Due South

0:01:00In Raleigh, Miller Motte College trade program enrollment soarsMiller Motte College in Raleigh has been rebounding quickly since the pandemic. Enrollment for trade professions is rising, particularly in fields like HVAC, welding, dental hygienics, plumbing and CDL.Molly Carney, President at Miller-Motte College - Raleigh0:13:00HBCU 101: Leadership EditionDr. Beverly Daniel Tatum joins Due South to discuss the challenges facing college leaders as financial constraints and diversity restrictions impact college campuses. Dr. Tatum also discusses her new book, "Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Perilous Times."Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president emerita, Spelman College and author of “Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Perilous Times”

0:01:00Medicaid cuts loom over the future of health care access in North CarolinaFollowing passage of a federal budget bill, cuts are coming to Medicaid. The impacts will be felt by Americans living in lower income thresholds, predominantly in rural outposts. Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii has a conversation about the looming changes ahead for patients and providers in North Carolina. Nick de la Canal, reporter and host at WFAE – Charlotte’s NPR News SourceShannon Dowler, former CMO of NC Medicaid, and family doctorSarah Jane Tribble, Chief Rural Health Correspondent KFF News0:33:00Dollywood makes an appearance in new Southern romance novelA new romance novel set in Gatlinburg, Tennessee tackles themes of infidelity, infertility, strained family dynamics and single parenting. Due South co-host Leoneda Inge chats with debut author Ashley Jordan about her book Once Upon a Time in Dollywood. Ashley Jordan, author, Once Upon a Time in Dollywood

It's been more than seven months since President Trump was sworn into office for his second term, but efforts to deconstruct the administrative state were in motion long before his January inauguration. There is a framework by which the President, his advisers, and other conservatives have pursued this remaking of many government norms.Durham-based writer David A. Graham is author of the book The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America. Today, an encore edition of Graham’s April conversation with Due South's Jeff Tiberii about Project 2025, plus an update with Graham on how the blueprint has continued to make change across the country this summer. Parts of this interview originally aired April 29, 2025.David Graham, staff writer for The Atlantic; author of The Project: How Project 2025 Is Reshaping America

0:01:00How Swim for Charlie aims to even the swim safety field More children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than from any other cause of death. And drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for kids ages 5 through 14. Swim for Charlie is a local nonprofit organization helping second graders to learn how to swim. We're joined by the organization's president, who offers water safety tips for swimmers. This interview originally aired June 11, 2024.Dr. Jonathan Klein, President and Board Chair of Swim for Charlie0:13:00Ruth Pointer reflects on her legendary career with The Pointer SistersRuth Pointer is the eldest sister in the Pointer family and the only surviving member of the legendary Pointer sisters. She talks to Leoneda Inge about her long career and what it's been like to perform without her sisters (and with her daughter and granddaughter by her side). This interview originally aired July 11, 2024.Ruth Pointer, founding member of the Pointer Sisters0:33:00With no public swimming pools within a one-hour drive, Columbus County has become a pool desert.Columbus County, NC doesn’t have a single public pool, and, says Border Belt Independent reporter Ben Rappaport, the nearest one is at least an hour away. He talks to co-host Leoneda Inge about a story he reported in partnership with The Assembly called “The Abandoned Pools of Columbus County.” It’s a story of economics and rural decay, and a story of racism. This interview originally aired September 3, 2024. Ben Rappaport, reporter at the Border Belt Independent

On the North Carolina News Roundup...A paradox in political news was on display this week. In DC, the gushing flow of updates continued, while in Raleigh, progress on the budget has stalled. We'll sift through the happenings — and the lack thereof. Plus, public schools are back, water quality issues persist down east, and college football returns.Join Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of reporters for a recap of the week's news. Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNCDawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & ObserverNathan Collins, Investigative Reporter, The News & ObserverDanielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill Correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchyCharlie Fossen, Reporter, Port City Daily

