Podcast
The Hometown Holler
Hosted by The Hometown Holler · EN
Welcome to the Holler! Each week we chat with the people shaping North Carolina’s culture, history and public life. Pull up a chair and sit a spell!
22episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
She Beat Breast Cancer & Phil Berger
Jul 1300:53:32Tap to summarizeSheila Mikhail did everything right. She stayed healthy, saw her doctor regularly, and got her annual mammograms at Duke Cancer Center. Despite all of it, her breast cancer went undetected for seven years. The culprit: dense breast tissue, a common condition that can cause mammograms to miss up to half of all tumors. Now cancer-free, Sheila is on a mission to ensure all North Carolinians have access to the screening that could have caught her cancer years earlier. Having built a billion-dollar biotech company, she joins the Holler to share how she turned personal tragedy into a political fight and why she took on North Carolina's most powerful politician to win it. Join the Holler today and help us build a better North Carolina, one conversation at a time.
Transcribe →The Fourth Branch: How States Quietly Run America
Jul 600:46:24Tap to summarizeWhy does one seat in the North Carolina State Senate matter more than almost anything happening in Washington?Daniel Squadron joins the Hometown Holler to make the case that state legislatures—not Congress, not the White House—are where American politics is actually decided. A former New York State Senator who took on a 30-year incumbent and won, Daniel went on to co-found The States Project, the only national organization hyper-focused on state legislative power, which helped break North Carolina's GOP supermajority in 2024. His new book, The Fourth Branch: How State Government Can Save Our Union, argues that marriage equality, the fight over the 2020 election, minimum wage, healthcare, and even January 6th were really state stories all along.We talk about the ALEC-written bill behind Trayvon Martin's death, the Michigan legislative leaders who held the line against Trump before January 6th ever happened, why "states' rights" got hijacked as conservative code, and what it actually means to answer the question "who am I and why am I here" in politics. Plus: Knicks talk, Duke's mayonnaise, and the McRib as a case study in political philosophy.https://www.patreon.com/c/thehometownholler/membership
Transcribe →Inside The Psychedelic Therapy Debate w/ Gina Giorgio Founder, Carolinas for Care
Jun 2900:50:59Tap to summarizePsychedelics have gone from a symbol of the hippie counterculture to a serious conversation in state legislatures and medical research labs.This week on The Hometown Holler, the Fellas chat with, Gina Giorgio founder of Carolinas for Care, about the growing movement behind psychedelic-assisted therapy, North Carolina's bipartisan HEAL Act, the mental health crisis facing veterans, and what the science actually says about treatments like psilocybin and MDMA.Whether you're skeptical or curious, this is a conversation worth having.Become a sustainer today!Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/thehometownholler/membershipSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →Why North Carolina Is Dead Last for Workers
Jun 2200:45:53Tap to summarizeWhat does it mean to be the best state for business... and the worst state for workers? Quinn and Daniel sit down with Nikki Marín Baena, co-founder of Siembra NC, to talk about wage theft, workers' rights, immigration, and the growing movement to build a North Carolina that works for ordinary people. From helping workers recover hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen wages to organizing communities across the state, Nikki is on the front lines of the fight for working people in North Carolina.Learn more about Siembra NC at www.siembranc.org
Transcribe →Naomi Dix: From Jehovah's Witness Pioneer to Drag Queen Club Owner
Jun 1500:57:35Tap to summarizeRaised in the Jehovah's Witness, Naomi Dix was knocking on doors and leading prayer meetings by the time she was 13. Today she's one of only five drag queens in history to own a gay nightclub. The road between those two things is one of the wildest stories we've heard at the Holler. This Pride Month, we talk to the Durham native and Tar Heel drag icon about what drag actually is (and isn't), building queer community in places that weren't ready for it, and the night her drag show made national headlines for the worst possible reason.
