Domecast from Under the Dome

Everything you need to know about former North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Michael Regan, now President Joe Biden's nominee for the Environmental Protection Agency. Our Washington correspondent Brian Murphy hosts, with hurricane recovery, environmental and now vaccine reporter Adam Wagner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our look ahead at the week of Feb. 15, we'll discuss what might happen as the school reopening bill nears final passage and action from Gov. Roy Cooper. And we'll take a look at prospects for marijuana legalization in North Carolina. Will Doran hosts. Our podcast has moved! Please subscribe to the new feed by searching "Under The Dome" on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman and investigative reporter Tyler Dukes talk about what they learned from an analysis of the 2020 election precinct data. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our look ahead at the week of Feb. 8, we'll discuss what's next in the legislature's effort to reopen public schools and pass COVID-19 aid. And we'll take a look at how the "consensus revenue forecast" due out this week could affect those efforts. Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell. Our podcast has moved! Please subscribe to the new feed by searching "Under The Dome" on your favorite podcast app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year of remote work and virtual schooling has exposed the inequities in broadband internet access in North Carolina. What will it take to get every rural corner of the state online with high-speed connections? "North Carolina probably has a billion-dollar broadband need gap," says Jody Heustess, this week's guest on the podcast. He's a vice president at ATMC, which has received several of the state's "GREAT" grants to help private internet providers expand service in rural areas. Insider editor Colin Campbell hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Domecast is now Under The Dome, launching a new season as the legislature starts its new session. Search "Under The Dome" on your favorite podcast app to subscribe to the new episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While our podcast takes a break over the holidays (we're planning a revamped format for 2021!), here's a chance for listeners to catch the Insider's 2021 healthcare policy preview event, sponsored by the NC Healthcare Association. Panelists included Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, Rep. Gale Adcock, D-Wake, lobbyist Tom Fetzer of Fetzer Strategic Partners, Sue Ann Forrest of the NC Medical Society and retired hospital executive Phyllis Wingate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With most ballots now counted and several close races, North Carolina could be headed for a lengthy and tedious recount. Our panel of reporters looks ahead to how that will work, and what to expect next month with the Electoral College convenes at the old State Capitol to finalize the presidential election. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Chiara Vercellone, Colin Campbell and Danielle Battaglia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Election results are (mostly) in, so our team of political reporters takes a look at what drove the wins and losses Tuesday -- and whether any of the results really should have been a surprise. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Brian Murphy, Lucille Sherman and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with her colleague Colin Campbell about some of the legislative races we'll be watching closely on election night. This is the ninth episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Election Day grows closer, our team of political journalists explains the main factors that will affect the outcome of this year's election in North Carolina -- and what to watch for Tuesday night and possibly the days to follow. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Will Doran, Danielle Battaglia and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with her colleague Danielle Battaglia about the latest on the North Carolina election lawsuit that's made its way through the courts. This is the eighth episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election (with the exception of this episode). Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's podcast, we share a live event from The News & Observer, "Disinformation in Local Elections: How to spot it and what you can do." Moderated by Domecast host Dawn Vaughan, the panel features experts from North Carolina universities along with local journalists and national fact-checking organizations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with former News & Observer columnist Barry Saunders about House District 66. This is the seventh episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top-of-the-ballot races are getting most of the attention this year, but several statewide races for Council of State positions like lieutenant governor, attorney general and agriculture commission are drawing plenty of fireworks too. Our panel of reporters explains the highlights. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell and Danielle Battaglia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with The News & Observer's Danielle Battaglia about Senate District 31. This is the sixth episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Correction: In this episode, it's incorrectly stated that Terri LeGrand ran in Senate District 31 against Joyce Krawiec in 2018. That's incorrect. LeGrand ran in House District 74 against Debra Conrad in 2018. Thanks to listener Liz Noland for the flag.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With many of the General Assembly's key lawmakers not seeking re-election this year, who will be the power players in 2021? We discuss the rising stars in both parties, and how they could shape next year's legislature regardless of which party wins the majority in November. Dawn Vaughan hosts with Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks DC correspondent Brian Murphy about the US Senate Race. This is the fifth episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A proposed legal settlement that will change rules for absentee ballots prompted the two Republicans on the State Board of Elections to abruptly resign last week. Our panel of political reporters sorts through what happened, and how it could set the stage for a messy battle over election results. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell and Danielle Battaglia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with House District 9 candidates and North Carolina Coalition for Fiscal Health Executive Director Austin Vevurka about how health care plays into this race. This is the fourth episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with Elon University's Madison Taylor about the lay of the land in Senate District 24. This is the third episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The election season is heating up with rhetoric about reopening schools, defunding the police in more. Our panel of political reporters sorts through the claims and the candidates' apparent strategies. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Will Doran, Danielle Battaglia and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

News & Observer state politics reporters Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan and Lucille Sherman talk about the North Carolina General Assembly's relationship with the governor and its influence on the race between Gov. Roy Cooper and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. This is the second episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the legislature wrapped up for 2020, we look back at what issues proved to be the biggest winners and losers, from Medicaid expansion to criminal justice reforms to reopening efforts. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

