Boring update: Today, I'm working my first 9-5 shift since early 2020.

More than 140 households are being displaced from the Chatham Estates mobile home park in Cary, an oasis of affordable housing for working-class families. www.wunc.org/race-class-c...

Wow Morrisville is growing so fast it’s starting to look like Greensboro.

I just learned about “dariacore” and I feel ancient.

This year's winners of the Regional Edward R. Murrow awards were announced today. WUNC is proud to have won 7 of the 15 awards in its region, including feature reporting, podcast, excellence in writing, and excellence in innovation. www.wunc.org/news-about-w...

At least 18 NPR journalists have accepted buyouts and another 10 have been laid off as the public media network attempts to save money and reorganize the newsroom. n.pr/3RxYWqE

I, for one, welcome our new ursine overlords.

Farewell to CBS News Radio. This was the final top-of-the-hour broadcast, heard on few CBS News Radio affiliates across the country Friday evening.

I participated in some @trustingnews.bsky.social reserach last year, which included several interviews with folks to talk about media trust and how journalists cover the LGBTQ+ community. You can read the synopis - which includes a link to the full report - here: trustingnews.org/new-research...

#tbt May 22, 2020. Sitting in a deserted Tampa International Airport. I was flying to see family in NC. Because of the reduction in service due to COVID, I had a layover in Chicago. What a long, eerie day.

Still on patrol 🫡

In honor of the Divine Miss Jones's birthday... Here's a wonderful anecdote from my 2017 Ian McShane interview, about how McShane ended up recording the bizarro opening narration of Grace's 1985 album SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM, stoned as fuck, because Orson Welles was dead: authory.com/josiezone/ci...

The WSJ on the hacky sack revival: www.wsj.com/lifestyle/th...

Are you challenging me?

Happy book release day to @redgoldsparks.bsky.social for GENDER QUEER: THE ANNOTATED EDITION! This is a wonderful expansion of the original memoir, with notes from Maia and other queer luminaries (including me!)

Oh man, I did not have Whitfield County on my abolish the police bingo card.

@jeradwalker.bsky.social Little ‘ol Cohutta made the news in Canada.

The original Siamese Twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, settled down and raised a family in Mount Airy, North Carolina, just before the American Civil War. Many of their descendants still live in the area, including one who developed a museum dedicated to telling their story. www.wunc.org/race-class-c...

If you see this, post a Star Trek.

Gosh, I hope regularity returns to Fizz City soon. (Spotted at Sheetz near RDU)

Bird-and-bug watching.

“.. most months it’s the No. 1 consumer of water in the county.” @politico.com www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

Legendary hip hop producer 9th Wonder receives his degree from North Carolina Central University, 26 years after leaving to HBCU to pursue music

Great example of the longstanding New York Times genre “Common Thing Interesting Because Harvard Does It”

@caseym.org TV Asahi x Underworld

Here's a Charlotte story: Ted Turner bought Channel 36 in 1970, eventually turned it around, renamed it WRET (for his initials), and landed an NBC affiliation. In 1979 he sold it and used the money to start CNN. (Channel 36 is WCNC today) www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/b...

Some professional news: Year four at WUNC (and year 21 in public media!) is officially underway with a fresh start. I’m moving into a new role where I’ll be anchoring your weekend news and—most excitingly—hitting the road for more in-depth storytelling.

Um...so I accidentally stumbled onto the UVA law library's collection of 6,000 drawings by courtroom sketch reporter Ida Libby Dengrove, who worked in NYC mostly in the '70s & '80s, & they're kind of...amazing..?? This one is tagged "Clown Attack" (thread) archives.law.virginia.edu/resources/18...

NASA just dropped more than 12,000 photos from the Artemis II mission. It'll take me a few days to go through them all, but so far it's one stunner after another. Link: eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos... Credit: NASA/Artemis II Crew (h/t @jonostrower.com)

This is a pretty good article about not just what happened to Spirit Airlines but what is going on with airlines & pricing & service in general. www.npr.org/sections/pla...

👀

Spotted this flyer on a walk around Franklin Street. I’m fascinated by the GenZ obsession with “Y2K” (which appears to be nostalgia for the 2000s in general rather than 1999-2000 specifically).

Kinda regret giving up my 404 number.

Rep. Chuck Edwards faces sexual harassment allegations in ethics probe, CNN reports #ncpol www.newsobserver.com/news/politic...

Oops I got too close.

Fidel Rivera lived in Raleigh for 17 years without legal status. When the federal government ramped up ICE raids, he chose to leave his family and self-deport to Mexico. www.wunc.org/race-class-c...

My latest @npr.org story: The Supreme Court has paved the way for the largest-ever drop in representation by Black members of Congress by weakening Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination in redistricting www.npr.org/2026/04/30/n...

Oops I got too close.

This is an absolutely fascinating forensic breakdown of the question: just how popular was the first Velvet Underground album when it came out? More than the myth would have you believe (via @nedraggett.bsky.social at FB): grantmcphee.substack.com/p/the-velvet...

This applies to the eight stations Disney owns and operates, including ABC11 in the Triangle.

A developer is challenging Chatham County's recent data center moratorium, arguing... 1. The moratorium is unlawful. 2. Even if it is legal, their 750 MW(!) data center proposal southwest of Raleigh should be exempt from the 1-year permitting pause: www.newsobserver.com/news/busines...

After being essentially flat for five years, Google searches for “MP3 Player” tripled since last fall. A Reddit group for fans of digital audio players is now attracting 90,000 visitors per week on average. The only problem: Apple discontinued its last iPod model in 2022.

This summer, a Korean convenience store will open on Main Street in downtown Durham. Dosirak Outpost has long been Durham resident Kristine Suh's dream to share her love for Korean food and to create a gathering space for folks across the Asian diaspora. www.wunc.org/race-class-c...

The diary entry I didn't write on April 26 1986.

Everyone at the Washington Hilton (myself included) was fine. But journalists across the globe are far more endangered. Ahmed Shihab-Eldin was wrongly imprisoned. He's free now. But it was bullshit. zeteo.com/p/breaking-k...