Us & Them

Dec 11 2024 240 ep. 38 mins 5.8k

Us & Them Podcast artwork

We tell stories from the fault lines that separate Americans. Peabody Award-winning public radio producer Trey Kay listens to people on both sides of the divide.

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Us & Them: No Where To Go & Sleeping Outside Is Illegal

Dec 11 2024 43 mins

There are people in the U.S. who break the law each day, simply by sleeping outside. This year, more states and local governments have passed laws banning public sleeping after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that makes such laws constitutional. One sweeping state effort is the Safer Kentucky Act, a set of anti-crime laws that includes hardline provisions on gun crimes, fentanyl, and a

Us & Them: Post-Election Politics Can Be A Bit Tough To Swallow

Nov 25 2024 52 mins

Host Trey Kay brings together the Us & Them dinner party guests once again, this time for a candid post-election review. The group, representing a wide range of personal and political perspectives, shares the table for a potluck meal just days after President-elect Donald Trump’s election. Some of Kay’s dinner party guests are enthusiastic about Trump’s policies and plans

Us & Them: Childhood Vaccines — Parental Rights vs. Public Health in West Virginia

Nov 13 2024 48 mins

West Virginia’s vaccination requirements for school children are what a lot of health experts call the gold standard. Only a medical exemption will get you out of school vaccine requirements. On this episode of Us & Them we look at a recent legislative proposal that would have changed that. It would have exempted homeschooled kids from vaccinations and let private and parochi

Us & Them: Bridging Divides After A Brutal Election

Nov 07 2024 8 mins

In the aftermath of Election Day 2024, Us & Them host Trey Kay reflects on the increasingly divided American landscape and how the tone of political campaigns has changed since 2016. In this special episode, he recounts the heightened polarization marked by unprecedented events like two assassination attempts and a last-minute nominee switch. Kay considers the "us versus them"

Us & Them: Next Generation Voters

Oct 23 2024 51 mins

The 2024 Presidential election season continues to be a rollercoaster of unpredictable actions, reactions and events. It seems each week brings big political headlines. Political campaigns have always had some rough edges, but now, candidates routinely call each other names and some frequently perpetuate outright lies in their speeches and at their rallies. That’s a challenge for

Us & Them: Is The Playing Field Fair?

Oct 08 2024 36 mins

We love our sports in America. From little league to professional competition, athletic teams can bring us together. However sports can also spotlight some of our most pointed social, culture and racial debates. Mascot names drive a wedge between fans. Some athletes choose to display their opinions about political candidates or police violence. In this episode of Us & Them, hos

Us & Them: Pre-Election Politics & Food For Thought

Sep 25 2024 52 mins

Us & Them host Trey Kay invites us all back for a new dinner party episode bringing together a wide-ranging group of people for food and conversation. Kay has used this gathering as a forum to break bread with folks who hold vastly different beliefs. The topics are varied… trust in elections - campus carry and gun rights - party conventions and candidate debates - and Joe Man

Us & Them: Three People - Three Stories - One Community

Sep 10 2024 35 mins

In Charleston, West Virginia, there’s a monthly live storytelling event called “Three Things” that invites three highly-visible members of the community to talk about their careers. The guests are asked to follow a simple prompt: tell the audience about their First, their Favorite and their Future. Jeff Shirley, the producer and host of “Three Things,” says the freewheeli

Us & Them: In The Beginning, There Was Very Little Mention Of The Right To Vote

Aug 20 2024 52 mins

Many people expected the 2024 presidential election would be unpredictable. But no one anticipated the recent sequence of events - Joe Biden’s debate performance, the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’s move to the top of the Democratic ticket. On this Us & Them episode, host Trey Kay looks at where all this is leading to… the ballot box. History oft

Us & Them: Can Former Prisoners Help Fill Our Workforce Gaps?

Aug 06 2024 23 mins

There’s a serious labor shortage in the U.S. right now with millions of jobs going unfilled. Each year, West Virginia releases 50,000 people from state prisons and local jails and all those people need jobs. On this episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay spotlights a recent event in Charleston, West Virginia called “Second Chances for a Stronger Workforce.” It brought togeth