0:01:00 Year in Review: WUNC reporters recap biggest stories of the year In this first installment of Due South’s Year in Review conversations with WUNC reporters, co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with K-12 education reporter Liz Schlemmer about the most memorable stories she covered in 2025 and what she’ll be watching for in 2026. Liz Schlemmer , K-12 Education Reporter, WUNC 0:13:00 A Duke anthropologist tackles race and football The college football bowl season starts this weekend. Then come the pl...
Dec 11, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 NC water dispute highlights tensions between faster and slower growing regions Fast-growing Fuquay-Varina has requested to pull water from the Cape Fear River – and not return it. Communities from Fayetteville down to Wilmington object. Reporter Paul Woolverton talks with co-host Jeff Tiberii about the request, the dispute and the stakes for the municipalities, and the people, that would be impacted. Paul Woolverton , Senior Reporter, City View 0:13:00 A warmer winter weather outlook for...
Dec 10, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Secretary of State Elaine Marshall on the scams to watch out for during charitable giving season Leoneda Inge speaks with Secretary of State Elaine Marshall –- the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina –- about her career and the threat of scams this charitable giving season. Plus, how to recognize scams to protect your finances from fraud when donating online and the state resources to find verifiable charities before you donate. Elaine Marshall , North Car...
Dec 09, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Pioneering scientist Joseph L. Graves Jr.’s new book tackles the racial life expectancy gap A new book from North Carolina A&T biology professor Joseph L. Graves, Jr. interprets the gap in life expectancy between Black and white Americans and debunks the misconception that race can dictate disease prevalence. Joseph L. Graves, Jr. , evolutionary geneticist and MacKenzie Scott Endowed Professor of Biology at North Carolina A&T State University and author of the new book, “Why Blac...
Dec 08, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... This week candidates officially filed their papers for big races like Congress and the U.S. Senate. Leoneda Inge speaks with our panel of reporters about the week's top news, including the fire in Raleigh, a new law that allows teachers to carry concealed weapons at private schools, and Jason DeBruyn asks the group questions from the WUNC News Quiz (online at wunc.org/quiz ). Plus, journalism professor and author Paul Cuadros shares how immigration enforceme...
Dec 05, 2025•51 min
0:01:00 Riverside High School grad Wildin Acosta discusses new book about his 2016 deportation case In 2016,WildinAcosta, a senior at Riverside High School in Durham, was detained by ICE agents on his way to school. The Honduras native was kept in detention for months. Students and faculty at Riverside raised media attention about his case through protests, social media campaigns and news coverage, ultimately resulting in his release. Riverside journalism teacher Bryan Christopher worked with Ac...
Dec 04, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Seeking better tech regulation Smartphones and social media are largely unregulated for America’s youth. One North Carolina nonprofit is seeking a better framework under which teens, and tweens, can navigate social media and smartphones in schools. Ava Smithing , Advocacy Director, Young People’s Alliance 0:13:00 UNC neuroscientist on social media’s influence on adolescent brains A neuroscience and psychology professor talks about what we know – and what we don’t yet know – about how soc...
Dec 03, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Breaking down the standoff over Medicaid funding in NC State lawmakers appear to be done for the year. They’ve adjourned without passing a state budget. And despite being called back by the governor – will NOT address a projected Medicaid funding shortfall. We break down the standoff over Medicaid funding in North Carolina. Adam Wagner , reporter/editor covering state politics for the North Carolina Newsroom 0:09:45 Chef Vivian Howard explores everyday cooking questions in ‘Kitchen Curio...
Dec 02, 2025•38 min
0:01:00 A group of UNC–Chapel Hill students distributing free 'Plan B' and sharing reproductive health tips We meet UNC-Chapel Hill students part of the campus group “ Reproductive Access at UNC Chapel Hill at the Y ,” also known as “RAUNCH-y.” They are working to inform their peers about reproductive health care and are even providing Plan B contraception to students. Netra Parikh , Co-President of “Reproductive Access at UNC Chapel Hill at the Y,” also known as “RAUNCH-y.” Diana Cantu-Melo , C...
