WUNCPolitics: Recent Episodes

North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC

The WUNCPolitics Podcast is a free-flowing discussion of what we're hearing in the back hallways of the General Assembly and on the campaign trail across North Carolina.

State House lawmakers advanced a 39-page rewrite of North Carolina’s alcohol laws this week. The bill includes major changes to how liquor is sold at restaurants, bars and ABC stores. To sort through the details, Lynn Minges of the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association joins WUNC’s Colin Campbell. She discusses the economic value of happy hour and cocktails to-go for restaurants and bars, as well as some of the quirky aspects of the state’s alcohol regulations that make it harder for hospitality businesses to get the products they need.

A hectic one-day session at the legislature resulted in six veto overrides and an effort to weaken the governor’s appointment powers — but no state budget deal. To sort through the action, Senate Majority Whip Jim Perry, R-Lenoir, chats with WUNC’s Colin Campbell. Perry also discusses loan legislation he sponsored that got vetoed, as well as his proposals to change the office of state fire marshal and keep lobbyists off the UNC Board of Governors. And he weighs in on the state’s east-west barbecue debate.

With the passage of a state budget delayed until September, Democrats in the legislature are increasingly impatient with Republican leaders’ slow progress in wrapping up this year’s long session. House Democratic Leader Robert Reives, D-Chatham, talks with WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell about the impacts on state employees and Medicaid expansion. Plus, he discusses his bipartisan work on economic development, controversy over voter ID implementation, rural broadband policy, and how the GOP supermajority has shifted the dynamic on Jones Street.

Before Phil Berger was considered the most powerful politician in the state, Democratic Sen. Marc Basnight of Manteo held the same position from 1993 to 2010. Basnight, who died in 2020, was a big advocate for the Outer Banks, and he used his role to help build the tourism juggernaut we have today in that corner of the state. Author Clark Twiddy’s new book, “Outer Banks Visionaries: Building North Carolina’s Oceanfront,” looks at that legacy. He joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss Basnight and the book.

North Carolina’s state budget is now three weeks overdue, and it’s likely August could be the earliest that a spending plan and state employee raises might be finalized. House Majority Leader John Bell, R-Wayne, joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to explain the delays. Bell also discusses the status of recently vetoed bills, proposed casino legislation, the slow recovery from hurricanes Matthew and Florence — and whether he’ll run for House speaker as Tim Moore wraps up his tenure in the post.

As the legislature starts to wind down, sweeping proposed changes to North Carolina elections are still on the table – and could have a big effect on the 2024 elections. Republicans want to shift appointment powers for the State Board of Elections, create an earlier deadline for mail-in ballots and make new regulations for early voting — all while elections officials are seeking more funding. WUNC political reporter Rusty Jacobs joins Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss where things stand and what it could all mean next year.

Primaries for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are already attracting plenty of candidates — and potential candidates. To help us sort through who’s running and how the campaigns will play out, as well as how much they’ll cost, WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell is joined by longtime political consultant Brad Crone and Anna Beavon Gravely of NCFREE, a nonpartisan research organization. They discuss the impact of Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan’s potential candidacy for governor, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s prospects in the Republican primary, and who might seek the role of attorney general, or “aspiring governor” as it’s sometimes known.

It’s been a busy week at the state legislature as we enter what might be the final weeks of this year’s long session. Dozens of bills have passed the House and Senate in the past week alone, and many of them haven’t gotten much attention. To catch up on the noteworthy bills many of us missed, North Carolina Tribune Editor Ray Gronberg joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss everything from new HOA regulations to a legislative effort to attract a TV or film production to the Charlotte areas.

Bills restricting transgender sports participation and access to healthcare are nearing final passage at the North Carolina legislature, but none of the 170 lawmakers who will decide their fate are transgender themselves. Transgender advocate and Iraq War veteran Vivian Taylor joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to discuss her perspective on what the legislation will mean for trans North Carolinians. She also talks about how the current national political climate on transgender issues compares to what North Carolina saw in the wake of the House Bill 2 “bathroom bill” controversy. And she offers her recommendation on a place worth visiting in her home county of Stanly.

Rep. Garland Pierce, D-Scotland, is one of the N.C. House’s closely watched moderate Democrats this session — a veteran lawmaker who sometimes crosses party lines on key issues, something that could make a difference on veto overrides this year. Pierce joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to explain his thinking on issues like transgender athlete restrictions, election law changes and more. And he talks about his bills to improve the foster care system and prevent a name change at Fayetteville State University, as well as his thoughts on how his party can win elections in rural areas.

N.C. House and Senate budget writers are negotiating how much state workers will get in raises — at a time when nearly a quarter of positions in state government are vacant. The House has proposed a 4.25% raise starting in July, while the Senate prefers 2.5%. The State Employees Association of North Carolina is lobbying for a larger amount. SEANC executive director Ardis Watkins and Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson join WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell to talk about raise proposals and the impact of staffing shortages on government services. Dobson also discusses how the shortage at his agency could impact workplace safety, and he explains his decision not to seek a second term next year.

This week in North Carolina politics, rank-and-file Republican state lawmakers again threw their support behind a couple of well-known leaders. On Capitol Hill, Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis voted with Democrats on the Respect for Marriage Act. And next week, the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a case with the potential to significantly alter federal elections. In our weekly review, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss the details.

The landscape of a post-Roe world is still taking shape. There are many questions lingering about access to reproductive healthcare, as well as personal information and online privacy. On this episode of The Politics Podcast Matt Perault, Director of the Center on Technology Policy at UNC Chapel Hill, details some of the policy inconsistencies and forecasts what could happen next.

While a red wave didn’t materialize nationally, conservatives in North Carolina found very favorable results. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, three analysts offer insight on the electorate, and where state and American politics may head next.

North Carolina’s election results were largely favorable to Republicans on Tuesday night. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss what influenced the outcomes, why down-ballot candidates performed well, and where each party has room for improvement.

Republicans had a strong night in North Carolina on Tuesday, winning all seven statewide contests, and securing one supermajority in the state Senate. However, they fell one seat shy of a second veto-proof majority in the state House. On this episode of WUNC’s Politics Podcast, Will Michaels and Jeff Tiberii breakdown what the new landscape means and what could happen next.

With just a few days before the polls close and the 2022 Midterm results are announced, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer offer some expectations for Tuesday night and discuss what stood out in this election cycle. Meanwhile, Governor Roy Cooper has tapped former UNC System Presidents Margaret Spellings and Tom Ross to review appointment procedures, but is it a commission Republicans will cooperate with?

With Election Day looming, WUNC’s Jeff Tiberii talks with a mix of journalists, a political scientist, a strategist, and a leading House Republican. They offer takeaways on what race is the most important on the ballot and what they will be watching most closely on Tuesday night, as well as a possible headline for November 9.

A million ballots have now been cast in North Carolina. But what, if anything, does the early turnout tell us? And in Washington, D.C., many briefs were filed in a case out of North Carolina that SCOTUS will hear in December. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss those stories in our weekly review of state politics.

Courtney Geels is running for the U.S. House of Representatives this midterm. Her chances of victory are exceedingly slim, yet the Republican is still campaigning with a purpose, hoping to pull off an upset of the century. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Geels discusses why she decided to run for Congress, what she has learned, and some of the issues most important to her.

This week, many continued to grieve following a horrific act in northeast Raleigh. With one-stop early voting underway, the proverbial political winds might have shifted. And, new details in the state’s incentives package that lured Apple to RTP. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss those stories in their review of the week in state politics.

Voters will decide two state Supreme Court races this midterm, with the results potentially shifting partisan control of the bench. The fact that North Carolina even has partisan judicial elections is uncommon. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Michael Crowell discusses some of the pitfalls for how our state handles judicial elections, and why these races are so important.

A new report details political meddling as part of the search for a new chancellor at UNC Wilmington. Meanwhile, there are concerning vacancy rates at one state agency. And is there any possible replacement for political debates? Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss all this in our weekly review of North Carolina politics.

This fall, voters in Wake County will decide whether to approve three bonds – totaling more than $1 billion – to support new public schools, major improvements to community college infrastructure, and an improvement to several Raleigh city parks. WUNC reporter Jason deBruyn details the ballot questions, and forecasts their chances of earning approval.

Cheri Beasley and Ted Budd meet Friday night for their only scheduled debate. The U.S. Senate hopefuls will try to land a memorable moment while avoiding any sort of gaff. Meanwhile, new reports detail the lack of success within two education initiatives. In our weekly discussion, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer review some of the leading stories of the week.

Republicans already hold comfortable majorities in the state House. This fall, conservatives hope to expand their margins and avoid the threat of gubernatorial vetoes. With several Democrats playing defense, some races have turned heated, and increasingly expensive. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Jeff Tiberii lays out the battleground districts in the House.

