SYNOPSIS: Democracy is hard. As John Adams said, "It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself." It's even harder when governments are corrupted by money and partisan chicanery. Which is why the nonprofit group Democracy North Carolina has been fighting for truly representative government in the state for more than 30 years. Jesse talks with Marques Thompson, the group's Organizing Director, about the work of organizing, advocating and educating voters on issues including redistricting, ballot access, and the outsize role of corporate interests. He also talked about the impact the recent wave of immigration enforcement across North Carolina could have on this year's elections. Also: Why Texas A&M is censoring Plato, Tennessee opts out of federal funding for summer food assistance for low-income children, and Louisiana gives up on redistricting this year. And a look at a new exhibition that celebrates the music of Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

SHOW NOTES:

"Louisiana will use challenged congressional map after Supreme Court declines to expedite ruling" Louisiana Illuminator "DeSantis calls April special legislative session on Florida congressional redistricting" Politico "Gov. Bill Lee declines to secure millions in federal funds to feed Tennessee kids during summer" Tennessee Lookout "How a secret recording of a gender identity lecture upended Texas A&M" Texas Tribune "Texas A&M restrictions on race, gender could affect 200 courses" Texas Tribune Martin Peterson "Texas A&M Bans Plato (further updates)" Texas Nous Muscle Shoals: Low Rhythm Rising - Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: The political map of the South is full of interesting questions in 2026, some of which will be answered at the ballot box. In this preview of the new year, Jesse looks at some of the highest-profile races and the contenders facing off in them: Contests for governor and senator in Texas, a fascinating rematch in Alabama, a test of Georgia's purple-state status, and a high-stakes Democratic primary in Tennessee. Plus: As Carnival season kicks off, we check in on the home of the nation's first Mardi Gras celebration.

SHOW NOTES: "Texas Democrats fill every state and federal race on 2026 ballot, a first for either party" The Texas Tribune "Texas Rep. Gina Hinojosa joins Democratic race to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott" The Texas Tribune "Texas AG Ken Paxton officially enters Senate race against incumbent John Cornyn, Rep. Wesley Hunt" KUT News "Jasmine Crockett explains stance on Israel and Gaza amid 'coordinated attack' on social media" The Grio "State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt announces run for comptroller, dropping congressional bid" The Texas Tribune "Raffensperger, who rejected Trump's false election claims, is running for governor" Axios "Trump endorses Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for Georgia governor" Politico "Memphis state Rep. Justin Pearson to challenge U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen in 2026 Democratic primary" Tennessee Lookout "Mardi Gras in Mobile" Visit Mobile

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: 2025 has been a tumultuous and difficult year across the United States, and certainly here in the South. In a year-end episode, Jesse looks back at some of the major issues we've covered on Headlights, from immigration enforcement to redistricting battles to labor rights and electoral contests — with help from a selection of voices we've heard here. Join us for a quick look back, and a look ahead to 2026.

Show notes: Headlights Ep. 14: Florida's War on Immigrants Headlights Ep. 21: Guns and Sanctuary in the South Headlights Ep. 11: ICE in the Louisiana Heat Headlights Ep. 3: A Union Veteran Headlights Ep. 25: The Heart of Texas Headlights Ep. 27: Looking for Progress in Texas Headlights Ep. 33: 'Can't Win' in North Carolina Headlights Ep. 8: Watering the Roots Headlights Ep. 29: Signs at the Ballot Box

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: What do you do if you have to run for office in a district that was drawn so that your political party can't possibly win it? That was the situation Kate Compton Barr faced in a North Carolina state Senate race in 2024. Her solution: radical honesty. She told voters she couldn't win, and instead talked to them about the damage that rigged maps do to democracy. Then she and some partners launched the Can't Win Victory Fund, a political action committee dedicated to recruiting other candidates to do the same — all of it focused not on flipping districts but on redrawing the underlying maps, to allow for actual representative government. Jesse talked to her about that, and about her current political run for Congress — as a Republican.

Also: the ongoing conservative makeover of public education in the South. Florida loses track of thousands of K-12 voucher students; the University of Alabama shuts down magazines for Black and female students; and the University of Texas at Austin comes under the sway of the state's far-right leadership. And as Hanukkah begins, a look at one of the oldest and most important synagogues in the country — Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, founded in Charleston, S.C., in 1749.

SHOW NOTES: Can't Win Victory Fund Fair Map Fight Club "University of Alabama alumni organize fundraiser for suspended student magazines" Alabama Reflector 1956 Magazine Alice Magazine Florida audit of voucher programs "How Florida lost track of 30,000 students, a 'cautionary tale' for vouchers" Washington Post https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/21/funding-did-not-follow-the-child-state-audit-displays-school-choice-woes/ "The Conservative Overhaul of the University of Texas Is Underway" The New York Times "Texas Republicans are redefining higher ed. It's creating confusion about free speech on campuses." The Texas Tribune "What a Democrat's victory in the Miami mayoral election may mean for Trump" Associated Press "Democrat flips northeast Georgia state House seat, pulling off special election upset" Georgia Recorder History of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: All eyes were on Tennessee's 7th Congressional District last week, where Republicans held onto what has been a safe GOP seat in a special election — but Democratic state Rep. Aftyn Behn cut the Republican margin of victory from 22 points in 2024 to under 9 points. The swing got the attention of political observers in both parties, who mostly agreed that it could spell bad news for Republicans in the 2026 midterms. We talk with Tennessee-based political writer and strategist Corbin Trent about what progressive candidates can learn from Behn's campaign, which focused on affordability and access to health care. We also look at an interesting election in Roswell, Georgia, an affluent suburb of Atlanta where a Democratic mayoral candidate ousted the Republican incumbent. Plus: a tribute to the late Steve Cropper, whose tasty, funky guitar riffs helped power Stax Records — and all of Southern soul music. SHOW NOTES: "GOP Frets 'Dangerous' Result in Tennessee" Politico "Super PACs have now spent $7 million in Middle TN U.S. House special election with a week to go" Tennessee Lookout "Republican Ousted by Democrat in Georgia" Newsweek "Time Is Tight (Live 1970)" Booker T. and the M.G.'s

