Podcast
Due South
Hosted by Jeff Tiberii, Leoneda Inge · EN
“Due South” is WUNC News’ weekday current affairs radio program and podcast. Broadcast from the American Tobacco Historic District in downtown Durham, co-hosts Leoneda Inge and Jeff Tiberii put life in the Triangle region into perspective and present a unique sense of place.
From interviews with state lawmakers and local luminaries to Friday news roundups with statewide journalists, “Due South” puts current events into context and offers audiences a greater sense of connection. Each hour-long show sparks deeper conversation and understanding of life in and beyond the Triangle.
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Pioneering NC A&T evolutionary biologist Joseph Graves talks life expectancy gaps. Plus, a locals guide to Raleigh
Today00:50:27Tap to summarize0:01:00Pioneering scientist Joseph L. Graves Jr.’s new book tackles the racial life expectancy gapA recent book from North Carolina A&T biology professor Joseph L. Graves, Jr. interprets the gap in life expectancy between Black and white Americans and debunks the misconception that race can dictate disease prevalence. (This interview originally aired December 8, 2025.)Joseph L. Graves, Jr., evolutionary geneticist and MacKenzie Scott Endowed Professor of Biology at North Carolina A&T State University and author of the new book, “Why Black People Die Sooner: What Medicine Gets Wrong About Race and How to Fix It” 0:33:00WUNC’s recommendations for an afternoon in Raleigh"Six Hours in Raleigh” is a guide made by WUNC’s Digital Team with recommendations for the best way to spend an afternoon in Raleigh, and for places that even locals might not know about. (This interview originally aired June 2, 2026.)Josh Sullivan, social media producer at WUNC News Lauren Rhodes, digital news intern at WUNC
Transcribe →NC News Roundup: Balkcom replaces Edwards on ballot; Canes season tickets sold out; proposed LLC for UNC athletics
3d ago00:50:26Tap to summarizeToday on the Friday News Roundup, we learn more about state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom, the new congressional candidate whose name will appear on the ballot this fall in western North Carolina after Republican Chuck Edwards backed out of the race for NC-11.Also, UNC proposes a LLC to manage and maximize athletics revenue. And, now that the Hurricanes have sold out their season tickets, what does that mean for the rest of us?Local journalists join Jeff Tiberii to talk about those stories and more.Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Reporter for The Assembly, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletter Dane Huffman, Engagement Editor, Triangle Business Journal Mary Helen Moore, reporter for Axios Raleigh Adam Wagner, reporter/editor covering state politics for the North Carolina Newsroom
Transcribe →North Carolina’s jails are facing an overcrowding crisis. And, a fight for voting rights of formerly incarcerated
4d ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00North Carolina’s jails are facing an overcrowding crisis. Here’s why.More than one-third of North Carolina’s nearly 100 jails have exceeded capacity at some point since January 2026. Nineteen of those jails have been overcrowded every single month of this year. Luke Woollard of Disability Rights NC joins Due South to discuss the growing impact of overcrowding.Luke Woollard, attorney for Disability Rights NC’s prison and jails team0:13:00Second Chance Federation fight voter disenfranchisement for the formerly incarceratedJeff Tiberii speaks with Second Chance Federation executive director Daryl Atkinson, about the new organization’s efforts to restore voting rights to the formerly incarcerated.Daryl Atkinson, executive director, Second Chance Federation
Transcribe →Countdown to college: Triangle campuses prepare for arrival of new students, plus a higher education update
5d ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00A higher education updateAs colleges get ready for students to arrive on campus for the fall semester, Leoneda Inge talks with higher education reporter Brianna Atkinson about some of the biggest issues confronting higher education institutions — including federal research funding, DEI, and enrollment.Brianna Atkinson, Higher Education Reporter, WUNC News0:13:00Countdown to college: new students arrive on campusColleges in the Triangle and across the country are getting ready for students to come back to campus — especially for those coming to college for the first time. Co-host Jeff Tiberii is joined by local college administrators who work to ease that transition and set up students for success.Crystal N. Fletcher, MPA, Director, New Student and Family Programs, North Carolina Central UniversityGrace Sullivan Zirkle, Associate Dean of Students & Director of New Student and Family Programs, Duke UniversityJillian Cross, PhD, Associate Director, New Student and Family Programs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill0:33:00Parents of college-bound students have questions...lots of questionsWhen first-year students start their collegiate journeys this semester, their families may be just as nervous as they are. Penny Fleming knows all too well about the concerns and questions that new student parents and loved ones have — she hears it all as a volunteer administrator of the Duke University Parents’ Facebook group.From first-generation families to international students, Fleming talks with Leoneda Inge about how she helps every kind of first-year family navigate the often-challenging transition to college.Penny Fleming, volunteer administrator of Duke University Parents’ Facebook groupRelated: An article about Penny Fleming's volunteer work at Duke University in The Chronicle.
