Tying It Together with Tim Boyum

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 focusi...

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 hur...

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...

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 Nort...

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...

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 cou...

Spectrum News meteorologist Lee Ringer joins Tim to talk in depth about the modeling meteorologists use to try and predict the weather. This recent winter weather showed the delicate nature when some people shared early models with significant snow, but days later the forecast completely changed and disappointed snow lovers.

  On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Dr. Bruce Jentleson joins host Tim Boyum to explain the story behind all the foreign policy battles garnering the attention of President Trump — from Iran, Venezuela, Ukraine, to Greenland.  Jentleson is a professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.  He's a former senior adviser at the State Department under the Obama and Clin...

This week, State Senator DeAndrea Salvador (D-Mecklenburg) joins host Tim Boyum to tell the unbelievable story of a 2018 TED Talk she gave that was altered by artificial intelligence to make her say things she never said during the speech.  That AI material was then used in an ad by Whirlpool and even won an award, and she's now filed suit.

Tim sits down with a Colombian native and U.S. citizen with his unique perspective on the November immigration raids by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Manolo Betancur owns a bakery but shut it down when the raids began.

On this week's episode, we take a deep dive into the fascinating history of North Carolina's state capitol.  Kara Deadmon, the site administrator, will share the building's story, from its fiery destruction to its relocation. She talks about the enslaved who helped build it, and even etchings on a window dating back to the 1800s.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, it's our annual holiday extravaganza. Host Tim Boyum and political insiders Billy Warden and Brian Lewis look back at 2025. They will honor longtime Gov. Jim Hunt, who died in December, and review another wild year in politics in North Carolina and beyond.  Warden is a marketing and communications expert with RLF Communications. Lewis is a lobbyist with...

Political prognosticator Kyle Kondik joins host Tim Boyum to talk about early expectations for the 2026 midterm elections. They will talk about the nation's most watched Senate race in North Carolina, how redistricting could impact the power in Congress, and whether affordability will dominate voter's intentions.

This week, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson sits down with host Tim Boyum to talk about his first year in the position.  The Democrat talks about his process of deciding whether to sue the Trump administration, trying his first case ever in front of the state supreme court and his latest work involving artificial intelligence.  They also talk in depth about Jackson's passion to avoid "...

This week on Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with UNC law professor Gene Nichol who recently released a book called "Now what? How North Carolina Can Blace a Progressive Path Forward." Nichol, famous for his focus on poverty and equality, discusses how football recruiting shaped his political views.  He also recounts his battles with Republican legislative leaders, the closing of his pover...