Gene Nichol will be on The State of Things today.

The former dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill Law school, Nichol helped found the controversial Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity and hired John Edwards to run it.

He then left to be president of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where his tenure was also controversial.

"He's back at UNC now," say the program notes. "So, what makes a legal academic a lightning rod?"

Hosted by Frank Stasio, the show airs at noon on 91.5 FM in Chapel Hill, 88.9 FM in Manteo and 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount.

It can also be downloaded after it airs here.

Andy Curliss will be on "The State of Things" today.

The N&O reporter, whose two-part series on former Gov. Mike Easley has had a major impact in recent days, will discuss possible violations of campaign finance laws and allegations of cronyism with host Frank Stasio. 

The show airs at noon on 91.5 FM in Chapel Hill, 88.9 FM in Manteo and 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount.

It can also be downloaded after it airs here.

State Rep. Ty Harrell will be on "The State of Things" today.

The Raleigh Democrat will join WUNC radio host Frank Stasio for a discussion about race and politics in advance of an upcoming conference at Duke University.

The two will talk "about the atmosphere surrounding a young African-American politican in Raleigh," according to a station promo.

Harrell, who represents a district that is overwhelmingly white, was highlighted as part of a "new guard of black Democrats" in the Independent Weekly of Durham last year, and has been compared to Barack Obama by more than one political observer.

Duke professors Bill Chafe and Paula McClain will join the 40 minute conversation.

The show airs at noon on 91.5 FM in Chapel Hill, 88.9 FM in Manteo and 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount.

It can also be downloaded after it airs here.

Kay Hagan will be on "The State of Things" today.

The candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate will be the only guest on the 40-minute show hosted by Frank Stasio on WUNC, an NPR affiliate.

Here's the promo:

Meet Kay Hagan: Kay Hagan has represented Greensboro in the North Carolina senate for five terms. Over that time, she has established a reputation for being pro-education and pro-business. She is often described as "tenacious" and as a "fighter," but Democratic challenger Jim Neal calls her "an ambitious career politician" who is "Republican Lite." North Carolina State Senator Kay Hagan joins host Frank Stasio to share her life story and her political track record.  

The show airs live on 91.5 FM in Chapel Hill, 88.9 FM in Manteo and 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount.

It can also be downloaded after it airs here. 

The governor might as well declare today Jesse Helms Retrospective Day.

In addition to the documentary tonight on UNC-TV, an upcoming biography, a feature story in the N&O and a multitude of blog posts, the former senator is the topic du jour on the State of Things.

Host Frank Stasio will talk with William Link, author of "Righteous Warrior;" John Wilson, director and producer of "Senator No;" and NPR's Adam Hochberg, who covered Helms in the 1990s.

"To some, he was an inspired leader of a new modern conservative movement who fought profligacy in government and in the culture," the station says. "To others, he was a polarizing figure who used race and homophobia to help further his political career, provoking the very worst in people."

The show airs at noon on 91.5 FM in Chapel Hill, 88.9 FM in Manteo and 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount.

"Senator No" airs tonight on UNC-TV at 9 p.m.

Citizen participation will be on The State of Things today.

Host Frank Stasio will lead a roundtable discussion on civic engagement and influencing public policy with authors Joel Blackwell and Val Atkinson; Bob Hall, executive director of Democracy North Carolina; Erin Byrd, civic engagement coordinator for Blueprint NC; and former Raleigh City Councilman Brad Thompson.

From the schedule:

Can ordinary citizens play the game of politics without lots of money and connections? And does our political system work well for groups who have historically been shut out of it? 

The show airs at noon on 91.5 in Chapel Hill, 88.9 in Manteo and 90.9 in Rocky Mount. 

Carter Wrenn regrets the use of race in Sen. Jesse Helms' campaigns.

The Republican political operative, who often worked for Helms, was asked on "The State of Things" about those campaigns' use of racially tinged issues.

"You know, you do things you regret in your life," he told host Frank Stasio. "I think that the way that race was used in the Helms' campaigns, looking back, was unfortunate."

It was not the first time Wrenn's apologized for his role. Last August, he told the N&O that Helms used race in a "pretty ruthless way," and his unpublished novel, "The Trail of the Serpent," deals with a fictionalized version of the campaigns.

Later, he said that Helms' legacy was helping President Reagan win the Cold War.

Gary Pearce and Carter Wrenn will be on "The State of Things."

Pearce, a Democratic consultant, and Wrenn, a Republican, first met during the Senate race between Gov. Jim Hunt and Sen. Jesse Helms in 1984. For the past two years, they've run a blog together called Talking About Politics.

The two will talk today with host Frank Stasio about blogging, as well as local, state and national politics. They'll also take listener calls.

The show airs at noon on WUNC 91.5 FM in Chapel Hill, WRQM 90.9 FM in Rocky Mount and WUND 88.9 FM in Manteo.

Update: Anglico, for some reason, will be live-blogging the show.

Joe Hackney will be on The State of Things today.

The House speaker will answer questions from host Frank Stasio and listeners who call in during an hourlong interview. From the schedule:

During his long tenure in the General Assembly he has supported environmental causes and tougher drunk driving laws, and earned a reputation as an unabashed "Chapel Hill liberal." But in just one year as Speaker, he has been a consensus builder; an important accomplishment, given the shadow of scandal cast by his predecessor, Jim Black.

The show airs at noon on 91.5 in Chapel Hill, 88.9 in Manteo and 90.9 in Rocky Mount.