With absentee voting underway and weeks until early voting begins, campaign advertisements are in full swing. In their weekly review of state politics, Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discuss photoshopping, using death for political gain, and how they are handling the endless solicitations this election cycle.

The most important battle on the North Carolina ballot this November is not an open U.S. Senate Seat, or even control of the state Supreme Court. But rather, a fight for supermajorities in the North Carolina General Assembly. In the state Senate, Republicans need to net two seats in order to achieve a veto-proof majority. On this episode of WUNC’s Politics Podcast, Jeff Tiberii discusses some of the legislative battleground districts.

Rockingham County Republican Phil Berger is the most influential elected official in North Carolina politics. He has presided over the state Senate since 2011 and overseen a historic shift in state government. Berger returns to The Politics Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation, including election strategy, the judiciary, and what could be done to reduce the political temperature in our country.

North Carolina lawmakers criticized the slow pace of a state office charged with rebuilding homes following Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Meanwhile, this week in state politics, the two major party candidates in an open U.S. Senate race agreed to an October debate. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss those stories, and also weigh-in on upcoming visits to the state by former President Donald Trump and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In recent election cycles that results of political horserace polling has been deeply flawed. Pollsters have adjusted some of their methodology ahead of the 2022 Midterm, yet questions linger. And journalists continue to treat polls results like a sports scoreboard, even if the surveys are not designed to be predictive. On this episode of The Politics Podcast Scott Keeter, Senior Survey Analyst at Pew Research Center, and David McLennan, Director of the Meredith College Poll discuss recent lessons learned and what could be different this fall.

The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments in the decades-old Leandro case – again – last week. The litigation is all about public school funding in the state, and competing clauses within the state constitution. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, education reporter Liz Schlemmer reviews the hearing, forecasts some of the possible next steps, and reminds listeners what the practical impacts as for children.

A decades old legal challenge about the quality of public-school education landed before the state Supreme Court – again – this week. Meanwhile Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Durham, however, one notable Democrat was no in attendance. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield discusses those news events, as well as the North Carolina NAACP losing its tax-exempt status.

Among a number of interesting political races set to play out during this 2022 midterm, is an open congressional contest in the Triangle. And while plenty of money and attention will be spent in NC-13, the winner is hardly a homegrown candidate. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Meredith College Political Science Professor David McLennan discusses the state’s lone congressional race that is expected to be close this fall.

This week in state politics state Senate leader Phil Berger discussed the prospect of abortion legislation. Meanwhile one candidate for the NC General Assembly faces allegations that she doesn’t live in the district she hopes to serve. And the President eliminated some college debt, though a legal challenge could loom. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer review on this episode of The Politics Podcast

With less than two months until early voting begins, campaign advertisements are increasing in frequency as attention turns toward the Midterm. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Rusty Jacobs speaks with GOP strategist Paul Shumaker, and Catawba College Political Science Professor Michael Bitzer about wedge issue, suburban voters, and a legislative supermajority that hangs in the balance.

The state Supreme Court halted two voter-backed constitutional amendments from taking effect on Friday, siding with an argument from the NAACP that a racially gerrymandered NC General Assembly lacks some legitimacy. Meanwhile, the Attorney General faces a criminal campaign investigation, and one Congressional hopeful may – or may not – know the difference between a department store and a development democracy. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield seek to make some sense of this week’s state political news.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is in campaign mode. And although he’s not on the ballot this fall, the upcoming mid-term election will go a long way toward defining his political life – and that of the state itself – over the next two years. Cooper spoke with WUNC’s Rusty Jacobs earlier this week about the upcoming mid-terms and its importance in the debate over abortion.

Nearly two years after a campaign advertisement aired across the state, legal questions remain unanswered. Did the Attorney General’s campaign violate a near century-old law with a claim made during the ad? Will there be a prosecution? And what are the long-term political ramifications? On this episode of the Politics Podcast Raleigh News & Observer reporter Will Doran lays out what we know about an ongoing criminal investigation, and what might come next.

A notable number of North Carolina public school teachers are leaving. In Durham, one in five educators is departing, and other local districts are experiencing higher than usual turnover. On this episode of The Politics Podcast several teachers discuss their reasons for leaving the classroom, while others explain why they have stayed.

On Monday, Governor Roy Cooper signed a nearly $28 billion state budget into law. As is customary, a majority of the plan goes toward education. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, WUNC reporter Liz Schlemmer offers some analysis on the K-12 public education portion of the budget and what it means for educators and charter schools. Among the details: public school teachers will receive an average raise of 4.2%. Lawmakers have also doubled-down on investments in the Opportunity Scholarship program, pumping in an additional $500 million over the next seven years.

This week in North Carolina politics, Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order related to abortion issues. Meanwhile, he did not yet act on the state budget, which the Legislature sent him a week ago. In our Friday review, Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss those stories, America’s latest mass shooting, and the future of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Volunteers, staff and prospective candidates worked to secure thousands of signatures so that the Green Party would have a spot on the 2022 North Carolina ballot. However, a couple of hundred of signatures were deemed fraudulent. And last week the state Board of Elections voted not to certify the party. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Green Party member Matthew Hoh discusses how this happened and the challenges of a political system dominated by two parties.

This week in state politics, legislators debate a spending plan that sets aside billions, provides raises, and seeks to weather an inflation storm. Meanwhile, at the U.S. Supreme Court, four justices agreed to hear a challenge related to the independence – and unchecked power – of state legislatures. In our Friday review, Donna King of the conservative Carolina Journal and Rob Schofield from the progressive NC Policy Watch review.

Republican legislative leaders have come to a budget deal. The nearly $28 billion proposal is expected to receive bipartisan backing by the end of the week. However, it does not include Medicaid Expansion, likely leaving the Governor less than thrilled. Meanwhile the General Assembly short session is nearing a conclusion. WRAL Statehouse reporter Travis Fain stops by size up the session, and talk about some pieces of legislation that are going nowhere.

It was a busy week in Raleigh and on Capitol Hill. The NC General Assembly failed to advance a sports gambling measure, or some to any agreement on Medicaid expansion. Meanwhile the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a century-old gun law out of New York, as U.S. Senators approved a narrow set of gun reforms. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss in our weekly politics review.

Note: this segment was recorded prior to the SCOTUS ruling ending the constitutional right to abortion

State lawmakers are considering two bills that would legalize mobile sports gambling across the state. If the measures become law it would put North Carolina in line with nearly two dozen other states, and potentially generate a few billion dollars in annual revenue. Still, it remains unclear if a deal will be brokered in the final weeks of the legislative session.

Tim Boyum has reported on North Carolina Politics for 20 years. He hosts a nightly TV program as well as a weekly podcast. Boyum discusses how he approaches a busy slate, overcoming some mental health challenges, and one exhilarating recent reporting trip, on this episode of The Politics Podcast from WUNC

During the conversation Boyum discusses Frying Pan Tower, off the coast of North Carolina. You can learn more about his recent TV special here: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/politics/2022/05/04/preserving-frying-pan-tower-

State Senators were busy in recent days as they approved several high-profile pieces of legislation. Meanwhile an environmental proposal filed in the House would punish corporations for dumping forever chemicals into watersheds. Yet it’s unclear if any of these bills will soon become law. Mitch Kokai from the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield with NC Policy Watch help review the week in state politics.

State senators have given approval to a plan that would expand Medicaid in North Carolina to some 600,000 people. North Carolina is just one of just 12 states that has yet to expand the federal health care program, which is administered by state agencies. The proposed expansion signals a major shift from some Republicans. The bill includes some notable provisions that are tangential to Medicaid. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Jason deBruyn offers analysis on what the bill seeks to do, and the impacts it could have.

Following another heart-breaking massacre came the latest reminder of a fractured political infrastructure. While nineteen children were murdered at an Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas it appears that policy changes in Raleigh, or Washington, remain a long shot. Meanwhile, the state’s most powerful politician does a major about face on Medicaid expansion. Rob Schofield and Donna King discuss the two significant stories from the week.

With the May primary complete, focus is turning toward November. There are efforts to engage and mobilize form both major political parties. However, Leslie Mac believe the Democratic party can do more to build relationships with new North Carolinians, Women of Color, and rural progressives.

The May Primary marked a significant end for two well known conservatives. Meanwhile, strong turnout was seen in several gerrymandered Congressional districts. And the General Assembly returns to Raleigh for its short session. Rob Schofield and Mitch Kokai review the week in state politics.

The mid-term primary has concluded with the ousting of a controversial Congressman, a clear conclusion in two progressive battles, and a path toward another intense, competitive and costly U.S. Senate race. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Will Michaels chats with Jeff Tiberii about the results and the reasons behind them.

While early voting turnout was up, primary participation among younger voters is lagging. Is there anything that candidates could do differently? Meanwhile the Governor has unveiled his budget proposal and a major question again lingers – is this the year Medicaid expands in North Carolina? Donna Kina of the Carolina Journal and Rob Schofield from NC Policy Watch review some of the week’s political news.

With less than a week until the May 17th primary, early voters have turned out in very strong numbers. They are choosing major party nominees in an open U.S. Senate race, as well as in heated contests for Congress. Former Congressional staffer Doug Heye and political scientist Chris Cooper discuss what to make of early voting, and what it takes to unseat an incumbent such as Madison Cawthorn.

This week in politics: a landmark leak sent reverberations across the country, as advocates on both sides of an impassioned issue readied for the end of Roe; freshman Congressman Madison Cawthorn is again explaining an odd video; snd the housing crisis faces a new obstacle: corporate landlords. Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch and Donna King from the Carolina Journal review the week in politics.

Following the leak of a draft Supreme Court ruling, America is readying for a post-Roe era. In North Carolina, major change does not appear imminent. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Meredith College Political Science Professor David McLennan discussed the practical, as well as the political, impacts of the anticipated decision.

Early voting for the mid-term primary began across the state this week. Meanwhile, Congressman Madison Cawthorn brought a loaded gun to Charlotte Douglass International airport, and a new judge in the decades old Leandro public education case offered something of a split decision. In our weekly review, Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield from NC Policy Watch discuss some of the recent political happenings.

Leslie McCrae Dowless died on April 24th. The Bladen County native came to national notoriety for his role in a 2018 election fraud saga. On this episode of the Politics Podcast, WBTV reporter Nick Ochsner discusses the electoral scandal and the well known character behind it.

This week in politics: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court and is set to become the first Black woman to sit on the court in its 233-year history; a preliminary proposal at the state level could shift how public school teachers are licensed and compensated; And former President Donald Trump visits Johnston County on Saturday in the latest reminder of his domineering shadow over Republican Party politics.

TROSA is a popular non-profit organization that has served people in substances abuse recovery since 1994.

This week in state politics: a can manufacturer finally picked North Carolina, Madison Cawthorn met more criticism following his latest incendiary comments, and a basketball game has led to mounting excitement. Donna King of the Carolina Journal and Aisha Dew from Higher Heights review some significant recent news.

Last summer college athletics underwent a major change when athletes, long considered amateur and barred from earning compensation, were allowed to collect on their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The new landscape is providing earning opportunities while also creating questions about exploitation, and if there is a need for further regulations.

Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is back in the headlines after an old facebook post emerged. North Carolina’s primary is less than two months away. And there is a new judge in the decades old Leandro Case. On this episode of the WUNC Politics Podcast, Rob Schofield and Donna King discuss some of the week’s biggest stories.

The May 17th primary is less than two months away, and the attacks are mounting as advertisements increase.

Nearly 100 years ago a small business began operation in Winston-Salem. In the five decades that followed Safe Bus Company became a local fixture, and the largest transit system of its kind, in the world. Yet the story of Safe Bus remains a lesser-known portion of the city and state's history. On this episode of The WUNC Politics Podcast, Winston-Salem Transit Authority Marketing Director Tina Carson-Wilkins talks about the history of Safe Bus and recalls her memories riding on it as a teenager.

It is not expected to be a particularly good midterm for Democrats, however, grassroots organizer Aimy Steele is undeterred. Meanwhile, in North Carolina's largest city, conservative city councilman Tariq Scott Bokhari wants company on his Republican island. Each face long odds for success in 2022, and both want to foster some change.

This week in state politics proved to be anther busy affair with a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris, the conclusion of candidate filing, and more legislative wrangling of the still yet-to-be-expanded federal healthcare program. Clark Riemer and Rob Schofield review some of the biggest recent stories on this latest episode of The Politics Podcast.

Between the pandemic, political polarization and the crisis in Ukraine, the news cycle these days is, well, even more chaotic than usual. On this episode of the WUNC Politics Podcast, Professor Benjamin Toff discusses his research around news avoidance and fatigue, as well as both the consequences - and benefits - for those who are not regular news consumers.

It was another week of whiplashing news in the world of North Carolina politics. Following a flurry of court orders on redistricting, the candidate filing period resumed after a two month hiatus. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed another bill, and a war in Eastern Europe will soon have impacts close to home. Rob Schofield and Clark Riemer discuss those topics in our weekly review.

While popular with many Americans, term limits on elected officials have not yielded the results some had once hoped. On this episode of the WUNC Politics Podcast, Western Carolina University Professor Chris Cooper discusses what has been learned from the fifteen states that do impose legislative term limits, and why they are ultimately ineffective.

Eva Clayton has been in the North Carolina political sphere for 60 years. A former member of Congress, county commissioner, and advocate for voting rights and rural portions of the state, Clayton remains busy. In this podcast episode she discusses her own efforts to help integrate Warren County, the recent redistricting developments, and getting through the pandemic.

Across the nation, some COVID-19 guidelines have been significantly changed in recent days. Here in North Carolina, there were some marginal changes. Meanwhile, state lawmakers prepare to draw new districts, and the GOP finds itself in another intra-party squabble. Donna King and Rob Schofield review it all in our Week In State Politics.

State lawmakers must again draw new political districts, following a major ruling from the North Carolina Supreme Court last week. But just how much will the new lines change, and is the recent ruling likely to be revisited? WUNC Politics reporter Rusty Jacobs offers insight on the major decision and the likely next steps.

In our weekly review of state political news, Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch and Donna King of the Carolina Journal anticipate that the NC Supreme Court will strike down new congressional and legislative districts. The analysts also offer reaction following a fire at a fertilizer plant in Winston-Salem, and share whether they've checked the state database for unclaimed property.

A major case moved through North Carolina’s high court this week. At issue are whether Congressional and legislative districts can be so partisan they violate the state constitution. Will justices strike down the districts? And if they do, then what? WUNC's Jeff Tiberii and Dave DeWitt discuss the case. Then later, Jeff talks with Greensboro economist Andrew Brod about what a major economic development announcement could mean for the Piedmont Triad.

Jet manufacturer Boom Supersonic plans to create more than 1,700 jobs and invest half a billion dollars in Guilford County. This week in state politics saw the major economic development announcement, new jobs numbers, rumblings of a Supreme Court pick from North Carolina, as well as the latest veto from Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Rob Schofield and Donna King join host Jeff Tiberii to discuss it all.

An increasing number of Americans are dying from drug overdose. Between April 2020 and April 2021 more than 100,000 people in the country died, a new ominous benchmark. One of the leading culprits is fentanyl, a synthetic opiate. On this episode of the Politics Podcast reporters Taylor Knopf from North Carolina Health News and WUNC's Jason deBruyn discuss the upward trend, and possible solutions.

Another date for North Carolina's 2022 Primary? Maybe. Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the week in N.C. politics, including another possible legislative standoff between the Democratic Governor and the Republican-led General Assembly over the date of the primary, and the possibility of judge recusals in the redistricting case, with Donna King from the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield with NC Policy Watch.

As a major redistricting cases lands before the state supreme court, calls are growing louder for some justices to recuse themselves. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, three former judges talk about the issue of recusal - and the importance of judicial independence.

By any measure, Robert Reives has had a meteoric rise in politics. An attorney from Chatham County, Reives was first appointed to the NC House in 2014. He won his first election that same year and rose to deputy minority leader and, finally, his colleagues unanimously chose him to lead their caucus as House Democratic leader in 2020. In this wide-ranging conversation with WUNC's Jeff Tiberii, Reives discusses his party's priorities, and why he thinks they can win big this November.

Judges heard arguments this week over whether North Carolina’s new Congressional and Legislative districts are unconstitutional and should be struck down. Meanwhile, Republican legislative leaders offered a hint that Medicaid expansion could receive serious consideration at the General Assembly later this year. Host Jeff Tiberii reviews the week in North Carolina politics with Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch and Mitch Kokai from the John Locke Foundation.

On the political calendar this new year are mid-term elections, a short legislative session, and - already underway - a trial that will rule on whether new districts are constitutional. Dawn Vaughan of the News & Observer and WUNC Politics reporter Rusty Jacobs join this episode to preview 2022.

Pat Bagley has been sketching political cartoons at the Salt Lake Tribune since 1979. That makes him the longest continuously employed editorial cartoonist in America. On this episode of the Politics Podcast, Host Jeff Tiberii speaks with Bagley about his process, some of his favorite people to draw, and he even offers a trade secret.

Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the week in North Carolina politics with Mitch Kokai and Rob Schofield.

Jeff Jackson is one of two Democratic frontrunners seeking the nomination to replace the retiring Richard Burr in the U.S. Senate. He’s a state legislator from Mecklenburg County who is meeting with constituents across the state, building what he calls the most transparent and substantive Senate campaign in the modern history of the state. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Jackson discusses his strategy, how to combat misinformation, and the element of race in this political contest.

This week in state politics saw another significant development in the Leandro Case, while Governor Roy Cooper blocked an election law from going into effect. Host Jeff Tiberii reviews the latest happenings with Aisha Dew and Mitch Kokai.

After three years without one, North Carolina finally got a two-year spending plan this week. In our review of the week's politics, host Jeff Tiberii talks about the budget with Becki Gray and Rob Schofield. They also discuss what's behind Eastern North Carolina Democratic Congressman G.K. Butterfield's decision not to seek another term.

WUNC's Jeff Tiberii, Rusty Jacobs, and Will Michaels dissect the proposed state budget.

Host Jeff Tiberii analyzes and dissects the new maps passed by the North Carolina General Assembly with Allison Riggs of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and WUNC Reporter Rusty Jacobs.

Host Jeff Tiberii discusses the week in North Carolina politics with Becki Gray and Rob Schofield.

Host Jeff Tiberii discusses maps and political trends with J. Miles Coleman, associate editor at Sabato's Crystal Ball.

Host Jeff Tiberii discusses the week in North Carolina politics with Aisha Dew and Clark Riemer.

Part four in a four-part series that examines redistricting in North Carolina

Part three in a four-part series that examines redistricting in North Carolina

Part two in a four-part series that examines redistricting in North Carolina

An energy bill moves quickly, while budget negotiations plod along. Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the week in state politics with Rob Schofield with the progressive NC Policy Watch and Becki Gray from the conservative John Locke Foundation.

Part one in a four-part series that examines redistricting in North Carolina

The state House and Senate have reached a deal on the budget. In our weekly political discussion, Clark Riemer and Aisha Dew share their optimism about a possible spending deal with the governor. Meanwhile, the ongoing negotiations could be impacted by a Leandro remediation order, and Democrats on Capitol Hill must now decide what to work on first.

Host Jeff Tiberii speaks with Brian Murphy, the new editor of The Insider, about his career covering politics in two state capitols and Washington.

Photo ID is still not required to vote in North Carolina. Host Jeff Tiberii and WUNC reporter Rusty Jacobs break down the latest court ruling, including how the judges ruled last week, what role the history of racial discrimination played, and where the litigation goes next.

WUNC's Jeff Tiberii hosts a conversation with Becki Gray from the conservative John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield with the progressive NC Policy Watch about personal freedom vs public health/Covid vaccines and the scheduling of redistricting public forums on Yom Kippur.

Vaccine mandates aren’t new. Neither is the hysteria (by some) against them. Yet what was once a fringe argument has become a mainstream political position. Following months of comment-section debates, and the latest round of misinformation, Covid vaccine rates in the U.S. have sputtered. Host Jeff Tiberii talks with Dr. Jeffrey Engel, the former North Carolina state epidemiologist and state health director, and WUNC health reporter Jason deBruyn, about the struggle for public health during yet another wave of the pandemic.

In this week's review of political news, host Jeff Tiberii discusses President Joe Biden's six-pronged approach in the ongoing fight against COVID-19, an e-cigarette maker's plans to open a research facility in Durham, and reflections twenty years after September 11th with Clark Riemer and Aisha Dew.

Two separate shooting incidents at North Carolina high schools in recent days have left many unanswered questions, adding to an already significant strain of public-school anxiety, and to diverging opinions about safety, bullying, possible gang involvement and guns in school. Host Jeff Tiberii speaks with Ben Schachtman, the News Director at WHQR in Wilmington; and Paul Garber, a reporter at WFDD in Winston-Salem, about what is known about the shootings at New Hanover High School and Mount Tabor High School.

Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the lack of progress with the state budget - and who that may benefit - with Aisha Dew from the progressive organization Higher Heights, and Becki Gray from the conservative John Locke Foundation. They also discuss Rep. Madison Cawthorn's latest inaccurate and inflammatory comments and whether a Texas-like abortion law could ever come to North Carolina.

Host Jeff Tiberii looks at how the General Assembly has done in the 2021 long session with longtime political reporter Colin Campbell, formerly with the News and Observer and The Insider, and now at BusinessNC Magazine.

Criminal justice legislation and a significant expansion of voting rights, for the time being. Those are just two of the topics that come up as host Jeff Tiberii is joined by Becki Gray from the conservative John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield with the progressive NC Policy Watch.

Host Jeff Tiberii speaks with Jordan Wilkie, a reporter with Carolina Public Press who covers election integrity, open government, and civil liberties, about the legal ruling in the CSI v. Moore lawsuit that enfranchises tens of thousands of North Carolina citizens.

Host Jeff Tiberii looks at the week in North Carolina politics with Rob Schofield and Becki Gray.

Lawmakers came together to pass major spending proposals at the state and federal levels this week. New U.S. Census numbers confirm North Carolina's growing urban and suburban populations. And school districts around the state continue to waver on mandating masks in the classroom. Guest host Anita Rao gets analysis from Clark Reimer and Aisha Dew on some of the big political stories of the week.

Sample an episode of WUNC's new podcast CREEP, all about the creatures invading our state and region. Learn more at wunc.org/creep.

North Carolina's vaccination rate ticked up last week, but millions of the state's residents are still not vaccinated. WUNC's Dave DeWitt talks to Rose Hoban from North Carolina Health News about the doubts, the data and the Delta variant.

North Carolina's Republican-led legislature will soon start the decennial redistricting process. WUNC's politics reporter Rusty Jacobs looks at lessons learned from the past decade's legal battles over North Carolina's voting maps.

Parents across the country began receiving monthly payments from the federal government this week. Meanwhile, the North Carolina legislature considers legislation about critical race theory and medical marijuana. Host Jeff Tiberii reviews the week in politics with Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield from NC Policy Watch.

Nikole Hannah-Jones' bombshell decision to reject UNC's offer of tenure makes it easy to draw some parallels between the journalist's very public fight with the university and another Black scholar who took the school to task for equitable treatment decades ago.

Reporter Rusty Jacobs speaks with two North Carolina lawmakers about controversial GOP-backed voting legislation.

Reporter Will Michaels interviews Jeff Tiberii about the state Senate's budget proposal and explains the many steps left in the budget reconciliation process.

Republican state senators passed three new measures along party lines that aim to change North Carolina election law. Meanwhile in the state house, a long-awaited 47-page energy bill made a controversial debut, and municipalities around the state celebrate Juneteenth for the first time against the backdrop of ongoing conversations about how to teach history in public schools.

Host Charlie-Shelton Ormond explores how a multimillion dollar jail expansion proposal in Haywood County is causing a rift within the community and raising questions about the importance of rehabilitation and the effectiveness of incarceration.

It is a busy week in North Carolina Politics. Former President Donald Trump headlines the NCGOP Convention in Greenville; there are new revelations in the Nikole Hannah-Jones saga; and at the General Assembly: the governor’s pick to oversee environmental issues was turned away as budget talks remain stalled. Host Jeff Tiberii talks with Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch and Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation about the state political stories of the week.

Host Dave DeWitt speaks with WUNC education reporter Liz Schlemmer about the ongoing tenure controversy involving Nikole Hannah-Jones and UNC-Chapel Hill.

After a year of protests in the name of racial justice, North Carolina legislators are considering bills that could significantly increase the penalty for engaging in riots. In this episode, WUNC's Rusty Jacobs reports on how pending legislation could affect both the future of demonstrations and relations between protesters and police.

WUNC's Will Michaels examines how an early morning fire in Chapel Hill on May 12, 1996 changed the trajectory of dozens of lives and became a catalyst for change in fire safety ordinances across the country.

WUNC's Rusty Jacobs looks at what voters changing their Republican and Democratic party affiliations means for future elections in North Carolina and the South.

Guest host Will Michaels returns from a reporting trip to Elizabeth City, NC where a community is contending with the recent police killing of Andrew Brown Jr. There is body camera footage of the incident, but who gets to see the tape and how much of it is made available is up to a controversial state law. | Support this show with a donation at wunc.org/give.

A voter ID law is on trial again in North Carolina. Is it in line with the Constitution this time? Or is it once again targeting Black voters? Guest host Will Michaels talks to reporter Rusty Jacobs about the history of voter ID in the state and what arguments activists, lawyers and lawmakers have made before the court in the past two weeks. | Support this show with a donation to wunc.org/give.

Synthesizing American history is not a simple exercise. What periods, figures, and narratives should emerge in public school classrooms, and who gets to decide? Republicans are decrying some educational standards as having a leftist bent, lacking patriotism. While educators, and advocates for a more complete narrative say we must trust the teachers. On this episode of The Politics Podcast teaching our complicated history to our youth.

