Due South
“Due South” is WUNC News’ weekday current affairs radio program and podcast. Broadcast from the American Tobacco Historic District in downtown Durham, co-hosts Leoneda Inge and Jeff Tiberii put life in the Triangle region into perspective and present a unique sense of place. From interviews with state lawmakers and local luminaries to Friday news roundups with statewide journalists, “Due South” puts current events into context and offers audiences a greater sense of connection. Each hour-long show sparks deeper conversation and understanding of life in and beyond the Triangle.
NC News Roundup: Balkcom replaces Edwards on ballot; Canes season tickets sold out; proposed LLC for UNC athletics
Today on the Friday News Roundup, we learn more about state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom, the new congressional candidate whose name will appear on the ballot this fall in western North Carolina after Republican Chuck Edwards backed out of the race for NC-11.
Also, UNC proposes a LLC to manage and maximize athletics revenue. And, now that the Hurricanes have sold out their season tickets, what does that mean for the rest of us?
Local journalists join Jeff Tiberii to talk about those stories and more.
Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Reporter for The Assembly...
North Carolina’s jails are facing an overcrowding crisis. And, a fight for voting rights of formerly incarcerated
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North Carolina’s jails are facing an overcrowding crisis. Here’s why.
More than one-third of North Carolina’s nearly 100 jails have exceeded capacity at some point since January 2026. Nineteen of those jails have been overcrowded every single month of this year. Luke Woollard of Disability Rights NC joins Due South to discuss the growing impact of overcrowding.
Luke Woollard, attorney for Disability Rights NC’s prison and jails team
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Second Chance Federation fight voter disenfranchisement for the formerly incarcerated
Jeff Tiberii speaks with Second Chance Federation executiv...
Countdown to college: Triangle campuses prepare for arrival of new students, plus a higher education update
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A higher education update
As colleges get ready for students to arrive on campus for the fall semester, Leoneda Inge talks with higher education reporter Brianna Atkinson about some of the biggest issues confronting higher education institutions — including federal research funding, DEI, and enrollment.
Brianna Atkinson, Higher Education Reporter, WUNC News
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Countdown to college: new students arrive on campus
Colleges in the Triangle and across the country are getting ready for students to come back to campus — especially for those coming to college for the first time. Co-h...
Attorney General Jeff Jackson on being NC's 'top cop.' New documentary on the lives and legacies of two trans teens
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Part One: North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson
Jeff Jackson has been the state's so-called Top Cop, in statewide office for more than eighteen months now. A former prosecutor, four-term state senator, and member of Congress, Jackson, a Democrat from Mecklenburg County, is North Carolina's 51st Attorney General.
His tasks are far-reaching, from oversight of data centers to elections to anti-trust law. Jackson is working with states attorneys general across the country, challenging the federal government, and pursuing, on occasion, bipartisan solutions.
Jeff Jackson, North Carolina attorney general
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<...Triangle communities still rebuilding a year after Chantal. The Broadside's ‘Secrets of the Great Dismal Swamp.’
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Some communities still rebuilding, a year after Chantal flooding hit Chapel Hill
When Tropical Storm "Chantal" hit Chapel Hill, Carrboro and surrounding communities on July 5, 2025, no one could have imagined the impact of the flood and how long it would take to recover — especially residents who were caught in the storm's dangerous conditions. We check in on communities and businesses a year later. (This interview originally aired on July 23, 2026.)
Brighton McConnell, News Director, 97.9 The Hill WCHL & Chapelboro.com
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The Broadside: ‘Secrets of the Great Dismal Swamp’
For centur...
NC News Roundup: Rep. Chuck Edwards drops reelection campaign; NC hemp regulations go nowhere for now
This week on the North Carolina News Roundup...
Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards drops his reelection campaign after a House Ethics Committee recommended censure over harassment allegations. The NC House stops development for a liquor warehouse after a planning dispute goes public. And a hemp bill is paused as protesters call for different regulations. Meanwhile, the North Carolina General Assembly adjourns until November.
Due South host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local journalists provide context and analysis on those and other stories from the week.
Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC News
...
NC job market update: unemployment rates remain low, creating challenges for job seekers and recent grads
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Unemployment rates remain low in NC, creating challenges for job seekers and recent graduates
Increasing inflation, AI in the workplace, and low confidence in the job market. Due South talks with economists to see what is going right in North Carolina’s economy and what to keep an eye on. Plus, updates on tech changes and layoffs.
Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at NC State University and writer of “You Decide” newsletter
Brian Gordon, Business and Technology reporter for the News and Observer
Andrew Berger-Gross, senior econom...
Concerns about political violence this midterm election season. Plus, educating voters on election integrity
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Gauging the public’s attitudes toward political violence
As we head into the 2026 midterm election season, many North Carolinians are concerned about the threat of political violence. Polling shows that voters expect some kind of political violence to occur before November. Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the phenomenon and the public’s attitudes toward political violence.
Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba College in Salisbury; director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public Service
Dr. Irwin Morris, Distinguished Professor of Humanities and the Executive Director of the...
Bestselling novelist Tayari Jones talks 'Kin.' And before the Declaration of Independence was NC’s Halifax Resolves
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Bestselling Southern novelist Tayari Jones talks with Leoneda Inge at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill
One book, and one author, who has again made an impact on the literary world in 2026 is "Kin" - by Tayari Jones. "Kin" has gotten a lot of attention – it was an "Oprah's Book Club" selection, a New York Times Book Club choice, and Due South got the chance to dig deep into what makes Tayari Jones tick. Leoneda Inge speaks with Jones in front of a live audience at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.
Tayari Jones, professor of...
The do's and don'ts of recycling in the Triangle. Plus, the history of Black family reunions in the South
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The do's and don'ts of municipal recycling
Recycling has been around a long time and faces relatively little pushback compared to more politically-charged sustainability efforts. Still, recycling has its obstacles, including that it can be hard to know what's recyclable and what's not. As Bianca Howard of Wake County Solid Waste Management Division says, "there is nothing intuitive about recycling." Today on Due South, three waste management experts demystify municipal recycling. (This interview originally aired on April 21, 2026)
Bianca Howard, Outreach & Marketing Supervisor, Wake County Solid Waste Management Division
Muriel Williman, Senior Assi...
NC News Roundup: Tillis forces delay on Blanche nomination; updates on WakeMed merger with Atrium
Sen. Thom Tillis continues to hold out support for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. How a Supreme Court ruling could help Michael Whatley in the Senate race. The North Carolina legislature debates changes to the new state budget. And updates on the WakeMed merger with Atrium.
Due South host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local journalists provide context and analysis on those and other stories from the week.
Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & Observer
Zachery Eanes, reporter, Axios Raleigh
Zac Ezzone, healthcare and higher education reporter for Triangle B...
The Army private in NC who said 'no' to moving seats before Rosa Parks. Raleigh's resident bald eagle family
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The Black Army private who wouldn’t move to the back of the bus
Sarah Keys Evans became an unwitting Civil Rights activist when she refused to give up her seat for a white Marine. She was on a bus that had crossed state lines into North Carolina, where in 1952, she was told to move to the back of the bus.
In recent years, her story has become better known, partly thanks to a new book she co-wrote with author Amy Nathan. (This Due South conversation first aired May 27, 2026.)
You can watch and...NC's hot and humid summers: health impacts of the heat, who is most vulnerable, and potential remedies
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The health impacts of heat
These days it feels like there is no simple way to beat the heat. And our new climate reality means we need to take new and more serious precautions to protect ourselves and our neighbors from its health impacts. Dr. Lauren E. Siewny joins Leoneda Inge to talk about concerning signs to look out for and how to best handle this steamy summer weather that just won’t let up.
Dr. Lauren Siewny, Medical Director of the Duke University Hospital Emergency Department, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Me...
How crops suffer amid summer drought; the history of 'Our State' magazine; the secret to perfect tomato sandwiches.
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Summer crops suffer under unusually dry harvest season
NC Cooperative Extension agriculture agent Mart Bumgarner joins Due South to discuss the impact of a months-long drought on summer crops across the state.
Mart Bumgarner, Agriculture and Horticulture Extension Agent serving Orange County, North Carolina with the N.C. Cooperative Extension
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How ‘Our State’ magazine covers ‘100 North Carolinas’
Leoneda Inge speaks to the editor-in-chief of Our State magazine about the history and future of the publication.
Elizabeth Hudson, editor-in-chief, Our State
Bush-Gore 25 years later; International Black Theatre Festival; The Broadside: Graveyard of the Atlantic
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‘The Big Recount’ – 25 Years Later
One of the most memorable and messy presidential elections in United States history was decided 25 years ago. The battle between Democrat Al Gore of Tennessee and Republican George W. Bush of Texas, was fought and won in the South – in Florida. (This HBCU 101 radio diary presentation is a
finalist, for a “Salute to Excellence Award” by the National Association of Black Journalists.)
Kara Palmer Smith, a 2000 graduate of Florida A&M University. She reported on the 2000 presidential election
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International Black Theatr...
NC News Roundup: ICE detention center planned in rural NC; fallen Fort Bragg soldiers return to U.S.
This week on North Carolina’s News Roundup...
