In the middle of March Madness, host Tim Boyum brings on an old friend and political journalist who just released a book on the history of the so-called “blue bloods” of college basketball. 

Jeff Tiberii is a host of Due South on WUNC radio, but he also just released the book “The Magnificent Seven: College Basketball’s Blue Bloods.” It’s a fascinating look at the history of these influential teams but also some incredible stories about the people who make it so special. 

We hope you enjoy this time out from politics to learn more about North Carolina’s deep basketball heritage.

On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum and his guests discuss a recent study on the state of North Carolina elections. 

Low faith and trust in elections is widespread, but North Carolina’s elections are more successful than many other states, according to a study from cross-partisan organization North Carolina Fair Safe and Secure Elections.

"One big takeaway we have is that early voting is working really well in North Carolina by any metric," Dr. Chris Cooper, from Western Carolina University, said. 

Cooper and Dr. Michael Bitzer, from Catawba College, are members of the group that conducted and released the study. They join Tim to break down everything from the initial registration process, to rallies and challenges following the election.

On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum talks with author and retired political reporter Rob Christensen. The two discuss Christensen’s newly released book, Southern News, Southern Politics, which tells the fascinating story of the Raleigh News & Observer and its impact on shaping North Carolina’s political history.

With a 45-year career at the newspaper, Christensen is undoubtedly an expert on its modern history. But the stories go back to the 1800s when the publisher was involved heavily in Democratic politics and even white supremacy.

He also gave Tim his take on the future of newspaper and investigative journalism, which require real time, money and resources.

“Influence is diminishing and right now there’s not a good economic model for the News & Observer and other small local newspapers to flourish,” Christensen explained. "Who knows whether it's going to be around another 100 years."

In an exclusive interview five years after Covid, host Tim Boyum speaks with the woman who guided North Carolina through the pandemic. 

Dr. Mandy Cohen reveals the challenges, the successes, and even threats she faced during the challenging time. She highlights working with Gov. Roy Cooper as a key reason for her success in North Carolina during COVID-19.

“I learned so much from him and I’m so grateful that I was able to be on his team. We had a lot of special attributes that made us successful,“ she said.

She and Tim also talk about her time leading the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after leaving North Carolina. And Tim wraps by recounting his time covering COVID-19 as a journalist.

This week’s episode of Tying it Together features an interview with Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, arguably North Carolina’s most influential politician, as a new legislative session begins.

Host Tim Boyum and Sen. Berger openly discuss Helene’s mountain relief efforts, collaboration with new Gov. Josh Stein and house speaker Destin Hall, and other topics in the senator’s office.

“I don’t know that when all is said and done that it’s going to end up any different,” Sen. Berger told Boyum when talking about Gov. Stein and cutting deals. “But I am optimistic that we may find ways to address some things that we may not have in the past.”

The two also touch on the unresolved N.C. Supreme Court election race, tax rates, and facing a primary in next year’s election.

On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum reconnects with Shelane Etchison. She was North Carolina’s first ever Congressional unaffiliated candidate to make it on the ballot. Independents aren’t a party, they aren’t a third party, they’re exactly as they sound — independent.

Although she lost the election, she significantly outperformed all other non-major party candidates, exceeding expectations. 

“The burden for unaffiliated candidates to get on the ballot, I believe, is too high right now. The bar is too high right now,” Etchison told Boyum. “The amount of money I had to allocate to that, the time and effort, it just already puts you at an impasse.”

So, how does she feel now after running? Can an unaffiliated candidate ever win, and what’s next for her? Listen to find out her experience.

Next year, North Carolina will host what is expected to be the most important and expensive U.S. Senate races in the country.

This week, incumbent Thom Tillis’ consultant, Jordan Shaw, joins host Tim Boyum in studio to talk about the Tillis campaign. The two also talk about the impact President Trump has on candidates and Sen. Tillis’ potential Democratic opponents. 

"The best politicians are the ones who are able to thread the needle," Shaw told Boyum. "And that's a very small, small hole to thread right now."

They close the podcast by delving into the possibilities for the Republican party in 2028 and beyond. Tim also shares some memories from over the years of covering Thom Tillis that he said will be etched in his memory forever.

On this episode of Tying it Together, North Carolina’s new House Speaker Destin Hall joins host Tim Boyum for a wide-ranging discussion about his new role and working with a new governor. At just 37, he’s the state’s youngest speaker ever, and he’s not afraid to be frank.

Speaker Hall also goes in depth with Tim on the major topics of today like Hurricane Helene relief, immigration and much more. 

“If you’re here illegally and you’re committing crimes you gotta go,” he told Tim on the podcast. He added that being rules chair for almost five years with N.C. Sen. Phil Berger has helped him gain experience and respect in getting deals done.

The podcast ends with Tim shooting a few fun questions at Speaker Hall.

On this week’s episode, host Tim Boyum talks with former Senior White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates.

Bates, a North Carolina native and N.C. State grad, spent significant time in the White House with President Biden and on the campaign trail with him as well.

He takes us behind-the-scenes of working in the high-pressure job, trips on Air Force One, Biden’s decision to get out of the race, and what he thinks Democrats should do next.

Attorney and former Democratic politician Wiley Nickel joins host Tim Boyum this week to talk about his time in Congress.

Former congressman Nickel served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina’s 13th district from 2023 to 2025. He tells Tim why he was so concentrated on gerrymandering during that time. "Gerrymandering isn’t about the number of states, it’s about the number of districts carved up by politicians in each state," he said in one post. He also hints at a potential run for U.S. Senate in 2026. 

Nickel wraps up by spending time talking about his childhood experience having a TV news reporter for a mom, and his work for Al Gore and Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns.