diff --git a/core/source.go b/core/source.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f61f7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/source.go
@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+
+	_ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
+)
+
+func AddSource(db *sql.DB, name string) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(`
+		insert into sources (name)
+		values (?)
+	`, name)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+func DeleteSource(db *sql.DB, name string) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(`
+	delete from sources
+	where name = ?
+	`, name)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+func AddItem(
+	db *sql.DB,
+	source string,
+	id string,
+	title string,
+	author string,
+	body string,
+	link string,
+	time int,
+) error {
+	_, err := db.Exec(`
+		insert into items (source, id, active, title, author, body, link, time)
+		values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+	`, source, id, true, title, author, body, link, time)
+
+	return err
+}
+
+// Deactivate an item, returning its previous active state.
+func DeactivateItem(db *sql.DB, source string, id string) (bool, error) {
+	row := db.QueryRow(`
+		select active
+		from items
+		where source = ? and id = ?
+	`, source, id)
+	var active bool
+	err := row.Scan(&active)
+	if err != nil && errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("item %s/%s not found", source, id)
+	}
+
+	_, err = db.Exec(`
+		update items
+		set active = 0
+		where source = ? and id = ?
+	`, source, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return active, nil
+}
+
+func GetAllActiveItems(db *sql.DB) ([]Item, error) {
+	rows, err := db.Query(`
+		select
+			source, id, created, active, title, author, body, link, time
+		from items
+		where active <> 0
+	`)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	var items []Item
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var item Item
+		rows.Scan(&item.Source, &item.Id, &item.Created, &item.Active, &item.Title, &item.Author, &item.Body, &item.Link, &item.Time)
+		items = append(items, item)
+	}
+	return items, nil
+}
+
+func GetActiveItemsForSource(db *sql.DB, source string) ([]Item, error) {
+	rows, err := db.Query(`
+		select
+			source, id, created, active, title, author, body, link, time
+		from items
+		where
+			source = ?
+		and active <> 0
+	`, source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	var items []Item
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var item Item
+		rows.Scan(&item.Source, &item.Id, &item.Created, &item.Active, &item.Title, &item.Author, &item.Body, &item.Link, &item.Time)
+		items = append(items, item)
+	}
+	return items, nil
+}
diff --git a/core/source_test.go b/core/source_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed34bbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/source_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+package core
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"slices"
+	"testing"
+
+	_ "github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3"
+)
+
+func TestCreateSource(t *testing.T) {
+	db := EphemeralDb(t)
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	if err := AddSource(db, "one"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := AddSource(db, "two"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := AddSource(db, "three"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := DeleteSource(db, "two"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	rows, err := db.Query("select name from sources")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	var names []string
+	expected := []string{"one", "three"}
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var name string
+		rows.Scan(&name)
+		names = append(names, name)
+	}
+	for i := 0; i < len(expected); i += 1 {
+		if !slices.Contains(names, expected[i]) {
+			t.Fatalf("missing %s, have: %v", expected[i], names)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func AssertItemIs(t *testing.T, item Item, expected string) {
+	actual := fmt.Sprintf(
+		"%s/%s/%t/%s/%s/%s/%s/%d",
+		item.Source,
+		item.Id,
+		item.Active,
+		item.Title,
+		item.Author,
+		item.Body,
+		item.Link,
+		item.Time,
+	)
+	if actual != expected {
+		t.Fatalf("expected %s, got %s", expected, actual)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAddItem(t *testing.T) {
+	db := EphemeralDb(t)
+	defer db.Close()
+	if err := AddSource(db, "test"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if err := AddItem(db, "test", "one", "", "", "", "", 0); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := AddItem(db, "test", "two", "title", "author", "body", "link", 123456); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	items, err := GetActiveItemsForSource(db, "test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(items) != 2 {
+		t.Fatal("should get two items")
+	}
+	AssertItemIs(t, items[0], "test/one/true/////0")
+	AssertItemIs(t, items[1], "test/two/true/title/author/body/link/123456")
+
+	if _, err = DeactivateItem(db, "test", "one"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	items, err = GetActiveItemsForSource(db, "test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(items) != 1 {
+		t.Fatal("should get one item")
+	}
+}