Frank Stasio

When Juan Gutiérrez arrived in Harlem from Puerto Rico in the early 1970s, he had hopes of becoming a professional concert musician. But soon enough he started longing for a community that embraced and celebrated his roots.

North Carolina companies are in the midst of a sustainable energy boom. Solar farms have bloomed, wind farms could be on their way, and local entrepreneurs are experimenting with biofuels and solar power. But cheap natural gas and new legislation could slow sustainable energy growth.

Experts are discussing these advancements at the North Carolina Department of Commerce's 10th Annual Sustainable Energy Conference in Raleigh today. Keynote speaker Marilyn Brown is a professor from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She said today on The State of Things that many people are looking to fracking for natural gas to solve our energy needs.

  The music critic and composer Cecil Gray once said: "The bassoon in the orchestra plays the same role as Gorgonzola among cheeses -- a figure for fun. Actually, the bassoon can be the most romantic and passionate of instruments, and Gorgonzola can be the finest of cheeses, but they must both be treated properly."  Why would anyone pick up the bassoon?

  Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was a infamous figure on the international stage during the 1980s. Before he became a caricature of the "crazy" dictator, he was on the payroll of the CIA and helped the United States gain information on Cuba.

Margaret Thatcher is as divisive in death as she was in life.  Even as many around the world mourn her loss this week, others celebrate it.  London police are bracing for protests and possible violence at her funeral.

Mount Moriah is getting ready to continue their national tour for their critically-acclaimed album, "Miracle Temple." The band was signed by Merge Records and this is their first release under the new record label. "Miracle Temple" offers fans more of Heather McEntire's soulful vocals and lyrics but takes chances with a more intricate sound. Host Frank Stasio talks with founding members Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller about the band's incredible success.

The Rev. Dr. James Forbes spent 18 years as the senior minister of the Riverside Church in New York City, one of the nation’s most prominent pulpits,  but his journey began in North Carolina. Dr. Forbes grew up in Raleigh, and in the 1960s, he pastored churches in Wilmington and Roxboro.

Experts are in Durham today and tomorrow, attending a conference on Haiti. Their goal is to assess and improve aid efforts to the country following the devastating earthquake there three years ago.

It's a collaboration between Duke University and North Carolina Central University called, “Humanitarianism in Haiti: Visions and Practice."

Princeville, North Carolina is the first town created by African Americans in the United States. It was almost wiped out by Hurricane Floyd but survived. Now, it’s facing another threat.

Audits revealed that top-town officials may have been inappropriately using town dollars, and the state has taken over control of Princeville. Host Frank Stasio talks about the situation with Gurnal Scott, assistant news director at WUNC; and Rudolph Knight, a history columnist for The Daily Southerner in Tarboro.