State politics reporter Lucille Sherman talks with two candidates running for North Carolina's House District 37 race — Representative Sydney Batch and Erin Paré — about education, healthcare and more. This is the first episode of the special elections edition of Domecast. We'll spotlight a different statewide or legislative race every week until the election. Read more from Sherman and the rest of The News & Observer's politics team at newsobserver.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After passing about a billion dollars of coronavirus relief funding, the legislature has (or so they claim) adjourned for the year. Our reporters review the bill and the ceremonial handkerchief drop ceremony that takes place for the "sine die" adjournment. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legislature is back Sept. 2 for what's expected to be a brief session on coronavirus funding, but what fights are brewing between Republican lawmakers and the governor? Our panel of reporters discusses what to expect. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Campaign finance-related scandals took center stage this week as donor Greg Lindberg was sentenced and the House Rules chairman resigned and took a plea deal on federal charges. Our team of political reporters unpacks what happened and what it means for state politics, as well as concerns over public records. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's pick for vice president, how will the history-making choice impact the election in North Carolina? Our panel of political reporters discusses how this could be a banner year for women of color up and down the ballot -- even as a national report gave NC a "D" rating for a low percentage of women in elected offices. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Lucille Sherman and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, our politics team is saying farewell to summer intern Julian Shen-Berro. It was Julian's first experience with North Carolina politics, so we'll hear his takes on the state and its political scene. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Will Doran, Julian Shen-Berro, Lucille Sherman and Danielle Battaglia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

North Carolina got back-to-back visits from President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the past week, a sign that we'll be a key swing state even if this year's presidential campaign is far from normal. Our panel of political reporters explain why that's the case and what to expect as election season moves forward. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Julian Shen-Berro and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a break in the legislative action, some of our political reporters have been traveling around in rural North Carolina. On this week's episode, they'll share what they're seeing outside Raleigh as people around the state react to the coronavirus pandemic and the looming November election. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Lucille Sherman, Colin Campbell, Will Doran and Julian Shen-Berro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mid-July is a happy time for politics nerds: Campaign finance reports are in! Our team of reporters breaks down the numbers. Who are the biggest donors? Which campaigns and which political party is struggling the most? And why is the former CEO of Google one of NC's biggest political donors? Colin Campbell hosts, with Will Doran, Danielle Battaglia and Julian Shen-Berro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A vetoed change to public records law and the death of a Forsyth County jail inmate has prompted a renewed debate over what information is public when someone dies in an encounter with the criminal justice system. Our panel of reporters explains where things stand. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Julian Shen-Berro, Lucille Sherman, Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Masks have become one of the hottest political debates in North Carolina, with Gov. Roy Cooper mandating them in public spaces while the legislature continues to keep its building a mask-optional zone. Our team of political reporters sorts through the rhetoric and the facts. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Danielle Battaglia, Julian Shen-Berro and Lucille Sherman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a wild and long week, the General Assembly wrapped up its work at 3 a.m. Friday morning. Our team of reporters was there and explains some of the last-minute surprises. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Lucille Sherman, Julian Shen-Berro and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legislature is in high gear for the final weeks of the strange 2020 short session, with more fights over reopening, teacher pay and more. Our panel of reporters sorts through the action ahead of adjournment. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The battle between Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican legislature over when to reopen businesses has reached the veto and override stage. Our panel of reporters looks at how the drama played out in the House this week on an override that wasn't, and what's ahead in this year's tight budget process. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Lucille Sherman, Will Doran and Danielle Battaglia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our reporter panel sorts through a wild week in North Carolina news, from major protests to the Republican National Convention's decision to (partially?) pull out of Charlotte, to the legislature's efforts to overturn coronavirus executive orders. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Lucille Sherman, Danielle Battaglia, Will Doran and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To quote N.C. Rep. Robert Reives, "the COVID kumbaya is over" at the legislature as partisanship returns. Our reporter panel looks at the fighting -- and infighting -- as the short session ramps up. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Danielle Battaglia, Will Doran and Lucille Sherman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As North Carolina enters "Phase Two" of reopening, the partisan splits over Gov. Roy Cooper's actions seem to be getting even deeper. Our team of reporters discusses the political fallout as restaurants and personal services businesses reopen and the legislature ramps up, plus what the coronavirus data shows. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell, Lucille Sherman and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The debate over when and how to reopen North Carolina's economy seems to grow more political by the day. Our team of political reporters sorts through the rhetoric and what the data on coronavirus shows. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Lucille Sherman, Danielle Battaglia, Will Doran and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special bonus episode, Brian Murphy joins sister McClatchy politics podcast Beyond the Bubble to discuss all things North Carolina. Is it a true presidential battleground state? How concerned is President Donald Trump's campaign about reaching minority voters there? And how will a pivotal Senate race in the state between Republican Thom Tillis and Democrat Cal Cunningham influence both parties' thinking? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legislature has wrapped up, for a few weeks, after one of its most unusual sessions in history. Our panel of reporters discusses the scene in the Legislative Building -- to mask or not to mask? -- and what coronavirus response measures might be coming next. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Lucille Sherman, Danielle Battaglia and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our 200th episode as the podcast turns five, we preview the upcoming legislative session that will be focused on the state's response to coronavirus. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Will Doran and Danielle Battaglia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our team of socially distanced political reporters reviews the latest North Carolina data on the coronavirus and the potential responses from Gov. Roy Cooper and the legislature. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Will Doran and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our reporter panel discusses the latest coronavirus developments in North Carolina, as well as the potential political fallout from the public health crisis. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Colin Campbell, Will Doran, Lucille Sherman and Colin Campbell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the results from Super Tuesday in, our reporter panel looks at the biggest surprises from election night -- some in races that didn't get much attention. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Lucille Sherman, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Super Tuesday a week away, our reporter panel looks at some of the interesting primary contests that are getting overshadowed by all the presidential campaign news. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the trial of mega-donor businessman Greg Lindberg getting under way in Charlotte, our reporter panel discusses what we know about the case so far, from "Public Official C" to "under the table" blueberries. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The presidential primary race is turning to North Carolina, so our panel of reporters discusses what surprises we might see here in a few weeks -- both in the marquee races and downballot contests. Dawn Vaughan hosts, with Danielle Battaglia, Colin Campbell and Will Doran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices