Fewer than one percent of North Carolinians are transgender, according to estimates by the UCLA School of Law. State legislators are considering bills on access to facilities like bathrooms, and to health care options for children. With state and federal cuts growing more likely, General Manager David Crabtree says PBS North Carolina needs to prepare for the worst. The state’s emergency management communications network could pay the price. The Venus flytrap is one of the most recognizable plant...
Jun 24, 2025•50 min
NC Immigration Update The Trump administration has recently deported hundreds of thousands of people, using new tactics aimed at speeding up the efforts. Jeff Tiberii talks with a reporter about what's happening in and around Charlotte. Julian Berger , Race & Equity Reporter, WFAE Charlotte Durham Tech dean discusses new book, Getting the Most Out of Your College Experience Chris O'Riordan-Adjah knows a lot about higher education. In addition to earning two bachelor's degrees, two master’s d...
Jun 23, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... It’s summer – and not a state budget in sight! We chat spending plans, or lack thereof. Many rural hospitals would face closure if the federal budget proposal becomes law. A plan to regulate psychoactive hemp products gains traction at the legislature. In Winston-Salem, a federal redistricting trial is underway. And, how political violence in Minnesota is impacting security measures here. Co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with a panel of journalists about those sto...
Jun 20, 2025•50 min
For twenty years, Juneteenth celebrations have been held across the state of North Carolina. The tradition dates back to long before Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. Leoneda Inge sits down with the North Carolina Juneteenth State Director Phyllis Coley to discuss how commemorations have evolved over the years and what’s in store for the state’s 20th anniversary of Juneteenth celebrations. The 2025 Kindred Spirits: A Convergence of African American Quilters Conference showcases the wo...
Jun 19, 2025•50 min
A generation gap in the Triangle housing market The News and Observer’s Chantal Allam is back to talk about trends and notable highlights in Triangle housing. She chats with co-host Leoneda Inge about Baby Boomers “boxing out” Millennials from Triangle housing, and a contest for the best Modernist home in North Carolina. ‘Unto These Hills’ outdoor drama marks 75 years in Cherokee, NC North Carolinians are accustomed to hearing about the outdoor symphonic drama “The Lost Colony” performed each su...
Jun 18, 2025•50 min
Federal cuts aren’t the only threat to the economic influence of North Carolina’s colleges and universities. Some grants are tied to international students, and would be lost if those students don’t return, or if new enrollees decide not to come to the U.S. for research that was already funded. What a “quadruple whammy” could mean for higher education in NC. And, Katelyn MacDonald has been stopped on the street, in coffee shops, and at a baseball game after she was recognized from her TikTok vid...
Jun 17, 2025•50 min
During the 2024-25 school year, Ashe County Schools students missed 33 days following Hurricane Helene. This compounded the districts usual, frequent school closings for inclement weather, to result in only 99 days of in-person school attendance this year. Ashe is one of 31 Western NC public school districts affected by Helene's devastation. We talk to superintendent Dr. Eisa Cox about her plans for ensuring that students receive supplemental summer instruction following a year of prolonged natu...
Jun 16, 2025•50 min
On this week's NC News Roundup... Protests in Los Angeles spread to other cities across the country, including Raleigh. President Trump touches down in Fayetteville days before his military birthday party parade. At the state legislature, Trump-centric policies advance, including two immigration bills. What happens after a likely gubernatorial veto? In Greensboro, a big job announcement. And, the latest trial related to redistricting and gerrymandering set to begin in federal court. All that and...
Jun 13, 2025•50 min
Thousands of soccer fans gathered in Chapel Hill this week to see Mexico playTurkey. It was an exciting match-up, but there was also concern about events like this with a backdrop of immigration raids. Twenty years after a groundbreaking book on the Ocracoke Brogue accent, the authors worked with a fourth-generation Ocracoke resident to take an even deeper dive into the culture and evolution of the "Ocracoke Brogue." Guests Aaron Sanchez-Guerra , Race, Class & Communities Reporter, WUNC Jeff...
Jun 12, 2025•50 min
Initiative to restore Sugarloaf Island If you summer on the coasts of North Carolina, you may be familiar with Morehead City, a popular port town in Carteret County. But slightly less well-known is the barrier island adjoining the town: Sugarloaf Island. The man-made stretch of land is just off the waterfront and for years has been a draw for tourism. It’s also a layer of protection for the coastline. However, a substantial portion of Sugarloaf Island has eroded over the last few decades. The ci...
Jun 11, 2025•50 min
Raw milk production and sales remain controversial in North Carolina. After lawmakers rescinded a proposed ban on raw milk sales in May, farmers are hopeful that their business will be able to grow and thrive, despite ongoing safety concerns. Guest: Rob Benor , owner of Benor Farms in Cedar Oak, NC Kathleen DuVal’s latest book has been called a “magisterial overview of a thousand years of Native American history.” DuVal’s scholarship on the history of indigenous peoples in America has earned the...
Jun 10, 2025•50 min
The federal budget proposal presently before the U.S. Senate would advance much of the President’s domestic agenda. Along with Medicaid cuts, this budget plan would slash food assistance programs and clean energy initiatives, extend tax cuts, and limit income-driven student loan repayment programs. Danielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill correspondent at The News & Observer , joins co-host Jeff Tiberii to explain some of the potential impacts in North Carolina. Then, "Moral Mondays" were born in No...
Jun 09, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... As Congress tries to push through a federal budget, some Republicans are already regretting recent votes in support of it. Meanwhile the state legislature is advancing immigration policy seeking to crack down on "sanctuary cities.” And, Amazon has announced plans to bring hundreds of jobs and invest billions of dollars in Richmond County. Plus, we check in on Carolina and Duke, both trying to get to the College World Series. Co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with a...
Jun 06, 2025•50 min
Editor's note: This interview first aired in April, 2024. Since then, all the students we spoke to have graduated and worked in media and journalism. Politicians, parents, and pundits have lots of opinions about how to solve mental health problems affecting nearly every campus. Leoneda Inge speaks with three journalists who worked on and edited stories for The Mental Health Collaborative, a project with nine NC college newsrooms to focus reporting and share coverage around the issue affecting st...
Jun 05, 2025•50 min
As hurricane season begins in North Carolina, Due South’s Jeff Tiberii talks to WCNC chief meteorologist Brad Panovich about what may be on the horizon regarding storms this summer. NPR investigative correspondent Laura Sullivan shares her reporting the new PBS documentary, Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning, and what the fateful storm revealed about America’s lack of preparedness for future natural disasters. J. Harrison Ghee is a 2023 Tony Award and 2024 Grammy Award winner for their work in th...
Jun 04, 2025•50 min
The recent announcement of a new Michelin guide dedicated to the American South has sent a ripple of excitement through several Southern states, including North Carolina. We’ll talk to a member of one of the tourism boards who help to finance the Michelin guide and learn more about the restaurant selection process. *encore edition* Guest : Scott Peacock , director of tourism, marketing and communications for Visit NC. “Audacity in Motion,” an exhibition at Ella West Gallery in downtown Durham, f...
Jun 03, 2025•50 min
Jurassic-era climate research Researchers at Duke University have uncovered information about a major extinction during the Jurassic period that they believe sheds light on how climate change affects our oceans. Mike Kipp , earth and climate science assistant professor at Duke University New burrowing dinosaur discovery by NC scientists Researchers at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and NC State University have discovered a new dinosaur species that they believe lived at least some of their li...
Jun 02, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... The Trump administration is joining the battle over voter registrations in NC. State House and Senate leaders will soon begin budget negotiations, and one of the many disagreements involves ferry tolls. Also on the coast, famed chef Vivian Howard opened a new restaurant in Duck. And the state has new rules for fishing flounder. Guest host Colin Campbell talks with a panel of journalists about those stories and more, on Due South. Plus, Leoneda Inge talks wit...
May 30, 2025•50 min
Jonathan Allen , professor of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Sciences and the Director of Graduate Programs for Food Science at North Carolina State University, joins Due South to discuss raw milk and safety testing in North Carolina. Landon Bryant discusses his new book, Bless Your Heart: A Field Guide to All Things Southern . And Ashley Oliphant , author of Shark Teeth Hunting on the Carolina Coast, discusses tips for finding fossilized shark teeth and other shoreline treasures....
May 29, 2025•50 min
Roberts talks Harvard, campus protests, hiring a high-profile football coach, and more with Leoneda Inge. Plus, famed Southern Gothic author Flannery O’Connor painted, too, and an exhibit at her home-turned-museum includes previously unknown paintings by O'Connor. Guests: Lee Roberts , Chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill Cassandra Munnell is the Curator for Andalusia the Home of Flannery O’Connor
May 28, 2025•50 min
The story of “The Lost Colony" of Roanoke is one that's been told for generations. But some say the colony was never actually lost. Scott Dawson, owner of the Lost Colony Museum on Hatteras Island, talks to co-host Leoneda Inge about the evidence he and a British archaeological team recently found, which Dawson hopes will change the narrative. Then, the story of The Lost Colony of Roanoke has been performed in song and dance for over 80 years at an outdoor theater on the Outer Banks — a producti...
May 27, 2025•50 min
This time of year, a bevy of sights and sounds emerge in the South. In a recently published book, Georgann Eubanks chronicles fifteen natural phenomena from across the region that are simultaneously routine and breathtaking. Eubanks joins Due South’s Leoneda Inge to talk about The Fabulous Ordinary: Discovering the Natural Wonders of the Wild South . This encore interview originally aired April 9, 2025. Then, music runs deep through the generations of the Daniels family and fortunately they don’...
May 26, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... Another week of significant budget news. NC Congresswoman Virginia Foxx leads a middle-of-the-night hearing, before passage of a controversial budget bill. What could the spending plan mean for North Carolinians? The NC House passes their spending plan, setting up a fight with the Senate over teacher pay. In Charlotte, a city council member has been indicted over fraudulent PPP loans. And an update on Congressman Chuck Edwards, who has seen significant turno...
May 23, 2025•50 min
Nearly 80 percent of HBCU students borrow federal loans. Financial aid officers are tasked with preparing students for the impact of loan borrowing on their future. Leoneda Inge talks to Denise Hicks-Mial , director of scholarships and student aid at North Carolina Central University, about student loan borrowing and financial planning. The long-term impact of student loan debt continues to impact adults long after they complete their higher education. We hear from Fenaba Addo , associate profes...
May 22, 2025•50 min
The recent announcement of a new Michelin guide dedicated to the American South has sent a ripple of excitement through several Southern states, including North Carolina. Leoneda Inge sits down with Scott Peacock , director of tourism, marketing and communications for Visit NC, to learn more about the restaurant selection process. Due South’s Leoneda Inge and Jeff Tiberii chat with Appalachian State University professor Brett Taubman about his new book Southern Culture on the Fizz: An Effervesce...
May 21, 2025•50 min
May 20, 1775, is a date you may recognize from the North Carolina state flag. It represents what was supposedly the first declaration of independence made by any of the 13 colonies involved in the American Revolution. That date was added more than a century ago, but its authenticity was first contested by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. A budget proposal passed by the state senate would end the state-funded commission, which has helped exonerate 16 people since 2007. The commission is the only ...
May 20, 2025•50 min
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht joins Leoneda Inge to talk about leading the town he grew up in, managing Cary’s growth, and his proclamation to change the name of Cary to “Carey” for one day — plus, property taxes and pickleball. Then, North Carolina Health News reporter Rachel Crumpler investigated deaths by suicide in North Carolina’s prison system and found an increase in these deaths among incarcerated people in 2024. She talks with co-host Jeff Tiberii about how prison officials are responding, an...
May 19, 2025•50 min
On the North Carolina News Roundup... After more than six months of legal battles, Allison Riggs has officially been sworn into the North Carolina Supreme Court. The NC House has begun rolling out its budget proposal. Due to a decrease in funds, legislators are tasked with determining spending cuts. No charges will be filed after Chuck Edwards, a U.S. Representative for Western North Carolina, was accused of hitting a man with a clipboard during a Rotary conference. And — the politicization of l...
May 16, 2025•50 min
As the EPA faces even more cuts, we revisit a conversation earlier this summer with two former EPA Office of Research and Development employees on what they accomplished in the office. Guests: Chris Frey , Associate Dean for Research and Infrastructure, College of Engineering at NC State University and Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta , retired EPA science advisor. And Durham-based jazz vocalist and storyteller Nnenna Freelon's new album, Beneath the Skin , is the first project in her 40-year career that ...
May 15, 2025•50 min
In January 2025, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law, renaming a Raleigh post office on Brentwood Road as Millie Dunn Veasey Post Office. Born in Raleigh in 1918, Veasey was a member of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) and the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) from 1942-1945. Last week, family, friends, politicians and veterans gathered for a ceremony to honor Veasey. (This interview excerpt originally aired February 3, 2025) Then, Grant Hill has earned many titles over the years, including...
May 14, 2025•50 min
