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WUNC News Archive
Listen to our collection of WUNC news stories. WUNC News stories prior to May 23, 2006 may be found here. There's more about our North Carolina Voices series here. Recent stories are also available as a podcast 
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Please note: audio for some news stories in late 2007 is currently unavailable. We are working to restore the missing audio as soon as possible. If you would like a CD copy of items in this archive (including ones currently without audio), please send your request to tapes@wunc.org and our staff will follow up.
Coble Returns from Russia
Friday, July 03 2009
by Eric Hodge and Yasmeen Khan
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(Photo: Howard Coble)
Recent tensions between the US and Russia have led to renewed efforts to find common ground between the two countries. Last weekend a congressional delegation that included North Carolina Representatives Howard Coble and Brad Miller visited Moscow to meet with members of the Russian Parliament, called the Duma. Congressman Coble says talks focused on national security, intellectual property rights, and international adoptions. He says there has been increased tension between the two countries on the adoption issue.
Hopes for a High Speed Train
Thursday, July 02 2009
by Dave DeWitt
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(Photo: Amtrak)
Railroads have a long history in North Carolina. But until very recently, few travelers thought seriously about trains as a way to get from point A to point B. Now, train travel in the state is about to get a big boost: Hundreds of millions of federal stimulus dollars could fund a high-speed rail line that would link Charlotte, Raleigh, and Richmond Virginia.
Number of Uninsured Increases
Thursday, July 02 2009
by Rose Hoban
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New numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics show that in 2008 about one in five people were uninsured, and one in four were uninsured for part of the year.
Mark Holmes from the North Carolina Institute of Medicine says North Carolina's rate of uninsured tends to be a little higher than the national average. "We've become accustomed to 1.5 million, 1.4 million, 1.6 million... it picks up every year and we say, it's gone up a point or two," Holmes says. "But when people really think about what this means for almost 20 percent of North Carolina residents who don't have health insurance and are just one twisted ankle away from a multi-hundred dollar bill--you know, these can really underscore the need for access to quality care."
Holmes says these numbers come from throughout 2008 and don't yet reflect the effect of the economic downturn. He says he's hearing from doctors and hospitals that requests for free care are up sharply since late last year.
Smithfield Workers Vote on Union Contract
Tuesday, June 30 2009
by Leoneda Inge
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A historic vote is taking place at the Smithfield Packing plant in Tar Heel this week for the company's five thousand workers. The company and union organizers agree it will easily take two days for all workers to get the chance to vote on their first contract.
Jill Cashen is a spokeswoman with the United Food and Commercial Workers union. "We're really proud of the workers who have stood together for so many years," Cashen says. "Some folks may have just started yesterday; others have been there since 1994. You know, it's a proud moment."
The UFCW has been trying to unionize the world's largest hog processing plant since it opened. Workers have long complained about working conditions at the plant. Several lawsuits and rounds with the National Labor Relations Board ultimately resulted in workers voting to unionize last December.
N.C. Healthcare Quality Improves
Monday, June 29 2009
by Rose Hoban
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New numbers from the federal government look at the quality of health care in North Carolina. Analysts at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality tabulate measures of health quality annually for all states. This year, North Carolina's quality improved slightly to the point where it ranks on average with the rest of the United States.
North Carolina improved on several measures: More adults got screened for colorectal cancer and more heart attack patients got counseling on smoking cessation and proper use of their medications.
The state was weakest on care for people in nursing homes and those with chronic diseases. North Carolina also lost ground on providing preventative services and continues to have one of the highest infant mortality rates in the U S.
Durham Youth Remember Jackson
Friday, June 26 2009
by Leoneda Inge
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Michael Jackson's fans span generations. The Walltown Children’s Theatre in Durham is full of wanna-be entertainers. Today children at the theatre camp performed scenes from “Macbeth” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” – but Michael Jackson was on their minds. Leoneda Inge reports.
At-risk Youth Not Getting Support
Friday, June 26 2009
by Rose Hoban
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Most kids in North Carolina are well adjusted, do okay in school and move on with their lives. But for teens who are at risk for getting in trouble, there aren't enough services and the services that exist are fragmented. That's according to the advocacy group Action for Children North Carolina.
Brandy Bynum is an analyst with the organization. She says there are some programs in the state that are helping kids--and they work. "They're proven to not only decrease crime, but to help them to not be involved in future criminal activity as well. And some of those programs include your Nurse Family Partnerships, your cognitive behavioral therapy, multiple systemic therapy programs and things like that."
Bynum says too many kids don't get to access good programs. She says those kids often only get help once they've committed a crime.
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