Understand SC

At a little-watched fire district in South Carolina's Upstate, public servants served themselves on the taxpayers' dime.  In the second installment of The Post and Courier's " Uncovered " series, reporters discovered how top officials were accused of stealing taxpayer money, showering themselves with perks, promoting a commissioner's spouse and retaliating against those who tried to speak up.   Re...

Cecil Williams had a front-row seat to South Carolina's Civil Rights history.  Look up photos of major events from the Civil Rights Movement, and his name will be on the photos.  Starting in his very early teens, he captured images of iconic people and moments: Thurgood Marshall getting off a train in Charleston, protestors marching outside All-Star Bowling Lanes before the Orangeburg Massacre and...

When people aren't looking, corruption can run rampant.  That's why The Post and Courier launched " Uncovered ," a project shining a light on misconduct in South Carolina, especially in small towns. For the first installment of the ongoing investigative series, reporters sifted through thousands of pages of spending records and ethics complaints, interviewed whistleblowers and consulted researcher...

A bill that would effectively ban most abortions in South Carolina has been advancing quickly through the Statehouse. After past failed attempts, this appears to be the year the so-called "heartbeat bill" will be signed into law in the Palmetto State.  Similar laws have been passed in almost a dozen other conservative states, but none are enforced because of court challenges.  The same is bound to...

South Carolina was the first state in the U.S. to have a confirmed case of a new strain of the coronavirus first found in South Africa.  And it wasn't just one case but two, found in different regions in the state, and health officials said the cases aren't connected.  So, what does that tell us about the prevalence of this variant in the state, and what does the presence of this strain mean for t...

Since COVID-19 vaccinations first became available in South Carolina last month, there has been a lot to follow. Who is eligible to get a vaccine? How many shots is the state getting? And how many of those vaccines have already been administered?  Like every part of the country, the demand for vaccines in South Carolina outweighs the supply, but it’s been difficult to even get the supply that is i...

The United States has just sworn in its 46th president , Joseph R. Biden, and Kamala Harris, the first woman and first woman of color to be Vice President. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, the lone Democrat in South Carolina’s Congressional delegation, tweeted Wednesday afternoon that Biden and Harris “represent a new era of opportunity for unity, not just in the United States but across the globe...

Reaching herd immunity — the point at which enough of the population is immune to COVID-19 that new outbreaks can't occur — is still far away in South Carolina.  Based on a Post and Courier analysis and insight from experts , just about 4.6 percent of the state's population is immune or partially immune to the coronavirus. The goal is for about 70 to 85 percent of the state to be immune. So, how d...

South Carolinians are very familiar with their flag.  The simple but well-loved combination of the indigo backdrop, the crescent and the palmetto tree is everywhere. It doesn't just hang from flag poles. It's on t-shirts and beer koozies and neckties.  But not many people knew that the state actually hasn't had a standardized flag design for about 80 years. That's why a group of historians set out...

Health care workers had a view of the battle against COVID-19 in South Carolina unlike any other: right on the front line.  Those workers are The Post and Courier's Newsmakers of the Year . They've risked their lives for months to care for people sick with COVID-19. They work 12-hour shifts wearing layers of plastic, masks and face shields. They became the last and only companions to people who di...

Like so many parts of 2020, the holiday season looks different this year.  High COVID-19 case numbers have led health experts to warn people that doing many of things strongly associated with the season — hopping on a flight to see family, gathering in church, sharing a meal inside with people you love — comes with the risk of contracting and spreading coronavirus. This week, we're looking at the...

When it comes to Charleston's flooding problem, things can get complicated pretty quickly.  The issue touches many facets of life in the region, from business and real estate to public health and racial equity. But sometimes, seeking solutions that are effective means turning to ideas that may seem somewhat simple. Projects reporter Tony Bartelme returned to the podcast to talk about Rising Waters...

The number of coronavirus cases being reported in South Carolina is rising, and health officials are pleading with residents to take precautions.  At the same time, states are readying themselves to receive the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, a hopeful sign of an eventual end to the health crisis. But an end is still pretty far off, health experts say. It will likely be months until a vaccine i...

Early in the summer, protests were held in cities across the country, sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.  South Carolina was no different.  Activists in Columbia and Charleston, in particular, took the streets, and while large-scale protests in both cities started peacefully, they escalated. Dozens of arrests were made in both cities.  This week on the podcast, we're taking a l...

On Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the eastern black rail as threatened under the Endangered Species Act giving the bird new protections. The move, delayed by nearly a year, comes after The Post and Courier's special report on the plight of the bird.  A little black bird may be here, underneath these bouncing dragonflies, somewhere in these sparkling green waves....

Charleston's historic city center is filled with carefully preserved buildings and bronze markers detailing major moments in its now 350 years — but much of the city's history still isn't visible. There are less-told stories that aren't recognized with plaques or talked about on walking tours. There are sites and buildings that no longer exist and places that are well-known, though only for select...

Kristin Graziano marked several milestones when she successfully won her campaign last week to be Charleston County's next sheriff. She will be the first woman and first openly gay person to serve as sheriff in the state. Her election also marks the first time in more than 30 years that the office will see a change in leadership.  Republican Al Cannon has been Charleston County's sheriff since he...

The day after election night held a lot of uncertainty, but in South Carolina, one thing was very clear: Republicans in the state had come out on top.  South Carolina's Senate race, considered a toss up in the weeks leading up to the election, was handily won by Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham. He defeated Democrat Jaime Harrison — a candidate who had raised more than $100 million and, along w...

The tally of South Carolina voters who cast their ballots early in this year's election surpassed 1 million this week.  That alone makes 2020 a history-making year for elections, largely driven by changes states have made to help voters cast their ballots while staying safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.  Voters have also been motivated to get to the polls by high-stakes races on the nat...

Two years ago, U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham surprised South Carolina by winning its race for the 1st Congressional District, becoming the first Democrat in about four decades to do so.  The seat was quickly eyed by the GOP as one to win back in 2020, and now the freshman Congressman is in a high-stakes race against Republican state Rep. Nancy Mace to represent the region stretching from Charleston to...

A lot has changed since April.  That's the last time political reporter Jamie Lovegrove was on the podcast to talk about South Carolina's Senate race. At that time, political analysts still saw a clear path to victory for Republican incumbent Lindsey Graham. But it was already shaping up to be a record-breaking race for fundraising. Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison was out-fundraising Graham,...

It's probably not surprising that the Charleston area is the most expensive place in the state for low-income individuals to live.  But how much, exactly, does it cost to make ends meet here?  We talked to reporter Andrew Brown about a study done by the University of Washington and released last week by Trident United Way that lays out how much individuals and families in Charleston County and oth...

Football is a cherished sport in South Carolina. Whether you're a Tigers or a Gamecocks fan, it's no secret that the 2020 season will be unlike any other. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, at one point it was unclear if there would even be college football in 2020. Now, Clemson's team has played two games, the University of South Carolina's has played one, but game day looks very different from...

South Carolina and the United States recently reached grim milestones in the COVID-19 pandemic. As of last week, coronavirus deaths in South Carolina had surpassed 3,000 , and the U.S. death toll had exceeded 200,000 by Tuesday.  The pandemic reached South Carolina more than six months ago, when the first confirmed cases in the state were identified on March 6. After that, the virus started to ste...

For much of South Carolina, last Tuesday, Sept. 8, was the first day of school.  In some ways, it was familiar: Parents held their kids' hands as they walked to elementary school, and teachers eagerly greeted their new students. There was excitement and some nervousness.  But, for most students, the day looked very different. Instead of riding the bus or walking to school, they sat at their kitche...