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 RaleighClaudia Rivera Cotto, political reporter, Enlace Latino NCBryan Anderson, statewide politics reporter for The Assembly, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletterDanielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill Correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchyJulian Berger, Race & Equity Reporter, WFAE
0:01:00Siembra NC continues support and training efforts amid Triangle immigration detentionsDue 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 NC0:13:00An immigration law professor dissects federal actions in NCMore than 250 people have been arrested in the latest immigration sweeps in North Carolina, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The Charlotte Observer has reported that the agency did not release information that would detail, “where people are being held or where they were taken.” Leoneda Inge speaks to an immigration law professor about the current operations in the state, and discusses the legal arrest process.Eisha Jain, Henry P. Brandis Distinguished Professor of Law at UNC Chapel Hill.0:33:00Remembering Daniel Naroditsky, American chess prodigy who moved to Charlotte to teach the next generationThe 29-year-old’s death came as a shock to the world of chess. Naroditsky had played in the U.S. Open just a few months before. He was known for playing, commentating and analyzing matches on social media, was a Chess Life columnist, and The New York Times’ chess columnist starting in 2022. Due South speaks with a chess educator who first met Naroditsky when he was 21-years-old and played against him in bullet chess at the U.S. Open earlier this year.This week, the Charlotte Chess Center announced it has created the Naroditsky Memorial and Fellowship Fund, "Creating opportunities for others to experience the same beauty, curiosity, and joy that Danya brought to the chess world." You can find more information and how to donate here.Elliott Neff, founder of a chess educational group, an NM (National Master) of Chess, and the author of “A Pawn’s Journey: Transforming Lives One Move at a Time.”
0:01:00Latest on federal immigration crackdown in North CarolinaFederal 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 TriangleEduardo Medina, reporter for The New York Times based in Durham, reporting from Charlotte0:13:00Tupac Shakur's little-known ties to North Carolina detailed in new bookTupac Shakur remains one of the most revered and influential hip hop figures of all-time – twenty-nine years after his premature death. The legendary figure was part poet, part activist, part actor – and his brief career was one of incredible success. A new book chronicles the life of Shakur - from his childhood in New York City, to his California days as the central figure of the West Coast rap scene, to his legacy. Shakur also had some little-known ties to North Carolina.Jeff Pearlman, Author of "Only God Can Judge Me: The many lives of Tupac Shakur"0:33:00Renovation is complete on soul musician Nina Simone’s childhood home in TryonThe childhood home of legendary soul singer Nina Simone has been renovated in Tryon, NC. The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund joined the effort, along with several private donors, in order to see the long-delayed project reach fruition.Tiffany Tolbert, senior director of preservation, African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
0:01:00Teaching the teachers about Native American historyDr. 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 now an assistant professor at the Virginia Tech School of Education, where she teaches the teachers about centering Indigenous stories and changing how history is taught. (This encore interview originally aired November 13, 2023)Dr. Brittany Hunt, Assistant Professor, School of Education at Virginia Tech0:13:00The Broadside: The race to save the Cherokee languageIndigenous languages are declining around the world at an alarming rate. Some studies estimate that one language dies out every two weeks. And the United States is no different. Of the 197 living indigenous languages spoken in this country, 193 are endangered.But one, in particular, has experienced a shocking downturn. Cherokee, once the most well-documented and commonly spoken Native American language in North America, is in serious danger of becoming extinct.Thanks to our WUNC colleagues and the podcast, The Broadside and host Anisa Khalifa. This episode The race to save the Cherokee languagewas written, produced, and co-reported by Jerad Walker.Featuring:Brooks Bennett, documentary filmmaker and director of A Sacred ThreadGil "Doyi" Jackson, Cherokee language instructorDr. Courtney Lewis, associate professor at Duke UniversityTessa Dahlmann, teaching assistant at Duke UniversityJack "Tsegi" Cooper, Cherokee language instructor at Western Carolina University
0:01:00The 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 station0:13:00In ‘Art Above Everything’ Chapel Hill author ponders what we sacrifice to pursue the art lifeA writer explores the sacrifices people make to pursue the “art life.” Through interviews with visual artists, performers, and writers around the world, Griest explores what she herself has given up in terms of stability, and what her peers have chosen to give up, too.Stephanie Elizondo Griest, author, memoirist, and Creative Writing Professor at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her newest book is called Art Above Everything: One Woman’s Global Exploration of the Joys and Torments of a Creative Life0:33:00Asheville celebrates 100th anniversary of folk music recording in the Appalachian MountainsRecording folk music commercially in Appalachia had never happened before. That is, until the 1925 Asheville sessions, when a producer invited musicians from across the region to record. To mark the historic event, the city of Asheville and partners are hosting events and celebrating the release of remastered recordings, and reimagined renditions by current artists. The record is called Music from the Land of the Sky.Richard Emmett, Program Director, Blue Ridge Music Center (BRMC)Vic Isley, President and CEO of Explore Asheville