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

Hey guys, A little bit of breaking news on the most recent episode. We did an edit of the orginal production adding this bit in, BUT if you got this episode on release date it will not have included this edit so we wanted to make sure you had access to these details. Thanks, We'll talk to you soon.

SYNOPSIS: Jim Hightower has seen Texas politics from the ground up for more than half a century. From editing the progressive Texas Observer to serving as the state's unlikely Commissioner of Agriculture to writing syndicated columns and books, he has been both a participant and a savvy and often funny observer. And he's still at it! Jesse sat down with him at an Austin brewpub for a wide-ranging conversation about the Lone Star State's political past, present and future, the Democratic Party's corporate money problems, and why "populism" — a word and idea Hightower has long embraced — has circled back into the political mainstream. Also: A series of court orders across the South throw roadblocks (however temporary) in MAGA's political path. And a look at why the South was slow to adopt the Yankee idea of Thanksgiving.

SHOW NOTES: JimHightower.com "Court order striking down Texas redistricting map upends plans for candidates across the state" The Texas Tribune "Judge temporarily blocks National Guard deployment in Memphis" Tennessee Lookout "Florida judge temporarily blocks transfer of downtown Miami land for Trump's presidential library" Associated Press "Appellate Court rejects Florida attorney general's request in Trump library case" Miami Herald "For Decades, Southern States Considered Thanksgiving an Act of Northern Aggression" Atlas Obscura Lincoln's Thanksgiving Day proclamation "How Thanksgiving, the 'Yankee Abolitionist Holiday,' Won Over the South" Serious Eats

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Wilderness and untamed landscapes loom large in the South's sense of itself. Southern history and folklore are full of tales of mountains and rivers, swamps and bayous. A new magazine called Southlands aims to explore the Southern outdoors, both literally and literarily. This week Jesse talks to Southlands publisher Boyce Upholt about our relationship to our natural surroundings — and about a new book Upholt has also written, about the history and destiny of the Mississippi River. Also: a look at public employees across the South who are fighting back in court after being fired or punished for comments about the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. And we check in on the First Voices Festival, a celebration of indigenous culture in Atlanta.

SHOW NOTES: Southlands 'The Great River' Boyce Upholt Lawsuit against the University of Tennessee by Professor Tamar Shirinian "Former Auburn University instructor sues school, says she was fired over Charlie Kirk post" Alabama Reflector "Spartanburg County teacher's assistant claims wrongful termination over Charlie Kirk social media post" WYFF News "Firing over Charlie Kirk post was unconstitutional, former Clemson professor claims in lawsuit" South Carolina Daily Gazette "Florida college employee fired after social media post about Charlie Kirk assassination files lawsuit" CBS News "Former MTSU dean, fired for social media posts about Kirk, sues school" The Tennessean "Judge temporarily restrains university from firing professor for post about Charlie Kirk" South Dakota Searchlight First Voices Festival

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: Democratic candidates romped in Virginia last week, and scored some significant wins in Mississippi and Georgia as well. What does that mean to politics in the rest of the South? It's complicated! That's why we asked Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson, one of the "Tennessee Three," to join us for some analysis and thoughts about the results. She tells us why she thinks the pushback against conservative dominance in the South is real — and what it can learn not only from Virginia, Mississippi and Georgia, but also from Zohran Mamdani's win in New York City. Plus: her thoughts on President Donald Trump's pardon of convicted felon and former Tennessee state House Speaker Glen Casada. In our arts and culture segment, we forward — from afar — to the 8th annual Beignet Fest this weekend in New Orleans. We're wondering what exactly Crawfish Etoufee beignet fries are.

SHOW NOTES: "Blue wave rebuilds the House" Virginia Mercury "Democrats end GOP two-thirds supermajority in Mississippi Senate. What does that mean?" Mississippi Today "Democrats flip two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission" Georgia Recorder Beignet Fest

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764

SYNOPSIS: What does it take to run an effective progressive political campaign in the South? This week, Jesse talks to political consultant Eva Posner of Evinco Strategies, who specializes in exactly that. She focuses on candidates from working-class and marginalized communities, and also helps train campaign managers and staffers — helping to build progressive political infrastructure in places that often lack it. Also: As wrangling continues over SNAP benefits during the federal government shutdown, we look at the importance of the food stamp program in the South, where one-third of its lower-income beneficiaries live. Virginia and Louisiana have put forward plans to cover any gaps for their residents at least through November. But Texas and Florida, whose residents together receive about $1.1 billion a month in SNAP funding, have no plans at all. Plus: A look at the 1924 exhibition in Jacksonville, Fla., that helped introduce Modern art to the South.

SHOW NOTES: Evinco Strategies "SNAP: Key Statistics and Research" U.S. Department of Agriculture SNAP benefits by state "The loss of SNAP benefits could have ripple effects across the economy" Marketplace "The Armory South" MOCA Jacksonville

CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764