Due South

A second plant to make candy for the Japanese company Hi-Chew will go up in Orange County.  For those listeners who want to see more hummingbirds - maybe even by attracting them to your backyard or balcony – we have a special guest today. *encore edition* It’s not easy to get approval to build an apartment, or an addition to your house, or a sidewalk. Kelly Kenoyer at WHQR wanted to know how it al...

On this week’s North Carolina News Roundup, it was another monumental week in politics with Vice President Harris now likely to be at the top of the Democratic ticket and Governor Cooper on the shortlist to be her running mate. Former President Trump campaigned in Charlotte, and on Capitol Hill a North Carolina Congresswoman boycotted the address given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu....

Due South co-host Leoneda Inge talks with WUNC's higher education reporter Brianna Atkinson about how North Carolina's public universities are complying with a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Then, Leoneda Inge talks to a local agronomist about this year's flash drought and the damage it's caused to various crops.  And, Chris Liloia of the North Carolina Botanical Garden joins...

( Editor's note: These conversations originally published May 6, 2024.) We're lifting off today with Astronaut Christina Koch. She grew up here, graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Math, then NC State, and today works for NASA. Christina Koch has spent more than 300 days at the International Space Station and is readying for a lunar mission. Koch talks training, outer space foo...

Due South co-host Jeff Tiberii is joined by WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell and Professor Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University to talk about the implications of this national political moment for North Carolina. Then, Tom Maxwell was a founding member of the hit ‘90s swing band The Squirrel Nut Zippers . During that decade, he had a unique, insider perspective on the emerging under...

Due South co-host Leoneda Inge sits down with Keith and Belinda Shannon, founders of Preparing America's Tomorrow Today (PATT) to discuss college bus tours to HBCUs. We travel to Fayetteville State University to speak with students and Dr. Pamela Baldwin, vice chancellor of student success and enrollment management to learn more about a free summer tuition program, now in its fourth year. And we a...

Breaking down appearances by the NC delegation at the Republican National Convention, new campaign finance numbers in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris visits the state again, and more all with our panel of reporters. Guests Mary Helen Jones, reporter Spectrum News Kyle Ingram, politics reporter at the News & Observer Lucille Sherman, reporter Axios Raleigh Danielle Battaglia, Capit...

In 1957, Virginia Williams made history as part of the Royal Ice Cream sit-in in Durham. Williams, now 87, was recently honored at the "Sweet Justice" ice cream social at NorthStar Church of the Arts. Co-host Leoneda Inge talks with Williams and several attendees inspired by Williams' activism. Then, researchers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University h...

By 2030, the share of people aged 65 and over in the U.S. will have increased to more than 20% of the population — up from 17% in 2022.  In the Triangle, the increase may be even more pronounced. A recent Axios article presented new census data showing the Triangle experienced one of the largest surges of residents 65 and over in the country since the pandemic. With that increase also comes an inc...

Irwin Morris of North Carolina State University’s School of Public and International Affairs talks with co-host Jeff Tiberii about the history of political violence in our country. Then, NC State professor of entomology and plant pathology Clyde Sorenson talks with co-host Jeff Tiberii about North Carolina's declining firefly population and how human activity is contributing. And, co-host Leoneda...

The RNC begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The North Carolina reaction, and a reporter in Milwaukee briefs us on security precautions. The assassination attempt will likely impact the election in ways we can’t yet anticipate. But for now, we zoom in on the Republican platform and issues facing the party as they convene their national co...

On the North Carolina News Roundup…  Vice President Kamala Harris made her latest stop in North Carolina this week. We talk about the Biden campaign's efforts here.  We also look at a series of bills the governor has signed into law, the latest veto, and – money. There's so much of it in politics, and this week we learned that millions are pouring into three swing state Senate districts. Why that...

Ashley Ward, director of Duke University's Heat Policy Innovation Hub, joins us to talk about protection from extreme summer temperatures. Ruth Pointer of the legendary soul group, The Pointer Sisters, chats about her storied career. Two local ice treat shops, Simons Says Dip This and Locopops, discuss the history of their businesses and their exclusive summer menu options. Sign up for WUNC's new...