Transcribe →I Bought a Prison with Kerwin Pittman
Jun 800:46:42Tap to summarizeWhat happens when someone spends more than a decade behind bars, survives nearly 1,000 days in solitary confinement, and comes home determined to change the system that failed him?This week on The Hometown Holler, Quinn and Daniel sit down with Kerwin Pittman, formerly incarcerated advocate, nonprofit leader, and the man turning a former North Carolina prison into a first-of-its-kind reentry campus designed to help people stay free, find work, and rebuild their lives. From public safety to second chances, this is a must hear story!Become a Sustainer: patreon.com/c/TheHometownHollerSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →Cuss With Class: Auntie Bev's Million-Dollar Vocabulary
Jun 100:42:44Tap to summarizeNobody told Auntie Bev she was supposed to be famous. She was just in her living room, doing a favor for her grandson... and somehow that turned into 3 million people waiting on her next word. Beverly Mahone, better known as Auntie Bev, is a Durham educator who built one of the most wholesome corners of TikTok one vocabulary word at a time. This week she visits the Holler to talk words, wisdom, and how a little ebullience goes a long wayIn this episode, we get into:-How a grandson’s challenge sparked a viral movement-The first word that blew up (and why it shocked her)-Why expanding your vocabulary can change your life, not just your speech-The real reason we lose words as we get older-How to “cuss with class” (yes, seriously)-Using language to navigate politics, culture, and everyday life-The power of confidence, communication, and showing up at any ageJoin the Holler:Patreon: www.patreon.com/c/TheHometownHollerSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →A Veteran’s Warning w/ Scott Peoples
May 2500:47:45Tap to summarizeRetired 82nd Airborne Captain and member of Veterans for Responsible Leadership, Scott Peoples, joins the Holler for a Memorial Day conversation about service, democracy, political division, and what it means to defend the Constitution after taking off the uniform.They chat about what Memorial Day actually means beyond beach trips and cookouts, to jumping out of planes at Fort Bragg, the growing politicization of the military, and why veterans across the country are speaking out about protecting democratic norms.Scott shares the story that inspired him to join the Army after 9/11, what life inside the 82nd Airborne was really like, and why he believes veterans still have a responsibility to serve long after active duty ends.Become a Sustainer: patreon.com/c/TheHometownHollerSubstack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
Transcribe →Mark Kelly on War, Trump, and Why He Won't Back Down
May 1800:38:04Tap to summarizeSenator Mark Kelly joins the Hometown Holler to talk about space, war, and what it's like to have the president call for your execution.Arguably the most interesting member of the US Senate, Kelly has been to space four times and flown combat missions over Iraq and Kuwait. Recently, President Trump called for his execution after Kelly made a video reminding service members they don't have to follow illegal orders. We discuss the war with Iran, the president's threats, his ongoing court battle over his military rank and pension, the ICE detention of a service member's spouse, and how he handles all the stress that comes with the job—at age 62, he's on track to complete 20,000 push-ups this year.Mark Kelly is the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona, first elected in 2020. He sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee. He is the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.Join the Holler and become a sustainer today!
Transcribe →Tracking Congress with Nico Agosta
May 1100:39:15Tap to summarizeCorporate influence, stock trades, citizens united - oh my!This week the on the Hometown Holler the fellas sit down with political finance watchdog and Stocking the Capitol founder Nico Agosta for a conversation about stock trading, corporate PACs, and why so many Americans feel like Congress is working for everyone except them.From insider trading allegations to campaign cash, Nico breaks down how members of Congress get money, who funds them, and why transparency matters more than ever. The crew also puts North Carolina’s congressional delegation under the microscope with rapid-fire grades from the Political Integrity Project, for Thom Tillis, Ted Budd, Don Davis, Deborah Ross, Virginia Foxx, Tim Moore, and the rest of the NC delegation.If you’ve ever wondered why nothing in Washington seems to change, this conversation might explain a lot.Join the Holler and become a sustainer today!Patreon: / membership Substack: https://substack.com/@thehometownhollerWebsite: https://www.thehometownholler.com/
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