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CC Podcast

Carolina Connection podcast: Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship leads to legal challenges and uncertainty

One of President Trump’s first executive orders upon taking office seeks to end birthright citizenship for children born to parents who are undocumented or who are in the U.S. on temporary status. Federal courts temporarily blocked the order, after a series of lawsuits challenged it as a violation of the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The case is likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Carolina Connection’s Gowri Abhinanda spoke with legal experts and advocates about the issues in the litigation, as well as the uncertainty that many people are feeling. She joins Sarah Ellis on this edition of the Carolina Connection podcast.

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2025

Carolina Connection – Apr. 26, 2025

Facing multiple lawsuits, The Trump Administration has restored the status of many international students who lost their visas, including at least five at UNC. Researchers at UNC say lifesaving studies are under threat due to federal funding cuts. Employers expect to hire fewer graduating seniors this year, and the class of 2025 is feeling the effects. Spiking property values in the Triangle could make it harder for residents of traditionally Black neighborhoods to keep their homes. A UNC English class has a unique final exam: writing and performing their own original songs.

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2025

Carolina Connection – Apr. 12, 2025

Triangle college students react to the State Department’s termination of international students’ visas. A North Carolina Senate bill could further restrict DEI in higher education. State health agencies across the U.S. lost billions of dollars in funding, and that’s threatened many programs in North Carolina.  UNC is renovating some dorms, which could make it harder to find campus housing. And people take a swing at  history – and each other – through a local sword fighting club.

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2025

Carolina Connection – Apr. 5, 2025

The Trump Administration’s tariffs have already shocked the stock market. And one expert says grocery prices might shock you soon.  Two NC State University students have left after their visas were revoked – leading to more concerns among other international students. Carrboro has a brand new library, and Chapel Hill has a another fried chicken place.  AI has a growing role in academia, but can it ever replace human teachers? A UNC club wants to prevent bird strikes by putting stickers on the windows of buildings they fly into.

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2025

Carolina Connection – Mar. 29, 2025

The Trump administration has thrown local Ukrainian refugees’ legal status into flux. TikTok might get banned, and that could cost some UNC influencers a lot of money. A UNC panel reflects on how Black digital spaces have added an important perspective to cultural conversations. After the men’s basketball team’s early departure from the NCAA tournament, some fans are questioning whether coach Hubert Davis should return. A longtime Carrboro barber is hanging up his shears. While most of us are playing our PS5s and Nintendo switches, people at a Durham arcade come together over pinball tables.

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2025

Carolina Connection – Mar. 22, 2025

Protestors at UNC vow to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to deport two pro-Palestinian students from Columbia University. The Town of Chapel Hill unpublished webpages concerning LGBTQ history, minority loan programs and more. But after community criticism, the pages are back. Egg prices are down from their record highs but Triangle businesses and consumers are still feeling the effects. Environmental groups install “trash traps” to catch litter in area creeks. North Carolina elementary and middle school test scores still have not recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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2025

Carolina Connection – Mar. 8, 2025

Students fear UNC is leaving them out of the conversation about whether to move the men’s basketball arena off campus.  Upcoming college graduates are scrambling after the federal government rescinded their job and internship offers. The UNC System tries to adapt to the Trump Administration’s threats about DEI initiatives. Wilson Library’s newest exhibit visualizes the Carolina student experience. A new initiative documents how racist housing policies have shaped where people live in Wake County today. A “Death Faire” in Pittsboro tries to change people’s views about death and dying.

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2025

Carolina Connection – Mar. 1, 2024

UNC leaders urge patience as faculty express concerns about President Trump’s funding cuts. A UNC study finds concerning trends in mental health among black middle schoolers. Some North Carolina colleges are teaching classes in prison to reduce the inmates recidivism rate. UNC students are helping draft legislation that they hope will protect kids on social media. The Daily Tar Heel is trying to expand its coverage of marginalized communities. Declining enrollment might make 2026 the last class of music education majors.