped with his son, carrying a revolver, a handful of bullets and a Yiddish songbook. His story of resilience, resistance and revenge is told in a new book by UNC Charlotte musicologist James Grymes.

American medicine is changing, transformed by breakthroughs in gene therapies, innovative approaches to behavioral health, the advent of retail medicine and artificial intelligence. Dr. Marschall Runge calls this “the great health care disruption,” but says that understanding what is happening is a way to make these changes work for everyone while lowering costs and barriers to care.

The rise in the number of data centers to power artificial intelligence is driving a surge in demand for electricity. Nuclear energy may be poised to fill the gap. Some see nuclear power as clean but, in the U.S., we haven’t built a new plant since the 1980s and the specter of accidents casts a dark shadow. So, with demand rising, is it time to take another look?

Moshe Gildenman was a civic leader and musician in a small Ukrainian town until — one day in 1942 — Nazis murdered 2,000 Jews in his village, including his wife and daughter. He escaped with his son, carrying a revolver, a handful of bullets and a Yiddish songbook. His story of resilience, resistance and revenge is told in a new book by UNC Charlotte musicologist James Grymes.

On the next Charlotte Talks: freedom of the press. It’s a bedrock principle of American democracy and yet, one year into the second Trump administration, it is under attack. The Associated Press was banned from the White House Press room, journalists refused to comply with Pentagon rules controlling the narrative, the government defunded Public Broadcasting and Trump is suing and threatening networks and newspapers. We look at the damage done and what might be next.