0:01:00As college football kicks off, a season preview with NC sports journalistsAcross the state and country, college football kicks off. Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local sports journalists discuss the major storylines, changes in the sport, and what you need to know as you head to the tailgate in the Saturdays ahead.Mitch Northam, covers women's college sports for Vox and SB Nation's BreakawayBrian Murphy, WRAL sports investigative reporterKate Rogerson, Sports Anchor & Reporter at ABC11/WTVD0:33:00International John Coltrane Jazz and Blues Festival marks 14th anniversaryA jazz and blues festival celebrating the life of saxophonist and composer John Coltrane marks its 14th anniversary in High Point, NC. The John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival attracts some of the genres’ top talent, which includes Me’shell Ndegeocello, Jose James, Nnenna Freelon, Take 6 and John Brown this year.Patrick Harman and Joe Williams, festival organizers

0:01:00A survivor of Hurricanes Katrina and Helene tells her storyBrandi Hand was born and raised in New Orleans. She grew up hearing warnings about the potential of The Big Storm – a hypothetical weather event that would leave the city underwater. When that event came in the form of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Brandi and her husband Tom lost their home. They eventually relocated to Asheville, believing they would be safe from similar natural disasters in the mountains of North Carolina. Then Helene hit in 2024. On the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we talk to a survivor of not one, but two life-altering hurricanes.Brandi Hand, writer, public relations professional and survivor of Hurricanes Katrina and Helene0:13:00What Hurricane Katrina still has to teach us about natural disaster responseHurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Twenty years later, the nation’s deadliest and costliest natural disaster still has lessons to teach us about how to protect, support and rebuild our most vulnerable communities before, during and after natural disasters.Cassandra Davis, assistant professor of public policy, UNC-Chapel Hill0:33:00Former NC Governor Bev Perdue reflects on Hurricane Katrina and natural disaster preparednessIn the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in New Orleans, the state of North Carolina welcomed more than 300 evacuees seeking temporary refuge. We talk to Gov. Bev Perdue, who served as lieutenant governor during Hurricane Katrina, about the days following the storm and how the lessons she learned then served her during natural disaster crises she faced during her own term as governor.Beverly Perdue, 73rd governor of North Carolina

Arrests of immigrants in North Carolina have risen significantly since the Trump administration’s expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Some therapists supporting Latino communities have seen sharp increases in mental health care needs during that same period.Due South’s Jeff Tiberii talks with a panel of mental health experts and advocates about the impact of deportation fears on many in North Carolina’s Latino communities, barriers to mental health care, and strategies to support vulnerable populations during these uncertain times.Camila Angelica Pulgar, Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University School of MedicineHeather Ladov, Director of Clinical Services, El FuturoYazmin Garcia Rico, Director, Community Engagement & Impact, Cone Health FoundationYesenia Cuello, Co-Founder and Executive Director at NC FIELD

0:01:00NC State ecology professor’s new book The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How to Live Well with the Rest of Life When you look out your window, what do you see? Perhaps birds, a tree or bushes — maybe some insects if you look really closely.North Carolina State University ecology professor Rob Dunn sees all that and so much more, exploring the connections and interactions between humans and the rest of nature in his new book called The Call of the Honeyguide.Dunn talks with Due South’s Leoneda Inge about why trees are helpful "jerks" and what the paintings of Georges Seurat show us about the natural world.Rob Dunn, professor in the Department of Applied Ecology and senior vice provost at North Carolina State University, and author of The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How to Live Well with the Rest of Life0:33:00The Broadside: 'Where the Devil’s in the dirt'There's something eerie in a North Carolina forest – an empty, desolate circle where absolutely nothing grows. It’s known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground, where legend has it the Devil himself walks around the circle plotting his evil deeds against the world. The spot has attracted brave campers, paranormal investigators, and curious people passing through for centuries.So, what’s really going on here? WUNC’s podcast The Broadside investigates.Cliff Bumgardner, producer and director with PBS North CarolinaBrad Thompson, regional agronomist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesRelated: More from WUNC's podcast The Broadside Learn more about the Tramping Ground on PBS North Carolina's My Home, NC, streaming now on YouTube and the PBS App.

0:01:00This week on the North Carolina News Roundup... We check in on the coast after Hurricane Erin. College students return to the Research Triangle as federal funding cuts and potential layoffs loom. Plus, WUNC’s weekly news quiz! Leoneda Inge talks with a panel of journalists about those stories and more, on Due South.GuestsBrianna Atkinson, Higher Education reporter at WUNCRod Carter, Weeknight evening anchor at CBS 17 NewsSam Walker, Editor-in-Chief of SamWalker O-B-X News.comAdam Wagner, editor of the NC NewsroomJason DeBruyn, WUNC’s Supervising Editor for Digital News0:33:00Wake County’s League of Women Voters prepares to educate voters this fallFrom "Women's Equality Day" to the League of Women Voters’ upcoming 'get out the vote' and voter education plans this fall, Leoneda Inge learns more from Gaye Williams who leads the group’s Wake County chapter.GuestGaye Williams, President of League of Women Voters of Wake County

Hurricane Erin update from the Outer Banks Hurricane Erin is massive, with risks of storm surge, rip currents and more. We check in on the latest from the Outer Banks.Jonathan Blaes, Meteorologist at NOAA/National Weather Service in RaleighSam Walker, Editor-In-Chief of SamWalkerOBX News.com0:13:00At PlayMakers, a new musical explores the lives of men living on death rowPlayMakers Repertory Company presents the world premiere of A Good Boy, a new “intimate musical” featuring the stories of men living on death row and the impact on the families of the incarcerated. The play was produced in collaboration with Hidden Voices, a non-profit organization that amplifies the stories of underrepresented communities.Lynden Harris, writer of the play and lyrics of “A Good Boy” and founder of Hidden VoicesKathryn Hunter-Williams, chair of the Department of Dramatic Art at UNC-Chapel Hill and director of “A Good Boy.”0:33:00‘Give the Drummer Some’ celebrates its 13th anniversary at NCCUNorth Carolina Central University will host its 13th annual ‘Give the Drummer Some’ jazz concert and fundraiser on Sunday, Aug. 24. We speak with organizer Thomas Taylor about the annual event, his new book and the work of preserving the genre of jazz at NCCU and beyond.Thomas Taylor, percussion and jazz studies professor at North Carolina Central University

0:01:00How Durham is trying to make being a pedestrian saferEvery 15 days, someone is killed on Durham’s roads. WUNC's Youth Reporting Institute reporter Max Tendler talked to pedestrians, and local leaders, to figure out what’s going wrong and how they’re trying to make walking safer.Max Tendler, WUNC digital news intern, reporter of the award-winning story “Asphalt Oceans: How Durham is working to make roads safer,” and Associate News Editor at The Duke Chronicle.0:13:00Two of the Triangle's top music journalists preview fall festival seasonBanjos, synths and beats will be the soundtrack for music festivals across the state in the coming weeks and months. Two music journalists, including WUNC’s Brian Burns, join Leoneda Inge to preview the highlights, and changes to long-running shows here in North Carolina.Brian Burns, WUNC music reporterSarah Edwards, Arts and Culture Editor at The Indy Week0:33:00Asheville-based startup company has had to slow its growth because of Trump’s tariffsAmerican tariffs are causing problems for this North Carolina small business’ rollout.Erik Fabian, co-founder of Sourhouse a startup that engineers tools for home bakers

