Medicaid expansion has been one of the fiercest battles in recent political memory between Republicans and Democrats. This week, Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, joins us to give her take on the subject, as well as health care costs and the opioid crisis. We’ll also discuss the incredible educational background of the state’s top doctor, her work helping lead the launch of the Affordable Care Act, and what she believes is the next great threat in terms of health.

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A million new people are moving to North Carolina every single decade, and that trend is only expected to continue. From New York to Florida and even California, these folks change the very fabric of our state. And, whether you love it or hate it, it’s dramatically changing elections and political strategy. This week on the podcast, Tim sits down with Rebecca Tippett from Carolina Demography. She’s considered the top expert and highly sought after for her incredible depth of knowledge of the state’s changing demographics, and what it means for our lives and the economy.

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2020 is officially upon us, an election year that’s been eagerly anticipated since, well, the day after all our votes were tallied in 2016! That being the case, this week on the podcast, Tim sits down with two of the most powerful and smartest political consultants in the game:  Paul Shumaker, whose clients include both North Carolina Senators, and Morgan Jackson, whose clients include Governor Roy Cooper, Attorney General Josh Stein, and a U.S. Senate candidate. We bring them in together from across the aisle to break down what issues will impact politics this year, the impact of President Trump, and how the state’s growth is rapidly changing the voter demographics. If you are at all interested in state politics, you will want to hear this episode!

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This week on the podcast, Tim is joined by the incomparable Ira David Wood III, who’s once again portraying none other than Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for Theatre in the Park. The show, which has been performed annually since 1974, has been by over one million people! The executive director of Theater in the Park since 1972, Wood — now 72 years old — talks about his deep North Carolina roots, and explains why he’s made a career out of being the unofficial “arts ambassador” for the state. Plus, he also divulges why and how he puts his own little twist on Dickens’ Christmas classic.

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Tim is joined by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, who’s currently at the helm of one of the most closely watched (and expensive) senate races in the country. Tillis, a vocal supporter of President Trump, shares behind-the-scenes stories of what it’s like sitting in the Oval Office with the president, and also dishes on why the president’s been calling him on the phone in recent weeks. They also reminisce about a debate Tim moderated in 2014 where a clip of Tillis on climate change went viral, and how his position has shifted since then. Finally, the two get personal as the North Carolina Senator reveals how a rootless early childhood affected him, what his favorite hobbies are, and why the heck he spells his name “Thom” instead of “Tom.”​

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This week, Dallas Woodhouse, one of North Carolina's most outspoken and polarizing political lightning rods, takes us behind the scenes of a sometimes tumultuous relationship with his brother, who is a prominent national Democratic figure. Dallas, an ardent Republican, also describes the roots of his sometimes brash style of politics and how he deals with the internet trolls he encounters regularly online. Later, he talks about the end of his tenure as the North Carolina Republican Party Executive Director and the timing of it all with the investigation in the 9th District ballot fraud case.

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On this week’s “Tying It Together with Tim Boyum,” we're challenging your preconceptions about people experiencing homelessness by looking through the eyes of Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham, who spends her own money and time, often in frigid temperatures late at night, helping the homeless in Charlotte. In a city that ranks near the very bottom in the country in terms of economic mobility, how does one climb out of poverty? We hear from someone hoping to do just that. Finally, a Charlotte native who says she may be forced to move because of the city’s violence joins the podcast to shed light on a topic often kept in the dark.​​

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On this week's episode, Tim and Ben address the elephant (and the donkey) in the room: talking politics with family over the holidays. Negotiating political conversations is tricky, no matter who you do it with. When it comes breaking bread with family who fall on both sides of the isle, the last thing anyone wants is for Uncle Teddy to filibuster the night away until the dishes need to be cleaned. We start by highlighting one of the most famous North Carolina holiday stories—the day the Woodhouse family appeared on CSPAN. Dallas Woodhouse tells us the behind-the-scenes story of that infamous family moment. Later, award winning Washington Post columnist (and North Carolinian) Steven Petrow provides useful guidelines for talking (and not talking) politics with your family over the holidays.

Discussed During This Episode

“Oh, God. It’s mom.” - CSPAN interview

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On this week’s episode of “Tying It Together with Tim Boyum,” Tim talks with the North Carolina man who delivered the subpoena to the White House for the Watergate tapes on a hot summer day in 1973. One of North Carolina’s greatest characters, Rufus Edmisten talks about his moment in history and why he doesn’t think the current administration, facing potential impeachment, learned anything from Watergate. Finally, we wrap up our conversation by asking him about something North Carolina is famous for, and which infamously may have crushed his campaign for governor in 1984: barbecue.

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE

That’s Rufus: A Memoir of Tar Heel Politics, Watergate and Public Life

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On this episode of “Tying It Together with Tim Boyum,” Tim talks with Supreme Court Justices Paul Newby and Robin Hudson. It’s a rare look inside the most powerful courthouse in North Carolina as the justices explain how they debate and decide some of the state’s most important issues. The justices also talk about whether or not the court should expand to nine justices, what it’s like to run in partisan elections, and whether their colleagues ever change each other’s minds during arguments.

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA’S SUPREME COURT JUSTICES?

Read all about them right here.

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