Tying It Together with Tim Boyum

Inspired by coverage of Watergate, Ned Barnett spent more than four decades in journalism. The Raleigh News & Observer editorial leader retired this month. He joins Tim to talk about his career, the role of opinion in journalism and the decline of newspapers in America.

On this week's episode, Tim talks about a group of center-left Democrats trying to make waves as partisanship continues to dominate the electorate. His guests are Debbie Cox Bultan, CEO of NewDEAL, and Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers. The national group held a conference in Raleigh and stopped by while in town. NewDEAL is a network of center-left elected leaders who are self-described pragmatists focusing on expanding opportunity and spurring growth. Alums of the group include Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro and Stacey Abrams.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with the man who helped ignite one of the biggest upsets in North Carolina political history in this year's primary. Sheriff Sam Page ousted North Carolina's most powerful politician, Senate leader Phil Berger, in March. But for years, Patrick Sebastian worked behind the scenes to help make it happen, risking his entire career.

On this week's episode, fellow podcasters and lobbyists Brian Lewis and Skye David join Tim to talk about big leadership changes at the legislature, the pros and cons of the lobbying profession and its vital role, plus how their podcasting adventure has changed it all.

As the North Carolina legislature returns, major questions remain as the state remains the only one without a new budget.  In addition, the state's most powerful politician, Phil Berger, lost his primary.  What will happen?  What will get done?  Political reporters Dawn Vaughan and Bryan Anderson join Tim to break it all down as lawmakers return to Raleigh this week.

On this week's episode, longtime aides to former governor and current U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper join Tim to talk about all things North Carolina politics. Sadie Weiner and Ford Porter shaped Cooper's messaging for a decade. Now, as they start their own firm, they join Tim to dish some behind-the-scenes stories, what it was like to message as COVID-19 hit and through multiple destructive hurricanes.

On this week's show, Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell joins Tim to talk about all things Raleigh. From a food icon complimenting the food scene to potential problems with property taxes, they talk about the past, present and future. Cowell was elected in 2024 after serving in the state Senate, as state treasurer and leading the city's "Central Park of the South," Dix Park.

On this week's show, Rockingham Sheriff Sam Page joins Tim just hours after he being Senate leader Phil Berger in a state senate primary and arguably the biggest political upset in modern North Carolina political history.  Page answers why he thinks he won, his phone call with Berger, how he hopes to fit in in the legislature, the story behind his signature cowboy hat, and what his mother thought of all the attack ads against him.

On this week's show, longtime and top North Carolina Republican consultant Paul Shumaker joins Tim to talk about why North Carolina's most powerful politician, Phil Berger, has likely lost his primary race and what it means for the future of the party.  They also talk about the impact of Iran and prices on the midterm elections, especially in the nation's most closely U.S. Senate race here in North Carolina.  Finally, Shumaker discusses Senator Thom Tillis' newfound independence in Washington, D.C. as his final year in office winds down. Shumaker has been a top consultant for over four decades, prominently representing U.S. Senators Thom Tillis and Richard Burr, among others.

After a decade in public office, Sen. Graig Meyer (D-Orange) is leaving the General Assembly to head up the state's leading progressive think tank, the North Carolina Justice Center.  Meyer joins Tim to talk about leaving office, the current status of progressives and Democrats in North Carolina, and the shocking news of the state's most powerful politician, Phil Berger, on the verge of losing his seat in the legislature.

On this week's episode of tying it together, host Tim Boyum talks with N.C. Health News founder Rose Hoban.  Rose shares her story how she went from a nurse and hospice administrator to journalist to entrepreneur as she started her own journalism organization focused on health.  Rose also shares impactful stories about her time as a hospice administrator.

What happens when a Republican operative bucks his party in a very public manner?  On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Carlton Huffman joins host Tim Boyum to talk about the moment he began criticizing Donald Trump and his supporters and the consequences.  In recent months, he's also been critical of ICE arrests in places like Minnesota.

The Grammy nominated Avett Brothers are well known for their folk rock music around the world. The bassist, Bob Crawford, is also a historian, however.  This week the North Carolinian joins host Tim Boyum to talk about his love for history and his new book "John Quincy Adams, from President to Political Maverick".

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, State Senator Michael Garrett (D-Guilford) joins host Tim Boyum to talk about a whirlwind of a couple weeks where he visited Minnesota and sat in on legislative hearings about ICE operations in Minnesota.  Then, the night of the Super Bowl, a post he made about Bad Bunny went very viral! 

North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton joins host Tim Boyum this week to talk about her pitch to make North Carolina the first primary state for the 2028 presidential election.  What are the state's chances and what would it mean?  Crucially, what's her strategy for persuading Republican legislative leaders to permit it?