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to open a detention center in Hertford County. The recently passed state budget bill includes child welfare regulations with the “Dominique Moody Safety Act.” In Charlotte, two women detained during Operation Charlotte’s Web seek over $2.5 million in damages. Remains of two fallen Fort Bragg soldiers killed in Iranian attack return to the U.S.
Due South host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local journalists provide context and analysis on those and other stories from the week.
Colin Camp...
Triangle towns still recovering a year after Chantal flooding. Returning items lost during Helene to their owners
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The people trying to return items lost during Helene to their rightful owners
A non-profit based in Asheville is leading the charge to find and return items lost during flooding from Hurricane Helene. BPR reporter Laura Hackett shares sounds and stories from volunteers scavenging and returning things to their rightful owners.
Laura Hackett, Helene Recovery Reporter at BPR
Laura Hackett's story for BPR: The things Hurricane Helene carried away — and the woman trying to return them0:13:00
Graphic novel shares stories about Helene from people who lived th...
The only successful coup in American history: how white supremacists 'stole a city,' and the 1898 Wilmington massacre
Four families, one stolen city
The Wilmington massacre and coup d'état of November 10, 1898 is widely known as the only successful coup in American history. Black elected officials were forced to resign office at gunpoint. Dozens, if not hundreds, of Black Wilmingtonians were killed during a day of premediated white supremacist terror.
New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins grew up in Wilmington, where the little she learned about November 10, 1898 characterized the bloody day as a "race riot." When she realized she had not been taught anything close to the whole story, she got to work r...
Local libraries in NC awarded new grants. Plus, 2026 summer book picks and 'Never Tell a Black Girl How to Black Girl'
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The Library of NC awards 46 federal grants to public and academic libraries
Leoneda Inge speaks with Catherine Prince, federal programs consultant for the Library of North Carolina, about the history and role of the state library, as well as its allocation of 46 new grants to local public and academic libraries.
Catherine Prince, Library of NC, and our Federal Programs Consultant
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Flyleaf Books shares summer reading recommendations
Leoneda Inge talks to Flyleaf Books marketing and events manager Maggie Robe about some of this year’s mos...
'90s Chapel Hill music scene with musician Tom Maxwell. Charlotte weighs 2031 World Cup prospects.
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The 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup is in the history books. Because of all the hype and happenings surrounding the World Cup and soccer, the Queen City, some sports fans, and tourism advocates are looking ahead to another World Cup- the 2031 Women’s World Cup. We hear from one Charlottean who’s pushing for Charlotte to play host city. (A version of this interview first aired June 25, 2026.)
Miller Yoho, Director of Communications and Marketing for Charlotte Sports
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New book explores the 1990s music scene in Chapel Hill
Tom...
NC News Roundup: Sen. Thom Tillis' message to Blanche; major decisions on mail-in voting
On this week’s North Carolina News Roundup...
Sen. Thom Tillis tells Todd Blanche to meet with Epstein victims to gain his confirmation vote. The North Carolina Board of Elections is facing major decisions on mail-in voting. And a $10 billion infrastructure backlog for public schools.
Due South host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local journalists provide context and analysis on those and other stories from the week.
Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief for WUNC News
Claudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter for Enlace Latino NC
Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Repo...
Due South's storytelling hour
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The Triangle’s very own, and very southern, live storytelling competition
Jeff Polish never meant to be a performer. He was supposed to be a professor. But life had other plans. How he came to live storytelling, and how his live show The Monti came to be in 2008 and has evolved over the years.
Jeff Polish, molecular cell biologist better known for his presence as creator and host of The Monti, a live storytelling show and competition in the Research Triangle
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Storyteller Milbre Burch on how to...
Watermelon salad, anyone? Summer dishes to keep you cool. Plus, a NC legislative wrap-up
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A graveyard of bills from the 2026 legislative short session
The General Assembly has left Raleigh for now, but they left behind a graveyard of bills that didn’t make it for a vote and to the governor’s desk. Issues still on the table include updated hemp regulations, election law changes, data center policy, and possible sin taxes. Political reporters Colin Campbell and Adam Wagner dig up the dirt on issues that did not get through the legislature.
Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC News
Adam Wagner, reporter/editor covering state polit...
NC in the conversation for Major League Baseball expansion. Plus, our state's long baseball history
North Carolina in the conversation for Major League Baseball expansion
As Major League Baseball runs toward home plate with expansion, North Carolina is in the national conversation for getting a team. What would it take to attract a major-league team in terms of money, demographics, land availability, and a good team name? Jeff Tiberii asks two experts who have been crunching the numbers.
Michael Walden, economist, NC State University
Lou Pascucci, co-founder of MLB Raleigh/MLB 2 NC
History of baseball in North Carolina
North Carolina’s history wi...
Durham's longest-running Black owned restaurant; John T. Edge unpacks his family history; The story of pimiento cheese
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Checking in with historic Durham landmark The Chicken Hut
Last year it was recognized as a local historic landmark by the Durham City Council. And how the Chicken Hut fits into Durham history as host to famous and influential Civil Rights leaders.
Tre Tapp, second-generation owner of The Chicken Hut
*A version of this segment first aired on November 10, 2025
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John T. Edge searches for home, after trying to find it in Southern food
A new memoir from the southern food historian delves...
NC News Roundup: NC finally has a budget; Raleigh considers youth curfew; dangerous heat and storms
On this week’s North Carolina News Roundup...Gov. Josh Stein signs a $34 billion state budget after a year of negotiations and vetoes a bill that bans camping on public property. Meanwhile, the City of Raleigh considers a curfew after violence broke out at a ‘teen takeover.’ Due South host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local journalists provide context and analysis from those and other stories from the week.
Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief for The News & Observer
Mary Helen Moore, reporter for Axios Raleigh
Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Reporter for The Assembly an...
'The Art of Saving Democracy' with NC artist Beverly McIver. Plus, The Sistering performs from their latest album.
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Renowned artist Beverly McIver discusses “The Art of Saving Democracy”
Duke professor and artist Beverly McIver has made a career of political expression in art practice. She joins Due South to discuss her collaboration on a new project called ‘The Art of Saving Democracy.’
Beverly McIver, visual artist and painter
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The Sistering celebrates wisdom, grace and friendship
Jazz-soul supergroup The Sistering joins Due South to discuss how they joined solo-artist forces to form a collective that pays powerful tribute to sisterhood.
Lenora Zinzalai...
What a new immigration enforcement law means for North Carolina. The voting rights legacy of Nancy Cherry Bazemore
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What a new immigration enforcement law means for North Carolina
WUNC News reporter Aaron Sánchez-Guerra tells Jeff Tiberii about his latest reporting on a new immigration enforcement bill — Senate Bill 153, referred to as the "North Carolina Border Protection Act" — that became law after state Republicans’ override of Governor Josh Stein’s veto.
Aaron Sánchez-Guerra, Race, Class & Communities Reporter, WUNC News
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The voting rights legacy of Nancy Cherry Bazemore
A new North Carolina Highway Historical Marker commemorates the Bazemore v. Bertie County Board of Elections court case and h...
From PFAS to Helene recovery, DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson on why his ‘hard’ job is worth it.
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From PFAS to Helene recovery, DEQ Secretary Reid Wilson on why his ‘hard’ job is worth it
Leoneda Inge talks with Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson about the department's approach to PFAS contamination in our rivers and drinking water, repairing damaged water infrastructure after Tropical Storm Helene, environmental justice and more.
Reid Wilson, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
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Chasing 'blue ghosts' in the Southern Appalachians
Deep in the mountains of Southern Appalachia, one firefly species gives off a steady blue glow...
Why Avett Brothers musician Bob Crawford thinks American history echoes into the present
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The Avett Brothers’ bassist on why he got into history
Bob Crawford might be best known for his music, but his podcast American History Hotline and book on John Quincy Adams might change that. Bob speaks with Jeff Tiberii about his work and life.
Bob Crawford, bassist for The Avett Brothers, host of the iHeart original podcast American History Hotline and author of the book America's Founding Son.
A version of this conversation originally aired in August 2025.
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Bob Crawford shares from his new book ab...
Mecklenburg County’s own Declaration of Independence? Plus, 'New Americans in North Carolina' oral history project
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Mecklenburg County’s own Declaration of Independence?
May 20, 1775, is a date you may recognize from the North Carolina state flag. It represents what was supposedly the first declaration of independence made by any of the 13 colonies involved in the American Revolution. That date was added more than a century ago, but its authenticity was first contested by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. This conversation originally aired on May 20, 2025.
Scott Syfert, author of ‘The First Declaration of Independence? The Disputed History of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence of May 20, 1775'
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‘We (Th...
The history of the Triple Nickles; 'The Legend of Wyatt Outlaw;' 'Well, I Declare'
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Sharryse Piggott highlights the ‘Triple Nickles’
WUNC’s Sharryse Piggott spent weeks reporting on the history of the U.S. Army’s first all-Black WWII paratrooper unit. She spoke with the grandson of unit founder Walter Morris about the groundbreaking work the soldiers pioneered. She talks with Leoneda Inge about the ‘Triple Nickles.’ (This conversation originally aired January 9, 2026.)
Sharryse Piggott, WUNC reporter
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A book from UNC Press revives ‘The Legend of Wyatt Outlaw’
For decades, religious groups and everyday community members have gathered in...
History writers and a local chef add their reasons, and hesitations, for celebrating America 250
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Former This American Life producer Sarah Vowell shares the history of Revolutionary War icon, the Marquis de Lafayette
Vowell was an early contributor to This American Life, before she became a voice actor, and the author of several books.
She shares the story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s triumphant and celebratory return to the United States in 1824-25 as the only living general on the side of the American Revolution.
Sarah Vowell, was a longtime contributor to This American Life, the voice actor for Violet in the Disney animated series The...
Due South's America at 250: Native History in NC
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Teaching the teachers about Native American history
Dr. Brittany Hunt grew up in Robeson County, North Carolina, where there's a large Indigenous population. But when she got to college, she was just one of a few Native students on campus. That’s when she realized how little most people know about Native history and culture – and what they think they know is often flawed and racist. So instead of pursuing her dream of becoming a pediatrician, she became another kind of doctor. Hunt is now an assistant professor at the Virginia Tech School of Education, wher...
250 years and counting: North Carolina stories shaping U.S. history
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NC history told in three-inch letters
North Carolina highway historical markers can be seen all across the state — and these markers can make a big difference when it comes to which NC places, historical moments, and people are memorialized and commemorated. Co-host Leoneda Inge talks to Ansley Herring Wegner of the NC Office of Archives and History about how markers are approved and what it takes to get a marker erected and noticed by the public. (This encore interview originally aired August 1, 2024.)
Ansley Herring Wegner, Director of Research and Publications, North Carolina Office of...
NC News Roundup live from Greensboro: budget shortfall; aviation developments; future of downtown; plus, the mayor
The Friday News Roundup heads to Greensboro, where there's an $83 million budget shortfall, as well as a recent major aviation development.
Hosts Jeff Tiberii and Leoneda Inge speak with a panel of reporters, and local leaders including Greensboro's mayor, and the Co-Founder of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.
Broadcasting from the Pyrle Theater in downtown Greensboro.
Rachel Crumpler, Reporter NC Health News
Danny Finnegan, Managing Editor Triad Business Journal
Joe Killian, Editor The Assembly
Marikay Abuzuaiter, Mayor of Greensboro, and longtime city councilwoman and entrepreneur
Durham's property tax challenge, and a local "Black queer daddy" goes on RuPaul's Drag Race
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Charlotte sports fans push to host 2031 Women’s World Cup matches
Why not Charlotte? One of those fans pushing for Charlotte to get matches says Atlanta isn't the only city in the South that's got a strong sports scene.
Miller Yoho, Director of Communications and Marketing for Charlotte Sports
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Durham overcomes budget shortfall after lower than expected property tax results
Leoneda Inge speaks with with two reporters behind the recent Indy Week article "How $4 Billion Came Off Durham’s Tax Rolls Last Year, Mostly Bene...
Breaking down 'forever chemicals' in NC rivers. Cape Fear and Haw riverkeepers explain what they're fighting for
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‘Forever chemicals’ in NC rivers
Environment reporter Celeste Guajardo shares her latest reporting on PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane in our rivers and drinking water.
Celeste Guajardo, environment reporter, WUNC News
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‘I want people to see how beautiful it is, so they see that it's worth fighting for’
Two North Carolina riverkeepers talk about efforts to clean up North Carolina rivers, and what drew them to those riverbanks in the first place.
Emily Sutton, Haw Riverkeeper and Executive Director of Haw River Assembly
Kemp B...
NC Promise guarantees low tuition at four state universities. Plus, addressing college student homelessness
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Elizabeth City State University’s NC Promise
Leoneda Inge visits Elizabeth City State University to explore the impact of the NC Promise program on students and families, including a 62-year-old Gail Mullen.
Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, Sr., Chancellor
Gail Mullen, 62-year-old 2026 graduate, Elizabeth City State University
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NC college leaders on the success of the NC Promise tuition program
Leoneda Inge speaks with chancellors of universities that participate in the NC Promise tuition program. As the state-funded initiative nears its 10-year anniversary, Due South checks in on...
What dismantling the Voting Rights Act means for North Carolina and the South
Editor's note: This Due South encore conversation originally aired May 20, 2026.
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What dismantling the Voting Rights Act means for North Carolina
North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls discusses the history of the Voting Rights Act and the implications of recent measures to dismantle what remains of the landmark legislation.
Anita Earls, North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice
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Two generations of state representatives discuss the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Voting Rights Act
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s...
