Best Wvpb Podcasts (2024)

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Us & Them: In The Beginning, There Was Very Little Mention Of The Right To Vote 52:00

13h ago52:00

52:00

Many people expected the 2024 presidential election would be unpredictable. But no one anticipated the recent sequence of events - Joe Biden’s debate performance, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s move to the top of the Democratic ticket. On this Us & Them episode, host Trey Kay looks at where all this is leading to… the…

1
Kentucky Artist Behind ‘No Hate In My Holler’ Debuts A Mural Featuring A Town’s Legendary Midwife

12h ago

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This conversation originally aired in the August 5, 2022 episode of Inside Appalachia. A mural in Pound, Virginia, depicts Nancy Mullins Shores — a longtime midwife who delivered many of the town’s residents in the 20th century. The mural was designed and painted by Lacy Hale, an eastern Kentucky artist known for painting murals across central Appa…

1
Kentucky Artist’s New Mural Commemorates Recovery, Hope After Floods

16m ago

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Lacy Hale’s art is decorating more of Appalachia's landscapes. The eastern Kentucky artist is probably best known for “No Hate in My Holler,” a screenprint she designed in 2017 that has spread across Appalachia on TV shirts, tote bags and billboards. Hale is also painting a growing number of murals adorning mountain communities. One memorialized a …

1
Workhorses And The Intimacy Of Spoons, Inside Appalachia

1d ago

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A few people still farm the way folks did before tractors. We visit with farmers who still rely on real workhorses to get their work done. Also, Kentucky artist Lacy Hale’s “No Hate in My Holler” screenprint may never go out of style. Appalachians are still telling her how much they identify with its message. And a Virginia poet reflects on the imp…

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Us & Them: Can Former Prisoners Help Fill Our Workforce Gaps? 23:27

9d ago23:27

23:27

There’s a serious labor shortage in the U.S. right now with millions of jobs going unfilled. Each year, West Virginia releases 50,000 people from state prisons and local jails and all those people need jobs. On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay spotlights a recent event in Charleston, West Virginia called “Second Chances for a Stronger Workf…

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Encore: Remembering Floods And Recovering From Disaster, Inside Appalachia

8d ago

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Flooding is a recurring problem across Appalachia. This week, we’re taking stock, and looking back on floods that have devastated parts of West Virginia and Kentucky. We explore some of the reasons for floods, as well as the aftermath and the slow recovery that often follows disaster. It’s not all gloom. Even in our hardest moments, there’s always …

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Temperature Blankets Tell A Story And Deviant Hollers, Inside Appalachia

27d ago

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A good blanket will keep you warm — but a handmade temperature blanket can convey a message to a loved one. This week, we talk to crocheters who make and share their art. Since 2018, there’s been an explosion of LGBT writing about Appalachia. The editor of the new essay collection “Deviant Hollers” tells us about it and more. And there’s an alterna…

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Us & Them Encore: Re-Entry 52:44

1M ago52:44

52:44

America’s prisons incarcerate people who’ve violated the law, but at some point, at least 95% of all state prisoners will be released back into the free world. Some struggle to navigate that transition successfully. On this encore Us & Them episode, host Trey Kay hears about the challenges of reentry. Some of those challenges are essential but basi…

1
Pierogies, Flat Five Studio And Bigfoot, Inside Appalachia

23d ago

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This week, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies every week. They’re popular with the community, but what makes them so good? Also, Salem, Virginia's Flat Five Studio got its first big break when the Dave Matthews Band was searching for a quiet place to record its first album. We hear the story of a big m…

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Natural Dyes And A ‘Wishtree’ Controversy, Inside Appalachia

30d ago

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This week, one person’s roadside weed is another’s “golden” treasure. So says a North Carolina fiber artist. We also talk with a children's book author about a school system that suspended its community reading program over concerns about the sex of her book's main character — an oak tree. And, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program is now avai…

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Us & Them Encore: Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars In West Virginia 52:44