On this week's episode, host Tim Boyum talks with Greg Barnes from Inside Carolina about perhaps the most controversial and hot topic of the future of UNC basketball.  To many, it appeared the Tar Heels were poised to announce a new arena on a future campus site. But then a legendary coach released a video pleading to renovate the current arena.  It's a fascinating and emotional debate for the country's oldest public university, which enjoys one of college basketball's most storied programs.

Spectrum News meteorologist Lee Ringer joins Tim to talk in depth about the modeling meteorologists use to try and predict the weather. This recent winter weather showed the delicate nature when some people shared early models with significant snow, but days later the forecast completely changed and disappointed snow lovers.

  On this week's episode of Tying it Together, Dr. Bruce Jentleson joins host Tim Boyum to explain the story behind all the foreign policy battles garnering the attention of President Trump — from Iran, Venezuela, Ukraine, to Greenland.  Jentleson is a professor at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University.  He's a former senior adviser at the State Department under the Obama and Clinton administrations. He also served as a senior foreign policy advisor to the Al Gore presidential campaign and lectures around the world on foreign policy.

This week, State Senator DeAndrea Salvador (D-Mecklenburg) joins host Tim Boyum to tell the unbelievable story of a 2018 TED Talk she gave that was altered by artificial intelligence to make her say things she never said during the speech.  That AI material was then used in an ad by Whirlpool and even won an award, and she's now filed suit.

Tim sits down with a Colombian native and U.S. citizen with his unique perspective on the November immigration raids by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Manolo Betancur owns a bakery but shut it down when the raids began.

On this week's episode, we take a deep dive into the fascinating history of North Carolina's state capitol.  Kara Deadmon, the site administrator, will share the building's story, from its fiery destruction to its relocation. She talks about the enslaved who helped build it, and even etchings on a window dating back to the 1800s.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, it's our annual holiday extravaganza. Host Tim Boyum and political insiders Billy Warden and Brian Lewis look back at 2025. They will honor longtime Gov. Jim Hunt, who died in December, and review another wild year in politics in North Carolina and beyond.  Warden is a marketing and communications expert with RLF Communications. Lewis is a lobbyist with New Frame. 

Political prognosticator Kyle Kondik joins host Tim Boyum to talk about early expectations for the 2026 midterm elections. They will talk about the nation's most watched Senate race in North Carolina, how redistricting could impact the power in Congress, and whether affordability will dominate voter's intentions.

This week, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson sits down with host Tim Boyum to talk about his first year in the position.  The Democrat talks about his process of deciding whether to sue the Trump administration, trying his first case ever in front of the state supreme court and his latest work involving artificial intelligence.  They also talk in depth about Jackson's passion to avoid "outrage politics" and why he thinks his explainer videos caught on and went viral.

This week on Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with UNC law professor Gene Nichol who recently released a book called "Now what? How North Carolina Can Blace a Progressive Path Forward." Nichol, famous for his focus on poverty and equality, discusses how football recruiting shaped his political views.  He also recounts his battles with Republican legislative leaders, the closing of his poverty center, and the seemingly constant redistricting battles. 

This week, as America celebrates Thanksgiving, host Tim Boyum welcomes author and historian Kenneth Davis to the Tying it Together podcast.  Davis talks about the true history behind the story of the first Thanksgiving and many of the myths.  The menu will surprise you, and we bet you can't guess which president signed the first proclamation declaring Thanksgiving a holiday.  Davis is a New York Times bestselling author of the "Don't Know Much About History" book series and his current book "The World in Books". 

U.S. Senator and Republican Ted Budd joins host Tim Boyum for a wide-ranging conversation on the Tying it Together podcast. They talk about his upbringing and how his first run for office literally happened hours before the deadline and resulted in a 17-way primary. Later, they talk about the government shutdown, health care, federal raids in Charlotte, the 2026 elections, and even the controversy of the Epstein files.

This week, Tim talks with Spectrum National Political Anchor Errol Louis about Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral race.  Louis, host of NY1's "Inside City Hall" and his podcast "You Decide," has interviewed Mamdani and moderated one of the few debates. They talk about Mamdani's background, democratic socialism and how it could play out in other races across the country, including North Carolina's 2026 U.S. Senate race. Later, Louis talks about what it's like to end up as a character in a Saturday Night Live sketch.

In this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with popular blogger and content creator Cassie Clark.  She spends most of her time online preserving southern culture and history, but recently she has been thrown into politics after a post she made with a Charlie Kirk shirt on.  Elon Musk retweeted her post that now has more than 21 million views. She now says her life has changed forever.  Tim talks with Cassie about her background, the shirt incident and why she now says she will take on politics after avoiding it for years.

This week on Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum heads to the state fair to talk with Labor Commissioner Luke Farley. Prior to his role in public service, Commissioner Farley practiced law privately, with a focus on workplace safety. They'll discuss the complex safety procedures needed for approving rides at the N.C. State Fair. They also discuss his unlikely rise in politics as they eat a pork belly churro and much more.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum and his guests tackle the latest craziness in North Carolina politics.  Following Texas, California and others, the North Carolina is set to pass another new Congressional map this week.  The state's most powerful politician is facing a primary.  Finally, the 2026 U.S. Senate race continues to garner all kinds of attention and money. Tim is joined by Brian Lewis, a lobbyist and podcaster, along with Billy Warden, a marketing expert and journalist, to discuss everything.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with the man who is challenging North Carolina's most powerful politician. Senate leader Phil Berger has led Republicans ever since they took full control of the legislature in 2011. However, an unsuccessful attempt to expand casinos in the state opened the door for criticism. As a result, Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page plans to run against Sen. Berger in next year's Republican primary. This week, we get to know Sheriff Page, why he's running, and why he thinks he can beat the Berger campaign and money behind it.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum chats with Congressman Pat Harrigan.  The Republican representing the 10th district is a former Army Special Forces officer and Green Beret. He graduated from West Point with a degree in nuclear engineering, as well.  Tim and Rep. Harrigan talk about his background in the military, why he ran for Congress, the partisan divide and the debate over crime in cities like Charlotte.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton.  Clayton discusses next year's top-watched U.S. Senate race, the future of the Democratic party and the political debates centered on crime in the state and around the country. Clayton, who was the nation's youngest state party chair just two years earlier, recently secured a second term as head of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with two First Amendment experts in light of the debate over free speech since the death of Charlie Kirk and Jimmy Kimmel's temporary suspension.  Tim's guests are UNC Law professor Bill Marshall and Campbell Law professor Greg Wallace.  They will debate the origins, any exceptions, and whether recent events are tiptoeing the line of violating the First Amendment.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum dives back into the world of college athletics, focusing on the political aspects of the sport as the college football season continues. This week, he takes a closer look at UNC-Chapel Hill after shocking the world and hiring Bill Belichick. He works to learn how the university is navigating revenue sharing, conference realignment and raised expectations.  Tim is joined by Greg Barnes from Inside Carolina and the On3 network. He's been at the forefront of writing about the business side of UNC athletics.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum talks with Matt Brown from Extra Points.  As the college football season heats up, we are talking about the politics of college athletics, from NIL and conference realignment to even video games. Will politicians intervene?  We tackle it all with the founder and publisher of Extra Points, which tackles all things college sports off the field.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, host Tim Boyum travels to Cornelius to meet with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. There they talk about his debate with President Trump and his decision to retire. Sen. Tillis talks in depth about the conversations with President Trump, his decision not to run for reelection and the death threats he has received in recent years.  They also walk the mountain bike path that led to his political career in the first place.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, pollster Tom Jensen joins host Tim Boyum to talk about early polling in the 2026 U.S. Senate race and whether we can really glean any insight this early into the race.  Jensen also talks in depth about the overall political mood for 2026, the highs and lows for candidates Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley, and why we should reconsider everything we think we know about the race.  Jensen has been a pollster with the nationally recognized Public Policy Polling since 2007. He's a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate.

On this week's episode of Tying it Together, an exclusive interview with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley.  The RNC Chairman and former N.C. GOP chairman discusses his decision to run for office for the first time, his race against former Gov. Roy Cooper, and all the issues that will make this the most important and closely watched race in the country in 2026.

With cryptocurrency in political headlines from Congress to the White House, we figured it was time to get some experts on to help us understand it all. Two well-versed and well-spoken experts from Duke University join host Tim Boyum to share their experiences. Jimmie Lenz is the Director of the Master of Engineering in Financial Technology and Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity at Duke University. Lee Reiners is a lecturing fellow at Duke University and Duke Law. They have both testified before Congress on the issues and have their own podcast called Coffee and Crypto with Lee and Jimmie.

In just one summer week, the nation's most important and expensive race blew up with former Gov. Roy Cooper and RNC Chairman Michael Whatley both entering the race.  They are likely to face each other in the 2026 general election to replace Senator Thom Tillis.  This week, one of the state's most prominent consultants, Republican Jim Blaine, joins us to break down what each candidate brings to the table, their potential pitfalls and who has an advantage some 15 months before the highly anticipated election.  Blaine is a co-founder of The Differentiators and was one of Sen. Phil Berger's most powerful lieutenants.

Host Tim Boyum welcomes Dr. Kathy Dello this week, as they analyze the extensive flooding that has impacted our state throughout the summer.   Dr. Dello is the State Climatologist and Director of the State Climate Office. She explains the science behind the recent intense rainfall and the role climate change has played in these storms.  She also talks in depth about the future of our climate and challenges local communities and the state may face if it continues.