Tying It Together with Tim Boyum

n this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks to one of the real-life attorneys from the case dramatized by "A Few Good Men." Don Marcari was just 25 when he took on the case. Now, a new play has opened on Broadway, and he is joining Tim for the behind-the-scenes stories of the case, how it affected him and how much the movie reflected the case. Marcari is a senior partner in a law firm with offices across North Carolina. 

Just days before Election Day, the leaders of North Carolina's major political parties join Tim to give their final arguments on why voters should choose their candidates. Will the U.S. Senate race be closer than polls show? Will Democrats make huge gains in the legislature or will Republicans maintain full control? We talk to state Democratic Party chair Anderson Clayton and state Republican Party chair Jason Simmons. Hear their final takes as North Carolinians head to the polls.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Tim Boyum takes a deep dive into the electorate and what it might mean about the upcoming midterm elections. Longtime Republican consultant Paul Shumaker joins Tim to talk about challenges for Republicans in a tough environment, how the North Carolina electorate has transformed, and what we should know about what it all means. Shumaker has spent more than four decades in North Carolina politics and has clients, including U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, a top adviser for Michael Whatley's U.S. Senate campaign, Jonathan Felts, joins host Tim Boyum to explain why he thinks Whatley can win the North Carolina race despite Republican money leaving the state and polls showing him down nearly double digits. They also discuss the impact of ads in the race and near the end talk about Felt's newest competitive adventure: Weiner dog racing.

On this week's show, Roy Cooper's top consultant joins a month out from the election to talk about the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate's campaign. Cooper faces off against Republican Michael Whatley. Morgan Jackson, from Nexus Strategies, also works for current Gov. Josh Stein and has advised Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton. They talk about current polling, shifts in campaign finances, other races in North Carolina and the potential for a big blue wave.

In the final week's before the midterm elections, marketing and ad gurus Billy Warden and Brian Lewis analyze the campaign ads in North Carolina's top races from U.S. Senate to U.S. House districts 01 and 11. Later, they will check out the PR debate over data centers and AI as well as a New York ad over dancing and Kevin Bacon.

On this week's show, North Carolina-based national pollster Tom Jensen, from Public Policy Polling, joins Tim to talk about the state of the election weeks out from the big day. Jensen talks about the factors at play and why Democrats might have a huge year. They take a deep dive into North Carolina's Senate race, two competitive congressional races and all the factors that will impact results come election night.

It's one of the most famous business parks in the world, and now Research Triangle Park is boldly looking to the future. For the first time in its 65-year history, you can live in the park. The area helped make North Carolina one of the nation's top states to do business, and organizers say RTP 3.0 will take it into a new frontier when work culture has dramatically changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Host Tim Boyum talks to Scott Levitan, president of the Research Triangle Park Foundation, and Travis Crayton, vice president of planning and public policy to learn more. 

Author Andrew Aydin joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his new book about Hurricane Helene nearly two years after the storm devastated western North Carolina.

The book tells first-hand survivor stories and also uses comics, an Aydin specialty, to amplify the stories. Aydin is a New York Times bestselling author and wrote a comic book memoir series with U.S. Rep. John Lewis, for whom he worked leading up to the civil rights leader's death.

On this week's show, Tim is joined by a former police chief and former highway patrolman who are starting up a new organization to build back trust with law enforcement in North Carolina. Chris Blue, a former Chapel Hill police chief, and Billy Clayton, a 36-year highway patrol veteran, talk about what led to this situation and how law enforcement and communities can build it back together.  Later they talk about other police hot-button issues like defunding the police and Flock cameras. 

On this week's show, Tim is in New York to host our national political show, so he sat down with National Political Reporter Errol Louis. Tim and Errol compare notes on the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America movement in their respective states and why it's having a moment. Then they talk about how journalism and political coverage has evolved over their extensive careers

On this week's episode, Greear Webb joins Tim to talk about young voters, the legal system and challenges for young people in today's world in terms of college, jobs, buying a home and much more. Tim first met Webb when he was an activist in high school. Webb just graduated from Emory University Law School and is navigating many of the same challenges as other young people across the country.

Last week, Congress nearly approved legislation that might have once more significantly altered college sports, but delayed the decision until possibly September. 

This comes as the NCAA faces ongoing legal defeats nationwide concerning athlete eligibility. 

This week on Tying it Together, Greg Barnes, from Inside Carolina, joins host Tim Boyum to talk all things related to conference realignment, NIL, eligibility questions and why some believe Congress is the right place to sort out the chaos. 

Tim and Greg also talk about the future of UNC's basketball arena and the controversy surrounding the university's foo...

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with Matt Abele about some of the hottest debates in America right now: energy rates, data centers and the future of energy.

Abele leads the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association, which is known for its work in the solar industry.

He breaks down some of the big disputes around renewable energy and goes deep into the political debates around data centers.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Rye Barcott joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his new book, "Courage Can Save Us," which highlights 10 Americans he believes exemplify courage to help us through these tough political times.

Barcott is a Marine Corps veteran, Harvard graduate and an ABC News Person of the Year.

He founded With Honor, which aims to fight polarization by supporting veterans in public service and public office.

On this week's show, host Tim Boyum and investigative reporter Jeffrey Billman get into the controversial world of hemp and marijuana. 

Marijuana remains illegal in North Carolina, yet THC-infused products are legal in what is termed the "wild west" of hemp. 

Billman shares what he learned from his three-part investigation for "The Assembly" into the complicated controversy that surrounds the industry, the politics and the legal system.

Journalist and author Andrew Dunn joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his new book on former Gov. Pat McCrory.

McCrory, a Republican, served in office from 2013 to 2017 when Republicans had a powerful hold over state government. He presided over the controversial HB2, became the first governor to lose reelection in state history, then lost in the 2022 U.S. Senate primary.

Dunn looks at McCrory's legacy and the controversy that continues to define him today. Dunn is a former Charlotte Observer journalist and continues his own newsletter and commentary at Longleaf Politics.

As America continues to celebrate 250 years, host Tim Boyum looks into whether independence was actually declared in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence we know today.

It's known as the "Meck Dec," and it's a great and fascinating source of discussion and controversy in the world of history. Author and Pulitzer-nominated correspondent Dave Fleming joins Tim to talk about his book, "Who's Your Founding Father?" which tackles that very topic.

Fleming, a North Carolina resident, has written for Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine and Meadowlark.

Host Tim Boyum travels to New Hampshire to talk to documentary filmmaker Ken Burns about America turning 250 years old for this week's episode of Tying it Together.

Burns talks about his latest documentary on the American Revolution, what the founding documents mean to today's America, and what he thinks it means to be an American.

He tells Tim which historical figures he would most want to sit down with for dinner and what Mount Rushmore might look like if we chose again.

Host Tim Boyum travels to Tennessee to meet up with Lee Greenwood. As America celebrates 250 years, Greenwood tells us the incredible story behind his hit, "God Bless the USA."

From the inception on the tour bus to the stage with Ronald Reagan to an emotional story of singing it after 9/11, the song has defined his career.

What you don't know is that the song almost never made it. A limousine trip to a record label executive's house on Halloween changed the course of history.

On this week's episode, Martin Luther King III joins Tim for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about his dad, his death and what his dad would think about America at 250. King tells detailed stories about how his mom told the children their father was gone, the famous people who filled their home in the days after his death and how his dad worked hard to be a dad despite extensive travel. 

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Quinn Ray and Daniel Ayers from The Hometown Holler join host Tim Boyum.

They talk about how they went from back porch conversations to a podcast and an Instagram feed racking up millions of views talking about North Carolina and politics, and bringing on some big-name guests. 

As the Carolina Hurricanes start their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years, Tim talks with the man who sings the national anthem at every single game.  If you've seen it, you will never forget it.  Decker takes us behind the scenes but also his career away from the Canes that included appearances on America's Got Talent and American Idol.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum is joined by former Charlotte city council members Tariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston to talk about potentially one of the most consequential months of Charlotte politics in at least a decade.

The council recently reversed course and canceled a major transportation plan. It is poised to potentially ban data centers in the coming weeks, and this all comes after the mayor announced she was stepping down at the end of June, long before her term expires.

Bokhari, a Republican, and Egleston, a Democrat, work at T...

Inspired by coverage of Watergate, Ned Barnett spent more than four decades in journalism. The Raleigh News & Observer editorial leader retired this month. He joins Tim to talk about his career, the role of opinion in journalism and the decline of newspapers in America.

