The chemical GenX has plagued the Cape Fear Region for decades — though we only found out it was in the river eight years ago. Since then, there’ve been myriad fights: for regulation at the state and federal level, for filtration, and for accountability against the polluter. This week, we’ll have an update on the status of this slow-moving crisis in the Cape Fear.

On this edition of The Newsroom, WHQR's Ben Schachtman and Rachel Keith unpack the New Hanover County Schools' budgetary needs — for the current year, and for longer-term facility needs. It's hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars — and it's not clear right now where all that funding is going to come from.

On this edition, The Assembly’s Erin Gretzinger on the rapidly shifting landscape of DEI policy in North Carolina higher education. Plus, WHQR's Nikolai Mather helps unpack the lawsuit between a Pender County newspaper and county officials — and the political context behind the litigation.

WHQR News Director Ben Schachtman and reporter Kelly Kenoyer unpack some of our recent reporting about Novant NHRMC: staff interviews and watchdog data show some concerning trends at the hospital, but the newest leadership team says things are improving. And, Rachel Keith helps explain FERPA, the federal law protecting student privacy, and how it might be overused to protect public information, including parental book challenges.

Leila Fadel, host of NPR's Morning Edition and the Up First podcast, came to Wilmington last month for WHQR's luncheon. On this episode of The Newsroom, we've got her keynote speech, a Q-and-A session with the audience, and a one-on-one interview with WHQR News Director Ben Schachtman.

On this episode: Rachel Keith recently hosted a panel for N.C. Project LEAD, asking elected officials and community leaders some tough policy questions. We’ll hear what they said about universal basic income, collective bargaining, and more. Plus, Nikolai Mather unpacks legislative efforts to fund school meals for all.

On this episode, Rachel Keith takes stock of what the New Hanover County Schools’ turnaround task force has accomplished in two years, and what’s next for them – and Nikolai Mather sits down with Representative Ted Davis to talk about his PFAS legislation

On the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, WHQR's Ben Schachtman sat down with Curt Farrison, president of Chapter 885 of the Vietnam Veterans of America, to talk about coming home from war, understanding and managing PTSD, and what the country could do better for men and women who have worn a uniform.

On today’s show, host Rachel Keith talks about the groundbreaking Healthy Opportunities Pilot—one of the first in the country—where some Medicaid recipients get assistance for food, rent and utilities, and counseling for interpersonal violence or toxic stress needs. Service providers helping these people get reimbursements from the HOP program.

On today’s show, Rachel Keith celebrates Sunshine Week, an annual event focused on open government and transparency. In honor of this year’s sunshine week, we’re taking a look at government speech policies — we’ll dig into how much public employees, including college professors, can say when they talk to journalists or speak out on political issues. And, later on today’s show, Aaleah McConnell takes a personal look a being a Blerd — that’s a black nerd – and the art, music, and film that exists at the intersection of those two cultures.