2M ago52:44

52:44

Overcrowding and understaffing have pushed West Virginia’s prisons and jails to what many believe is a crisis point. On this Us & Them, we hear what incarceration is like for someone in a mental health crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people with mental illnesses are caught up in a criminal justice system that was never intended to treat them. In a…

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Handmade Fly Fishing Rods And The World’s Largest Tea Pot, Inside Appalachia

1M ago

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This week, we visit with a West Virginia man who shows his love for fishing by building exquisite, handmade fly rods. It’s a long process, but he shares his knowledge with others. We also spill the tea on a classic roadside attraction in Chester, West Virginia. And punk music photographer Chelse Warren takes us into the pit for stories and observat…

1
Roadside Attractions, Pepperoni Rolls And A Bus On A Rock, Inside Appalachia

2M ago

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This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Also, if you’re hungry for a pepperoni roll in West Virginia, you can find one at just about any gas station. So — how did they get so popular? We’ll hear one theory. And we check out the backstory of a bus that sits at the conflue…

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Us & Them Remembrance — 50 Years Ago Today: Reflecting on a Pivotal Kanawha County Board of Education Meeting 7:29

2M ago7:29

7:29

We are releasing this bonus podcast because this month marks a significant milestone for Us & Them, West Virginia and actually American history. Fifty years ago today, on June 27th, the Board of Education in Kanawha County, West Virginia set off a chapter of the nation’s culture wars as it debated whether to purchase a controversial series of new t…

1
Revisiting The Great Textbook War 55:49

2M ago55:49

55:49

Fifty years ago this month, a fierce controversy erupted over newly adopted school textbooks in Kanawha County, West Virginia. The fight led to violent protests in West Virginia. Dynamite hit school buildings. Bullets hit buses. And protesting miners forced some coal mines to shut down - because of the new multicultural textbooks. The classroom mat…

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1,035 - Southern Avenue, Driftwood, Elvie Shane, Melissa Ferrick, and Jeff Plankenhorn 2:22:56

2M ago2:22:56

2:22:56

This episode was recorded on May 19th, 2024 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Southern Avenue, Driftwood, Elvie Shane, Melissa Ferrick, and Jeff Plankenhorn. https://bit.ly/3xyjyVZBy West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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The Healing Power Of Old-Time Music And A History Of Meth, Inside Appalachia

2M ago

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This week, old-time music jams aren’t just fun, they’re good for your mental health. Also, the opioid epidemic has changed how we talk about addiction in Appalachia. But it’s not America’s only drug crisis. And, every year, hundreds of people parachute off the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge Bridge for Bridge Day, but not just anyone can do it. You'l…

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1,034- Suzy Bogguss, Stephane Wrembel, Mama's Broke, Denitia, and Goldpine 2:26:21

2M ago2:26:21

2:26:21

This episode was recorded on May 12th, 2024 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Suzy Bogguss, Stephane Wrembel, Mama's Broke, Denitia, and Goldpine. https://bit.ly/4c3Wei5By West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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Hip Hop In W.Va. And Food Deserts In Knoxville, Inside Appalachia

2M ago

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This week, hip hop started in New York and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of the history of the music and where it is today. Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food, but they’re found in more than just rural counties in Appalachia. Food deserts are also in disenfranchised neighborhoods, like in…

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Us & Them Encore: SNAP — Do The Hungry Get More Policy Than Nutrition? 46:46

2M ago46:46

46:46

Forty-two million Americans or about 12 percent of the the population need help feeding their families. That help often comes from a federal program called SNAP - which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly called food stamps. The Mountain State is one of the top recipients of SNAP benefits. Nearly 45 percent of recipients …

1
Encore: Fur Trapping In W.Va. And A Blue Ribbon Winner, Inside Appalachia

3M ago

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This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st century. We also meet a county fair champion who keeps racking up the blue ribbons and has released a cookbook of some of her favorites. And we hear an update on the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction has begun again, but some people wonder if it’s even nee…

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1,033- Ruthie Foster, Charlie Mars, Fellow Pynins, The Wandering Hearts, and Rebecca Porter 2:41:26

