WUNC Politics

After a year of protests in the name of racial justice, North Carolina legislators are considering bills that could significantly increase the penalty for engaging in riots. In this episode, WUNC's Rusty Jacobs reports on how pending legislation could affect both the future of demonstrations and relations between protesters and police.

WUNC's Will Michaels examines how an early morning fire in Chapel Hill on May 12, 1996 changed the trajectory of dozens of lives and became a catalyst for change in fire safety ordinances across the country.

WUNC's Rusty Jacobs looks at what voters changing their Republican and Democratic party affiliations means for future elections in North Carolina and the South.

Guest host Will Michaels returns from a reporting trip to Elizabeth City, NC where a community is contending with the recent police killing of Andrew Brown Jr. There is body camera footage of the incident, but who gets to see the tape and how much of it is made available is up to a controversial state law. | Support this show with a donation at wunc.org/give.

A voter ID law is on trial again in North Carolina. Is it in line with the Constitution this time? Or is it once again targeting Black voters? Guest host Will Michaels talks to reporter Rusty Jacobs about the history of voter ID in the state and what arguments activists, lawyers and lawmakers have made before the court in the past two weeks. | Support this show with a donation to wunc.org/give.

Synthesizing American history is not a simple exercise. What periods, figures, and narratives should emerge in public school classrooms, and who gets to decide? Republicans are decrying some educational standards as having a leftist bent, lacking patriotism. While educators, and advocates for a more complete narrative say we must trust the teachers. On this episode of The Politics Podcast teaching...

A trio of Republican state senators filed an anti-transgender bill at the state legislature this week. Another new proposal calls for political parties to get equal time in classroom lessons, and a powerful lawmaker backs legalization of medical marijuana. Clark Riemer and Aisha Dew offer analysis on some of the big political stories of the week.

Governor Roy Cooper joins the politics podcast to explain why he thinks his latest push for Medicaid expansion might yield a different result. The Democrat also reflects on the last 13 months of pandemic times and explains why he and Senate Leader Phil Berger owe it to North Carolina voters to seek middle-ground.

When is the last time you read the North Carolina constitution? It’s an exercise generally reserved for the ... most passionate political followers. So, it may come as a surprise that our state still has a literacy test on the books. On The Politics Podcast, a law professor and state legislator explain why a literacy test — even if not enforceable — remains the law in North Carolina and what effor...

Democratic Governor Roy Cooper rolled out his spending proposal this week. He asks again for Medicaid expansion and sizable teacher raises. And in the wake of our nation’s latest mass shooting, what – if anything – would help to reduce gun deaths in our country? Rob Schofield and Becki Gray review the week in politics.

Since unfounded claims of election fraud proliferated last November, proposals to change election law have surfaced in nearly every state house in the country. Some restrict voting access while others expand a voter's ability to cast a ballot. On the latest WUNC Politics Podcast: why North Carolina has largely avoided controversy on this issue and a look at existing proposals from around the count...

In the wake of mass shootings in Atlanta, Democratic State Senator Jay Chaudhuri has renewed a push for a hate crime law in North Carolina. Will this legislation get a hearing? Plus, a resolution to call for a constitutional convention and set Congressional term limits advanced at the General Assembly this week. And Cheri Beasley will soon announce her candidacy seeking the Democratic nomination f...

More than half of North Carolina’s counties are considered a news desert – with depleted local journalism. On this episode of The Politics Podcast: what could be done to fill the news void and how the emergence of social media has reshaped how politicians share their message.

Senate leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Tim Moore and Governor Roy Cooper gathered for an exceptional moment to mark a compromise deal on public school reopening. Meanwhile, an ex-Republican announced she's running in 2022 for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat. And on Capitol Hill, House Democrats passed a wide-reaching measure aimed at upending Republican state lawmakers' efforts to change...

How Pauli Murray Wrote The "Bible" Of Civil Rights Law

This week in state politics, legislative Republicans approved a $1.7 billion package of federal COVID relief, as they continued to fight the details of how to reopen schools. Meanwhile Congressman Madison Cawthorn faced additional allegations of lying, as his party stood silently by. Aisha Dew and Clark Riemer offer insights on some of the biggest political developments of the week.

North Carolinians have plenty of options for political news. From traditional newspaper and television outlets, to newer online-only non-profit outposts. And still more, in the form of organizations backed by dark money. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, an update on the array of news options, not all of which are created equal.

Governor Roy Cooper is easing COVID-19 restrictions, following pressure from the legislature, small business owners and parents. Meanwhile, under a proposed settlement with civil rights groups, 3,500 people who are incarcerated will be released in the next six months. And, the new chancellor of Fayetteville State is not being welcomed by all. Rob Schofield and Becki Gray review some of the stories...

Moderate Republicans join host Jeff Tiberii to talk party loyalty, Trump and the recent censure of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

U.S. Senator Richard Burr was censured by the state Republican Party this week, after he voted to convict Donald Trump for his role in inciting the insurrection on Capitol Hill. Elsewhere in state politics, a nonpartisan division at the General Assembly is being disbanded, and a bill to require schools to reopen now sits on the governor’s desk. Aisha Dew and Clark Riemer review some of the recent...

One of the lasting impacts of House Bill 2 was a ban on municipalities passing non-discrimination ordinances. That prohibition expired in December, and in recent weeks a number of cities and counties across the state moved to protect people in marginalized communities.

From the next vaccination group to poor report cards, there were several pandemic developments in the state this week.

Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is the highest ranking Black elected official in state history. And he does not shy away from sharing his opinions. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Robinson covers a range of topics as he settles into his post as Lieutenant Governor.

This week on Capitol Hill, Republicans tried to downplay the social media posts of controversial new member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Meanwhile, as state lawmakers appropriated billions of dollars in federal relief funds, the governor called on them to do more.

In February 1971, an incident of racial unrest in Wilmington, N.C. ultimately led to the wrongful convictions of 10 people. “The Wilmington Ten” serves as title for one of the greatest chapters of injustice in North Carolina history.