Carolina Connection

On the latest edition of CarolinaCast, Carolina Connection’s podcast, reporter Lauren Mallett talks with Maddie Policastro about the significance of protests ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. She spoke with protestors and organizers at the recent No Kings protests in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, along with Western Carolina University Professor Christopher Cooper, who studies American politics. While Cooper says we are in the midst of a highly polarized political climate, he affirmed that protests do have a place in the order of a functioning democracy.

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees live under tarps, tin scraps, and spare sheets of wood they've found in the heart of New Delhi, India. They fight the unforgiving heat, inconsistent water supplies, and the threat of deportation to Myanmar, where they fled brutal violence. A United Nations report has recognized the Myanmar army's campaign against the country's Rohingya minority as genocide. While Indian officials have expressed their support for the people of Myanmar, the Rohingya's future is uncertain as human rights experts warn that a lack of legal protection and rights granted by the Indian government jeopardizes their safety. Gowri Abhinanda traveled to New Delhi to gather this report for the Carolina Connection podcast: "Redefining refugee realities."

A new men's basketball coach comes to Carolina, joining his daughter, a student athlete, as a Tar Heel. The April Fools’ satire edition of the Daily Tar Heel wasn’t funny to a lot of people on campus and around the country. Several of the newspaper's staff members have resigned after readers complained the satire was insensitive to marginalized communities. North Carolina has a special reason to celebrate the first mission to carry people to the moon in over 50 years. And you’ve heard about a family man; now UNC has a family ram.

After a Chapel Hill bar was charged in connection with a second fatal car wreck, a former employee speaks out. The firing of Hubert Davis as Carolina's men's basketball coach may end the program's long connection to Dean Smith and usher in a new culture. Artists reimagine noise pollution through an installation in the Coker Arboretum. Triangle residents find community through fixing broken devices. A walking tour around campus marks generations of women’s history. UNC grad and soccer legend Carla Overbeck helped transform women’s sports.

Climate activists say they're still hopeful despite the Trump Administration’s attacks on environmental regulations. After a fatal crash, a Chapel Hill nightclub is being investigated for serving underage customers – the same nightclub that faced similar charges two years ago. The North Carolina Zoo prepares to welcome visitors and animals to a new Asia exhibit. A local sanctuary allows visitors to cuddle their stress away with cows.

Fourth District Congresswoman Valerie Foushee’s slim victory highlights tensions in the Democratic party. The war in the Middle East has left people at UNC feeling the weight of the conflict. Experts say rising gas prices are closely related to the Middle East conflict. Students return from Milan, where they helped document the Winter Olympics. A controversial artist demonstrates the power of printmaking as political expression.

A Triangle community is limiting its use of lights and sirens on EMS vehicles to reduce ambulance accidents. Doctors say vaccine hesitancy is one of the causes of this year's active flu season. A local Black History Month event remembers the past by encouraging action today. As Name Image and Likeness reshapes college athletics, some players in less prominent sports are building their own brands. North Carolina is in a severe drought and this month's rain - and snow - isn't helping much. The Triangle rings in the year of the fire horse with Lunar New Year celebrations.

Faculty members worry a new UNC System policy could cause a chilling effect within the classroom. President Trump's repeal of greenhouse gas regulations will likely bring legal challenges. Chapel Hill businesses continue to reopen after Tropical Storm Chantal, but some are worried about future flooding. "Bulking up" can become an obsession for young men with body dysmorphia disorder. An unlikely mother-daughter duo is reshaping the culture of the UNC gymnastics team. A UNC alumnus uses social media as a new way to connect through protest songs. A Durham museum shines a spotlight on tubas.

After immigration crackdowns in Minnesota, opponents across the Triangle are coming together to speak out. UNC leaders propose deeper budget cuts that some employees fear will mean job cuts. UNC Health is increasing barriers to gender affirming care, reigniting debate over treatment for teens. Business rents are rising in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, but some merchants have found creative ways to limit the effect. UNC unveils a new studio for students to work with AI. Buddhist Monks pass through North Carolina on their 2,300 mile "Walk for Peace."

Emmy Berger and Maddie Policastro break down the buzz around UNC’s Beekeeping Club and its “Honey for Hunger Initiative." The club processed and bottled more than 200 pounds of honey, and every dollar from sales goes straight to the Carolina Cupboard campus food pantry. While tabling in the Pit, the beekeepers have already raised nearly six thousand dollars, and sales will keep rolling out over the next few weeks. 39) Emmy headed straight to the hives for a closer look at the art of beekeeping. even suiting up to get a firsthand experience with the UNC bee colony tucked inside Battle Grove.