2M ago2:41:26

2:41:26

This episode was recorded on April 28th, 2024 at WVU's Canaday Creative Arts Center in Morgantown, WV. The lineup includes Ruthie Foster, Charlie Mars, Fellow Pynins, The Wandering Hearts, Rebecca Porter, and guest host David Mayfield. https://bit.ly/4aMlc3ZBy West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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Stickers And The Trouble With Indian Creek, Inside Appalachia

3M ago

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This week, we meet a West Virginia artist who designs stickers, t-shirts, patches and pins. She draws on classic Appalachian phrases her family has used for years. They’re not all radio-friendly. Also, people who live near Indian Creek in southern West Virginia say something is wrong with the water. Tests show contamination from a nearby mine. Now …

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1,032- Bettye LaVette, Keller Williams, Kim Richey, The Langan Band, Megan Jean's Secret Family 2:33:42

2M ago2:33:42

2:33:42

This episode was recorded on April 21st, 2024 at Ohio Univeristy's Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium in Athens, Ohio. The lineup includes Bettye LaVette, Keller Williams, Kim Richey, The Langan Band, Megan Jean's Secret Family. https://bit.ly/4aGU9H9By West Virginia Public Broadcasting

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1,031-Duke Robillard Band, Cedric Burnside, Sam Weber, Las Cafeteras, and The Black Feathers 2:29:43

3M ago2:29:43

2:29:43

This episode was recorded on March 24th, 2024 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Duke Robillard Band, Cedric Burnside, Sam Weber, Las Cafeteras, and The Black Feathers. https://bit.ly/3UoAENnBy West Virginia Public Broadcasting

1
The Appalachian Forager And Crosswinds, Inside Appalachia

3M ago

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This week, the woman behind the popular TikTok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from wild pawpaws … and jewelry from coyote teeth. We also talk with the hosts of a new podcast that looks at coal dust exposure beyond the mines, affecting people far downstream from Appalachia. And, in some places, slavery continued in different forms well afte…

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Us & Them Encore: Can Childhood Trauma Limit The Future? 52:25

3M ago52:25

52:25

We continue to learn more about the way childhood trauma can affect our physical and psychological health and the result is creating a social movement. More than two decades ago, researchers first came up with a way to assess the impact of childhood neglect, abuse and family dysfunction. Nearly half the kids under 18 in the U.S. have had an adverse…

1
The Grand March And A Year After A Denied Abortion, Inside Appalachia

3M ago

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For nearly a century, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival has staged a formal dance. We visit the festival and learn about a manual that’s been passed down for generations. Also, abortion is illegal in most cases in Tennessee. A photographer spent a year following one mother who was denied an abortion. And we talk to Marshall University professor…

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Encore: The Climbing Climate And Paddle Making, Inside Appalachia

3M ago

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This week, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags. Climbers have also been working to make West Virginia's New River Gorge more inclusive. And a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles remembers some advice. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Ins…

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Us & Them Encore: Compassion Fatigue 55:19

4M ago55:19

55:19

Homelessness has been on the rise since 2016 and the pandemic only exacerbated an acute shortage of resources to help people living on the streets. Now, many communities are struggling to provide support as some homeless people turn away from emergency shelters and remain in outdoor encampments. In Charleston, West Virginia, the city’s opioid respo…

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Filipino Hospitality In Asheville And Famed Thru-Hiker Shares Journey, Inside Appalachia

4M ago

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This week, a chef has created a hidden culinary hot spot in Asheville, North Carolina that’s attracting national attention for its eclectic menu and Filipino hospitality. Also, every thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail begins with a first step. Famed hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis shares hers. And the holy month of Ramadan ends with a feast. But war and…

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Award Winning Stories From 2023, Inside Appalachia

4M ago

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In March, broadcast journalists from Virginia and West Virginia were recognized when the Virginias Associated Press Broadcasters met to present awards for notable stories produced in 2023. This week, we listen back to some of our award-winning stories. In This Episode: How Angelo’s Old World Italian Sausage Gets Made Make Way For The Mushroom Hunte…

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