Transcribe →Attorney General Jeff Jackson on being NC's 'top cop.' New documentary on the lives and legacies of two trans teens
6d ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00Part One: North Carolina Attorney General Jeff JacksonJeff Jackson has been the state's so-called Top Cop, in statewide office for more than eighteen months now. A former prosecutor, four-term state senator, and member of Congress, Jackson, a Democrat from Mecklenburg County, is North Carolina's 51st Attorney General.His tasks are far-reaching, from oversight of data centers to elections to anti-trust law. Jackson is working with states attorneys general across the country, challenging the federal government, and pursuing, on occasion, bipartisan solutions.Jeff Jackson, North Carolina attorney general0:29:17Part Two: At Durham’s OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival, a documentary about North Carolina’s first openly trans homecoming kingThe OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival begins in downtown Durham this week. One of the films is a documentary about the lives, deaths, and legacies of two trans teenagers — Kyler Prescott and Blake Brockington, who became the first openly trans person to win homecoming king in North Carolina.Their stories of trans boyhood are intertwined with experiences of co-directors Lexie Bean and Logan Rozos, both trans suicide attempt survivors. The directors join Leoneda Inge in a conversation about their film, “What Will I Become?”Lexie Bean, co-director of documentary film What Will I Become?Logan Rozos, co-director of documentary film What Will I Become?
Transcribe →Triangle communities still rebuilding a year after Chantal. The Broadside's ‘Secrets of the Great Dismal Swamp.’
1w ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00Some communities still rebuilding, a year after Chantal flooding hit Chapel HillWhen Tropical Storm "Chantal" hit Chapel Hill, Carrboro and surrounding communities on July 5, 2025, no one could have imagined the impact of the flood and how long it would take to recover — especially residents who were caught in the storm's dangerous conditions. We check in on communities and businesses a year later. (This interview originally aired on July 23, 2026.)Brighton McConnell, News Director, 97.9 The Hill WCHL & Chapelboro.com0:13:00The Broadside: ‘Secrets of the Great Dismal Swamp’For centuries, the Great Dismal Swamp on the border of North Carolina and Virginia served as a sanctuary for escaped slaves known as maroons. Today, the same harsh conditions that shielded those self-emancipated people from slavery make it difficult for historians and archeologists to understand the extent of their settlements. But that secret world is slowly being uncovered.Dan Sayers, archaeologist, anthropologist and professor at American UniversityMarcus Nevius, author of City of Refuge and history professor at the University of MissouriEric Sheppard, tour guide in the Great Dismal Swamp0:33:00‘North Carolina Rabbit Hole’ writer digs deep into the history of NC’s ABC stores North Carolina is one of more than a dozen states where the government controls liquor sales. Writer Jeremy Markovich runs the newsletter and website “North Carolina Rabbit Hole,” and wrote a post titled: “The first ABC store opened 90 years ago. Why does North Carolina still have them?” He talks with Leoneda Inge about the history of liquor regulation in North Carolina and what it tells us about our state. (This interview originally aired on July 29, 2025.)Jeremy Markovich, writer, North Carolina Rabbit Hole
Transcribe →NC News Roundup: Rep. Chuck Edwards drops reelection campaign; NC hemp regulations go nowhere for now
1w ago00:50:27Tap to summarizeThis week on the North Carolina News Roundup... Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards drops his reelection campaign after a House Ethics Committee recommended censure over harassment allegations. The NC House stops development for a liquor warehouse after a planning dispute goes public. And a hemp bill is paused as protesters call for different regulations. Meanwhile, the North Carolina General Assembly adjourns until November. Due South host Jeff Tiberii and a panel of local journalists provide context and analysis on those and other stories from the week.Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC NewsDawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & ObserverDanielle Battaglia, congressional impact reporter for The News & Observer and The Charlotte ObserverFelicia Sonmez, Reporter for BPR-Blue Ridge Public RadioDan Kane, The News & Observer
