Due South

On the North Carolina News Roundup... Jeff Tiberii checks back in on if gas stations are actually implementing price reductions from the gas tax. The North Carolina State Fair opens in Raleigh. Thom Tillis tells all in his new book. Early voting has officially started – and a blue wave is predicted to hit North Carolina.Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Reporter for the Assembly, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletterMary Helen Moore, reporter for Axios RaleighDanielle Battaglia, Congressional impact reporter for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer

0:01:00Fewer 'Souls to the Polls' as early voting begins in North Carolina More than twenty North Carolina counties that previously had early voting on Sundays will not have it for this year’s midterm elections. The reduction in Sunday voting will affect a popular mobilization event for Black voters called Souls to the Polls. These events promote voter turnout in Black congregations by either caravaning or marching congregants to voting sites after Sunday worship services. Brian Kennedy, Policy Director of Democracy North Carolina, joins host Leoneda Inge to discuss the partisan fight over early Sunday voting.Brian Kennedy, Policy Director of Democracy North Carolina0:09:40 Public radio's Joshua Johnson on conflict resolution, journalistic neutrality, and democracy  Public radio fans probably remember Joshua Johnson from his years as a founding host of the national talk show 1A. His most recent reinvention is as a fake TV news host for the satirical news network, The Onion, a viral TED talk speaker, an expert on overcoming conflict and the creator of an online conflict resolution game called “The Resolution.” He joins host Jeff Tiberii to talk about his career arc and what public radio taught him about humor, neutrality and our democracy.Joshua Johnson, Actor for the Onion News Network and creator of The Resolution online conflict resolution gameThis interview originally aired September 16, 2026.

0:01:00The Poetry Fox visits Due South By day, Chris Vitiello works as a communications strategist for NC State University’s Libraries. But he moonlights as a purveyor of poetry, typing custom poems at special events and commemorating strangers’ life milestones. Vitiello is the author of several poetry books and currently serves as Durham’s second poet laureate. However, he may be best known as the Poetry Fox, a costumed performance artist who’s crafted over 50,000 poems for strangers on his many vintage typewriters. This conversation originally aired on April 28, 2025.Chris Vitiello, Durham poet laureate, writer, educator and performer (the Poetry Fox)0:22:38Renowned artist Beverly McIver discusses “The Art of Saving Democracy”Duke professor and artist Beverly McIver has made a career of political expression in art practice. She joins Due South to discuss her collaboration on a new project called ‘The Art of Saving Democracy.’ This conversation originally aired on July 9, 2026.Beverly McIver, visual artist and painter

0:01:00The long, winding history of the Blue Ridge ParkwayThe vast collection of trails and scenic views all along the Blue Ridge Parkway didn’t just happen on their own – the construction of the parkway was part of a big government effort to bring national parks to more concentrated population centers in the eastern United States. Leoneda Inge talks with public historian Anne Mitchell Whisnant about the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the legacy it’s created for generations.Anne Mitchell Whisnant, author of "Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History;" Associate Professor of the Practice at Duke University’s Social Science Research Institute; director of Graduate Liberal Studies at DukeThis interview originally aired September 23, 2026. 0:20:10Fall foliage forecast for North CarolinaGet ready for those red, orange and yellow bursts of color throughout our region. It's time to check out the fall leaves in the mountains, and soon enough, here in the Piedmont.Howard Neufeld, recently retired professor of biology, Appalachian State University, a.k.a. “The Fall Color Guy”

0:01:00The North Carolina State Fair rolls back into RaleighKent Yelverton, director of the NC State Fair, joins Leoneda Inge to discuss new foods, fun and features in 2026. The fair runs from October 16 through October 25 at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. Kent Yelverton, director, NC State Fair0:13:00The Broadside: The mushy guts and glory of giant pumpkinsThe North Carolina State Fair is the biggest event of its kind in the South. Every October, nearly a million visitors flock to Raleigh in search of fried food and carnival fun. And while everyone loves a good funnel cake… each year, one section of the fair is by far the most popular: the giant pumpkin exhibit. The Broadside digs into the mushy guts and glory of competitive giant pumpkin growing and finds out what it takes to harvest a champion.Jonathan Schultheis, horticultural science professor at North Carolina State UniversityRandy Collins, Graham County Extension Director (N.C. Cooperative Extension)Susie Zuerner, giant pumpkin growerSam Jenkins, giant pumpkin grower0:33:002025 State Fair Blue Ribbon Biscuit winner starts businessMichael Riter had been tinkering with his biscuit recipe for years before his wife Karmann encouraged him to enter his first-ever baking competition. He won first prize in the buttermilk competition at the 2025 NC State Fair and third place in the savory biscuit category with his jalapeno cheddar recipe. The couple decided to seize the opportunity the wins afforded them to start a take-and-bake biscuit business in Apex, NC.Michael and Karmann Riter, co-founders of Archangel Biscuits