Fewer than half of Asian Americans have been contacted by either political party… even though they are the fastest-growing electorate in the U.S.  Plus, Heidi Kim on leading students through a tumultuous year at UNC *encore edition . Guests Eli Chen , digital news producer, WUNC  Steve Rao , At-Large Council Member, Morrisville Town Council  Chavi Khanna Koneru , co-founder and Executive Director...

Carolina Beach ocean rescue captain Shawn Kelly tells co-host Jeff Tiberii about how rip currents form and why they can be so dangerous.  Professor Joel Fodrie tells co-host Leoneda Inge about the rich underwater world that sharks inhabit off our shores, and how to reduce the already low chances of a human-shark encounter. Johanna F. Still of The Assembly dives deep into the world of the Shibumi ,...

Part One: Booker T. Spicely Marker On July 8th, 1944, Booker T. Spicely, a U.S. Army private on active duty, was killed in Durham, North Carolina in an act of racial violence. On the 80th anniversary of his passing, we're resharing a story that originally aired in December 2023 covering the unveiling of a historical marker in Spicely's honor.   James Williams , attorney, retired public defender, l...

Hey Due South listeners! We just wanted to give you a heads-up in case you’re expecting a few new episodes from us this week. You might’ve heard on our episode Monday – the rest of this week WUNC is broadcasting a special series by our friend Roy Wood Jr., and NPR, it’s called Road To Rickwood and it’s about Civil Rights, baseball, and Birmingham, Alabama. And if you haven’t ‘met’ Roy Wood Jr. yet...

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. takes a break from stand up to sit down with historians and former Negro League players in the new NPR podcast " Road to Rickwood ." Co-host Leoneda Inge talks with Chris Holaday, author of Cracks in the Outfield Wall: The History of Baseball Integration in the Carolinas . Minor league pitcher Devin Sweet recently had a brush with the majors at a time when only six percent of...

This week's top news, how political parties are trying to win over Black voters, and an update on the state's large and small businesses. Guests: - Colin Campbel, WUNC’s Capitol Bureau Chief - Danielle Battaglia , the D.C. correspondent for The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer  -Jarvis Hall , an associate professor of political science at North Carolina Central University - Katie Per...

Due South checks in with WABE political reporter Sam Gringlas about what the first presidential debate in Atlanta could mean for Georgia, the South, and the country. Then, black bear sightings are up in North Carolina, including in cities and in suburban backyards. Colleen Olfenbuttel of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission joins us to talk about where you might find black bears this summer and wh...

A cardiologist breaks down the data. Plus, members of local chapters of Black Men Run, Black Girls Run and Latinos Run join co-host Jeff Tiberii to talk about finding welcoming communities to explore the challenges and joys of running — together. Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here .

This hour originally released on April 15, 2024. 2024 is shaping up to be quite the interesting year in country music. The release of Beyonce's Cowboy Carter on March 29 shook up the industry when one of her lead singles, "Texas Hold 'Em," shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Hot Country Songs chart, making the chanteuse the first Black woman to top the country chart in Billboard...

The archivists who are digitizing radio programs in Houston from the 1970s on, in which openly gay hosts led listeners, out or not, into pride parades, and tough conversations. Plus, encore broadcasts of a segment on a summer program to get children food, and a Southern Mixtape with Brian Burns. Guests Emily Vinson , Preservation Coordinator at Houston University Bethany Scott , Head of Preservati...

More than 2,000 jobs coming to Greensboro to build supersonic passenger jets, a heat wave welcomes in summer, and budget talks continue at the state legislature. Plus, a conversation about the U.S. Open at Pinehurst last weekend, and future plans for more big tournaments there. Join Due South co-host Leoneda Inge and a panel of reporters for discussion of the week's news. Guests Colin Campbell, WU...

New $6.6 mil initiative to restore Sugarloaf Island is underway If you summer on the coasts of North Carolina, you may be familiar with Morehead City, a popular port town in Carteret County. But slightly less well-known is the barrier island adjoining the town: Sugarloaf Island. The man-made stretch of land is just off the waterfront and for years has been a draw for tourism. It’s also a layer of...