Dec 01, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Chef Sheri Castle talks holiday dishes and her Blue Ridge Mountain culinary roots Sheri Castle joins Due South to discuss growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, developing her first recipe at four years old and how to make less predictable holiday side dishes this year. Sheri Castle , cook, recipe developer and TV personality 0:33:00 Durham Community Fridges bring a mutual aid focus to addressing food insecurity Over 78,000 people experience food insecurity in Durham County -- including...
Nov 26, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Mo Green is on a mission to improve NC public schools In the 11 months since Maurice “Mo” Green was sworn in as the North Carolina’s 22ndSuperintendent of Public Instruction, the state’s public schools have faced unprecedented challenges. From long-term Hurricane Helene recovery to school-based care for students navigating SNAP cuts and the possibility of ICE detainments, Green has weathered several significant changes. He joins Due South to discuss his first year in office and his five-...
Nov 25, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 What it’s like to be an immigration lawyer right now Leoneda Inge speaks with attorney Ricardo Valasquez about his work, career, and the changes to immigration law and enforcement under President Trump’s second term. Ricardo Valasquez , Immigration Attorney who started Valasquez and Associates more than 20 years ago. 0:13:00 NC A&T is the latest HBCU to get a generous donation from MacKenzie Scott The philanthropist, and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, has now given more than $100 million to ...
Nov 24, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... Federal raids in Charlotte and the Triangle have led to hundreds of arrests and instilled further fear in countless North Carolinians. An update on legal challenges to North Carolina Congressional maps. Plus, a billion-dollar project heads to Johnston County. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of journalists cover the week in NC news. Mary Helen Moore , reporter, Axios Raleigh Claudia Rivera Cotto , political reporter, Enlace Latino NC Bryan Anderson...
Nov 21, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Siembra NC continues support and training efforts amid Triangle immigration detentions Due South checks in with Siembra NC co-director Nikki Marin Baena about the organization’s ongoing efforts to inform the public about immigration enforcement, interactions, and detainments and to protect potentially vulnerable communities from unlawful arrests. Nikki Marin Baena , co-director, Siembra NC 0:13:00 An immigration law professor dissects federal actions in NC More than 250 people have been ...
Nov 20, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Latest on federal immigration crackdown in North Carolina Federal Border Patrol agents are in North Carolina carrying out arrests in Charlotte and the Triangle. This federal operation is part of a months-long effort by the Trump administration to crackdown on illegal immigration. We get the latest. Jay Price , Military Reporter, WUNC reporting from the Triangle Eduardo Medina , reporter for The New York Times based in Durham, reporting from Charlotte 0:13:00 Tupac Shakur's little-known t...
Nov 19, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Teaching the teachers about Native American history Dr. Brittany Hunt grew up in Robeson County, North Carolina, where there's a large Indigenous population. But when she got to college, she was just one of a few Native students on campus. That’s when she realized how little most people know about Native history and culture – and what they think they know is often flawed and racist. So instead of pursuing her dream of becoming a pediatrician, she became another kind of doctor. Hunt is no...
Nov 18, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 The latest on Border Patrol operations in Charlotte The US Department of Homeland Security launched over the weekend what it calls, “Charlotte’s Web.” It’s part of President Trump’s “crackdown” on illegal immigration – this time in Charlotte, North Carolina. We get the latest. Nick de la Canal , reporter and host at WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR member station 0:13:00 In ‘Art Above Everything’ Chapel Hill author ponders what we sacrifice to pursue the art life A writer explores the sacrifices pe...
Nov 17, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are heading to Charlotte. The 43-day federal government shutdown ends, as a North Carolina Democrat breaks with his party. State lawmakers reject Gov. Josh Stein's call for a special session to address a Medicaid funding shortfall. And Toyota opens a local plant. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of journalists cover the week in NC news. Reuben Jones , Washington reporter covering North Carolina, Spectrum Ne...
Nov 14, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 State Treasurer Brad Briner talks pension and what to expect from the State Health Plan During his first year in office, State Treasurer Brad Briner has overseen big changes to the State Health Plan and pension investments. He joins Due South to discuss some of those changes and what North Carolinians can expect from their health and retirement benefits in the year to come. Brad Briner , State Treasurer of North Carolina 0:33:00 How a NC Supreme Court Justice’s influence has spread beyon...
