Under the Dome

In the latest episode, for the week of Oct. 30, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan sat down with U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat who just returned from quite the wild time in Congress this past month. Aside from the drawn out election of a Republican House speaker, the big news for the North Carolina congressional delegation, and potential candidates, was passage of new congressional district maps. Ross’ district changed a little but is still a safe blue seat for her in 2024, while other Democrats were given less favorable districts by Republicans state legislators who drew the maps.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Rep. Deborah Ross

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video by: Kevin Keister

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In the latest episode, for the week of Oct. 23, 2023, News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and host Dawn Vaughan sat down with state Sen. Benton Sawrey, a Johnston County Republican.

Sawrey talks about his beginnings in politics, being a freshman in the supermajority party. He also talks about his first, unsuccessful run for state Senate, how he won in 2022 and why he’s not impacted by redistricting this year.

Looking ahead to the 2024 elections, Sawrey also talks about who he sees getting Republican votes in the gubernatorial and presidential primaries.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Sen. Benton Sawrey

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video edited by: 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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For the week of Oct. 16, 2023, News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host Dawn Vaughan is joined by politics team colleague Kyle Ingram and environment and N&O climate change reporter Adam Wagner.

Our discussion centers around power: veto overrides, boards and commission appointments, elections and the environment. The Republicans’ supermajority in the General Assembly gives them the ability to overturn veto after veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Kyle Ingram, Adam Wagner

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Videography: Kaitlin McKeown

Video and audio edited by: 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 Oct. 9, 2023, host Dawn Vaughan is joined by politics team colleague Kyle Ingram and N&O investigative reporter Tyler Dukes to talk about redistricting and what it means. By the end of the week, the public might get to see some of the new maps drawn by lawmakers for the 2024 General Assembly and congressional races.

Stay tuned after the break for our picks for Headliner of the Week. 

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Kyle Ingram, Tyler Dukes

Executive Producer and audio editor: Laura Brache

Video shot and edited by: 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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It’s three months late, but today is the day for the long-awaited North Carolina state budget to become law.

Dawn Vaughan here, The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief and host of Under the Dome. Along with the budget comes Medicaid expansion. So our guest for this week’s episode of the Under the Dome podcast for Oct. 2, 2023, is the man leading the major health care change.

I talked with N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley in his office in the Adams Building on the DHHS campus at Dix Park last week. Earlier that day he joined Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to announce Medicaid expansion would launch Dec. 1. He also got his COVID-19 and flu vaccinations that day.

After the break, I’m joined by our Washington correspondent, Danielle Battaglia. She shares the latest on the federal government shutdown and the Senate dress code. And stay tuned for our picks for Headliner of the Week.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Kody Kinsley, Danielle Battaglia

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Video shot and edited by: 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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For the week of Sept. 25, 2023, News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host Dawn Vaughan is joined (again) by politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram.

The General Assembly is full of surprises, not just policy provisions hidden deep in the state budget, but we cover that part, too. This past week brought the final, actually here, budget deal, and casinos weren’t in it.

Within a week, the budget will become law.

We break down some of the play-by-play, a lot of analysis, and even get to Moore reassigning Rep. Terence Everitt, a Wake County Democrat, to the Legislative Building basement, where his new neighbors include the press corps.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Avi Bajpai, Kyle Ingram

Executive Producer and audio editor: Laura Brache

Video shot and edited by: 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 Sept. 18, 2023, Dawn Vaughan, your News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host, is joined by politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram. As much as everyone — especially state employees and teachers waiting on raises — wished for final budget votes last week, they didn’t happen. Will they happen this week? Don’t hold your breath.

After the break, gun laws after the recent gun violence on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, and what Berger and Moore’s responses have been.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Avi Bajpai, Kyle Ingram

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Shot and edited by: 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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For the week of Sept. 11, 2023, News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host Dawn Vaughan is joined by politics team colleagues Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi and Avi Bajpai to talk about the potential for the long-awaited, much anticipated arrival of the state budget.

Stayed tuned to the end for their picks for Headliner of the Week, which range from political soda to the weather to downtown Raleigh music.

Host: Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

Guest: Kyle Ingram, Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi

Executive Producer: Laura Brache

Audio and video edited by: 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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For the week of Sept. 4, 2023, News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host Dawn Vaughan talks about the future of sports gambling in North Carolina with Scott Ward, vice president of the Sports Betting Alliance. The alliance is comprised of sports betting companies Draft Kings, FanDuel, BetMGM and Fanatics Sportsbook.

After the break, Korie Dean, who covers higher education, and politics reporter Kyle Ingram, who also writes our Under the Dome newsletter, share more #ncpol updates from the week.

Host: Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan

Guest: Scott Ward, Korie Dean, Kyle Ingram

Executive Producer: Jordan Schrader

Produced and edited by: 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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For the week of Aug. 28, 2023, News & Observer Capitol bureau chief and podcast host Dawn Vaughan talks with retired UNC Chapel Hill history professor Reginald Hildebrand and N.C. Sen. Natalie Murdock about the new North Carolina Freedom Park in downtown Raleigh. Hildebrand and Murdock, who both served key roles on the park’s planning, discuss the site selection to why “I Can’t Breathe,” the words said by George Floyd before being killed by Minneapolis police in 2020, is among the quotations inscribed on the walls of the new park.

Stay tuned to the end for their picks for Headliner of the Week.

Host: Dawn Vaughan

Guest: Reginald Hildebrand, N.C. Sen. Natalie Murdock

Executive Producer: Jordan Schrader

Produced and edited by: 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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