Southern News, Southern Politics: How a Newspaper Defined a State for a CenturyThe Raleigh News and Observer has a complicated and consequential history in North Carolina. The story of the N&O – or the “Nuisance & Disturber” as some called it over the years – is also the story of the family that owned and ran the paper from the late 1800s to the end of the 20th century. And about how the News & Observer didn’t just report on politics, but also shaped politics, for generations of North Carolinians. Rob Christensen, a former political columnist for the News and Observer, talks with Leoneda Inge about his book, "Southern News, Southern Politics: How a Newspaper Defined a State for a Century." This conversation originally aired February 27, 2025. Rob Christensen, former political columnist for the News and Observer in Raleigh, author of "Southern News, Southern Politics: How a Newspaper Defined a State for a Century"0:13:00"American Coup: Wilmington 1898;" Descendants of people affected by the Wilmington MassacreA coup d'etat on American soil. That’s the basis for a documentary by PBS NC and the American Experience called "American Coup: Wilmington 1898." The directors of the film speak with Leoneda Inge about this dark chapter in North Carolina's history. And we meet two descendants of people affected about the legacy of the Wilmington Massacre. This conversation originally aired November 12, 2024. Brad Lichtenstein, director of "American Coup: Wilmington 1898"Yoruba Richen, director of "American Coup: Wilmington 1898"Kieran Haile, great-great-grandson of Alex Manly, editor and publisher of The Daily Record, Wilmington’s only Black-owned newspaper at the time of the eventsLucy McCaule, great-granddaughter of William Barry McKoy, a Princeton graduate and lawyer who later became the grandmaster of the Masons in Wilmington and was one of the heads of the White Government Unions.0:33:00Paperhand Puppet Project celebrates 25 years despite damage sustained by ChantalPaperhand Puppet Project has delighted audiences with giant puppets, elaborate masks, and cloth creations for a quarter century. As the performers prepare for this year’s show, they’ve had to deal with an unexpected challenge: the flooding of their studio by the Haw River due to Chantal. Co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with Paperhand Puppet’s Donovan Zimmerman and Barb Ford about drying out props and puppets, and about the organization’s latest performance “The Gift.”Donovan Zimmerman, co-founder and co-director, Paperhand Puppet ProjectBarb Ford, assistant stage manager and stilt walker performer, Paperhand Puppet Project

0:01:00UNC System expands partnership with ReUp Education to assist adult learnersMore than 43 million Americans belong to the “some college, no credential” (SCNC) population. Roughly one million of them reside in North Carolina. Efforts to re-engage adult learners are on the rise, including a partnership between the UNC System and ReUp Education, a national tech ed company that provides resources and support to returning adult students. ReUp’s services with the UNC System are expanding this year to offer returning college students greater assistance in reaching their graduation goals. Terah Crews, CEO of ReUp Education0:13:00Durham Tech dean discusses new book, Getting the Most Out of Your College ExperienceChris O'Riordan-Adjah knows a lot about higher education. In addition to earning two bachelor's degrees, two master’s degrees, and a PhD in Civil Engineering, he’s also taught at a range of colleges, including a large 4-year university, small college, and community college. And he wants to share his knowledge with those embarking on college – or thinking about it. “Professor Chris” talks with co-host Jeff Tiberii about his new book "Getting the Most Out of Your College Experience."Chris O'Riordan-Adjah, author of Getting the Most Out of Your College Experience; Dean of Building, Engineering and Skills Technology Division, Durham Technical Community College

On the North Carolina News Roundup...Federal SNAP benefits are being reduced, a change felt across the state and in lunchrooms. The results of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools audit. An update on federal cuts to universities in our state.The owner of the Carolina Hurricanes inks a big new deal. All that and more as co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with a panel of reporters about the week in North Carolina news.Mary Helen Moore, Reporter, NC NewsroomGary Robertson, Statehouse Reporter, Associated PressClaudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NCDanielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill Correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchy

As the school year begins, the status of state and federal funding for our public schools remains murky while local funding for school districts seems increasingly fraught.So how does school district budgeting work? Who holds levers of power to keep our schools operating? And why have school budgets – once something that many of us didn’t think about – become front page news for so many communities in recent years? Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii and WUNC education reporter Liz Schlemmer are joined by a local school board member, a school district superintendent and CFO and a county commissioner to discuss how North Carolina schools are funded and the challenges some Triangle school districts have faced recently to keep our schools operating.Liz Schlemmer, Education Reporter, WUNCJamezetta Bedford, Chair, Board of County Commissioners in Orange CountyDr. Anthony Lewis, Superintendent, Durham Public SchoolsTyler Swanson, Vice Chair, Wake County Board of EducationJeremy Teetor, Chief Finance Officer, Durham Public Schools