A trio of Republican state senators filed an anti-transgender bill at the state legislature this week. Another new proposal calls for political parties to get equal time in classroom lessons, and a powerful lawmaker backs legalization of medical marijuana. Clark Riemer and Aisha Dew offer analysis on some of the big political stories of the week.

Governor Roy Cooper joins the politics podcast to explain why he thinks his latest push for Medicaid expansion might yield a different result. The Democrat also reflects on the last 13 months of pandemic times and explains why he and Senate Leader Phil Berger owe it to North Carolina voters to seek middle-ground.

When is the last time you read the North Carolina constitution? It’s an exercise generally reserved for the ... most passionate political followers. So, it may come as a surprise that our state still has a literacy test on the books. On The Politics Podcast, a law professor and state legislator explain why a literacy test — even if not enforceable — remains the law in North Carolina and what efforts are underway to remove it.

Democratic Governor Roy Cooper rolled out his spending proposal this week. He asks again for Medicaid expansion and sizable teacher raises. And in the wake of our nation’s latest mass shooting, what – if anything – would help to reduce gun deaths in our country? Rob Schofield and Becki Gray review the week in politics.

Since unfounded claims of election fraud proliferated last November, proposals to change election law have surfaced in nearly every state house in the country. Some restrict voting access while others expand a voter's ability to cast a ballot. On the latest WUNC Politics Podcast: why North Carolina has largely avoided controversy on this issue and a look at existing proposals from around the country.

In the wake of mass shootings in Atlanta, Democratic State Senator Jay Chaudhuri has renewed a push for a hate crime law in North Carolina. Will this legislation get a hearing? Plus, a resolution to call for a constitutional convention and set Congressional term limits advanced at the General Assembly this week. And Cheri Beasley will soon announce her candidacy seeking the Democratic nomination for a 2022 U.S. Senate race. Aisha Dew and Clark Riemer offer insights on some of the biggest political developments of the week.

More than half of North Carolina’s counties are considered a news desert – with depleted local journalism. On this episode of The Politics Podcast: what could be done to fill the news void and how the emergence of social media has reshaped how politicians share their message.

Senate leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Tim Moore and Governor Roy Cooper gathered for an exceptional moment to mark a compromise deal on public school reopening. Meanwhile, an ex-Republican announced she's running in 2022 for North Carolina's open U.S. Senate seat. And on Capitol Hill, House Democrats passed a wide-reaching measure aimed at upending Republican state lawmakers' efforts to change election law. Rob Schofield and Becki Gray review some of the stories from this week in North Carolina politics.

This week in state politics, legislative Republicans approved a $1.7 billion package of federal COVID relief, as they continued to fight the details of how to reopen schools. Meanwhile Congressman Madison Cawthorn faced additional allegations of lying, as his party stood silently by. Aisha Dew and Clark Riemer offer insights on some of the biggest political developments of the week.

North Carolinians have plenty of options for political news. From traditional newspaper and television outlets, to newer online-only non-profit outposts. And still more, in the form of organizations backed by dark money. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, an update on the array of news options, not all of which are created equal.

Governor Roy Cooper is easing COVID-19 restrictions, following pressure from the legislature, small business owners and parents. Meanwhile, under a proposed settlement with civil rights groups, 3,500 people who are incarcerated will be released in the next six months. And, the new chancellor of Fayetteville State is not being welcomed by all. Rob Schofield and Becki Gray review some of the stories from this week in North Carolina Politics.

Moderate Republicans join host Jeff Tiberii to talk party loyalty, Trump and the recent censure of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr.

U.S. Senator Richard Burr was censured by the state Republican Party this week, after he voted to convict Donald Trump for his role in inciting the insurrection on Capitol Hill. Elsewhere in state politics, a nonpartisan division at the General Assembly is being disbanded, and a bill to require schools to reopen now sits on the governor’s desk. Aisha Dew and Clark Riemer review some of the recent North Carolina political news.

One of the lasting impacts of House Bill 2 was a ban on municipalities passing non-discrimination ordinances. That prohibition expired in December, and in recent weeks a number of cities and counties across the state moved to protect people in marginalized communities.

From the next vaccination group to poor report cards, there were several pandemic developments in the state this week.

Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson is the highest ranking Black elected official in state history. And he does not shy away from sharing his opinions. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Robinson covers a range of topics as he settles into his post as Lieutenant Governor.

This week on Capitol Hill, Republicans tried to downplay the social media posts of controversial new member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. Meanwhile, as state lawmakers appropriated billions of dollars in federal relief funds, the governor called on them to do more.

In February 1971, an incident of racial unrest in Wilmington, N.C. ultimately led to the wrongful convictions of 10 people. “The Wilmington Ten” serves as title for one of the greatest chapters of injustice in North Carolina history.

North Carolina Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr joined 43 of their GOP colleagues in objecting to a Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump this week.

It's likely to be another bustling year in North Carolina politics. A U.S. Senate race is taking shape, redistricting is on the summer horizon, and Republican legislative leaders and the Democratic governor once again battle over the budget.

Joe Biden was sworn in as the nation's 46th president on Wednesday, as Kamala Harris became the first female, Black and Asian vice president.

Donald Trump was a divisive president, however his popularity persisted in North Carolina. Enthusiasm over the unconventional leader helped Republicans drum up a win in 2020.

Congress held an unprecedented impeachment vote this week, following the president’s role in the January 6th act of domestic terrorism on the U.S. Capitol.

The only successful political insurrection in American history took place in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1898. On this episode of the podcast Duke professor Deondra Rose discusses that little-known dark chapter in U.S. history, and how it might help us understand the events of last week.

It was an extraordinary week in American history. After a failed insurrection on Capitol Hill, Congress certified the election of Joe Biden over Donald Trump. In our weekly political roundup, Clark Riemer and Aisha Dew discuss.

Democratic U.S. House Representative Deborah Ross was sworn into the 117th Congress on Sunday. Ross now serves a redrawn Wake County district, and is optimistic about politics in 2021. On this episode she talks about crucial Senate runoffs in Georgia, and shares how many GOP colleagues she has cell phone numbers for.

2020 was an exhausting year for North Carolinians, and in the world of news and politics.

It was unprecedented, exhausting, unrelenting and — to at least one local reporter — bananas. The 2020 calendar will be remembered for a pandemic, racial reckoning and a once-in-a-generation election. On this episode of the WUNC Politics Podcast, journalists reflect on what they will remember most from this wild year.

Several elected officials from North Carolina are in the mix for positions within President-elect Joe Biden's administration. State Environmental Secretary Michael Regan, for one, has been tapped to lead the EPA.

What is the typical gubernatorial profile in North Carolina? Are there patterns in the background, upbringing or political composition of those who have occupied the Governor's Mansion during the last 50 years? And what might these patterns tell us about who could be chief executive going forward?

With hospitalizations and new cases of COVID infections surging, a curfew takes effect on Friday night. Meanwhile the Attorney General joined a lawsuit against Facebook.

Congressman-Elect Madison Cawthorn is set to steal the seat last held by former Representative Mark Meadows. Cawthorn, a Republican, will become the youngest member of the U.S. House of Representatives by six years. On this episode of The Politics Podcast, Cawthorn discusses plans for Capitol Hill, and allegations of anti-semitism.

Republican Congressman Mark Walker announced this week that he will vie for an open North Carolina Senate seat. Meanwhile this week in state politics, a federal appellate court ruled in favor of a photo voter ID requirement. And, the closest statewide race in North Carolina history isn't over quite yet.

In the beginning of the new year, the 117th Congress will be sworn in and North Carolina will welcome three new representatives to its delegation. Congresswoman-elect Kathy Manning will be among them, representing the state’s 6th District that encompasses most of the Triad. She'll be the first woman to represent that district and North Carolina's first Jewish congresswoman.

Jim Morrill started covering politics during the Reagan administration. After reporting on dozens of elections, 11 national conventions and countless elected officials, the longtime Charlotte Observer journalist is retiring.

Election Day month rolls on with a recount in the North Carolina Chief Justice Supreme Court contest. A crowded field of candidates is forming for a vacant U.S. Senate seat. In our latest review of North Carolina politics, Aisha Dew and Becki Gray discuss those races, the likelihood Republicans will decriminalize marijuana, and what they're appreciative for this November.

In the last 40 years, North Carolina has voted for a president and governor from separate parties in seven out of 11 elections. Each time the state has split the vote, North Carolinians have elected a Republican president and a Democratic governor. The 2020 election produced the same result, as thousands of people voted for President Donald Trump and Governor Roy Cooper.

County elections boards have finalized their official vote tallies. Still, on Friday the race to be chief justice of the state Supreme Court looked almost certainly headed for a recount.

For all the hundreds of millions of dollars that were spent in North Carolina during the 2020 election cycle, not all that much changed. The GOP will maintain legislative majorities, and likely again spar with a Democratic Governor. Conservatives were able to add seats on the state courts, which may benefit them when it comes time for the next round of redistricting. On this latest episode of the WUNC Politics Podcast Meredith College Political Science Professor David McLennan and Associated Press Statehouse Reporter Gary Robertson delve into the questions of what happened - why - and what we can expect moving forward.

Election Day brought little closure for our nation or our state in 2020.

Virtual learning has changed almost everything about the classroom experience in North Carolina, but implicit racial biases remain as a hindrance to students' education. Microaggressions and discriminatory behavior from teachers and other classmates can have detrimental effects on students of color, especially young children in preschool.

At least 4 million North Carolina voters won't be at the polls next Tuesday because they've already cast their ballots. And the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week officials can keep counting mail-in ballots for nine days after Election Day.

With less than two weeks until November 3, more than two million people have already voted. In our review of the week in state politics, Democratic strategist Aisha Dew and former chair of the North Carolina Federation of Young Republicans Clark Riemer discuss when they expect to have results and how they’re feeling about the races. Plus, what to make – if anything – about the Governor’s comment on Cal Cunningham.

This week: North Carolina voters turned out in record numbers for the start of in-person early voting. Lines were made longer by social distancing — the polls are open as cases of COVID-19 across the state are surging.

The stakes in North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race were already significant – with the winner potentially signaling which party could control the chamber in the next Congress. In recent days, the campaign narratives were upended as Republican incumbent Thom Tillis tested positive for COVID and Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham acknowledged sending sexual text messages to a woman that is not his wife.

This week: Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus test has upended the already unstable political landscape. With just more than a month until Election Day, it is unclear how the president going into quarantine will affect the key battleground of North Carolina. In their review of the week in state politics, Rob Schofield and Becki Gray react to the major news, reflect on the final debate for North Carolina's U.S. Senate race, and discuss whether the State Board of Elections went too far in changing rules for mail-in ballots.

This week: Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis and his Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham had their first debate. The Democrat's answer to a hypothetical question about the COVID-19 vaccine caught some attention.

When Lanisha Jones went to vote in the 2016 election, she didn’t think she was doing anything wrong. She thought she was simply exercising her right to vote. But in 2019, the district attorney in Hoke County charged her with voting illegally because at the time she was still on probation from a felony conviction.

This week: A Washington Post story alleged Postmaster General Louis DeJoy cajoled GOP campaign donations from employees of the logistics business he ran in Greensboro.

As COVID-19 cases climb at many colleges and universities in North Carolina, schools are maintaining dashboards to track and present different data and terminology. But are the dashboards enough of a resource to keep students and faculty informed about the virus on their campus?

This week: State legislators gaveled in for a brief two-day session and don't intend to return until next year — that is, until after the elections are over. Their singular charge was to allocate North Carolina's remaining pandemic relief funds from the federal CARES Act.

As an investigative reporter for Carolina Public Press, Kate Martin has been persistently reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina for months. She’s determined to uncover the answers to questions others are not asking and hold officials accountable.

This week: American political history was made as Joe Biden introduced U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate in the presidential race. Her presence on the ticket might impact voter turnout in North Carolina. Then again, it might not.

Jim Hunt was first elected Governor of North Carolina in 1976 when he was just 39 years old. He served four terms in the Executive Mansion, spanning four different decades.

This week: Governor Cooper criticizes President Trump and Lt. Governor Forest over their pandemic responses. And close to 150,000 voters have requested absentee ballots for the November election. This week a federal judge ruled that a witness requirement will remain in place, however, voters will have a chance to correct administrative errors on their ballots. Becki Gray and Rob Schofield discuss Cooper's criticisms, the latest in mail-in balloting, as well as a troubling video released by the Forsyth County Sheriff's Department.

This week: North Carolina played host to President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Meanwhile, David Lewis, a powerful state legislator, will not be on the ballot, as previously expected. And with the State Fair canceled for the first time since the second World War, Becki Gray and Rob Schofield ponder whether college athletics can realistically take place this fall.

Anthony Jackson has been an educator for more than 30 years, but there's never been a school year that’s begun like this one.

This week in state politics: The effects of the pandemic continue to be felt in wide and various ways. From touchscreen voting machines to an annual bar exam, there are questions about risk and necessity.

This week in state politics: More remote learning became a reality this week when Gov. Roy Cooper announced North Carolina public schools will not return like normal next month as COVID-19 cases have been on the rise.

Aisha Dew first volunteered on a political campaign 30 years ago, when she was a young girl. In 2016, she was leading Bernie Sanders' campaign in North Carolina. Today, she works with Higher Heights, seeking to mobilize Black women and increase their participation – and representation – in politics.

This week in state politics: North Carolina lawmakers failed to override the governor's vetoes so that gyms and skating rinks that were shutdown because of the pandemic could reopen. But in court, a group of bowling alleys won their argument that they're no riskier than resturants operating at limited capacity.

This Week In State Politics: the Governor delayed a decision about whether public schools would open in the fall.

Democratic state Rep. Deb Butler made national headlines last September when, following a surprise and controversial veto override vote, she grabbed a microphone and lit into Republican House Speaker Tim Moore.

Another bustling week in North Carolina politics included the toppling of Confederate monuments in the state capitol and elsewhere, the governor's decision to mandate face coverings statewide because of the coronavirus, and an after-hours marathon session at the General Assembly.

North Carolina lawmakers this week approved a plan to provide teachers with a one-time bonus. Meanwhile temperature checks at the General Assembly building were halted — albeit briefly — as the capital city moved to require masks to curb COVID-19. And a group of lawyers sent a letter to the governor and legislative leaders arguing Confederate monuments violate the state constitution.

Journalist Paul Woolverton was covering the protests in Fayetteville the last Saturday in May when he was attacked. He suffered a concussion, and still doesn’t remember some of what transpired outside the Cross Creek Mall.

After weeks of unrest over police brutality and systemic racism, North Carolina lawmakers turned attention back to two pieces of legislation: One would ease expungement of criminal records, another would let judges avoid some sentencing mandates.

As protests took place across North Carolina and the nation, calling for justice after the killing of George Floyd, President Donald Trump called for a greater use of force.

How does a campaign fundraise during a pandemic? If the RNC departs from Charlotte, does that give anyone a political advantage? Will we see the customary election-year rallies this fall?

This week began with President Trump trying to lure Gov. Roy Cooper into a tussle on Twitter.

As restaurants, salons and pools reopen (partially) in North Carolina over the Memorial Day weekend, there are varying levels of worry about the coronavirus.

Among the political disputes playing out in North Carolina these days is how best to hold elections this November.

Several sheriffs across the state signaled this week they won't enforce North Carolina's ban on church services held indoors.

North Carolina is entering the first phase of reopening after the coronavirus-related shutdowns. Outdoor church services are OK now, shoppers can return to malls, and the gates on state parks are coming up.

Since the coronavirus pandemic swept into North Carolina a couple of months ago, Dr. Mandy Cohen has become a familiar figure.

This week in state politics, lawmakers returned to the North Carolina General Assembly to deliberate how much of the available federal aid should be dolled out immediately.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced a couple of tough calls this week in the face of increasing frustration with social distancing restrictions.

As the Republican leader of the state Senate, Phil Berger is the most powerful man in North Carolina politics. For weeks, he's been pushing for random COVID-19 testing so the state can get a handle on the outbreak and reopen for business.

There were new calls this week for the reopening of business across North Carolina — there was even a protest in Raleigh against the governor's stay-at-home order.

Unemployment claims surpassed half a million, and various industries across North Carolina asked for help this week.

Republican Greg Murphy represents eastern North Carolina's 3rd District in the U.S. House. He's also a urologist, and the only doctor on Capitol Hill still seeing patients.

North Carolina is rounding out its first week under a statewide stay-at-home order.

Gov. Roy Cooper ordered North Carolinians to stay at home for thirty days starting 5 p.m. Monday, March 30. Healthcare providers worried about being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients cheered his decision. Businesses not necessarily.

It's been three weeks since Super Tuesday. Dozens of winners in federal, state, and local races were celebrating that night. But the vast majority of candidates who were on North Carolina's packed primary ballots lost.

As a global pandemic continues to spread throughout the country, a prominent North Carolina politician landed in the crosshairs on Thursday. Richard Burr, the senior U.S. Senator from North Carolina, gave a grim warning about the virus to a private audience, while striking a different message in public. Reporting this week also revealed he made 33 transactions, dumping as much as $1.7 million in stock as COVID-19 prepared to wreak financial havoc.

North Carolina's response to the coronavirus is changing every hour. Gov. Roy Cooper has strongly advised against gatherings of more than 100 people. And the courts will largely postpone hearings, beginning next week.

Presidential primary voters in North Carolina gave Joe Biden a decisive win on Super Tuesday after he'd been lagging in recent polls.

A two-for this week, recorded at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill in front of a live audience.

The insurance tycoon accused of trying to bribe the state insurance commissioner with $2 million in campaign donations went on trial this week.

Jim Blaine is an unapologetic and self-identified political hack. He is also one of the most respected political operatives in North Carolina. He was chief of staff to the Republican state senate leader before starting his own consulting company in 2018.

A judge this week reversed a settlement between the UNC System and the Sons of Confederate Veterans, making the fate of the mangled Silent Sam statue again uncertain.

Morgan Jackson has been a Democratic political tactician in North Carolina for more than 20 years. He is one of Gov. Roy Cooper's closest advisers.

Problems with the Iowa Caucuses dominate discussion about the Democratic presidential contest ahead of the New Hampshire primary. And in North Carolina, we get a look at the candidates' campaign finance reports.

U.S Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer purportedly imagined a Democrat would have to lock himself in a "windowless basement" and fundraise nonstop to beat incumbent GOP Sen. Thom Tillis in North Carolina. But, Cal Cunningham's campaign office has plenty of natural light.

While U.S. senators (and our airwaves) were occupied with an impeachment trial, former Vice President Joe Biden picked up a couple of endorsements from notable North Carolinians.

State Sen. Erica Smith says she's the progressive, credentialed, electable choice, even if the Democratic Party establishment isn't backing her campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Republican candidate for governor (and current lieutenant governor) Dan Forest claimed that Planned Parenthood was created to, "destroy the entire black race," during a Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration. Then on Wednesday he compared abortion to slavery.

WBTV reporter Nick Ochsner doesn't hesitate to confront a subject who he feels is ducking his questions. He has a reputation for being quick to file a lawsuit when it seems officials aren't following public records laws.

The North Carolina General Assembly convened for a single day this week. But no budget deal was brokered, and now we'll be without one at least until springtime.

The state superintendent made a $928,000 emergency purchase that stoked the fight with the state board of education over what tool schools should be using to evaluate reading skills.

North Carolina state Rep. Holly Grange is competing against the sitting lieutenant governor, Dan Forest, to be the Republican nominee for governor in 2020.

A judge put North Carolina's requirement that voters show photo ID on hold for now.

There was a flurry of political retirements (some spawned by redistricting), followed by a rush of candidate filings as the year came to a close in North Carolina.

The first black person elected to the North Carolina General Assembly in the 20th Century. ... First to win a statewide election. ... First to be the state's chief justice.

Rematches are shaping up for 2020 in some North Carolina legislative districts, while dozens of seats are still unopposed with a week to go for candidate filing.

We knew Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis was running for re-election, but he made a bit of news about impeachment when he filed. And Tillis is not running unopposed.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faced criticism this week for its decision to pay the Sons of Confederate Veterans $2.5 million, and hand over the Confederate monument Silent Sam which was erected during the Jim Crow era and loomed over the school’s campus until it was toppled in August, 2018.

Darren Jackson wants to be the next Speaker of the North Carolina House.

Plans to overhaul North Carolina's Medicaid program are on an indefinite hold — another casualty of the budget impasse.

Rufus Edmisten knows something about impeachment hearings.

North Carolina's General Assembly approved a replacement congressional map.

Republican Dan Forest wants to be promoted to governor of North Carolina.

The most powerful politician in North Carolina was accused of misusing campaign funds this week.

Lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly have begun redrawing congressional districts again.

The North Carolina General Assembly concluded this week with a decresendo. Legislators adjourned for a two-week recess without overriding a budget veto or finding much in the way of compromise.

Republican State Treasurer Dale Folwell went to battle with the General Assembly earlier this year over healthcare. He lost the battle, but the war over pricing, transparency, and reforming a system in North Carolina may not be over.

More "mini budgets" advanced in the North Carolina General Assembly this week.

Rep. John Szoka identifies himself as an "oddball" Republican.

Republicans in North Carolina's congressional delegation are split on President Donald Trump's withdrawal of troops from northern Syria.

State Rep. Graig Meyer thinks the money it takes to campaign for seats in the North Carolina General Assembly is really a lot. The Democrat also happens to be a key player in bringing in what his party needs to have a chance at reclaiming power.

A powerful state lawmaker borrowed $500,000 from a friend and political donor for a personal loan. Months later, that lender was indicted on federal bribery charges.

More trouble in the UNC System this week with a chancellor suspended after being caught on film at a bar with co-eds.

Expanding Medicaid eligibility to cover more low income North Carolinians could lead to 37,000 new jobs in the state. That's the projection from a George Washington University professor who produced a report earlier this year on the potential economic benefits of Gov. Roy Cooper's proposal. Dr. Leighton Ku shares his message for lawmakers on this edition of the politics podcast.

Democrats have filed another lawsuit challenging North Carolina's political boundaries, this time charging that the congressional map is too partisan. Could it make tensions between state Republicans and Democrats worse? This week the finger-pointing between lawmakers in the General Assembly included calls for lie detector tests.

Sen. Dan Blue is the longest serving member of the North Carolina General Assembly. With 36 years of experience in the Legislature, the Wake County Democrat is well-versed in redistricting, budget negotiations, and working with Republicans.

North Carolina legislators completed their court-ordered redistricting this week. Lawmakers were working on a swift turnaround and, for more transparency, the mapping sessions were livestreamed. The process drew criticism and praise. Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch discuss the meaning of "independent" redistricting and whether anything has changed with lawmakers' return to consideration of Medicaid expansion.

The North Carolina General Assembly is again sending redrawn district maps back to the court for review.

Even for relatively chaotic North Carolina, it was a wild week in state politics.

A major court ruling is forcing state lawmakers to redraw North Carolina General Assembly districts for 2020. And Hurricane Dorian interrupted early voting in two special congressional elections.

A major court ruling came Tuesday when three state judges rules that dozens of North Carolina legislative boundaries are illegal.

This episode of the Politics Podcast is an extended conversation from the Week in State Politics, a weekly conversation featured in All Things Considered.

Several of North Carolina's congressional districts are the focus of this week's politics podcast.

State lawmakers are showing no signs of a budget breakthrough as the fiscal year marks it's 40th day. On this episode of the WUNC Politics Podcast, Travis Fain (@travisfain), statehouse reporter for WRAL, addresses that as well as the latest mass shootings and why policy action is unlikely in Raleigh. Fain also meanders through life as a journalist, SEC football venues, and Big Sky country.

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore is a nine-term legislator from Cleveland County.

It’s the fourth week of the fiscal year, however, legislators and the Governor have yet to agree on a new budget for North Carolina.

North Carolina State lawmakers and the governor have still not agreed on a new spending plan for the budget year which began now more than two weeks ago.

There was plenty of budget discussion at the North Carolina General Assembly this week. But for now, still no agreement on a state spending plan. Many Democrats, led by the Governor, are pushing for the expansion of Medicaid as part of any compromise. Some Republicans, led by legislative leaders, continue to balk at that request, and say the minority party is holding the budget hostage.

Medicaid expansion is not the only major healthcare fight going on in state government these days. There is also a squabble over what to do about the state health plan.

Two major opinions were handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday.

Many cities across the country are dealing with a housing crisis. The problems are a complex intersection of, among many issues, affordability, capacity, poverty, wage growth and eviction. In a reporting collaborative, NPR member station WFDD (Winston-Salem) recently produced three stories about the challenges facing urban centers.

A test of divided government played out this week at the General Assembly, where Republicans failed to override a veto from Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. It was the first time in North Carolina political history that a veto-override was approved by one chamber, and then voted down by the other chamber. Colin Campbell of the NC Insider joins WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Jeff Tiberii to talk about the failed veto override, as well as the political effects of the Born Alive Act, and also delves into budget negotiations and craft distillery regulations.

There were plenty of political happenings in Raleigh and Washington this week.

Josh Stein became the 50th attorney general of North Carolina in January 2017. The Wake County Democrat has taken a more proactive role than his predecessor, both sparring and collaborating, with the Republican led legislature.

Significant changes are coming to the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

It was a relatively anticlimactic, non-controversial week at the General Assembly where lawmakers completed the biennial self-imposed exercise of crossover.

Thousands of teachers gathered outside the General Assembly this week to call on lawmakers to improve resources, funding, and student support.

This week on the podcast, our focus turns to two special congressional elections underway in the state. North Carolina's Ninth District was marred in an absentee election fraud scandal and November's apparent winner was never certified.

North Carolina House majority leader John Bell IV (R-Wayne) joins this edition of the podcast to discuss recent legislation, the current power dynamic with the Governor, and a special Congressional election. He also looks ahead to another major teacher rally planned for next month, and even offers his all-time hunting foursome.

