Human Interest

Joshua Swift directs traffic at a COVID-19 testing site

Human Interest

Echoes of the Pandemic: Forsyth Health Director Joshua Swift on mobilizing a community

5:00am March 31, 2025

At Forsyth County's COVID-19 mass vaccination site at the Winston-Salem fairgrounds, nearly 100,000 people received their shots in a tightly run operation staffed largely by the National Guard. At the helm of it all was the county’s Public Health Director Joshua Swift. He reflects on what he learned in this episode of Echoes of the Pandemic.

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Sunday Puzzle: For French fanatics

8:00am March 30, 2025

NPR's Eyder Peralta plays the puzzle with WKSU listener Amy Anderson of Aurora, Ohio, along with Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.

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Rosie the Riveters honored for service in WWII

5:00am March 30, 2025

The National World War Two Museum and the Gary Sinise Foundation celebrate the trailblazing women who worked in the American defense industry in the 1940s, and preserve their stories for future generations.

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Human Interest

The history of the shopping cart

5:54pm March 29, 2025

by Mallory Yu

The modern shopping cart — as we know it — didn't always exist, which meant it had to be invented. The How Curious podcast explores the history of the shopping cart.

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'Wait Wait' for March 29, 2025: With Eric Idle, Bridget Everett, and more!

12:30pm March 29, 2025

This week, we invite everyone to take a much needed break and listen to interviews with Eric Idle, Bridget Everett + Jeff Hiller, Diane Lane, and more!

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NASA's Curiosity Rover finds intriguing molecules in ancient Mars mud

5:15pm March 28, 2025

by Christopher Intagliata

A science experiment aboard NASA's Curiosity rover has found tantalizing traces of possible past life on Mars. But there could be other explanations for where these compounds came from.

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Barton County Courthouse (Great Bend, Kansas)

Authorities say a babysitter checked under the bed for monsters — and found someone

1:58pm March 28, 2025

Kansas authorities say a babysitter went to refute a kid's claims of a monster under their bed, but "came face-to-face with a male suspect who was hiding there." They later arrested a 27-year-old man.

With Grace and Grit: Helene created a 'chain reaction of inspiration' for mountain artists

5:00am March 28, 2025

by Paul Garber

The arts have always been integral to the Appalachian experience. Helene led to a pause in much of the area’s creative output. But six months later, many artists are back at work and incorporating the tragedy into their projects.

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With Grace and Grit: Replacing Helene-damaged bridges became a calling for volunteers

5:30am March 27, 2025

by Paul Garber

In the second installment of "With Grace and Grit: A mountain community responds to Helene," Paul Garber reports on Lansing’s Bridge to Recovery. The nonprofit was launched post-Helene to help restore vital spans that are not maintained by the state.

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Human Interest

Echoes of the Pandemic: Dr. Iulia Vann on what it means to rise to a challenge

5:00am March 27, 2025

by April Laissle

When the first case of COVID-19 arrived in Guilford County, former Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann was very new to the job. After a wave of fear and anxiety, she says something else quickly followed: determination. In the latest installment of Echoes of the Pandemic, Vann describes working with her team to meet unexpected challenges, and moments when the intensity of it all set in.

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