Due South

As NC Democrats convene state convention, a look at their strategy for the November election
Last week we talked about the North Carolina GOP convention. This weekend, the Democratic party takes their turn. We’ll talk with a political scientist about the Democrats' strategy going into the November election.
Guest
Michael Bitzer, Ph.D., Politics Department Chair, Professor of Politics and History, Catawba College

Purple Ballot: North Carolina’s history of “ticket splitting”
We’ve been calling our politics series this year “Purple Ballot.” That’s because North Carolina is largely a purple state, a swing state with similar numbers of Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters. And our state has an interesting history of “ticket splitting” – the purplest of purple ballots – where a voter selects candidates from opposing political parties. We take a closer look at this interesting trend. 
Guests
Michael Bitzer, Ph.D., Politics Department Chair, Professor of Politics and History,- Catawba College
Peter Francia, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of the Center for Survey Research, East Carolina University 

Southern Food Gone Healthy
Translating a Mediterranean dietary pattern for the Southeastern U.S. population, using southern food staples. Recipes, big ideas, and more from a Doctor of Public Health who focuses on nutrition.
Dr. Alice Ammerman, Distinguished Prof. Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Director of Center for Health Promotion and Disease prevention

House Bill 10 will require NC sheriff officials to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We'll discuss the potential implications and impact with Aaron Sanchez-Guerra, WUNC's race, class and communities reporter. The WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank in Cary is one of only 33 nonprofit human milk banks in North America and the only one in the state of North Carolina. We speak with the Kerrie Gottschall, manager of the bank about their services, their ongoing need for more donors and the many families who benefit from their work, both in North Carolina and across the Southeast region of the country. Nearly one-quarter of all K-12 public school students in the U.S. struggle to gain monthly access to feminine hygiene products. We chat with Lillian Pinto, NCDPI's reproductive health consultant, about addressing need 

The story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke has captured the imaginations of North Carolinians for centuries. And what actually happened to those colonists remains a mystery, despite so many efforts to uncover the truth. 

Co-host Leoneda Inge talks with East Carolina University Professor of Anthropology Charles Ewen about what is known, and not yet known, about the Lost Colony. He's co-authored a forthcoming book, Becoming the Lost Colony: The History, Lore and Popular Culture of the Roanoke Mystery.

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.

A restaurant server turned organizer in Asheville and a chef/owner in Charlotte get candid with co-hosts Leoneda Inge and Jeff Tiberii about how life in the restaurant industry has, and has not, changed since the pandemic, and about their efforts to advocate for better pay.

Co-host Jeff Tiberii chats with a panel of reporters about the week's news in North Carolina. Guests: Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC; Bryan Anderson, freelance reporter, “Anderson Alerts” newsletter; Danielle Battaglia, Capitol Hill Correspondent, The News & Observer/The Charlotte Observer/McClatchy; Aaron Thomas, WRAL reporter; Richard Stradling, transportation reporter, The News & Observer

Today the North Carolina Republican Party convenes its state convention in Greensboro. We'll get a preview and discuss the basics of state party conventions.

And: In 1976, North Carolina was the turning point for Ronald Reagan’s GOP primary campaign. It set the stage for his eventual election to President, and his effort to reshape the party are a defining characteristic of our current political landscape.

Guests

-Chris Cooper, professor of political science and public affairs, Western Carolina University

- Ben Bradford is host and producer of NPR and WFAE’s Landslide podcast about the election that reshaped American politics. He's worked for public radio stations in Charlotte, Sacramento and at Marketplace.

The new book Red Dead's History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past is about “the most-played digital renditions of American history since The Oregon Trail.” 

Guests

-Tore C. Olsson is an Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies for American History at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and the author of a book coming out in August 2024 – Red Dead's History: A Video Game, an Obsession, and America's Violent Past

Investigative journalist Barry Yeoman talks about his coverage of the 2024 United Methodist Church General Assembly and musician Tom Maxwell chats about his new book, A Really Strange and Wonderful Time: The Chapel Hill Music Scene, 1989-1999.

On the road for the South’s best gas station food
Forget Gatorade and a bag of chips – the American South is home to a more advanced style of gas station cuisine. Photographer Kate Medley knew this growing up in Mississippi, but what she didn’t know until she left was how unique and integral the restaurants and eateries at places you can also buy gas were to life in the South.
Kate Medley, freelance photographer, author and photographer of “Thank You, Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South” 

This Asheville Couple Finds LGBTQ+ Spaces for Fellow Van-Lifers
Expanding internet access and the content creator lifestyle has opened the door to life on the road. But queer travelers in the South face unique challenges. We talk with Erin McGrady, one half of an Asheville couple who is helping to find LGBTQ+ spaces for fellow “Van-Lifers.”
Erin McGrady, content creator, Authentic Asheville 

Our panel of reporters break down the latest state and regional news with co-host Jeff Tiberii.

Guests
Ben Tobin, Greater Triangle Reporter, Triangle Business Journal
Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & Observer
Laura Leslie, Capitol Bureau Chief, WRAL
Reuben Jones, Washington Reporter covering North Carolina, Spectrum News