Due South

On the North Carolina News Roundup...

Federal SNAP benefits are being reduced, a change felt across the state and in lunchrooms. 

The results of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools audit. 

An update on federal cuts to universities in our state.

The owner of the Carolina Hurricanes inks a big new deal. 

All that and more as co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with a panel of reporters about the week in North Carolina news.

Mary Helen...

As the school year begins, the status of state and federal funding for our public schools remains murky while local funding for school districts seems increasingly fraught.

So how does school district budgeting work? Who holds levers of power to keep our schools operating? And why have school budgets – once something that many of us didn’t think about – become front page news for so many communities in recent years? 

Due Sou...

Leoneda Inge chats with Dr. Bernice King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, to discuss her family’s legacy, her work as a social justice strategist and the work of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Change amid a changing political climate.

Dr. Bernice King, strategist, peace advocate and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change

Leoneda Inge t...

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Southeastern North Carolina communities face FEMA cuts to storm resilience projects

We hear a lot about federal funding cuts, but it can be hard to understand the impact of these large-scale changes in our local communities. Reporter Heidi Perez-Moreno of the Border Belt Independent recently wrote a story about Federal Emergency Management Agency cuts affecting projects in Columbus and Robeson counties – pro...

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The fourth largest school district in North Carolina has a massive budget deficit: $50 million. 

For the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, the financial shortfall is causing confusion, disorder, and uncertainty. Jeff Tiberii discusses the situation with WFDD's Amy Diaz.

Amy Diaz, education reporter, WFDD

• Related: More reporting from WFDD's Amy Diaz

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Golden Leaf series: In NC’s old tobac...

This week on the North Carolina News Roundup... A look at State Auditor Dave Boliek’s call for the separation of the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles from the Department of Transportation. 

PBS NC’s David Crabtree provides an update on staffing following federal defunding. And rezoning projects meet opposition in Durham and Raleigh. 

Guests

Mary Helen Moore, reporter for the NC Newsroom 

Bryan Anderson, reporter for...

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UNC System expands partnership with ReUp Education to assist adult learners

More than 43 million Americans belong to the “some college, no credential” (SCNC) population. Roughly one million of them reside in North Carolina. 

Efforts to re-engage adult learners are on the rise, including a partnership between the UNC System and ReUp Education, a national tech ed company that provides resources and support to r...

Residential and school segregation are closely linked

It began with the founding of the Federal Housing Administration, ongoing efforts by housing developers and well-meaning parents hoping to provide the best possible education for their small children.

Guest

Karen Benjamin, associate professor of history at Elmhurst University and author of Good Parents, Betters Homes & Great Schools: Selling Segregation Before the New ...

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Extreme weather and the future of hurricane prediction
As we approach the middle of Atlantic hurricane season, Due South explores federal cuts at the National Weather Service and NOAA and our preparedness in the face of extreme weather events. New York Times reporter and meteorologist Judson Jones and Andy Hazelton, a former NOAA scientist focusing on hurricane and model development, join co-host Jeff Tib...

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Duke Health could lose more than $100 million in federal funding.

The latest on a threat to Duke Health's federal funding, and allegations of racial discrimination at the medical school and health care system. Leoneda Inge speaks with a reporter to get the latest.

Brian Gordon, Business and Technology Reporter at The Raleigh News & Observer

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The Avett Brothers’ bassist has a side hustle – hosting...

This week on the North Carolina News Roundup...

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley announced their bids for the U.S. Senate — what do their 2026 prospects look like?

State lawmakers override eight of Governor Josh Stein's fourteen vetoes with the help of some Democrats.

A mini-budget approved by the General Assembly has been sent to Governor Stein's desk, but how ...

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NC sees rise in immigration arrests

Detentions from federal immigration enforcement are up significantly in North Carolina. WUNC’s Aaron Sanchez-Guerra has been reporting on the increase and talks with Jeff Tiberii.

Aaron Sanchez-Guerra, Race, Class and Communities reporter for WUNC

• Related: ICE arrests of immigrants rise by 170% in North Carolina. Here's what to know

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Durham County Sher...

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Its focus on the mid-20th century’s civil rights movement’s enduring impact continues to resonate in today’s political climate. Leoneda Inge talks to co-founder Earl Jones about the museum’s history, its recent 15th anniversary gala and its intentions for the future. This year also marks the 65th anniversary ...

Raleigh is not our state’s biggest city, but as state capital Raleigh is the center of North Carolina’s political life and it is home to almost half a million people. In Due South’s latest edition of “Meet the Mayors,” Leoneda Inge talks with Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell about her wide-ranging political career: from a Raleigh city councilor to a NC state senator to NC State Treasurer and now back to city government.

T...

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The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is now law. How will it take shape in North Carolina?

Now that the “one big, beautiful bill” has passed, how are the provisions likely to take shape here in North Carolina for individuals and for communities? Jeff Tiberii talks with an economist about what to expect.

Bharat Ramamurti, Senior Advisor for Economic Strategy at the American Economic Liberties Project, former Deputy Direct...

On this week’s, North Carolina News Roundup: a look at the upcoming race for U.S. Senate seats in North Carolina, as former governor Roy Cooper and RNC chair Michael Whatley prepare to run, significant job cuts at Meredith College, federal education funding that has been “released” to NC public schools and state lawmakers’ efforts to override several gubernatorial vetoes.

Guests

Dawn Vaughan, Capital Bureau Chief, News &...

Workers who labor on farms and construction sites experience extreme heat frequently in the workplace, but there are also service workers who face extreme heat. With rising temperatures from global warming, these already harsh conditions are only getting worse. WUNC’s Aaron Sánchez-Guerra and Celeste Gracia spoke with several workers for their series ‘Scorched Workers’ in 2024. Since then, the series has won several region...

When news hit about the devastating flooding that struck Texas Hill Country, many in western North Carolina immediately thought of their own experiences with Helene. BeLoved Asheville is one of several WNC groups that have put their collective grief into action by reaching out and delivering supplies to communities in Texas – communities that helped them in the aftermath of their own devastation last fall. (This interview ...

What federal funding cuts mean for WUNC and public media 
Public radio stations were dealt a major blow last week. Congress finalized a rescission package from the White House that claws back $1.1 billion in federally appropriated funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Stations like WUNC have relied on CPB funding for decades. To understand what this all means, WUNC’s president and general manager Paul Hu...