Under the Dome

On this latest episode for the week of Jan. 29, 2024, Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean, and Kyle Ingram talk about Lee Roberts, the new interim chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill, and some important discussions that took place at last week’s meeting of the UNC System’s Board of Governors.

We also talk about recent developments in a legal challenge against one of the two major elections bills GOP lawmakers passed over Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto at the end of last year’s legislative session.

Host: Avi Bajpai

Guests: Korie Dean, Kyle Ingram

Executive Producer: Jordan Schrader

Audio edited by: Kevin Keister

Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It’s sent to your inbox Tuesday to Friday and Sunday. Sign up here.

Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!

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In mid-October, The News & Observer requested communications from all 170 members of the North Carolina General Assembly, after GOP state lawmakers moved to shield all former and current legislators from having to comply with the state’s public records law.

Reporting this story involved several steps: filing initial requests, following up with lawmakers, reviewing and processing their records, and publication. Here’s a breakdown of what went into this story.

Stick around after the break for our picks for Headliner of the Week.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Avi Bajpai

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It’s sent to your inbox Tuesday to Friday and Sunday. Sign up here.

Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!

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Snow is expected up in Washington, D.C., in the coming days, but it is unlikely to chill out the gridlock in Congress right now. Capitol Hill correspondent Danielle Battaglia explains the latest drama related to the impending federal government shutdown and what that means going forward.

Yearning to be part of that congressional scene are several primary candidates who want to represent North Carolina. Will turnover mean more or less influence from the Old North State? We talk about that, plus the Trump factor.

After the break, we move on to the latest endorsements for both Republicans and Democrats, and how that could play out with primary voters. The primary is March 5.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guests: 

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video Producer: Kevin Keister

Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It’s sent to your inbox Tuesday to Friday and Sunday. Sign up here.

Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!

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In our first episode of the new year, we bring you up to speed with a primary primer. Host Dawn Vaughan is joined by legislative team colleagues Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi and Kyle Ingram to talk about primary ballots.

They both recently wrote about the top of the ticket, which will, in the North Carolina primary on March 5, include incumbent President Joe Biden as the only Democrat, and among Republicans, include former President Donald Trump, who faces various criminal and civil charges related to the 2020 election.

We also discuss the latest news from the N.C. Board of Elections and Wake County Board of Elections, as well as primary polling and legislative candidates. 

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guests: 

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video Producer: Kevin Keister

Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It’s sent to your inbox Tuesday to Friday and Sunday. Sign up here.

Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription to The N&O. If you’re already a subscriber, thank you!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our end-of-the-year Under the Dome podcast has the full News & Observer Capitol Press Corps team that covers the General Assembly. That’s host Dawn Vaughan, along with Avi Bajpai, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi and Kyle Ingram.

Listen to hear our list of 10 moments we’ll remember, and the conversation around each news story.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guests: Avi Bajpai, Kyle Ingram, Luciana Pérez Uribe Guinassi

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video: Kevin Keister, Kaitlin McKeown

For more North Carolina government and politics news, subscribe to the Under the Dome politics newsletter from The News & Observer at newsobserver.com/newsletters and NC Insider at ncinsider.com. Qualified business users are eligible for a short free trial of the daily NC Insider newsletter, as well as a demo account for our Insider Legislative Tracking service. Submit this form: t.co/2ivpV5NSuY

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In the latest episode, for the week of Dec. 11, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan talks with reporters Korie Dean and Makiya Seminera about political interference in higher education in North Carolina, and how that compares to Florida, another state that has had partisan influence in universities.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guests: Korie Dean, Makiya Seminera

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Recording: Kevin Keister, Kaitlin McKeown

Video Producer: Kevin Keister

For more North Carolina government and politics news, subscribe to the Under the Dome politics newsletter from The News & Observer at newsobserver.com/newsletters and NC Insider at ncinsider.com. Qualified business users are eligible for a short free trial of the daily NC Insider newsletter, as well as a demo account for our Insider Legislative Tracking service. Submit this form: t.co/2ivpV5NSuY

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In the latest episode, for the week of Dec. 4, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan talks with our Washington, D.C., correspondent Danielle Battaglia. They discuss what we know, and what we don’t, about who will file to run for Congress in North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House districts.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guests: Danielle Battaglia

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video Producer: Kevin Keister

For more North Carolina government and politics news, subscribe to the Under the Dome politics newsletter from The News & Observer at newsobserver.com/newsletters and NC Insider at ncinsider.com. Qualified business users are eligible for a short free trial of the daily NC Insider newsletter, as well as a demo account for our Insider Legislative Tracking service. Submit this form: t.co/2ivpV5NSuY

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In the latest episode, for the week of Nov. 20, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan talks about the latest in the run-up to candidate filing with N&O politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram.

Stayed tuned until the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week, which include a Press Corps departure, how to pronounce Gov. Roy Cooper’s last name and a bit of Thanksgiving gratitude.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guests: Avi Bajpai, Kyle Ingram

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video Producer: Kevin Keister

For more North Carolina government and politics news, subscribe to the Under the Dome politics newsletter from The News & Observer at newsobserver.com/newsletters and NC Insider at ncinsider.com. Qualified business users are eligible for a short free trial of the daily NC Insider newsletter, as well as a demo account for our Insider Legislative Tracking service. Submit this form: t.co/2ivpV5NSuY

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the week of Nov. 13, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan is joined by News & Observer colleagues Mary Helen Moore, who covers Durham; Tammy Grubb, who covers Orange County; and Kristen Johnson, who covers western Wake County.

Big changes on the local government scene arrived with last week’s Election Day. Overall, the three areas still have a common major issue: the cost of housing. Listen to Moore, Grubb and Johnson talk about how housing and other issues played out in the elections, plus races that aren’t yet resolved and a parks bond that failed.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Tammy Grubb, Kristen Johnson, Mary Helen Moore

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video and audio edited by: Kevin Keister

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For the week of Nov. 6, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan is joined by politics team colleague Avi Bajpai and Korie Dean, who covers higher education.

Even with the General Assembly out of session, there is still plenty of news in state government and politics to discuss. Both Bajpai and Dean have been covering the latest in HBCU funding.

More higher education and politics crossover: why there have been additional appointments made to the UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State boards of trustees?

We also talk about the latest in the Council of State races, and who is and isn’t running in 2024.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video by: Kevin Keister

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