The Living South's top 5 of 2025

In the first year of The Living South, I did my best to tell the stories that captured this complicated place. In year two, I want to go bigger and deeper.

Trump drops MLK Day celebration at National Parks

Make no mistake, racists cheer decisions like the Trump administration's MLK Day change at the National Park Service.

Law enforcement isn't supposed to act like this

Law enforcement's power is derived from a bargain with the people they serve. They're not supposed to be ideologues. They're not supposed to wear masks and lie.

What the obsession with Bill Belichick's girlfriend says about us

The sexism and misogyny baked into the American media's fascination with Bill Belichick and his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.

Something to actually, really be grateful for in the South

Nobody likes forced gratitude. It's cloying and annoying. This season is filled with artificial pleas for it. So I'm not going to do that. But I want to talk about something I saw this month that's making me give thanks for the people of the South.

The South has seen masked kidnappers before

ICE and Border Patrol agents are acting less like cops and more like the white terrorist groups that plagued the South for generations.

The Voting Rights Act changed the South. Here's how to save it.

The Voting Rights Act, perhaps the most important piece of legislation in the 20th century South, is a shadow of its former self. Restoring it is an existential matter.

Why 'Born in the USA' could be the soundtrack of America, again

In the north, south, the midwest, and the west—anywhere someone has ever felt like they were getting ripped off—"Born in the USA" spoke directly to the same disaffected white men who are voting for President Trump.

I'm gonna try to explain North Carolina

Introducing a new video series called "Billy Ball Explains North Carolina"—the point being to cut through all the noise and make some sense in my home state.

Video: How to fix social media in America

Talking with "Capitol Tonight" about the relatively simple fix that could make social media much better in America.

Audio: Nathan Kousol, K-pop star from Arkansas, tells his story

Nathan Kousol is a member of the new group 1Verse, which also includes two defectors from North Korea, a Chinese-American from California, and a Japanese national.

The federal government shutdown hurts the South a lot more

When it comes to health care, which is what the federal government shutdown is about, some states will bleed. The South will gush.