The Broadside

Each week, host Anisa Khalifa tells one story from our home in North Carolina, at the crossroads of the South. From news to arts and culture, WUNC News’ “The Broadside” dives into issues that might not make the front page, but deserve a closer look. Along the way, we explore the nuances of our home — and how what happens here ripples across the country. Find new episodes of “The Broadside” every Thursday.

  1. 2 days ago

    The Bomber and the Rookie

    This year marks the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. The mood in the US at the time was very similar to the World Cup fever we're experiencing right now. But halfway through those games, that festive vibe shifted when a bomb went off in Centennial Olympic Park. 111 people were injured, 1 person was killed and overnight the Olympics became part of a criminal terrorism investigation. This week we're looking back at those events. But this episode isn't about Richard Jewell, the hero security guard who was wrongly accused of planting the bomb. Nor is it about Eric Rudolph, the domestic terrorist and survivalist who fled the scene and was later the subject of one of the longest manhunts in American history. This episode is about the life of the small town cop from North Carolina who ended it all. And how being a footnote to history is sometimes just the beginning of a life well-lived. "The Rookie" originally published in 2019 and was produced for Away Message, a podcast from Our State Magazine. It features host and reporter Jeremy Markovich who is an occasional guest on The Broadside. Markovich now runs the North Carolina Rabbit Hole newsletter, where he explores the strange and quirky corners of his home state. Links: Our State Magazine: https://www.ourstate.com/North Carolina Rabbit Hole: https://www.ncrabbithole.com/Credits: Jeremy Markovich: producer, mixer, hostJames Mieczkowski: producerElizabeth Hudson: editor-in-chiefMusic: "Bright Direction (You're A Dark Star Now)" by Hiss Golden Messenger Special Thanks to Matthew Yates, Katie Killen, Bill Evans and the Boston College Police Department, and Charles Winokoor of the Taunton Daily Gazette. Some archival audio courtesy of WLOS-TV. Cover Image: Shrapnel imprinted into a sculpture from the bomb set off by Eric Rudolph on the morning of July 27, 1996, at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia. Credit: Darth-Wiki-Man / Wikipedia ***On Friday, July 24th, we’ll be in Wilmington, NC for a special screening of the movie Maximum Overdrive. Organized by the folks at the Cucalorus Film Foundation, the event will celebrate the 40th anniversary of this cult classic which helped put the North Carolina film industry on the map. If you're there, please say hello! Tickets and event info here: https://jengos.eventive.org/schedule/6a3afe171e1d9381d19960f8 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    The Bomber and the Rookie

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Each week, host Anisa Khalifa tells one story from our home in North Carolina, at the crossroads of the South. From news to arts and culture, WUNC News’ “The Broadside” dives into issues that might not make the front page, but deserve a closer look. Along the way, we explore the nuances of our home — and how what happens here ripples across the country. Find new episodes of “The Broadside” every Thursday.

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