Under the Dome
Each week, the Under the Dome team at The News & Observer brings you the most in-depth analysis of topics in state government and politics for North Carolina. Learn more at newsobserver.com/dome
Episodes
July 22, 2025 • 24 mins
This week on Under the Dome, host Dawn Vaughan interviews Staci Meyer, director of the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources. Meyer has spent her entire career in public service across various state agencies. Vaughan and Meyer talk about vacancy rates, recruitment and retention efforts by the state, plus the latest on state employee pay raises.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Staci Meyer
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Wa...
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July 15, 2025 • 20 mins
On this week’s Under the Dome podcast, Kyle Ingram and Danielle Battaglia break down the aftermath of Thom Tillis dropping out of the 2026 Senate race and the impacts of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” on Medicaid, SNAP and other social safety net programs.
Host: Kyle Ingram
Guest: Danielle Battaglia
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all th...
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July 8, 2025 • 23 mins
This week on the Under the Dome podcast, join host Dawn Vaughan and reporters Avi Bajpai and Korie Dean for a deep dive into veto overrides, diversity, equity and inclusion conflicts, and swing votes shaping state policies this summer.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol ...
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July 1, 2025 • 23 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleague Kyle Ingram and N&O summer interns, Ronni Butts and Sophia Bailly, about U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis announcing he won’t be running for reelection, what this could mean for the remainder of Tillis’ term, and who could step into the race next.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Sophia Bailley, Ronni Butts, Kyle Ingram
Producer: Gabi Hartlaub
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want even more...
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June 24, 2025 • 22 mins
This week at the North Carolina General Assembly is going to be jam packed. We are in the final week of the legislative long session — sort of. Most policy will be passed during this last week, but not the biggest bill of all: the state budget. Host Dawn Vaughan breaks it all down with politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Korie Dean.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guests: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want ...
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June 17, 2025 • 23 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan and WUNC's Colin Campbell talk about how the 2025 long legislative session is going, especially with Republican House Speaker Destin Hall at the helm for the first time. They discuss what and how policy, procedures, politics — and yet, even the schedule — is different under Hall compared to former House Speaker Tim Moore, who is now in Congress.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Colin Campbell
Producer: Gabriella Har...
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June 10, 2025 • 25 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan interviews North Carolina Rep. Allen Chesser of Nash County about the family tragedy that led to his run for the state House, and the status of his bill about foster care, and why he recruited Democratic Rep. Vernetta Alston to cosponsor.
Stay tuned until the end for Headliner of the Week.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Rep. Allen Chesser
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
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June 3, 2025 • 19 mins
On this episode, host Dawn Vaughan talks with McClatchy DC correspondent Danielle Battaglia about Congress’ Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for the state, plus the roles of Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Danielle Battaglia
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and legislative happenings. It...
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May 27, 2025 • 16 mins
Paul Tine became North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner on May 6, taking over a state agency known mostly these days for long lines and poor customer service. This episode includes highlights from an interview with Tine. He sat down with The News & Observer's transportation reporter Richard Stradling on Friday, May 9, 2025, his fourth day in office. The interview has been edited for clarity.
Reporter: Richard S...
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May 20, 2025 • 23 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan is joined by K-12 education reporter T. Keung Hui and politics reporter Avi Bajpai to discuss what’s in the NC House budget, including cuts, a UNC System tuition increase, and what the House wants to do in the areas of education and public safety.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guests: T. Keung Hui & Avi Bajpai
Executive Producer: Kevin Keister
Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsle...
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May 13, 2025 • 31 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan interviews Rep. Jake Johnson, a Polk County Republican, about his early start in politics and what’s going on in the North Carolina House of Representatives, from the upcoming state budget to crossover to his role on the House Oversight Committee.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest:
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things...
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May 6, 2025 • 21 mins
This is crossover week, the busy time at the North Carolina General Assembly that leads up to the May 8 crossover deadline. That’s a self-imposed cutoff date for legislation to pass at least one chamber. Host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics editor Jordan Schrader and politics reporter Kyle Ingram and break down what that means for North Carolina laws.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Kyle Ingram, Jordan Schrader
Executive Producer...
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April 29, 2025 • 21 mins
The North Carolina General Assembly is back in session after a weeklong break, with a packed schedule of bills moving through various committees.
While legislators were away last week, a lawsuit resulting from a bill they passed in December was in court.
Host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram discuss a ruling in that lawsuit over governor and auditor appointments to the North Carolina State...
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April 22, 2025 • 22 mins
Four Senate Democrats voted for the Republican-written Senate budget last week, setting up seats at the negotiating table for them as the budget progresses. Host Dawn Vaughan talks to legislative reporting colleague Avi Bajpai and higher education reporter Korie Dean to break down the budget, including how the Senate’s budget impacts the UNC System.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
...
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April 15, 2025 • 22 mins
North Carolina is getting closer to a resolution in the N.C. Supreme Court case between Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin. Host Dawn Vaughan and politics reporters Kyle Ingram and Avi Bajpai talk extensively about the latest in the race between Riggs, who is the Democratic incumbent on the court, and Griffin, the Republican candidate and a Court of Appeals judge. Plus, another court case about the composition of the State Board ...
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April 8, 2025 • 23 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan and McClatchy DC's Danielle Battaglia discuss how President Donald Trump’s tariffs are costing Americans money, and not all Republicans are falling in line behind the president’s costly decisions.
So what do North Carolina’s members of Congress say about the tariffs? And who’s not talking yet, and what does that mean?
Stay tuned to the end for Headliner of the Week.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest: Danielle Battaglia
...
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April 1, 2025 • 30 mins
Democratic Sen. Woodson Bradley from Mecklenburg County discusses a debate over concealed carry gun permits on the Senate floor. Bradley talks about how she won a close, and closely watched, race last year in a swing district, and her priorities in office.
Stay tuned to the end for Headliner of the Week.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guests: Sen. Woodson Bradley
Executive Producer: Laura Brache
Want even more North Carolina politics news? ...
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March 25, 2025 • 20 mins
Host Dawn Vaughan talks to fellow political reporters Kyle Ingram and Avi Bajpai about new developments in the still-unresolved North Carolina Supreme Court race and how a Senate floor debate showed what how debate may go the rest of this session may look like. Vaughan shares that the governor’s budget proposal has landed on lawmakers’ desks.
Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guest...
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March 17, 2025 • 22 mins
For the week of March 10, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleague Avi Bajpai and higher education reporter Korie Dean. They discuss Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s State of the State speech and House Speaker Destin Hall’s Republican response, and what’s going on in the UNC System scrubbing language related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Host: Dawn Vaughan
Guests: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean
Executive Producer: Laura ...
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March 10, 2025 • 22 mins
For the week of March 10, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram about upcoming Senate action on legislation about the attorney general and President Donald Trump executive orders, diversity, equity and inclusion in K-12 schools, along with immigration bills moving in both chambers.
Plus, what to expect with the upcoming Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s State of the State Address, and the Trump firing of...
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