On the Friday News Roundup... Sen. Thom Tillis speaks out strongly against Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security – and Stephen Miller, one of the president’s closest advisers. A vigil in Durham honors the life of VA nurse Alex Pretti, who was killed by federal immigration agents in Minnesota on January 24. These stories and more lead this week’s North Carolina news. Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC Claudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NC Bryan Anderson , Statew...
Jan 30, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 A former judge running for state senate denies that he was recorded saying a racist slur. Then he filed charges. Jeff Tiberii speaks with the reporters behind the scoop about what the audio recording proves, and what it doesn’t. Jeffrey Billman , politics and law reporter for The Assembly Michael Hewlett , courts and law reporter for The Assembly 0:13:00 A new book revives ‘The Legend of Wyatt Outlaw’ For decades, religious groups and everyday community members have gathered in Graham, N...
Jan 29, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 How habeas corpus has played a role in North Carolinians being released from ICE detention Immigration enforcement has transformed from a campaign promise to a months-long campaign of intimidation. Federal ICE agents are ramping up their latest operation in Portland, Maine this week, following an astonishing effort in Minneapolis that killed two Americans. Federal agents carried out operations in North Carolina across November and December. There is new data available from those raids. W...
Jan 28, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 The 2005 ice storm that kept thousands of Wake County Public Schools kids and staff at school overnight School closures due to winter weather are a frequent reality here in central North Carolina, and when several inches of snow are in the forecast, it makes sense. But other times, parents are left scrambling for childcare when it’s not clear exactly what the weather threat is. Today on Due South, the 2005 storm that many believe still has an impact on school closure decisions in the Tri...
Jan 27, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 NC climatologist shares updates from the weekend ice storm The Triangle got hit with less ice and snow than anticipated. Where this storm measures up, and why these winter storms are so difficult to forecast in North Carolina. Corey Davis, Assistant State Climatologist 0:17:56 Buddhist monks’ 'Walk for Peace' follows a long tradition of nonviolent religious protest Leoneda Inge speaks with an expert on American religious history to discuss the context of a group of Buddhist monks' 'Walk ...
Jan 26, 2026•50 min
On this week's North Carolina News Roundup... A winter storm outlook from Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis, an update on measles in North Carolina, the future of the Dean Dome, and the Walk for Peace comes to the Triangle. Corey Davis, Assistant State Climatologist Adam Wagner , reporter/editor covering state politics for the North Carolina Newsroom Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & Observer Zachery Eanes , reporter, Axios Raleigh Aaron Sánchez-Guerra, Race, Class &...
Jan 23, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 An update on North Carolina’s measles cases More than 10 cases of measles have been reported in the state since December. Jeff Tiberii speaks with a health reporter to get the latest details of the cases, and how best to protect your own health. Michelle Crouch , Reporter NC Health News and The Charlotte Ledger 0:17:52 A debrief on the Cary Town Manager fiasco Jeff talks with the News & Observer's Nathan Collins about the Town Manager debacle in Cary. Nathan Collins , investigative r...
Jan 22, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 North Carolina athletes from snowboarding to bobsledding among Winter Olympic hopefuls We are mere weeks away from the Winter Olympics, set for northern Italy. We check in on a North Carolina snowboarder, a bobsledder, and others looking to make a mark on the Games. Josh Sullivan , Social Media Producer, WUNC News 0:13:00 W. Ralph Eubanks discusses new book ‘When It's Darkness on the Delta’ Writer W. Ralph Eubanks takes Due South on a journey over the loamy land of the Mississippi Delta,...
Jan 21, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 Flag football gains a foothold in North Carolina From local rec centers and high school football stadiums, all the way to the NCAA and soon the Olympics, flag football seems to be everywhere. Even the NFL is getting in on the action. USA Today reporter Mitchell Northam explains the growing popularity of the sport many simply call “flag.” Mitchell Northam , reporter, USA Today 0:13:00 Due South’s Most Anticipated Books of Winter/Spring 2026 Due South checks in with Flyleaf Books’ Maggie R...
Jan 20, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 Bernice King, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, leans into her legacy at The King Center Leoneda Inge chats with Dr. Bernice King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, to discuss her family’s legacy, her work as a social justice strategist and the work of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Change amid a changing political climate. (This Due South encore edition originally aired August 13,2025.) Dr. Bernice King , strategist, peace ad...
Jan 19, 2026•50 min
North Carolina is the only state that didn't pass a budget in 2025, and probably won’t until April, at the earliest. Plus, changes to in-person early voting, a debate over property taxes, and the rest of the week’s biggest stories on our weekly North Carolina News Roundup. Claudia Rivera Cotto , State Political Reporter for Enlace Latino NC Gary Robertson , North Carolina Statehouse reporter for the Associated Press Brian Gordon , reports on technology, business and labor for The News & Obse...
Jan 16, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 Mental health evaluations for criminal suspects WRAL’s Paul Specht shares his recent reporting on a dispute between hospitals and sheriffs about where mental health evaluations for criminal suspects should happen. Paul Specht , WRAL state government reporter Related content: Paul Specht's recent reporting for WRAL: NC lawmakers to probe Raleigh murder case as part of review of state mental health procedures NC hospitals, sheriffs at odds over new mental evaluation procedure for criminal ...
Jan 15, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 The first woman to lead North Carolina’s State Employees’ Credit Union on leading the credit union giant The first woman to head the nation’s second largest credit union talks overcoming failure, learning to lead, and the growth of female representation in banking. Leigh Brady , President and CEO of the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) 0:33:00 How to keep your personal finance New Year's resolutions Even with the best of intentions, New Year's resolutions can be hard t...
Jan 14, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 Michael Regan rebuilt the U.S. EPA with an eye toward environmental justice. Now, he’s watching those efforts get knocked down. Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator and North Carolina native Michael Regan started his career at the agency, eventually led North Carolina's Department of Environmental Quality, and returned to the EPA for the top job during the Biden administration. Regan joined Due South's Leoneda Inge in our Durham studio for a wide-ranging conversation...
Jan 13, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 At James B. Hunt High School, Gov. Jim Hunt’s legacy endures Eddie Doll, principal of James Baxter Hunt Jr. High School in Wilson, joins Due South to talk about Gov. Jim Hunt’s enduring education legacy. Eddie Doll, principal, James B. Hunt High School 0:13:00 Gov. Jim Hunt’s legacy as founder of the Institute for Emerging Issues Leoneda Inge sits down with Anita Brown-Graham, former director of the Institute for Emerging Issues, founded by Gov. Jim Hunt. They discuss the early days of t...
Jan 12, 2026•51 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... Elected officials react to the operation in Venezuela, while largely remaining mum on the killing in Minneapolis, as the midterm primary emerges on the horizon. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of journalists wrap up the first week of 2026, with an ear toward the year to come. Dawn Vaughan , Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & Observer Bryan Anderson , Statewide Politics Reporter for The Assembly, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletter Zacher...
Jan 09, 2026•51 min
0:01:00 A North Carolina midterm election preview We're one year into President Trump’s second term and people are already talking about 2028. But the 2026 midterm election, featuring a U.S. Senate seat up for grabs in North Carolina, could have major impacts on the political landscape. Due South’s Jeff Tiberii is joined by WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell, as well as two political strategists, to talk about the March primary, and the stakes of November’s midterms – for North Carolina an...
Jan 08, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 A Segment: Year in Review: A WUNC reporter recaps the biggest higher education stories of 2025 WUNC reporter Brianna Atkinson joins co-host Leoneda Inge to talk about the biggest higher education stories of 2025. Brianna Atkinson , Higher Education Reporter, WUNC 0:13:00 B Segment: HBCU 101: Enrollment by the Numbers In a post-affirmative action landscape, some HBCUs are seeing record high enrollment. North Carolina Central University is one of them. Due South sits down with Dr. Ontario ...
Jan 07, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 Meet the Mayors: Canton’s Zeb Smathers says Helene relief is taking too long, and shares his hopes for 2026 Efforts are still underway to rebuild roads, bridges, and parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. The mayor of Canton wants to make sure his town in the Southern Appalachian Mountains is not forgotten. Meet Zeb Smathers – the long-time Mayor of Canton and his fight to make sure his community is rebuilt after Helene. Zeb Smathers , Mayor of Canton since November 2...
