Due South

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Intolerance or Parents’ Rights? A Wake Elementary school is in the crossfire 

An elementary school in Wake County may become a legal test case for parents’ rights. At the center of the controversy is a music teacher hired last summer in Apex. The teacher identifies as a trans woman. Some parents would like to pull their students from the class but say they aren’t allowed to. WUNC Education Repo...

A nor’easter caused significant damage in the Outer Banks. Advocacy organizations called fora lawsuit to challenge NC's last-minute rule changes on mail-in ballots. Changes to Medicaid and SNAP coverage took effect on October 1. The North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles also implemented changes to new vehicle registrations, taking the process digital on Oct. 1.

Corinne Saunders, Editor, Outer Banks Insider

Laura Leslie, E...

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A new book explores the long friendship between Nina Simone and Langston Hughes

Harlem Renaissance icon Langston Hughes first met a 16-year-old Eunice Waymon when she was a high school student in Asheville, NC. Later, Eunice would go on to become a global music sensation under her stage name, Nina Simone. Her friendship with Hughes endured for the rest of the famed poet’s life. A new book explores their bond.

W. Jason Mi...

There’s been a barrage of news about the harmful effects of technology on our children, our schools, our lives, and – our humanity. From the Meta and TikTok lawsuits, to the use of cell phones in schools, and the potential threats of AI -- we're talking about all the ways in which tech can harm us and what we can do about it.

Mary Beth Roche, founder of CHCCS Parents for Intentional Tech 

Lee Rainie, Director of the ...

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Redbud Writing Project brings creative writing to Butner prison

The Redbud Project is a nonprofit school based in Raleigh with the mission of bringing creative writing to everyone in their community. Redbud’s community classes have been offered to all kinds of populations in need, from people struggling with addiction to domestic violence survivors and most recently, people dealing with incarceration.

We talk to...

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What upending the 'roadless rule' could mean for North Carolina's federal forest lands

The Trump administration wants to do away with a longstanding, little-known rule that doesn't allow for new roads in federal forests. The move could increase the risk of wildfires and harm water sources. The 'roadless rule' is a vestige from the Clinton Administration that could be upended and pave the way for roads through federal...

On the heels of President Trump’s visit to Gastonia last week, Vice President JD Vance came to Greensboro this week to stump for Republican candidates from Michael Whatley for U.S. Senate to Laurie Buckhout for NC’s 1st Congressional District. As we approach the two-year anniversary of Helene, we get an update from Western North Carolina on the recovery. Plus, Rep. Virginia Foxx weighs in on press access.

Colin Campbell,...

Helene upended life in many ways, for many people, in Western North Carolina. Though, in other ways, little has changed and this means continued risks for for some particularly vulnerable communities. 

Reporter Ren Larson has delved into the issue of people still living in flood-prone regions of our state.

We also touch down in Marshall, NC where artist and entrepreneur Josh Copus is working with the community to build a monumen...

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Fall foliage forecast for North Carolina

Get ready for those red, orange and yellow bursts of color throughout our region. It's time to check out the fall leaves in the mountains, and soon enough, here in the Piedmont.

Howard Neufeld, recently retired professor of biology, Appalachian State University, a.k.a. “The Fall Color Guy”

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The long, winding history of the Blue Ridge Parkway

The vast co...

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Holding space for history

As the National Museum of African American History and Cultures celebrates its tenth birthday, the museum’s founding director, Lonnie Bunch, is retiring from the top job at the Smithsonian Institution amid pressure from the White House over how American history is portrayed. Leoneda Inge talks with one of the museum’s architects to reflect on its impact, and the challenging momen...

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...

President Trump delivered remarks criticizing North Carolina in Gastonia, erroneously claiming crime is up while threatening to withhold Helene funding. In sports, a new tennis tournament comes to Charlotte, and a Belichick leaves Chapel Hill. We review the week in news on our North Carolina Friday News Roundup. 

Claudia Rivera Cotto, Political Reporter, Enlace Latino NC 

Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Reporter for The ...

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New book sheds light on the work of an ‘after pastor’

Sarah York spent eight years pastoring a Unitarian Universalist church in Santa Barbara, California during the 1990s. She was appointed in the aftermath of clergy misconduct and inherited the many challenges that come with caring for a congregation rocked by scandal. She talks to Due South about her new memoir on the subject.

Sarah York, retired Unitarian Univer...

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Rare, historic prints of the Declaration of Independence visit Durham 

Duke University and Durham are commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by bringing three rare, historic prints of the document to the main library in downtown Durham and then to the Nasher Museum of Art. Deborah Rutter, Vice Provost of the Arts at Duke University, joins host Leoneda Inge to discus...

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Gloria Steinem’s impact on feminism and journalism 

Groundbreaking journalist and public intellectual Gloria Steinem passed away on September 2 at the age of 92. Best-known as the co-founder of Ms. Magazine and a prominent voice in second-wave feminism, Steinem also had some North Carolina connections, as a speaker at various colleges and conferences across the state.

Katherine Turk, associate professor of history a...

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Mahalia Jackson’s civil rights legacy takes center stage in new book

A new biography explores the underreported civil rights legacy of legendary gospel singer and activist Mahalia Jackson. The co-authors discuss Jackson's rise from humble beginnings in Louisiana to superstardom, crossover success and civil rights movement prominence.

Timothy B. Tyson, researcher and author of five books, including the New York T...

On this week’s Friday News Roundup… live from The Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines, Jeff Tiberii speaks to local reporters and WUNC’s Colin Campbell about the 25th anniversary of 9/11, local midterm elections and longstanding Southern Pines institutions like The Pilot newspaper and Sandhills Community College.

Leoneda Inge talks to two local community advocates about historical preservation efforts for West South...

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NC veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan reflects on 25th anniversary of September 11th attacks

Tomorrow is a sobering day - the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States that killed nearly three thousand people. The subsequent military operation in Afghanistan lasted 20 years, while the concurrent operation in Iraq lasted nine years. That left more than four million veterans in the...

For more than a decade American politics has been framed by the Trump era, and during that time Trump's longstanding support from the religious right has hardly wavered. Within that religious bloc exist factions — including Christian nationalism — bringing new meaning to the crossroads of theology and politics. A new book explores the impacts of these dynamics using history as a guide, and considers religious reckoning ...