Nov 13, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Rep. Eva Clayton reflects on her political past and the state’s congressional future The Honorable Eva Clayton reflects on her time serving North Carolina’s District 1 as the first Black woman to serve the state as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Ms. Clayton, 91, weighs in on food insecurity, her political legacy, and recently redrawn congressional maps in the state’s first and third congressional districts. Eva Clayton , member of the U.S. House of Representatives from No...
Nov 12, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Federal government shutdown impact on NC National Guard troops On Veterans Day, Due South talks with WUNC military reporter Jay Price about his recent reporting on the impacts of the federal shutdown on National Guard troops and their families. Jay Price , military reporter, WUNC 0:13:00 ‘In Search of a Boy Named Chester’ As the nation honors Veterans Day, a story of a Navy officer returning home to eastern North Carolina after WWII and the unexpected detour he took during that long jour...
Nov 11, 2025•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...
Nov 10, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... Gov. Josh Stein called for a special legislative session later this month to address the Medicaid budget shortfall. Municipal elections across the state offer some predictable and some surprising results. Sen. Thom Tillis offers support for Lumbee recognition. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of journalists cover the week in NC news. Guests Dawn Vaughan , Capital Bureau Chief, News & Observer Mary Helen Moore , reporter, Axios Raleigh Adam Wagn...
Nov 07, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 ‘From Politics to Paychecks’ series explores financial strains faced by NC educators The financial situation for many teachers in North Carolina is bleak. WUNC education reporter Liz Schlemmer interviewed several educators as part of a reporting series called "From Politics to Paychecks." The series explores how political decisions are affecting NC educators' finances and families. Liz joins Jeff Tiberii to talk about the educators she met in putting together this series, and about the p...
Nov 06, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Municipal elections wrap up Reporter Justin Laidlaw of Indy Week breaks down the election results of the races for Durham mayor and city council. Justin Laidlaw, reporter, Indy Week 0:13:00 'Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless' Writer Maria Pinto takes co-host Jeff Tiberii on a mushroom journey. Her debut book is a collection of essays that are equal parts ecological adventure and memoir. Maria Pinto, author, Fearless, Sleepless, Deathless: What Fungi Taught Me about Nourishment, Poison, Ecol...
Nov 05, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Local Elections 101 Local governing bodies across the state are holding elections for mayors, city and county councils, and school boards. What it all means for residents, amid a federal government shutdown, in a state that still hasn’t passed a budget. And whether political protests will lead to higher turnout than normal. Kimberly Nelson , professor of public administration and government at the UNC School of Government 0:13:00 Raleigh’s history with Baseball goes deeper than you think...
Nov 04, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Bishop Barber on redistricting, voting rights and free speech Due South’s Leoneda Inge talks with “Moral Mondays” leader Bishop William J. Barber II about voting rights, the origins of the Moral Mondays movement, and Barber’s belief that the battle over North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District is “our Selma.” Bishop William J. Barber II, DMin , President of Repairers of the Breach, co-chair of The Poor People's campaign, Founding Director of Yale's Center for Public Theology & Pub...
Nov 03, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... It’s the end of the month, which means it’s day 31 of a federal government shutdown - barring an eleventh-hour development, this shutdown means the 1.4 million North Carolina recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are going to lose benefits. Also, the latest redistricting legal challenge, health insurance premiums are set to rise for many across our state, and a horrific crime in Johnston County. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a pane...
Oct 31, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Party affiliation in North Carolina continues to shift away from Democrats Across the past few decades there has been a major reduction in the number of registered Democrats in our state. Political scientist Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University talks to Jeff Tiberii about his recent article in The Assembly “Democrats Are Losing Members in N.C. But Are the Republicans Gaining?” Christopher A. Cooper, Robert Lee Madison Distinguished Professor and Director of the Haire Institute for...
Oct 30, 2025•50 min
0:01:00 Videri Chocolate Factory faces tariff challenges Since opening in Raleigh in 2011, Videri Chocolate Factory has experienced success and popularity as a small boutique chocolate business. The company, known for its organic, imported ingredients, has seen economic strain in recent years, following a surge in cocoa prices. Tariffs imposed in 2025 have further exacerbated those financial challenges. Sam Ratto , founder of Videri Chocolate Factory 0:13:00 Paula Poundstone on being polite and ...
Oct 29, 2025•50 min