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.Dr. Bernice King, strategist, peace advocate and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social ChangeLeoneda Inge talks to the Greensboro native Daphne Fama about her debut gothic horror novel, House of Monstrous Women. The novel is set in the Philippines in 1986 and draws on Fama’s childhood experiences of listening to Filipino folklore. She talks about the experience of crafting the book, including researching black magic in the Philippines.Daphne Fama, author of “House of Monstrous Women”

0:01:00Southeastern North Carolina communities face FEMA cuts to storm resilience projectsWe hear a lot about federal funding cuts, but it can be hard to understand the impact of these large-scale changes in our local communities. Reporter Heidi Perez-Moreno of the Border Belt Independent recently wrote a story about Federal Emergency Management Agency cuts affecting projects in Columbus and Robeson counties – projects that were aimed at building resilience in the face of storms and flooding.Heidi Perez-Moreno, reporter at the Border Belt Independent0:13:00The history and legacy of Black family reunions in the SouthAtlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Ernie Suggs has long thought about the importance of family reunions for Black families. He found multiple studies suggesting African Americans are more likely than any other group to hold large family reunions on a regular basis. Suggs' recent article “What Remains: The Power of Black Family Reunions” delves into the origins and the role of these gatherings today.Ernie Suggs, reporter covering race and culture, Atlanta Journal-Constitution0:33:00Food writer on why it’s time to reconsider our old rules about when to eat oystersJeff Tiberii and Leoneda Inge talk with food writer Kathleen Purvis about that old saying: only eat oysters in months that contain the letter ‘r’… and why you might be able to chuck that shucking rule. Purvis’ article in The Assembly is “‘R’ You Ready to Eat Oysters All Year Long?”Kathleen Purvis, food writer based in Charlotte area

0:01:00The fourth largest school district in North Carolina has a massive budget deficit: $50 million. For the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, the financial shortfall is causing confusion, disorder, and uncertainty. Jeff Tiberii discusses the situation with WFDD's Amy Diaz.Amy Diaz, education reporter, WFDD Related: More reporting from WFDD's Amy Diaz 0:13:00Golden Leaf series: In NC’s old tobacco warehouses, Black workers faced brutal conditions by day. By night, their dancing challenged Jim Crow.Due South presents another conversation in our occasional series “Golden Leaf” about tobacco’s deep roots in North Carolina. The focus today is the history of tobacco warehouses in early and mid-20th century North Carolina.By day, the work done in these warehouses was governed by the brutal racial injustices of the South. But on some summer nights, those cavernous buildings were transformed into a different world. Black music promoters rented the warehouses, invited some of the most famous musicians of the era to perform, and Black party goers danced the night away in a space filled with rich music and glorious decorations – and in doing so, challenged the structures of Jim Crow. This Due South encore edition originally aired in August 2024. Elijah Gaddis, Hollifield Associate Professor of Southern History and Co-Director of the Community Histories Workshop at Auburn University, and author of “Work, Play, and Performance in the Southern Tobacco Warehouse” Related: More from Due South's Golden Leaf series about NC's tobacco history. 

This week on the North Carolina News Roundup... A look at State Auditor Dave Boliek’s call for the separation of the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles from the Department of Transportation. PBS NC’s David Crabtree provides an update on staffing following federal defunding. And rezoning projects meet opposition in Durham and Raleigh. GuestsMary Helen Moore, reporter for the NC Newsroom Bryan Anderson, reporter for the newsletter Anderson Alerts Zach Eanes, reporter, Axios Raleigh  Danielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchy