Due South

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 lives in underground burrows.
Haviv Avrahami, student at North Carolina State University and first author on the study describing the discovery

Resurrecting extinct species like the wooly mammoth
Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company based in Dallas working to “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo. They hope their work will be part of slowing down and reversing the massive extinction that we’re living through currently.
Beth Shapiro, evolutionary biologist and chief science officer of Colossal Biosciences

Editor's note: This Due South encore show originally aired August 15, 2024.

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 with Tonya Council, granddaughter of "Mama Dip."

Mary Helen Moore, reporter, NC Newsroom

Kyle Ingram, politics reporter, The Raleigh News & Observer

Sam Walker, OBX News

Tonya Council, chef, baker, Owner of Tonya’s Cookies & Bakeshop, Tonya’s Cafe, NC Made, and Sweet Tea & Cornbread 

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. 

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

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 production many North Carolina students attend each year. The story told on that stage was long criticized for inaccurate portrayals of Native Americans and for not centering Native characters or perspectives. Kaya Littleturtle became a big part of changing that narrative. He was one of the first Native actors to perform in The Lost Colony and he now serves as cultural advisor for the production. His grandmother, Kat Littleturtle, is The Storyteller in the show and they both join co-host Leoneda Inge to talk about how the new Lost Colony pays tribute to old traditions. This encore interview originally aired March 12, 2024.

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’t keep that talent to themselves. Their "sacred soul" music uplifts audiences in the pews at their church in Greenville, NC, as well as at performance venues across the country.

Co-host Leoneda Inge talks with Anthony “Amp” Daniels of the “Dedicated Men of Zion” and his daughter KeAmber Daniels of “Faith and Harmony” about the joys of singing with their children, parents, and cousins.

This encore interview originally aired October 10, 2024.

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 turnover on his staff in recent weeks. 

Co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with a panel of journalists about those stories and more, on Due South.

Guests

Mary Helen Moore, reporter with the NC Newsroom

Lynn Bonner, Investigative Reporter, NC Newsline

Claudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NC

Danielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchy

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 professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, about long-term impacts. And over 78,000 people experience food insecurity in Durham County -- including more than 20,000 children. One mutual aid group working to provide greater access and to reduce food waste is Durham Community Fridges. We talk to Taylor Holenbeck and Sharmîn Aziz, co-organizers of Durham Community Fridges. 

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 Effervescent Guide to Fermented Foods and Beverages from the American South. And director Ryan Coogler’s latest film, Sinners, is a Southern gothic horror film set in 1930s Mississippi. We talk to African and African American Studies professor Mark Anthony Neal and musician Lois Deloatch about the film’s approach to race, spirituality and music. 

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 state-backed innocence commission in the U.S., though representatives in the state of Texas are considering creating one.

Tonya Council, granddaughter of the late culinary legend Mildred “Mama Dip” Council, has opened her very own Southern-style eatery, Tonya’s Cafe. Located next to Tonya’s Cookies & Bake Shop in Chapel Hill, the cafe is the latest in Council’s string of culinary ventures. Due South’s Leoneda Inge speaks with Council about Tonya’s Cafe, Southern food and her grandmother’s influence.  

Guests

Scott Syfert, author of The First American Declaration of Independence? The Disputed History of the Mecklenburg Declaration of May 20, 1775.

Laura Pierro, Executive Director of the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission

Catherine Matoian, Assistant Director of the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission

Michael Hewlett, reporter with The Assembly. He’s covered the justice system for years.

Tonya Council, chef, baker, Owner of Tonya’s Cookies & Bakeshop, Tonya’s Cafe, NC Made, and Sweet Tea & Cornbread