Jan 06, 2026•42 min
0:01:00 The Big Recount: Covering the 2000 presidential election ballot challenge Leoneda Inge and WFAE’s Steve Harrison talk about their experiences covering the 2000 presidential election ballot challenge. In 2000, Harrison was covering the Bush/Gore election for the Miami Herald. He shares stories from that time and reflects on an event that reshaped American politics 25 years later. Steve Harrison, politics reporter at WFAE-Charlotte’s NPR News Source, and former reporter for the Miami Heral...
Jan 05, 2026•50 min
0:01:00 And the South’s first Michelin Stars go to… One North Carolina restaurant in Charlotte has earned one of food’s highest honors. But the Triangle didn’t get completely left off the map. Plus, what the news and various Michelin lists and guides say you should check out in the state and region. Drew Jackson , food and restaurant reporter at The News & Observer 0:13:00 Celebrity chef and native Southerner Carla Hall launches ‘The Me Menu’ Emmy Award-winning chef and cooking show host Car...
Dec 30, 2025•50 min
We're taking a short break, but will have new episodes for you again next week!
Dec 24, 2025•22 sec
0:01:00 'Santas Just Like Me' Stafford Braxton was working as a photographer with a mall Santa when he noticed a trend: Black families would approach him and ask if there was a Santa their kids could visit who looked more like them. Braxton realized there was a need to fill and "Santas Just Like Me" was born. Braxton talks with co-host Leoneda Inge about getting that business off the ground, the joys and challenges of the work and the persistence it often takes to recruit his Santas. Later in th...
Dec 23, 2025•48 min
0:01:00 The Big Recount: Covering the 2000 presidential election ballot challenge Leoneda Inge and WFAE’s Steve Harrison talk about their experiences covering the 2000 presidential election ballot challenge. In 2000, Harrison was covering the Bush/Gore election for the Miami Herald. He shares stories from that time and reflects on an event that reshaped American politics 25 years later. Steve Harrison , politics reporter at WFAE-Charlotte’s NPR News Source, and former reporter for the Miami Hera...
Dec 22, 2025•50 min
On this week’s North Carolina News Roundup, we widen our lens to talk about some of the biggest stories of the year: Lumbee recognition, immigration raids, the NC Supreme Court race, redistricting, Chantal and Helene recovery, and no state budget are just a few of the topics covered by co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of reporters. Danielle Battaglia , Capitol Hill correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchy Colin Campbell , Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC Bryan Anderson ,...
Dec 19, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Year in Review: WUNC reporters recap biggest stories of the year From data centers to gas pipelines to PFAS, WUNC reporter Celeste Gracia talks with co-host Leoneda Inge about the biggest North Carolina environmental stories of the 2025. Celeste Gracia, Environment Reporter, WUNC 0:13:00 Duke scholar discusses pipeline of international student-athletes to U.S. Exploitation in sports is nothing new. And when we think about power dynamics, marginalized athletes and missed educational oppor...
Dec 18, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Year in Review: WUNC reporters recap biggest stories of the year WUNC's Race, Class & Communities Reporter Aaron Sánchez-Guerra talks about immigration raids, the climate of fear felt in many North Carolina communities, and the other big stories he covered in 2025. Aaron Sánchez-Guerra , Race, Class & Communities Reporter, WUNC 0:13:00 A new investigation by The Assembly finds North Carolina’s “…Lawyers Who Kept Screwing Up” Federal judges repeatedly cited lack of professionalism...
Dec 17, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Year in Review: WUNC reporters recap biggest stories of the year WUNC Military Affairs Reporter Jay Price gives us a rundown of his top stories of the year. Jay Price , military and veteran affairs reporter, WUNC 0:13:00 Checking in with Durham's Hayti Heritage Center As Hayti Heritage Center wraps its 50th year, the organization finds itself facing a need to reset, after financial and staffing issues have led to celebration postponements and cancellations. New artistic director Tyra Dix...
Dec 16, 2025•50 min
Stranger Things' many NC connections. Duffer Brothers' real-life theatre teacher gets her moment in the spotlight.
Dec 15, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 On the North Carolina News Roundup... President Trump offers a Truth Social endorsement of a leading state Republican in the face of an upcoming primary. With health care subsidies set to expire, a reversal of sorts within Medicaid. And credit card fees are on the rise this holiday season. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of journalists cover the week in NC news. Guests Mary Helen Moore , reporter for Axios Raleigh Claudia Rivera Cotto , Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NC Dan...
Dec 12, 2025•50 min
