Due South

This week, the big news from Washington is also big news here in North Carolina. Approximately 50 people from North Carolina were among those pardoned by President Trump for their involvement in the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Also, an update on the North Carolina Supreme Court race, which still has not been certified. And, remembering a longtime member of the General Assembly who passed away this week. A panel of reporters joins WUNC's Colin Campbell for context and analysis of the week's news.

Then, presidents aren’t the only ones who can issue pardons and commutations. Michael Hewlett, Criminal Justice Reporter at The Assembly, talks with Due South’s Leoneda Inge about the 15 death sentence commutations issued by former Governor Roy Cooper on his last day in office. Hewlett also tells the story of one man whose clemency request was again denied, after more than 40 years in prison.

If you live in the Triangle and eat at local restaurants, you’ve likely indulged your palate at one of Giorgios Bakatsias’ cafes, bistros, or tavernas. Giorgios’ restaurant empire dots the region’s culinary landscape, from Chapel Hill to Durham to Raleigh to Wake Forest, and in recent years even expanding out to Wilmington. And after more than four decades in the business, the eatery entrepreneur does not seem inclined to slow his pace anytime soon.

Then, from the social movements underpinning Social Security and Medicare to the hit TV show "The Golden Girls," James Chappel takes Due South on a journey through American aging, and what the future of aging in our country might look like. His new book is Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age.
This encore edition of Due South originally aired in December 2024. 

Leoneda Inge checks in with WUNC’s Race, Class and Communities reporter Aaron Sanchez-Guerra for an update on immigration issues in North Carolina. Delores Bailey, executive director of EmPOWERment Inc. talks about the organization's efforts to provide more affordable housing in Chapel Hill. Bryan Reklis, director of the Carrboro Film Fest, previews the short and feature films screening at this year's festival. 

Freelance journalist Jim Morrill talks with WUNC's Anita Rao about his recent story in The Assembly: “How Destin Hall Rose From Humble Beginnings to House Speaker.”

Then, an exploration of the changing workplace in 2025. First, Nashville-based Marq Burnett of The Business Journals talks with Due South's Leoneda Inge about the impact of generational stereotypes in the workplace and how many companies are embracing a "come as you are" approach as workers return to office. Later in the hour, an early career training program at a NC-based tech company aims to help recent graduates adapt to the workplace. Leoneda Inge talks with Melanie Hawkins, program manager of Lenovo’s "Early Career Talent Experience," and recent participant Alejandra Lujan about some of the challenges employees face in the post-pandemic work world. 

Presidential inauguration preview; what Trump's second term could mean for NC
North Carolina NASCAR legend Richard Petty's 1970 Superbird will be in the inauguration parade, but behind the scenes, politics and policies swirl. A preview of what to expect from NC reporters.
Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief for WUNC
Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief for The Raleigh News & Observer

How ‘The Greensboro Six’ broke golf’s color barrier
A week after Rosa Parks began a bus boycott protesting segregation, several Black men played a round of golf at the whites-only Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro, NC. They became known as ‘The Greensboro Six’ and there’s now a new mural honoring them. We learn more about this North Carolina civil rights history. *encore edition*
Josh Sullivan, social media producer, WUNC

The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families
Dr. Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer are author and illustrator of “The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families.” A modern-day revival of The Brownies’ Book, published by W.E.B. DuBois in 1920, this new anthology celebrates a new generation of Black children. *encore edition*
Dr. Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer, author and illustrator of “The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families."

On the North Carolina News Roundup Gov. Josh Stein recently took his oath. And the seemingly never-ending race for the NC Supreme Court seat continues. 

And, Kenny Mann didn’t set out to be a musician, but after some early intervention from family, he realized that he was meant for the spotlight. With his band Liquid Pleasure, Mann has been performing for more than 50 years. Some of the band’s most high-profile gigs have been at presidential inaugural balls, beginning with President Jimmy Carter’s in 1977. 

Guests

Bryan Anderson, reporter of the Anderson Alerts newsletter on Substack 

Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC 

Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News and Observer 

Kenny Mann, leader of Liquid Pleasure 

Ten months after it became legal, North Carolinians will soon surpass $5 billion in money gambled on sports. And, an excerpt from Anisa Khalifa's recent episode of The Broadside "The gambling gold rush is here."

Plus, some of the most exciting upcoming book releases of the new year. From a biography of Mark Twain to the latest in the ‘Legendborn’ series from local YA author Tracy Deonn, there is something for everyone to add to their to-be-read pile.

Guests

Brian Murphy, Sports Investigative Reporter at WRAL and host of the podcast “A Brief History of Triangle Sports”

Maggie Robe, Marketing and Events Manager, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill 

Early 2025 is being called the Winter of the “Quad-demic.” Covid, RSV, flu and walking pneumonia are all going around. A fifth virus is also on the rise nationwide: norovirus. A new strain of the infection, which is also known as ‘stomach flu,’ ‘the stomach bug’ and ‘winter vomiting disease,' is also spiking this season. Dr. Zach Willis of UNC Children's Hospital joins Due South to discuss symptoms, prevention and treatment.

Then, Warren County farmer Patrick Brown bought the plantation where his ancestors were once enslaved. He’s working to build a just and sustainable food system, to enrich both the soil and his community, on land once used to extract and exploit. Due South's Leoneda Inge talks to Brown, as well as to writer Christina Cooke and photographer Cornell Watson about the story they collaborated on about Brown and his work. The piece is called “Black Earth” and it recently appeared in The Bitter Southerner.

How much running is good for your health? A cardiologist breaks down the data. Plus, members of local chapters of Black Men Run, Black Girls Run and Latinos Run join co-host Jeff Tiberii to talk about finding welcoming communities to explore the challenges and joys of running — together.

Editor's note: This show originally aired in January 2024. 

New year, new me? Due South co-host Leoneda Inge considered it timely to sit down with Dr. Nia S. Mitchell, a physician, weight specialist and Associate Professor of General Internal Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine to talk about some tips and challenges for managing one's weight. 

Guest

Dr. Nia S. Mitchell, Associate Professor of General Internal Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine

Then, Ronald Young Jr. joins Due South to talk about his deeply personal podcast, Weight For It, in which he reflects on the impact of weight and body image on various areas of his life. Season two of Weight For It is out now. 

Guest

Ronald Young Jr., host of the podcast ‘Weight For It’