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 NewsColin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNCNathan Collins, investigative reporter at The News & ObserverClaudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NCLaura Leslie, Editor, NC NewslineNick de la Canal, reporter and host at WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR member station
0:01:00State Treasurer Brad Briner talks pension and what to expect from the State Health PlanDuring 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 Carolina0:33:00How a NC Supreme Court Justice’s influence has spread beyond the stateJustice Paul Newby led conservatives on the court to approve partisan gerrymandering in time for the 2024 election, according to a report in ProPublica. Interviews with more than 70 people who know Newby “professionally, or personally” show how influential the justice is.Doug Bock Clark, investigative reporter at ProPublica
0:01:00Rep. Eva Clayton reflects on her political past and the state’s congressional futureThe 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 North Carolina’s first district from 1992-2003, first Black woman to represent North Carolina in Congress0:33:00‘Our Common Nature’ podcast explores journey to restore North Carolina mountain’s Cherokee nameOur Common Nature podcast host Ana González goes on a musical and historical journey through the Smoky Mountains with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Ana tells the story of Lavita Hill, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and her quest to restore the Cherokee name of a mountain in the Smokies – a mountain that had been renamed to honor a confederate brigadier general.Ana González, host, Our Common Nature
0:01:00Federal government shutdown impact on NC National Guard troopsOn 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, WUNC0:13:00‘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 journey home. That detour sparked a nearly 80-year mystery the officer’s son has tried to solve. Along the way, another story emerged – about family and connections that span geography and generations.Ford S. Worthy, son of WWII veteran Ford S. Worthy, author of In Search of a Boy Named Chester0:33:00Theatre Raleigh plays in ‘Once on This Island’s’ giant sandboxA new production of the classic Broadway play “Once on This Island” wraps up Theatre Raleigh’s Main Stage season this year. The Tony-winning Caribbean adaptation of the classic fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” makes its way to the stage from November 12-23.Eric Woodall, Theatre Raleigh Artistic DirectorChristopher Betts, Once on This Island director
0:01:00And 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 & Observer0:13:00Celebrity chef and native Southerner Carla Hall launches ‘The Me Menu’Emmy Award-winning chef and cooking show host Carla Hall has teamed up with entrepreneur and executive coach Deb Riegel to launch a new website and program – “The Me Menu” – to help other women find organization, direction and inspiration in middle age.Carla Hall, chef, author and television personalityDeb Riegel, entrepreneur, executive coach and motivational speaker, co-founders of The Me Menu0:33:00Durham's oldest Black-owned restaurant just got a grant from the National Trust for Historic PreservationHow the restaurant leaders will use the $50,000, and how The Chicken Hut fits into Durham history as host to famous and influential Civil Rights leaders.Tre Tapp, second-generation owner of the Chicken Hut
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.GuestsDawn Vaughan, Capital Bureau Chief, News & ObserverMary Helen Moore, reporter, Axios RaleighAdam Wagner, editor/reporter, NC NewsroomDanielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchySteve Harrison, political reporter, WFAE
0:01:00‘From Politics to Paychecks’ series explores financial strains faced by NC educatorsThe 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 politics and policies shaping their lives in very significant ways.Liz Schlemmer, education reporter, WUNC0:13:00The film adaptation of NC native author’s novel ‘I Wish You All the Best’ opensNorth Carolina native Mason Deaver’s debut novel, I Wish You All the Best, about a teen coming out as non-binary to their parents, is making its way to theatres, after a successful film festival run in 2024.Mason Deaver, designer and novelist0:33:00Take a tour of historic Durham, with The BroadsideThe team behind the WUNC podcast has put together an audio walking tour of downtown Durham… with stops at a bridge known for taking the tops off semitrucks, the Durham Armory, Black Wall Street, and more.Charlie Shelton-Ormond is a producer for WUNC’s podcast The BroadsideTake a walk on the Broadside: A Durham Walking Tour
0:01:00Municipal elections wrap upReporter Justin Laidlaw of Indy Week breaks down the election results of the races for Durham mayor and city council.Justin Laidlaw, reporter, Indy Week0:13:00'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, Ecology, Hidden Histories, Zombies, and Black Survival0:33:00New NC farmers’ years-long effort to harvest trufflesAs we continue to dig deep into fungi today, two of the co-founders of Truffletopia talk with Jeff and Leoneda about their years-long effort to harvest truffles from their farm in Pittsboro.Tony Huey and Josh Esnard, co-owners Truffletopia
0:01:00Local Elections 101Local 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 Government0:13:00Raleigh’s history with Baseball goes deeper than you thinkAmid a push to expand Major League Baseball, advocates in Raleigh say the city is an obvious choice for the next team. Reporter Eric Frederick found that the City of Oaks has an extensive history with professional baseball, even though he had to dig back in time to find it.Eric Frederick, Raleigh-based freelance reporter and author of the article “Raleigh Tries to Break Its 54-Year Baseball Losing Streak,” forThe Assembly.0:33:00A Black Southern writers conference returns to DurhamKhalisa Rae and other organizers have revived the Griot & Grey Owl conference, after they conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Black Southern writers, which “… found that nearly 90% felt creatively isolated.”Khalisa Rae, award-winning author, activist, and storyteller, and an organizer of the Griot & Grey Owl Black Southern Writers ConferenceMaria Tavarez, expressionist abstract artist, and a member of the conference’s outreach team and advisory board