The latest proposal to close the health care gap was introduced at the legislature this week.

North Carolina politics is the focus of a federal investigation into corruption. Four men, including the chair of the state Republican Party, were arrested this week for conspiring to bribe the state insurance commissioner.

North Carolina's congressional maps are partisan gerrymanders, but does that make them illegal?

Marcia Morey is a two-term House lawmaker from Durham County. The Democrat is a former judge, Olympian, and NCAA investigator.

David Lewis is one of the most influential lawmakers at the North Carolina General Assembly. The nine-term Republican and House Rules chair from Harnett County joins the podcast to discuss a range of topics.

Joining Jeff Tiberii on the politics podcast this week are Rob Schofield of the N.C. Justice Center and Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation.

Mark Meadows, special congressional elections, and hands-free driving are all fair game on this week's podcast.

Congressman David Price returns to the podcast to discuss some of what is playing out in the political landscape.

Chuck McGrady sits down for a conversation about some of the notable legislation he is pursuing this year at the North Carolina General Assembly.

NPR Political Correspondent Don Gonyea is already on the 2020 campaign trail.

The effects of the opioid epidemic extend from small North Carolina communities, to countries around the world.

With the North Carolina legislature convening at the end of the month, this episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast checks in on some of what is happening elsewhere.

A new legislature was sworn in this week and there are plenty of new elected officials. A total of 38 legislators are new to their posts and two of them join this week's podcast.

Rob Christensen has reported on, written about, and observed North Carolina politics for 45 years.

WUNC Data Reporter Jason de Bruyn joins this edition of the WUNCPolitics podcast.

North Carolina is again drawing the attention of the country for a rare political story.

There was plenty of North Carolina political news in Raleigh, and points beyond this week.

The 2018 midterm election is complete, and Jonathan Kappler provides a debrief on this episode of the podcast.

This week's WUNCPolitics Podcast takes a deep dive into a topic that's a decade in the making.

Former North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Bob Orr is the guest on this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast.

With the mid-term election less than three weeks away, former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory is the guest on this week's WUNC Politics podcast.

As Florence recovery marches on across portions of North Carolina, Governor Roy Cooper calls on the Legislature to appropriate a $750 million down payment. His request came the same week as a new report out from the United Nations on the short-term effects of climate change.

State lawmakers were civil and efficient during a one-day special session, when they approved the first steps of relief for victims of Florence.

Testimony about sexual harassment on Capitol Hill, new campaign ads in competitive Congressional races, and the most Gerrymandered maps in the country.

North Carolinians are likely to feel the impacts of Hurricane Florence for years to come.

Colleges campuses are again bustling and that means more young adults seeking mental health services.

Since 1990, North Carolina's population has grown by more than 3.5 million residents.

It was a neck-straining Tuesday in the world of politics.

Lawsuits challenging proposed changes to the state constitution, forecasts that show one North Carolina Congressional race in a dead heat, and former governors convening to assail state lawmakers.

This year's session at the General Assembly felt, at times, like a blur.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly wrapped up its short session Friday, passing an adjusted budget in time for the start of the fiscal year, above the objections of Democrats and Governor Roy Cooper’s veto.

Lawmakers are expected to send forth multiple proposed constitutional amendments in the coming days.

It's been a frenetic week at the North Carolina General Assembly.

Budgets, ballots and baseball are among the topics on this week's politics podcast.

Lawmakers engaged in some heated debate during budget week at the North Carolina General Assembly.

Republican lawmakers are rolling out a "living wage" provision as part of the state budget.

On this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics podcast, host Rusty Jacobs has an extended conversation about the aftermath of the Teacher Rally, possible incentives for Apple, and the coming budget discussions in the General Assembly.

Primaries are less than a week away and even though Democrats hope this year’s mid-term elections will be swept up in a blue wave, flipping GOP congressional districts in North Carolina will still be a tall order.

Democrats suing Republican legislative leaders over a law canceling judicial primaries this year subpoenaed records from the North Carolina GOP, which, this week, turned up memos outlining the state Republican Party's strategy targeting political opponents.

On this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast, Politics Reporter Rusty Jacobs sits down with Meredith College Political Science Professor David McLennan, who also directs Meredith Poll.

Patrick Woodie is President and CEO of the NC Rural Center, and is nearly complete with an 80-county road trip across the state.

Denver Post reporter John Frank joins this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics podcast to discuss the findings of a new independent report about sexual harassment at Colorado's Capitol.

Susan Roberts, political science professor at Davidson College, joins this edition of the WUNCPolitics Podcast.

Bob Orr is a former justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court. These days, he is an advocate for college athletes, remains passionate about constitutional law, and has been reading about Reconstruction-era history.

On this week's WUNC Politics Podcast, Colin Campbell of the NC Insider sits down for a conversation about writing his weekly column, an ongoing feud over the state board of elections, and harassment protocols at the General Assembly.

On this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast, Billy Ball, of NC Policy Watch, and Elena Schneider, of Politico, join WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Jeff Tiberii to discuss the latest political news.

The candidate filing period has concluded in North Carolina and there are hundreds of competitors for congressional, legislative and judicial races.

With candidates filing to run for state legislative seats, another lawsuit was filed this week, challenging a few of the political boundaries.

There was another mass shooting in the United States this week. That means another round of emotional reactions, social media sparring and carefully delivered messages by elected officials. If recent shootings serve as any example, it's also likely that no legislative action will follow.

It was a hectic week in downtown Raleigh, where lawmakers sparred with Governor Roy Cooper, debated the components of a multifaceted bill, and closed in on the 2018 election, which begins Monday with candidate filings.

Elected officials from both parties and at all levels of government are working on curbing the opioid crisis.

Andrew Dunn is a Charlotte-based journalist who recently started a website focused on North Carolina politics.

Thanks to winter weather, it was a slow work week for many in North Carolina. However, the political world trudged along with more redistricting and judicial developments.

Fans of the Carolina Panthers will watch their team in the Wildcard round of the NFL playoffs this Sunday in New Orleans. Soon those fans will wait to see what happens with the franchise. Jerry Richardson, the only owner the Panthers have ever known, will sell the team this off-season. The 81-year-old agreed to sell the team last month, after allegations of workplace harassment and misconduct were detailed in a report by Sports Illustrated.

On the latest episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast, Gary Robertson sits down to discuss a tumultuous year in North Carolina politics.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation with Gerry Cohen, who first ventured into the North Carolina General Assembly more than 45 years ago while working on his graduate thesis.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation about the future of Obamacare. Members of Congress could soon make fundamental change to The Affordable Care Act as part of a major tax overhaul.

North Carolina's largest managed care health organization came under further fire this week when it was taken over by a state agency.

Loretta Boniti is a senior political reporter with Spectrum News.

Democrats received a boost this week, as a wave of candidates celebrated victory in the first round of elections during the Trump Presidency.

Democrat David Price has seen plenty during his 30 years in the U.S. House, from the impeachment of President Bill Clinton to the chaos of a Trump Administration.

Jonathan Kappler got hooked on North Carolina politics during high school when he served in the House as a page. Today he's the Executive Director of the NC Free Enterprise Foundation.

As lawmakers reached across the aisle in an effort to move forward on changes to the Affordable Care Act, Washington erupted in another controversy this week.

On this week's episode of the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation with former WUNC reporter and producer Jorge Valencia. Jorge now reports from Mexico City for KJZZ, the public radio station in Phoenix.WUNC Capitol Bureau Chief Jeff Tiberii talks with his former reporting sidekick about the recent earthquake in Mexico, staying safe as a reporter, and Jorge's affinity for languages.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation with WUNC Political Reporter Rusty Jacobs.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation with Washington Times National Security Reporter Dan Boylan.

In North Carolina, women make up more than 51 percent of the population, yet they hold less than a quarter of the seats at the state legislature.

In recent weeks two major hurricanes have struck the United States, President Trump has continued to criticize journalists, and on Friday morning London suffered another attack when a homemade bomb went off on a commuter train. The news cycle has been uncharacteristically busy for the end of summer.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation with David Ford, reporter and host at WFDD.

This week on the WUNC Politics Podcast, a conversation with State Treasurer Dale Folwell.

This week on the WUNC Politics Podcast, a conversation about unrest in Charlottesville, Va., the toppling of a Confederate statue in Durham and President Donald Trump's response to recent events.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation with Jeremy Loeb, Morning Edition Host and reporter at Blue Ridge Public Radio.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a conversation about the process, history, and political gamesmanship of redistricting.

This week on the WUNCPolitics Podcast, a transgender tweetstorm, softening solar regulations and tales from overseas.