On this week's episode, Tim talks about a group of center-left Democrats trying to make waves as partisanship continues to dominate the electorate. His guests are Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO of NewDEAL, and Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers. The national group held a conference in Raleigh and stopped by while in town. NewDEAL is a network of center-left elected leaders who are self-described pragmatists focusing on expanding opportunity and spurring growth. Alums of the group include Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro and Stacey Abrams.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with the man who helped ignite one of the biggest upsets in North Carolina political history in this year's primary.

Sheriff Sam Page ousted North Carolina's most powerful politician, Senate leader Phil Berger, in March.

But for years, Patrick Sebastian worked behind the scenes to help make it happen, risking his entire career.

On this week's episode, fellow podcasters and lobbyists Brian Lewis and Skye David join Tim to talk about big leadership changes at the legislature, the pros and cons of the lobbying profession and its vital role, plus how their podcasting adventure has changed it all.

As the North Carolina legislature returns, major questions remain as the state remains the only one without a new budget.  In addition, the state's most powerful politician, Phil Berger, lost his primary.  What will happen?  What will get done?  Political reporters Dawn Vaughan and Bryan Anderson join Tim to break it all down as lawmakers return to Raleigh this week.

On this week's episode, longtime aides to former governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper join Tim to talk about all things North Carolina politics. Sadie Weiner and Ford Porter shaped Cooper's messaging for a decade. Now, as they start their own firm, they join Tim to dish some behind-the-scenes stories, what it was like to message as COVID-19 hit and through multiple destructive hurricanes.

On this week's show, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell joins Tim to talk about all things Raleigh. From a food icon complimenting the food scene to potential problems with property taxes, they talk about the past, present and future. Cowell was elected in 2024 after serving in the state Senate, as state treasurer and leading the city's "Central Park of the South," Dix Park.

On this week's show, Rockingham Sheriff Sam Page joins Tim just hours after he being Senate leader Phil Berger in a state senate primary and arguably the biggest political upset in modern North Carolina political history.  Page answers why he thinks he won, his phone call with Berger, how he hopes to fit in in the legislature, the story behind his signature cowboy hat, and what his mother thought of all the attack ads against him.

On this week's show, longtime and top North Carolina Republican consultant Paul Shumaker joins Tim to talk about why North Carolina's most powerful politician, Phil Berger, has likely lost his primary race and what it means for the future of the party. 

They also talk about the impact of Iran and prices on the midterm elections, especially in the nation's most closely U.S. Senate race here in North Carolina. 

Finally, Shumaker discusses Senator Thom Tillis' newfound independence in Washington, D.C. as his final year in office winds down. Shumaker has been a top co...

After a decade in public office, Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) is leaving the General Assembly to head up the state's leading progressive think tank, the North Carolina Justice Center.  Meyer joins Tim to talk about leaving office, the current status of progressives and Democrats in North Carolina, and the shocking news of the state's most powerful politician, Phil Berger, on the verge of losing his seat in the legislature.

On this week's episode of tying it together, host Tim Boyum talks with N.C. Health News founder Rose Hoban. 

Rose shares her story how she went from a nurse and hospice administrator to journalist to entrepreneur as she started her own journalism organization focused on health. 

Rose also shares impactful stories about her time as a hospice administrator.

What happens when a Republican operative bucks his party in a very public manner? 

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Carlton Huffman joins host Tim Boyum to talk about the moment he began criticizing Donald Trump and his supporters and the consequences. 

In recent months, he's also been critical of ICE arrests in places like Minnesota.

The Grammy nominated Avett Brothers are well known for their folk rock music around the world. The bassist, Bob Crawford, is also a historian, however. 

This week the North Carolinian joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his love for history and his new book "John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick".

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, State Senator Michael Garrett (D-Guilford) joins host Tim Boyum to talk about a whirlwind of a couple weeks where he visited Minnesota and sat in on legislative hearings about ICE operations in Minnesota. 

Then, the night of the Super Bowl, a post he made about Bad Bunny went very viral! 

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton joins host Tim Boyum this week to talk about her pitch to make North Carolina the first primary state for the 2028 presidential election. 

What are the state's chances and what would it mean? 

Crucially, what's her strategy for persuading Republican legislative leaders to permit it?

On this week's episode, host Tim Boyum talks with Greg Barnes from Inside Carolina about perhaps the most controversial and hot topic of the future of UNC basketball. 

To many, it appeared the Tar Heels were poised to announce a new arena on a future campus site. But then a legendary coach released a video pleading to renovate the current arena. 

It's a fascinating and emotional debate for the country's oldest public university, which enjoys one of college basketball's most storied programs.