Our Song of the Week comes from rising Americana, fingerstyle and slide guitar star, Cristina Vane. She joined us for her first Mountain Stage appearance and wowed the audience with a collection of songs, including tracks from her third studio album, Hear My Call, which was released in February of this year.
It’s another Thanksgiving with COVID-19, but this time, vaccinations allow many Americans to gather together and share a hug and a meal.
Us & Them host Trey Kay invites his ‘virtual dinner party’ guests back for an anniversary. It’s a tradition we began last year – bringing together a wide ranging group to talk occasionally about the hot topics of the day. We talk politics and the 2020 election as well as the issues of election reform that continue to reverberate. COVID vaccinations and masks present some honest conversation.
This year we’ll see what kind of common ground there is at the table. It seems the more the dinner party guests talk with each other, the more they learn something that can help them see things more clearly and connect on different levels.
This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the CRC Foundation and the West Virginia Humanities Council.
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Kathy Kay
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Host Trey Kay enjoying a “non-Thanksgiving” Thanksgiving meal at a virtual table with the Us & Them “Dinner Party” crew.
DEI programs aimed to expand opportunity—now they’re facing pushback. On the latest Us & Them, host Trey Kay examines the political and cultural forces challenging diversity, equity and inclusion efforts—and why more than 30 states have considered rolling them back.
Daniel Johnston’s unpolished cassette recordings—raw vocals and all—captivated indie music fans in the ’80s and caught the attention of Kurt Cobain, Sonic Youth, Beck and Wilco. Now, the late “outsider artist” is headed into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. On the next Us & Them, host Trey Kay explores Johnston’s life, art, and enduring legacy.
A debate over a motion to discharge - to move a bill from committee directly to the House floor - delayed the chambers' business for close to two hours due to debates over parliamentary rules and procedures.
For many grappling with substance use disorder, homelessness, and the justice system, the struggle has never been more intense. New tough-on-crime laws—like Kentucky’s “Safer Kentucky Act”—are ramping up penalties on many crime categories that include a banon public camping, deepening the crisis. On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay returns to Kentucky to explore the real-world consequences: urban areas face severe housing shortages and persistent substance use challenges, while small-town Appalachia remains even more isolated from essential support networks.