Due South

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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

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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”

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. 

Guests

Mary 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 

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More 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.

Guest

Terah Crews, CEO of ReUp Education

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The next mayor up in our Meet the Mayors series is from Asheboro, NC – home of the North Carolina Zoo. David Smith has been mayor there since 2009. And after more than 25 years as an elected official in Asheboro, he plans to not run for re-election this fall.

Guest

David Smith, Mayor of Asheboro

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 The Phoebes Band (1440x1440, AR: 1.0)

In just four short years, Triangle-based soul, rock and blues band The Phoebes have made their mark in North Carolina and beyond. 

The Black woman-led band got their start in 2021.

They've toured the summer festival circuit and won WRAL’s 2024 Voters Choice Award for Best Local Band and been named Best Local Band of the Year in 2024 by Bands and Clubs of the Triangle.

Two members of the group speak with Leoneda Inge about their band's success.

Guest

Trea Elise, vocalist The Phoebes

Megan Maloney, co-founder and lead guitarist, The Phoebes

Residential and school segregation are closely linked

It began with the founding of the Federal Housing Administration, ongoing efforts by housing developers and well-meaning parents hoping to provide the best possible education for their small children.

Guest

Karen Benjamin, associate professor of history at Elmhurst University and author of Good Parents, Betters Homes & Great Schools: Selling Segregation Before the New Deal

'Ear Hustle' visits the Triangle on live podcast tour

Ear Hustle is the first podcast produced in prison. It’s brought stories from life inside to international audiences. It’s been a finalist for two Pulitzer Prizes. 

Now, Earlonne Woods and Nigel Poor are on tour, sharing stories live, including what incarcerated life and life transitioning out of incarceration is like.

Guests

Earlonne Woods, is co-host of the Ear Hustle Podcast, which he started while serving 31 years to life at San Quentin State Prison in 2017. He’s an advocate to repeal “the California Three Strikes Law, the statute under which he was sentenced.” His sentence was commuted in 2018.

Nigel Poor, is a visual artist and co-host of Ear Hustle. She got involved at San Quentin as a volunteer teacher in 2011, and started the prison-based podcast with Earlonne in 2017.

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Extreme weather and the future of hurricane prediction
As we approach the middle of Atlantic hurricane season, Due South explores federal cuts at the National Weather Service and NOAA and our preparedness in the face of extreme weather events. New York Times reporter and meteorologist Judson Jones and Andy Hazelton, a former NOAA scientist focusing on hurricane and model development, join co-host Jeff Tiberii to talk the past, present and future of storm predictions.

Judson Jones, meteorologist and reporter for The New York Times covering extreme weather.

Andy Hazelton, Associate Scientist at the University of Miami Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies

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How a new study on flood plains in North Carolina could help determine future flood risk
Between 1996 and 2020, over 90,000 buildings and homes experienced flooding due to a weather event. Many of them were damaged repeatedly. Yet, records don’t reflect the prevalence of these damages across the state, hindering our ability to understand who is most vulnerable to future flooding as climate change worsens.

UNC’s Antonia Sebastian tells co-host Jeff Tiberii about her research team’s recent efforts to fill in the blanks in the flood record, and what their findings might mean for home and business owners across the state.

Antonia Sebastian, Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences and the Environment, Ecology and Energy Program (E3P)

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The latest on a threat to Duke Health's federal funding, and allegations of racial discrimination at the medical school and health care system. Leoneda Inge speaks with a reporter to get the latest.

Brian Gordon, Business and Technology Reporter at The Raleigh News & Observer

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Bob Crawford might be best known for his music, but his show American History Hotline and forthcoming book on John Quincy Adams might change that. Bob speaks with Jeff Tiberii about his work and life.

Bob Crawford, bassist for The Avett Brothers, and host of the new iHeart original podcast, American History Hotline

This week on the North Carolina News Roundup...

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley announced their bids for the U.S. Senate — what do their 2026 prospects look like?

State lawmakers override eight of Governor Josh Stein's fourteen vetoes with the help of some Democrats.

A mini-budget approved by the General Assembly has been sent to Governor Stein's desk, but how close are lawmakers to working out a full budget?

An update from western North Carolina.

Plus, a special happy birthday to Former Chief Justice Henry Frye.

Guests

Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC

Claudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NC

Bryan Anderson, freelance reporter, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletter

Felicia Sonmez, Reporter, Blue Ridge Public Radio

Lucille Sherman, formerly a reporter at Axios Raleigh

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Detentions from federal immigration enforcement are up significantly in North Carolina. WUNC’s Aaron Sanchez-Guerra has been reporting on the increase and talks with Jeff Tiberii.

Aaron Sanchez-Guerra, Race, Class and Communities reporter for WUNC

• Related: ICE arrests of immigrants rise by 170% in North Carolina. Here's what to know

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The US Department of Homeland Security has labelled Durham County a “Sanctuary County.” That doesn’t sit well with Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead – especially in this time of ICE raids and immigrant deportations. Sheriff Birkhead talks with Leoneda Inge about how his office is navigating a new reality and levels of cooperation with ICE. 

Clarence Birkhead, Durham County Sheriff

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A high-ranking Black Marine was convicted of murder. New video evidence raises the question: Was he wrongfully convicted? Michael Hewlett writes about the case in his story, "Prosecutors Made a Rare Concession in a Murder Case. But Will It Matter?" for The Assembly. He joins Leoneda Inge to break down the story. 

Michael Hewlett, staff reporter, The Assembly

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Its focus on the mid-20th century’s civil rights movement’s enduring impact continues to resonate in today’s political climate. Leoneda Inge talks to co-founder Earl Jones about the museum’s history, its recent 15th anniversary gala and its intentions for the future. This year also marks the 65th anniversary of the Greensboro civil rights sit-ins, a milestone that was also honored at this year's gala.

Guest: Earl Jones, co-founder, The International Civil Rights Center & Museum

Despite the impact of Tropical Storm Chantal on Orange County’s arts community, the second Uproar Festival of Public Art will open as planned on August 1. The festival features 60 public arts installations across Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough and serves as a competition for participating artists.

Guest: Katie Murray, director of the Orange County Arts Commission

Raleigh is not our state’s biggest city, but as state capital Raleigh is the center of North Carolina’s political life and it is home to almost half a million people. In Due South’s latest edition of “Meet the Mayors,” Leoneda Inge talks with Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell about her wide-ranging political career: from a Raleigh city councilor to a NC state senator to NC State Treasurer and now back to city government.

Then, North Carolina is one of more than a dozen states where the government controls liquor sales. Writer Jeremy Markovich runs the newsletter and website “North Carolina Rabbit Hole,” and one of his recent posts is titled: “The first ABC store opened 90 years ago. Why does North Carolina still have them?” He talks with Leoneda Inge about the history of liquor regulation in North Carolina and what it tells us about our state.