Transcribe →NC job market update: unemployment rates remain low, creating challenges for job seekers and recent grads
2w ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00Unemployment rates remain low in NC, creating challenges for job seekers and recent graduatesIncreasing inflation, AI in the workplace, and low confidence in the job market. Due South talks with economists to see what is going right in North Carolina’s economy and what to keep an eye on. Plus, updates on tech changes and layoffs.Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at NC State University and writer of “You Decide” newsletterBrian Gordon, Business and Technology reporter for the News and ObserverAndrew Berger-Gross, senior economist for the North Carolina Department of Commerce0:33:00NC Innovation funding research and invention The Triangle remains one of the fastest growing metro regions in the US, with auxiliary homes for Novo Nordisk, Amazon, and Meta - among other notables. What will our state's labor force and economy center around half a century from now? The next chapter in growth, ingenuity, and creation may very well include NC Innovation.Michelle Bolas, President and CEO of NCInnovation
Transcribe →Concerns about political violence this midterm election season. Plus, educating voters on election integrity
2w ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00Gauging the public’s attitudes toward political violenceAs we head into the 2026 midterm election season, many North Carolinians are concerned about the threat of political violence. Polling shows that voters expect some kind of political violence to occur before November. Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the phenomenon and the public’s attitudes toward political violence.Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba College in Salisbury; director of the Center for North Carolina Politics & Public ServiceDr. Irwin Morris, Distinguished Professor of Humanities and the Executive Director of the School for Public and International Affairs, North Carolina State UniversityDr. David Schanzer, professor of Public Policy at the Sanford School at Duke University0:33:00Educating voters on election integrity ahead of 2026 midtermsNonpartisan groups are educating voters on the security and integrity of elections in North Carolina, emphasizing checks and balances, and trying to get ahead of misinformation and harsh rhetoric to keep the political temperature down.Deanna Ballard, senior advisor, Keep Our RepublicJennifer Roberts, senior advisor, North Carolina Network for Fair, Safe, and Secure Elections and The Carter Center
Transcribe →Bestselling novelist Tayari Jones talks 'Kin.' And before the Declaration of Independence was NC’s Halifax Resolves
2w ago00:50:26Tap to summarize0:01:00Bestselling Southern novelist Tayari Jones talks with Leoneda Inge at Flyleaf Books in Chapel HillOne book, and one author, who has again made an impact on the literary world in 2026 is "Kin" - by Tayari Jones. "Kin" has gotten a lot of attention – it was an "Oprah's Book Club" selection, a New York Times Book Club choice, and Due South got the chance to dig deep into what makes Tayari Jones tick. Leoneda Inge speaks with Jones in front of a live audience at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.Tayari Jones, professor of English and creative writing at Emory University and author of the new novel, ‘Kin’0:33:00Before the Declaration of Independence was NC’s Halifax ResolvesThe 250th birthday celebration of our nation has revolved around the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. But here in North Carolina there’s another day from that year that may be just as important. On April 12, 1776, North Carolina became the first colony to formally call for independence from Great Britain. The call for freedom came to be known as “The Halifax Resolves” and had a big impact on both North Carolina and American history.Carl Burke, Historic Site Manager, Historic Halifax
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