0:01:00Bishop Barber on redistricting, voting rights and free speechDue 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 & Public Policy0:33:00Thomas Dambo's giant trolls have landed in RaleighDanish artist and activist Thomas Dambo’s new public exhibition of giant trolls has been installed at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh. The five trolls are strategically hidden in the woods and meant to be stumbled upon by wanderers and nature-lovers. It is the largest Dambo installation of its kind in North America.Ruffin Hall, CEO and president, Dix Park Conservancy
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 panel of journalists cover the week in NC news.Mary Helen Moore, reporter for Axios RaleighGary Robertson, statehouse reporter, Associated PressSarah Michels, staff writer specializing in coverage of North Carolina politics and elections, Carolina Public PressBryan Anderson, freelance reporter, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletterReuben Jones, Washington reporter covering North Carolina, Spectrum News
0:01:00Party affiliation in North Carolina continues to shift away from DemocratsAcross 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 Public Policy, Western Carolina University0:13:00Can a theory about Southern politics help explain American politics?North Carolina State University professor Irwin Morris talks about his new book, Partisan Places: Movers and Stayers Across America.Irwin Morris, William T. Kretzer Distinguished Professor of Humanities and Executive Director of the School of Public and International Affairs, North Carolina State University0:33:00Why Mecklenburg County leaders now love the sales taxMunicipal officials have an array of options for raising money to fund city and county projects. Property tax increases. Bond referendums. And, the sales tax. Longtime Charlotte Observer reporter Jim Morrill digs into why Mecklenburg County officials have been favoring the sales tax in recent decades.Jim Morrill, was a reporter at The Charlotte Observer for almost 40 years, and wrote the new story “Why Politicians Learned to Love the Sales Tax” for The Assembly
0:01:00Videri Chocolate Factory faces tariff challengesSince 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 Factory0:13:00Paula Poundstone on being polite and politicalComedian Paula Poundstone returns to Due South for a conversation about finding humor in challenging times, engaging politics onstage and trimming down her overweight rescue cat Larry. Her current tour makes stops in Asheville on October 31 and Greensboro on November 1.Paula Poundstone, humorist, author, regular contributor to NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and host of Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone0:33:00The Death Faire returns to Pittsboro for its 10th annual celebration of death, love and griefFor ten years, Pittsboro has been home to the Death Faire, one of the only annual celebrations of death, loss and grief in the country. Leoneda Inge talks to founder Tami Schwerin and faire organizer Cathy Brooksie Edwards about the history of the gathering, its purpose and its reach.Tami Schwerin is the founder of the Death Faire, a re-developer of The Plant in Pittsboro and the author of the new book, “Welcome to the Death Faire: Love, Loss and Healing in a Small Southern Town”Cathy Brooksie Edwards is the founder of Heart-2-Heart-N-C, a nonprofit dedicated to end-of-life and grief journey support
0:01:00Duke University finds itself in Trump's crosshairs, even after dropping "DEI"When he was a Duke University student, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was politically outspoken. And he didn’t hold back on what he thought about his “Leftist University…” as he called it in his column for The Duke Chronicle. A look at Miller's possible influence and the Trump administration's targeting of Duke, despite its efforts ramping down some so-called DEI efforts. Patel shared reporting from his story, "Duke Was Paring Back its Diversity Programs. Trump Targeted It Anyway."Vimal Patel, Higher Education reporter at The New York Times0:13:00Due South's Leoneda Inge speaks with a journalist who helped free an innocent man convicted of a 1985 double murder in GeorgiaAn award-winning investigative reporter digs into a shocking double murder in Georgia, eventually freeing a man who was wrongfully imprisoned, but not without stirring up trouble and even putting himself into danger. The story is told in his new book The Man No One Believed.Joshua Sharpe, author The Man No One Believed: The untold story of the Georgia Church Murders is also a print and audio journalist and editor0:33:00‘The Devil’s Done Come Back’ in a new anthology of Southern ghost talesA new anthology collects short stories from 15 writers across the state, just in time for spooky season. The Devil’s Done Come Back: New Ghost Stories from North Carolina explores what is uniquely unsettling and intriguing about Southern storytelling.Ed Southern, author, executive director of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, editor of the new anthology, The Devil’s Done Come Back: New Ghost Tales from North Carolina
“Mutual aid” is a phrase that received renewed attention during the Covid-19 pandemic. But the United States has a long history of mutual aid. Leoneda Inge talks with two scholars about some of that history, and explores how mutual aid has been deeply intertwined with the social, political and economic lives of Black Southerners. Then, Jeff Tiberii talks with two helpers with Triangle Mutual Aid about their responses to recent disasters like Chantal and Helene, and how those efforts go beyond traditional volunteering.GuestsBlair LM Kelley, President and Director, National Humanities Center; author of Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working ClassTyesha Maddox, Associate Professor, Department of African and African American Studies, Fordham UniversityVirgo, co-founder and helper, Triangle Mutual AidHeather Hall, helper, Triangle Mutual Aid