Podcasts about nc legislature

Oh, what a difference a year makes! One year after the surprise failure in the House, sports gambling passes both chambers of the NC Legislature. What happens next? It takes another nine months before anyone can legally bet on sports. Brian Murphy from WRAL News and Tim Donnelly from 99.9 The Fan look at where the tax money goes, who stands to gain and what this means for the future of sports and sports fans in North Carolina.  For more coverage from WRAL News on sports betting in NC, go to https://www.wral.com/sports-betting/  To reach the NC Problem Gambling Helpline call 877-718-5543. 

The post NC legislature is a poster child for the dysfunction documented in scholar's new book appeared first on NC Newsline.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a nurse who's impacted her state like our guest today has done in North Carolina. Gale Adcock is serving her term in the NC Senate after eight years in the NC House and seven years on her local town council. Those 16 years in office have given her a seat at the table and she's used it to provide nurses across the state with an advocate to speak on their behalf. Today we're sharing our conversation with her from the NCANA Meeting, where she was also surprised with two well-deserved honors.      Here's some of what we discuss in this episode: Senator Adcock finds out she has been awarded the Legislator of the Year Award by the NCANA and named an honorary member of the NCANA. Her four-decade background in nursing and how she got into politics. Why she feels nurses have the makeup and the background to be great leaders and elected officials. How to properly communicate with your local representative in a way they'll pay attention and take notice. The status of the SAVE Act and why it hasn't passed yet. How can CRNAs become more comfortable in the advocacy arena. What can you do to affect other elections that would be helpful to you as a CRNA?   About our guest: https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/s/436   Visit us online: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/   Get the CE Certificate here: https://beyondthemaskpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Beyond-the-Mask-CE-Cert-FILLABLE.pdf   Help us grow by leaving a review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-the-mask-innovation-opportunities-for-crnas/id1440309246

What can NC State QB MJ Morris learn the most during the bye week and just five total starts in his college career? Also, the North Carolina Legislature is going to discuss conference realignment that would involve public universities in the State of North Carolina, and what guidelines could be put in place to ensure that schools aren't left behind when it comes to realignment. 

On the local news roundup, school performance and test scores are out around North Carolina. How'd we do in Mecklenburg County? Less experienced operators appear to be a factor in many of Charlotte Area Transit Systems' recent derailments. And the Panthers play Atlanta to start the NFL season. Guest host David Boraks and guests cover that and more.

On the local news roundup, school performance and test scores are out around North Carolina. How'd we do in Mecklenburg County? Less experienced operators appear to be a factor in many of Charlotte Area Transit Systems' recent derailments. And the Panthers play Atlanta to start the NFL season. Guest host David Boraks and guests cover that and more.

North Carolina Republican lawmakers are looking to revamp the state Board of Elections - making it an 8-member body with equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans. The current system gives the Governor appointment power over all local and state boards - with majorities controlled by his party.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows is among those indicted in Georgia for racketeering. The No Labels party finds its way to state ballots. The North Carolina legislature overrides several key gubernatorial vetoes. And in a rare move, Mayor Vi Lyles endorses a candidate for Charlotte City Council. Those stories and more.

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.

North Carolina Republican lawmakers set a record yesterday with six veto overrides in a single day, with some of the measures being supported by Democrats.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on Breaking with Brett Jensen we're joined by Mark Garrison to talk about the Fairness in Women's Sports Act progressing through the NC Legislature. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The General Assembly overrides the governor's veto and abortion restrictions tighten. Mecklenburg County manager Dena Diorio releases the proposed County Budget. And Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools could have a new Superintendent by the end of the week. Those stories and more on the local news roundup on Charlotte Talks.

Tonight on Breaking with Brett Jensen Brett goes behind the scenes to talk about the NC Legislature voting to override Governor Roy Cooper's abortion bill veto + Brett explains how Rep. Tricia Cotham  is still under attack following her switch to the Republican Party. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Carolina's legislature passed more than 100 different bills this week as it rushed to reach a “crossover” deadline. The agenda included several controversial pieces of conservative social legislation: A ban on abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, a ban on gender transition surgery for people under 18, and a repeal of the state's concealed-carry gun permit requirements. To sort through the hectic action, WUNC's Capitol Bureau Chief Colin Campbell spoke with Hannah Schoenbaum, political reporter for The Associated Press, and Dawn Vaughan, Capitol bureau chief for The News & Observer. The trio of journalists also point out noteworthy bills that escaped attention on crossover week.

What does this bill strip away, that was presented to the NC Legislature regarding high school sports?  Is there more to this decision that just NIL for high schoolers? What seed was planted that started this snowball in the direction it’s going? Adam asked someone who’s closer to the topic and they mentioned an interesting stat about this topic. On a different topic, where are we with PNC Arena and their lease/contract?

Why are there plenty of reasons to keep an eye on where things are going with NIL in high schools? Does this conclusion have anything to do with NIL or another ulterior motive? Will the NCHSA have any input on this matter? This bill seems to be more of a political move than an NIL move…

CMS continues its search for a Superintendent as Gaston County's just begins. Mecklenburg County's air quality is graded “F.” The North Carolina legislature advances a bill barring trans athletes. And drag shows where minors can see them may become illegal in the state. Those stories and more on the Local News Roundup.

Republican lawmakers filed half a dozen bills last week dealing with transgender youth. Two would ban transgender girls from playing on girl sports teams, basing eligibility on what a student’s birth certificate says. Others limit hormone therapy and medical procedures. All of them draw North Carolina further into a culture war raging across the country.

(Segment 1, 1/7/2023 Show) Happy New Year 2023, Everybody! By now, the pomp and circumstance of the new year has most likely settled down, and hopefully you were able to participate in some sort of New Year's Eve & Day traditions, whether big or small. One small North Carolina town usually does just that, but with a celebration different than most. Enter the "Possum Drop" - a rallying town new-year celebration where a possum is safely placed inside a box and, much like the New York City crystal ball, descends to officially ring in the new year. But that is changing! The NC Legislature has recently adopted new rules and language which closes loopholes allowing celebrations like this one to take place. Listen in to this segment of The Carolina Outdoors as the Outdoor Guys chat about the history and current status of the event! Learn more about this unique tradition which is coming to an end.

U.S. Supreme Court justices heard arguments Wednesday in Moore v. Harper, a closely watched case out of North Carolina focused in part on who has the authority to determine how elections are conducted. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain provides a breakdown of the arguments. And WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie, who was in the chamber, gives us an on-the-ground glimpse of the scene in Washington.

The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case that opponents say will destroy democracy. The case is called "Moore v Harper" and it rests on an argument that state legislatures have authority to control federal election rules, as outlined in the US Constitution. From Mitch Kokai at the Carolina Journal: Here's the question state lawmakers presented to the nation's highest court: “Whether a State's judicial branch may nullify the regulations governing the ‘Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives … prescribed … by the Legislature thereof,' and replace them with regulations of the state courts' own devising, based on vague state constitutional provisions purportedly vesting the state judiciary with power to prescribe whatever rules it deems appropriate to ensure a ‘fair' or ‘free' election.” ... A three-judge trial court panel agreed that lawmakers had drawn a map clearly favoring Republicans. But the bipartisan panel also ruled unanimously that nothing within the state's constitution or legal history blocked legislators from using partisanship in the map-drawing process. The state Supreme Court disagreed. With a 4-3 party-line vote, the court's Democratic majority threw out the map. Justices gave lawmakers suggestions, but no firm rules, for how to avoid excessive partisanship with a revised map. The high court returned the case to the trial court. The three-judge trial panel then tossed out the legislature's revised map. Judges substituted their own map for the 2022 election cycle. The state Supreme Court did nothing to block that decision. ... Lawmakers take direct aim at the state Supreme Court's Democratic justices, who called on trial court judges to oversee the mapmaking process. “Rather than setting forth a determinate legal standard, the state supreme court remanded to the trial court to conduct the quintessentially political task of applying ‘some combination' of various partisanship metrics, … yet the supreme court refused to specify which of these ‘set of metrics' should actually be used to ‘demonstrate or disprove the existence of an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander,'” lawmakers argued. Legislative leaders note that the N.C. Supreme Court based its ruling against partisan gerrymandering on state constitutional provisions that say nothing about election maps.    Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO GRASSROOTS VICTORY IN 2022…& THE GLOBAL NUKE NIGHTMARE, FROM UKRAINE TO DIABLO CANYON     On the GREE_GREE zoom #105 we offer a definitive template on the nuts and bolts of the grassroots organizing needed to turn the people's will in the 2022 mid-term elections.   ANDREA MILLER and RAY MCCLENDON fill us in on the granular steps that forced the 2021 “Georgia Miracle” onto the changing face of American politics.  They're followed by TATANKA BRICCA who adds to the narrative his hands-on experience organizing with the likes of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.   Co-Convenor JOEL SEGAL then joins ROBERT WILSON with their accounts of parallel campaigning in North Carolina.  Joel and Robert later introduce us to LARRY HALL, a critical leader of the NC Legislature.   On August 29 we'll convene a National Congress of Grassroots 2022 Organizing to link on-the-ground groups together from all over the US.  WENDI LEDERMAN is compiling a master list of the nation's on-the-ground operations to be represented as we further gather the progressive momentum needed to save this nation.   Hearing from DOROTHY REIK, DR. RUTH STRAUSS, LYNN FEINERMAN and more, we're joined by Beyond Nuclear's PAUL GUNTER, who provides the detail on the massive reactor bailouts included in the just-passed Biden-Manchine Inflation-Reduction Act.     We also dive into the horrifying realities of six atomic reactors at Ukraine's Zaporizyzya, six big nukes surrounded by heavy weaponry in the Russo-Ukrainian war zone.     This ungodly nightmare of exploding reactors carries into California, as LINDA SEELEY of the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace updates the fight to shut the insanely dangerous Diablo Canyon nukes as soon as possible.     Overall this unique excursion into grassroots organizing and safe energy imperatives is not to be missed.    

NC GOP Chair Michael Whatley joins Pete to talk about the NC Legislature being forced to re-draw new Congressional and District maps for the state and says lawyer Marc Elias - who has known ties to the Democratic party - is defending Leftist maps in other states.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dallas Woodhouse of the Carolina Journal and the John Locke Foundation joins Pete to talk about the latest update as the NC Legislature is forced to re-draw new Congressional maps for the state.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former NC Lt. Governor Dan Forrest's Chief Of Staff joins Chad Adams and says that the Left has been planning to sue for new maps going all the way back to 2017 before the NC Legislature even drew up Congressional lines.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation joins Pete to talk about the NC Supreme Court throwing out the district maps drawn by the NC Legislature and says that they didn't do the General Assembly any favors with their ruling. Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third hour of the show, Pete talks about how the Left has had chances to fix voter integrity over the years with certain key bills but when Election Day comes around...they fall back on their excuses and immoral stances. Andy Jackson of the John Locke Foundation joins to talk about the NC Supreme Court voting down the NC Legislature district maps. Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NC House Speaker Tim Moore joins Pete Kaliner for his weekly chat and talks about the NC Legislature being asked to re-draw the Congressional District Maps by the NC Supreme Court.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the third hour of the show, Pete talks about how the Left defended - poorly - their case to throw out the congressional district maps drawn by the voted-in NC Legislature.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first hour of the show, Pete talks about the NC Supreme Court voting to throw out the congressional district maps drawn by the NC Legislature and why he has an issue with what what happened.  Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NC House Speaker Tim Moore joins Pete to talk about the number of drivers trapped on I-95 in Virginia and the NC Legislature's hope to get affordable health care to the state.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NC GOP Chair Michael Whatley joins Pete to talk about the battle over the NC District maps and says that in order for the people to continue to be represented fairly - the people voted in should decide the legislative maps - not appointed judges.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second hour of the show, Pete continues to talk about how the media fails to cover and criticize the Left for trying to fight the district maps set up by the NC Legislature.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the second hour of the show, Pete continues to talk about how the Right can fight back against Governor Roy Cooper's constant vetoes against voter integrity laws passed in the NC Legislature.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NC House Speaker Tim Moore joins Pete hours after Governor Roy Cooper announced that he will indeed sign the proposed budget from the NC Legislature.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first hour of the program, Pete talks about Governor Roy Cooper still having his COVID Emergency powers from the pandemic last year and the NC Legislature's efforts to keep his power in check.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Hour 3 of the program, Pete welcomes in NC House Speaker Tim Moore for his weekly conversation. Pete also talks about the NC Legislature's efforts to weaken Roy Cooper's emergency powers set up during the height of the pandemic as well as the Left's attack on Republicans having fun with the viral "Let's Go Brandon" chant.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Carolina Journal's Becki Gray joins Pete Kaliner for her weekly chat about what's going on this week in the NC Legislature.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tom Campbell returns to discuss how judges get on the bench in NC and the expense of running for office. You'll understand why it's basically impossible for normal, everyday people to serve in the NC Legislature.  To find more from Tom Campbell - search for NC Spin Podcasts.

Pete talks about the state of news media right now and how stories get shaped and turned into political agenda. Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation joins for her weekly chat to talk about what's gone on in Raleigh this week in the NC Legislature.  Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the first hour of the show, Pete talks about the battle between Union County Judge David Lee and the NC Legislature over school funding throughout the state.   Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pete continues to talk about the state of the education system in North Carolina while in the middle of this back-and-forth between the NC Legislature and a judge in Union County... Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, the CLT Alliance spoke with Senators Mujtaba Mohammed and Danny Britt about ways to drive racial equity in the business community and bipartisan solutions to some of the challenges on criminal justice reform.

I joined Joe Catenacci on his morning show in Wilmington to discuss the free market of the lot scene at Widespread Panic and Grateful Dead shows, the NC Legislature's bill to ban promotion of Critical Race Theory concepts, and how UNC may have dodged a bullet when Nikole Hannah-Jones rejected its offer of a tenured gig. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crossover Day passed this month in the North Carolina General Assembly. The deadline essentially determines which bills have a chance of passing this session. And two bills that Beer City, USA and its neighbors in Western North Carolina had its eye on made it through. The House passed two bills - one which increases the size of growlers to more than a gallon . The other creating "social districts" in the state, which would let cities and municipalities allow drinkers to walk in restricted areas with alcohol. Richard Greene is the executive director of the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild. "The North Carolina independent craft beer industry is very sizeable. We contribute over $2 billion to state's economy. There are about 350 breweries in the state right now," said Greene. About 250 of those breweries are members of the guild, according to Greene. He explains how the "social district" legislation came about: "It's really something that was put together by the retail merchants. It was

North Carolina Congressman Dan Bishop (R-9th Dist.) announced legislation aimed at banning Critical Race Theory in "federal government agencies, grantees, and contractors from using workplace training." A couple hours later, the North Carolina House passed a similar resolution over objections of Democrats - who made outlandish claims about what the bill would do. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Carolina Republican lawmakers say that before the pandemic, nobody thought the state's Emergency Management Act would be used by a governor to wield unilateral power for an entire year. They introduced a bill requiring the Governor to get concurrence from the nine other members of the Council of State in order to maintain a statewide declaration of emergency longer than thirty days. 'Statewide' is defined as covering 67 of the state's 100 counties. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Carolina House of Representative's District 119 is one of the most competitive races in the state. It's also the most familiar race to voters in the three western counties that make up the district. For the past decade, 119 th district elections haven't just been a choice between parties, but between the same two men. For the fifth straight election, Democrat Joe Sam Queen and Republican Mike Clampitt are running against each other, with Queen holding the office this time. What is different about their 2020 faceoff is the pandemic. At a virtual town hall hosted by Blue Ridge Public Radio and Smoky Mountain News , Clampitt explained COVID-19 or not, he has kept the same path these last 10 years: "Priorities - are still the same with a few modifications. Those modifications would be, yes, we are in some hard times, the pandemic quote unquote. Businesses in North Carolina have been strung out because of some policies that have been evoked by our current governor," says Clampitt. For

This week Tom Campbell discusses some reforms that could help improve the NC Legislature and the way it operates.

The North Carolina General Assembly convenes today for its short session, looking at deficits that could run $2.5 billion to $3 billion. Plus, some good news on the COVID-19 front - as some hospitals start shifting out of a crisis emergency posture, and the local tourism industry creates a $5 million relief fund. Subscribe for FREE: https://thepetekalinershow.com/get-the-podcast/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow Marketplace: https://thepetekalinershow.com/marketplace/ Advertisers: https://thepetekalinershow.com/support-the-businesses-that-support-us/ Twitter: @PeteKaliner Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/633836460739500/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger announced $100,000 funding for Wake Forst Baptist Health & Atrium Health's COVID-19 testing research. Reporters didn't seem very interested to hear that the NC Secretary of Health and Human Services has been "resistant to prioritizing sample testing" -- or that Gov. Roy Cooper hasn't spoken with the legislative leaders about his "plan" to re-open the state. Subscribe for FREE: https://thepetekalinershow.com/get-the-podcast/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow Marketplace: https://thepetekalinershow.com/marketplace/ Advertisers: https://thepetekalinershow.com/support-the-businesses-that-support-us/ Twitter: @PeteKaliner Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/633836460739500/ Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/petekalinershow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The F’d Up Finale Recap Written by Brandi AbbottOn F’d Up this season we’ve learned a lot about how broken the criminal justice system is and how fucked up the NC SBI Crime Lab has been. There has been some reform based on everything that has come to light, but there is still a long way to go. After Alan Gell’s case in 2004, the governor signed a bill that required DAs to provide all of their files from their cases to defense attorneys if they ask for them. The attorney general at the time, Roy Cooper, made changes to the SBI Crime Lab. He installed an ombudsman to address concerns relating to the crime lab or its employees. Documents and ASCLD-LAB reports were posted for transparency, but none of the results or repercussions from internal investigations seem to have been made public. The governor at the time, Pat McCrory, moved the SBI Crime Lab from under the purview of the attorney general at the time, Roy Cooper, to the department of justice so that it was under the purview of the governor and the name was changed from the NC SBI Crime Lab to the NC State Crime Lab. In 2016, Roy Cooper ran for governor and narrowly beat Pat McCrory, which put the crime lab back under his control. Right after the audit report was released, the governor at that time, Bev Perdue, signed a bill making it a crime for lab workers to withhold results. The North Carolina SBI Blood Stain Pattern Analysis unit was suspended during the audit. To this day it has still not been reopened and analysis of bloodstain patterns is outsourced.When Priya and Jess went into detail about the history and missions of the crime lab in NC, they didn’t mention that all of the information was from the current crime lab’s website. According to their site they and other forensic labs across the nation are now subject to the ISO/ISE 17025 accreditation standard. ANAB is authorized to perform this accreditation but no one can confirm whether or not they’re the one’s doing the accreditation for the NC State Crime Lab. One would hope not given that ANAB merged with ASCLD LAB who spent years accrediting the SBI Crime lab while it was full of misconduct. Priya checked out some public documents on the state crime lab’s site and found an update on the preservation of biological evidence. They now preserve evidence in capital cases until the convicted person is executed or dies and if a convicted person receives a life sentence, the evidence is preserved until they die. But if a person pleads guilty in a crime – evidence is only preserved for three years! Three years doesn’t seem like very long given how often coercion of confessions occur. Priya says that she’s visited the site often over the course of doing research for this podcast, and that recently a lot of information that used to be easy to access like policies, accreditation reports and the like are not as easy to obtain. Policies can only be accessed if you sign in with a Microsoft account and you have to email the lab to get accreditation reports. Another reform is the forensic advisory board that is now in place and includes forensic scientists from a couple of different states, however, they could benefit from a commission like the one Marvin Schechter is on in New York that includes more people who are involved in the justice system or are impacted by forensic science, like defense attorneys. Their website includes the minutes from their board meetings up until a year ago, but if they’re still meeting, they don’t seem to update the site any longer. The new director of the lab, Vanessa Martinucci, does have a forensic background which is a big deal considering their past employees. She has a Masters in biology and was a supervisor at the Houston Forensic Science Center. People Priya and Jess have talked to who were or are affected by the lab has said a lot of this hasn’t helped to fix the huge systemic issues that have happened. Instead, it seems as though they’re making changes to distract from their issues. People had been trying to enact change in North Carolina even before Greg Taylor’s exoneration. Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake had been noticing problematic issues in NC cases, the same kind Chris Mumma was noticing when she was clerking for him. Because of these concerns, in 2002 Chief Justice Lake established the Criminal Justice Study Commission, the purpose of which was to review police and prosecution procedures for factors that helped lead to wrongful convictions. This commission helped to birth the Innocence Inquiry Commission - which ultimately led to Greg Taylor’s exoneration. In very sad news, Chief Justice died last month, but he leaves a legacy of trying to make the world a better place. Chief Justice Lake, along with Darryl Hunt and others, helped in getting the Racial Justice Act enacted in 2009. As you may recall from an earlier episode, the Racial Justice Act allowed death row inmates and those still on trial to challenge their sentence if they thought it had been negatively impacted by their race. They also discussed that in December of 2012, three defendants who had been on death row had their cases reheard because of this act and their lives were saved. F’d Up covered three cases on the past episode but there was actually six. As you may remember from that episode, the three that were discussed had their sentences reduced to life in prison and this was only possible because they filed their grievances prior to 2013 when then governor Pat McCrory signed a repeal of the Racial Justice Act. This repeal affected all of the cases. One of these cases was Tilmon Golphin, a black man, was pursued by the police through the woods where they eventually caught him. A perspective juror who was black overheard two white jurors say that Tillman never should have made it out of the woods. The black juror brought this up and the prosecutor questioned him about it. He was struck from the jury but the two white people were not. Overall, five of the seven qualified black people were removed from the jury. Tilmon was ultimately sentenced by a jury of 11 white people and one black person. This was in Johnston county which had billboards boasting that it was “KKK country” up until the 80s. Another case was Rayford Burke who was black and was sentenced to death by an all white jury. The prosecutor drew attention to Rayford’s size and race in a negative fashion and called him a “big black bull” during a plea for the jury to find him guilty. Quintel Augustine is also black. In his case, the prosecutor wrote handwritten notes about each perspective juror. For a perspective white juror who admitted to drinking, they wrote “drinks, country boy, okay” but described a perspective black juror who admitted to drinking as a black wino. For a black female juror they made the note that she was from a “respectable black family” but made no such note for any of the white jurors about their potential “respectable” families. In the case of Marcus Robinson there was a perspective juror who was black and a high school graduate. The prosecutor asked this juror if he repeated grades or had trouble reading, but never asked any of the prospective white jurors the same question. This prosecutor admitted he was not particularly racially fair. Christina Walter’s trial involved the prosecutor asking prospective jurors if they ever felt they had been burgled. Two white perspective jurors who had had some minor property crimes and felt it wasn’t a big deal ended up on the jury, whereas a black prospective juror was struck when they said they didn’t feel like a victim over their car being broken into and a radio stolen. Out of 14 qualified black jurors, 10 ended up being struck.Cassandra Stubbs, the director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project, said that one of the things that was so remarkable about the Racial Justice Act was that before when one suspected prosecutors were acting discriminatory, there was no opportunity to question them. With the RJA they had to testify about and answer to their actions. As of August of 2019, the RJA is back on the table. The state Supreme Court heard all six cases that fell under the RJA. A couple of choices were on the table. Do the four defendants try and get back life without parole or do they try and get new hearings since it’s already been proven that there was racial bias in their cases. According to the NCCADP, for the other two cases the court will decide whether people on death row who filed claims under the RJA will get their chance to present their evidence in court even after the repeal. They went on to say that three of the six defendants were sentenced to death under an all white jury. The NCCADP breaks down a study done in Michigan that was covered in the death row episode to say that qualified black jurors were struck from capital juries at twice the rate as white jurors. Even when other factors are brought in, the disparity can only be attributed to race. Defendants found direct evidence of discrimination such as prosecutors’ notes of potential jurors where the notes included descriptions such as “blk wino” and “thug”. Cassandra Stubbs is the director of the ACLU Capital Punishment Project and represents one of the defendants, Marcus Robinson. She spoke with a reporter at the Real News Network and said that even though the NC Supreme Court didn’t re-sentence them to death and did not enter a new order about their life sentences, after they remanded, all four prisoners were moved from the prisons around the state where they had been serving their life without parole sentences. Without any reason at all, these four defendants were moved back to death row. If the court rules in the defendants favor, they can get new hearings and present significant evidence that race played a factor in their sentencing. The RJA attorneys said that the states highest court must take on this crucial issue and if it doesn’t, it will send the message that the state is willing to execute people after overwhelming evidence of racism in their trial has come to light. Cassandra said never before had any state sanctioned dismissal of comparable allegations and proof of racial bias. The state’s position is that since the RJA has been repealed we should all just forget about everything and move on, but the court cannot. Attorneys for the NC Attorney General’s office did not dispute the evidence of racism and said that racism in capital trials is serious and must be dealt with. However they asked the courts to deny the cases and leave the lower courts to deal with it, though they haven’t been doing a great job so far. As of right now, the courts have not ruled and it’s unclear when that’s expected to happen. The New York Times Editorial Board wrote an article about the RJA, which showed that the actions of the prosecutors in these capital cases were unconstitutional. The practice of being able to strike black jurors from cases with impunity was banned by the Supreme Court in 1986 after a case named Batson v. Kentucky. However, just because the Supreme Court banned the practice, it doesn’t mean prosecutors stopped doing it, just that they tried to hide it better. The article said that especially in places like North Carolina, this wasn’t the behavior of a few bad apples, it was standard operating procedure. There was a document distributed to NC prosecutors in training that apparently listed 10 “race neutral” explanations for striking a juror in case a judge asked. Categories included inappropriate dress, physical appearance, attitude, body language, and hair. If this is too subtle for you, the document was titled “Batson Justifications Articulating Juror Negatives”. This is especially important as prosecutors receive no repercussions for their actions, except under the RJA. As mentioned earlier, in August of this year attorneys from across the state argued before the state Supreme Court on behalf of the six individuals who are on death row and filed claims under the Racial Justice Act. Cassandra told a reporter for the NCCADP that everyone who filed a RJA case is entitled to a hearing on their RJA claims. This was because of a case decided after the Civil War called “Keith”, which is the best name!  Cassandra said in the case of Keith, a war criminal who massacred boys and men ages 13-60 was given amnesty by the NC Supreme Court because of due process. He was given a defense by the NC Legislature. A few years later the NC Legislature came in and repealed that act, and he successfully invoked the defense that was given to him by them. The Supreme Court ruled that he was entitled to it, and a repeal could not take it away. So essentially, the question is will a law that protected confederate soldiers and has never been overturned protect these cases. When the court eventually rules on all of this, according to the NCCADP, the outcome could affect nearly 150 other prisoners who petitioned under the RJA but never got their day in court. Lawyers for the prisoners who filed claims said the law may now be gone but they still should have a chance to prove that their client’s punishment was racially motivated. There’s a group of former judges, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials who have a hope that the court will use this as an opportunity to strike down punishment in NC all together.A series of articles written by Radley Balko, he sought solutions from experts who work in the areas of law and forensics. Radley wrote that the legal system is too reluctant to revisit cases. As Priya has mentioned before, she’s of the opinion that retesting old cases with updated science is her idealistic solution to so many issues. Money is a huge obstacle with this but I would bet there are those who don’t want even more of their mistakes to come to light. Within the past 10 years there have been attempts to correct some of the issues with forensic science. In 2013, Congress and the Obama administration created the National Commission on Forensic Science, a panel of lawyers and scientists whose job it was to come up with standards and protocols in this field. However the Trump administration allowed the commissions’ charter to expire in April of 2017 - which is unsurprising since he doesn’t even believe in science. Radley found in speaking with his experts that the one resounding answer for reform has been what has come up again and again that all forensic labs should become independent of police and prosecutors. However, according to the experts Priya and Jess have spoken with, police and prosecutors don’t want to give up their “aces up their sleeves” especially as they are provided with little to no cost. Radley found that people he reached out to agree that if we keep this current system, then defense attorneys should be given the same amount of funds to provide their own experts. Forensic pathologist Judy Melinek told him that local pubic defender offices need to be funded at the same level as prosecutor’s and need to be given the same amount of access to forensic evidence. She also suggested that the laws should be changed to where defendants can appeal their convictions if scientific advancements indicate that they were wrongfully convicted based on faulty scientific testimony. Radley discussed the fact that many fields of forensics have come under scrutiny in recent years such as blood stain pattern analysis, hair fiber analysis, ballistics testing, and fingerprint analysis. Eyewitness testing has also been shown to be much less reliable than most people think and juries give them too much consideration. Bloodstain pattern analysis has been criticized as being more subjective than scientific. Steps have been made in the right direction using something called “fluid dynamics and physics”.Sandra Guerra Thompson, a law professor and the director of the Criminal Justice Institute at the University of Houston Law Center is a founding member of the board of directors of the Houston Forensic Science Center. The crime lab in Houston was once affiliated with the police and underwent a huge scandal similar to the North Carolina SBI Crime Lab. However, the response from their scandal was for the crime lab to be replaced with the Houston Forensic Center which is an independent lab. Texas has also created an influential science commission that in 2016, rendered bite mark evidence, a type of junk science, inadmissible. Sandra told Radley that the more information an analyst gets from law enforcement officials, the more likely they are to produce a false positive. Good scientists know that cognitive bias is a threat and take precautions to keep it from corrupting their work. Many of Radley’s experts suggested the idea of a case manager to benefit labs. As analysts receive information such as race, a case manager, who would preferably have a scientific background could be the go between for analysts and law enforcement and would decide what information needs to be distributed to the analyst. Barbara A. Spellman, a professor of law, and former professor of psychology from the University of Virginia suggests that for every case of which there is forensic evidence could have three forensic evidence who would examine the evidence together. By lottery one would be the consultant to the plaintiff, one to the defendant, and one would testify at the trial. Radley mentioned that a few of his experts cited the Houston Forensic Science Center as the ideal model of an independent science driven crime lab. That lab has already implemented the case managers and the shield analysts from being able to expend any bias. Sandra suggests that labs should be transparent and all documents including accreditation and even budget reports should be posted on the website and easy to find. She also suggested independent labs across the board, not just for eliminating bias, but also because she’s learned that independence enables labs are able to be transparent without needing approval from law enforcement and they eliminate the appearance of pro-police bias. She says that having scientists (who are not affiliated with police) collect the evidence from crime scenes restores the public’s trust, especially in officer-involved shootings.Another of Radley’s experts is Fred Whitehurst who Priya spoke with about his personal experiences in the FBI Forensic Lab. He was the whistleblower in a scandal there and ultimately turned his experience into an organization to help whistleblowers. Whistleblowers should be protected so that they’ll be more comfortable coming forwards. ASCLD-LAB had reporting protocols that involved using your own name and handwriting your complaint so that it essentially discouraged anyone from coming forward and “tattling”. Fred and a gentleman named John Lentini, another one of Radley’s experts in fire and arson – they were in complete agreement: suggesting that analysts be held accountable if their expert opinions led to a wrongful conviction. John also suggested that prosecutors be held accountable for intentional Brady violations - which is where prosecutors are required to hand over any and all evidence that could potentially exonerate the defendant. John told Radley he wants the court to reverse the Connick v. Thompson decision so that prosecutors will be held accountable for these violations. As John Lentini told Radley, and perhaps this answers some of the questions about Brady violations.  Priya said she’s all for prosecutors being held liable for their wrongdoings, but  she had no idea what the Connick v. Thompson decision was, so she looked it up:  apparently the Connick in this is Harry Connick Sr. - the father of Harry Connick Jr.   And the Thompson in this case was John Thompson who, in the 80s, was charged - with another guy - for killing someone.   And in this case, a fucking lot of fuckery happened.Including Connick allegedly withholding evidence that blood that was not the victim’s was found on or around the body - and that blood did not match John’s blood.  John was innocent.John sued and won $14 million dollars a million for each year he was wrongfully imprisoned.  But, you know, no one liked that - and nothing Priya read suggests this, but my theory is that John was a black man in Louisiana who was a shining example of a bunch of white prosecutors fucking up.  So, his win was appealed.  The case went all the way to the Supreme Court.  And despite popular opinion that there were an awful lot of shenanigans in that case, the Supreme Court ruled in Harry Connick Sr.’s favor, and, well, prosecutors can legally withhold Brady materials.  Obviously, Queen Ruth Bader Ginsburg dissented in this case.  Because of course she did.Prosecutors are almost immune when it comes to wrongdoing. They’re immune to civil cases and are rarely disciplined in cases of misconduct. An article written in March of 2019 looking into accountability for prosecutors in California, mentions that the CA State Bar rarely investigates prosecutors. They mention that a lack of resources may contribute to this. They looked at a study that found in California from 2004-2009 there were 707 instances where a judge found that a prosecutor committed misconduct. Only six of those resulted in a public sanction by the state bar. This problem isn’t isolated to California: in Massachusetts only two prosecutors were publicly disciplined between 1980 and 2016. There were at least 142 instances during that same period of time where a judge reversed a guilty verdict or dismissed charges due to prosecutor misconduct. Over 1,400 non-prosecutors have been disciplined in Massachusetts over the last 15 years. In Louisiana, the first professional sanction against a prosecutor didn’t occur until 2005. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo approved a bill in the spring of 2019 to set up the nations first independent commission to investigate reports of misconduct by prosecutors. The bill received support from many black and latinx democrats who saw it as an answer to systemic racism. The commission will be made up of 11 people who can investigate attorneys and determine whether their conduct is unprofessional or unlawful. Prosecutors have been fighting this and calling it unconstitutional, even filing suit against it. The article discusses the different types of unethical stuff prosecutors do and mentions that they have a “whatever it takes mentality”. The article also notes that when someone is accused of a crime they cease to be seen as a person by the legal system. It says that without plea bargaining our criminal system couldn’t process the nearly 11 million arrests that occur every year, and without misconduct way fewer people would plead guilty. We live in a culture that doesn’t trust defense lawyers. Marvin Schechter told Priya that people often ask him how he can defend guilty people to which he replies “how can I not defend innocent people?” Our system promises innocent until proven guilty but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The defense attorneys fight for that promise, but exonerees are left with broken promises from the system. They’re presumed guilty from the beginning and often are even after being exonerated. They deserve a public apology and the victims deserve a promise that the justice system will do everything they can to find the person actually responsible for the crime. Priya and Jess asked their experts if they had a “wis hlist” of reforms they would like to see. On Chris Mumma’s list was restrictions or controls on the use of jailhouse informants. In many of the cases this podcast has covered, jailhouse informants were used and were lying. The I Beverly Lake Jr Fair Trial Act was put up for a vote. It included concerns about the reliability of jailhouse informants and suggested that no one should be convicted based on the word of a jailhouse informant alone, there should be other corroborated evidence. Regulating the use of jailhouse informants should be done nationwide and Connecticut is currently doing work in this area. The new rules there include requiring pre-trial hearings on whether their testimony should be allowed and forcing prosecutors to disclose any deals with informants and their history of testifying in other cases. A bill was signed in July that will create the nation’s first statewide system to track the use of informants and the benefits they receive in exchange for their testimony. California, Connecticut, Oklahoma, and Utah all require juries to be given instructions to scrutinize informant’s testimonies. Also on Chris’ wish list was a more cooperative post-conviction review and resolution process and repercussions for prosecutorial misconduct. This item was on a few of their expert’s list. Kim Cook’s and Saundra Westervelt’s list includes that the state helps an exoneree readjust to life after exoneration. They suggest reparations for the exonerated person and their family, compensation within a reasonable about of time, expungement of the crimes for which they were convicted immediately upon release, access to healthcare including mental healthcare, free education and training for employment, assistance finding employment, and adjustments to social security, they also want officials and advocates to remember the harm done to the victims or family of victims at the heart of the original conviction case. They suggest reparations that may assist in their healing in the form of: time to ask questions about how this happened, answers to be provided by the judicial body overturning the conviction or someone in a position of authority who does not continue to maintain the exoneree’s guilt, an opportunity to meet the exonerated person if both parties agree, financial compensation to help with costs from the wrongful conviction, access to healthcare to assist with physical or emotional trauma, and extension of the statute of limitations for rape and sexual assault cases to allow the identification of the actual perpetrator. Priya goes a step further and says that the evidence should be preserved for a long time. This is especially true as it’s not always easy for survivors to come forward. Marilyn Miller said she would like to see the adoption of common sense standards set by The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC). The standards they set include minimum requirements, best practices, standard protocols, and other guidance to help ensure the results of the forensic analysis are reliable and reproducible. She would also like to see the accreditation of forensic science programs in higher education. Marilyn was also asked about some of the things she was grateful for. The standards set by OSAC is one of those as well as lawyers who understand the power of forensic science done properly and 25 years of cool students. The impact of the results of the audit will be felt for a long time as prosecutors and defense attorneys examine cases up to two decades old. Chris Mumma is still dealing with the reverberations today. In episode two we learned that the Center on Actual Innocence rejects 95% of the cases that come across their desk as they have to pass a series of rigorous tests. When Chris takes on a case, it means not only that there’s credible evidence that the individual is innocent but it seems to mean the individual is definitely innocent. When she takes on a case she completely dedicates herself to the case. Chris had been dealing with the SBI Crime Lab since 2006 and is still dealing with the repercussions of their misconduct. On May 5th 2008, a boater on the Catawba River in Mt Holly, NC called 911 after seeing a car that had run off an embankment and a body near it. When police arrived, they discovered the body of Ira Yarmolenko, a 20 year old UNC Charlotte student, lying dead next to her car. She had three ligatures around her neck and 100 yards down the embankment a man named Mark Carver and his cousin Neal Cassada were fishing. DNA found microscopic skin cells that “matched” Mark in Ira’s car. This is touch DNA which is really unreliable because it’s something you could leave just by picking something up in the store. Mark and Neil were charged with the murder of Ira and ultimately placed under house arrest. Being charged with a murder you didn’t commit sounds like it would be extremely stressful, so it’s not that big of a surprise that the night before his trial, Neil had a heart attack and died. Prosecutors offered Mark a deal where he would get four to eight years in prison, and, as he was innocent, he turned down their offer and the case went to trial. Like we’ve seen before, the defense thought the case was really weak and didn’t bother to provide any evidence. At this point, it was 2011 and the 230 cases from the audit had happened but that was evidently not enough for the defense attorneys to be diligent. A year earlier there had been a publication of updated guidelines that were relevant to the evidence reported at the trial. Had the DNA testing been reported at the trial, none of it would have been reported as matching Mark but instead he was sentenced to life in prison. Chris Mumma took on Mark’s case in 2013 and after a number of delays, the hearing began last spring. On April 8th, 2019, former SBI Special Agent Mark Booty testified. He said that in the lab in 2010 everyone was panicked about the audit report that had just come out but inexplicably inside the lab, agents were ignoring scientific advancements that could have helped Mark. He told the court that they were trying to save their jobs and that they weren’t focused on science at the time. A couple of years prior to the trial, Chris Mumma pointed out the similarities between Mark and Greg’s cases where the biggest reason for the conviction was proximity to a dead body. Priya says that, on a personal note, it was great watching the headlines over the summer because in June the judge set aside Mark’s case and he walked out of the courtroom a free man. However, he still has an ankle monitor and was not found not guilty. Mark will likely have to suffer through a new trial, but maybe justice will prevail and the charges will be dropped. Of course this means that after a decade, there has been no investigation into who actually murdered Ira. Mark and Neal have always been the only suspects so it’s likely that, as with Greg, there won’t be any investigation, meaning there will be no justice for the victim and her friends and family. There are many similarities between Greg and Mark’s cases including the minuscule evidence and offers of plea deals. Chris refers to Mark as her “Greg Taylor 2.0”. It was Greg’s case that sounded the alarm that something was drastically wrong in the SBI lab, which plunged the lab into chaos. The chaos that resulted in no one paying attention to the evidence that could have cleared Mark and his cousin. Chris says that it’s almost ironic that the exoneration of one of her clients could have lead to the wrongful conviction of another. In Radley Balko’s articles that were referenced earlier, Judy Melenik suggested that if the courts are following the laws placed before them by legislatures then it’s time to find legislatures who are serious about criminal justice reform and who are ready to pass laws that fund forensic labs and require the legal system to give the wrongfully convicted another chance at overturning those convictions and seeking retribution. Jess and Priya advises us that DAs are elected officials and that the best thing we can do is "vote the F’d Up people out”. To close the podcast, the F’d Up crew share their final thoughts on what they’ve covered this season. Keith says that in doing this podcast he’s been most surprised about the justice system’s willingness to pick and choose evidence to which Priya says that they don’t treat someone as innocent until proving guilty. It’s more like they decide the person is guilty and just work towards proving it. When asked what reform she would like to see since doing this podcast, Jess said for her it’s that the prosecutors are held accountable. Priya says that that’s also a huge deal for her and that behind the scenes of doing the podcast she’s learned that you have to be very clear in asking for a lawyer. You can’t say something like “I may want a lawyer now” you have to clearly invoke your right for a lawyer, and she wants more people to know that. In closing they want us to know the most important thing we can do to help is vote.

Among the hardest places to actually be HEARD these days - ironically - are political statehouses. North Carolina's is no different. In this podcast, we bring on one of the best political reporters the Tar Heel State, WUNC radio's Jeff Tiberii, as co-pilot and turn to an array of political practitioners and powerhouses to figure out the best way to influence policy-makers and have an impact on Jones St. (home to the NC Legislature). We interview Jane Pinsky (Exec. Dir. at the NC Coalition on Lobbying and Government Reform) about how to sell issues to lawmakers AND Rep. Graig Meyer (a Democrat from Orange and Caswell counties). Meyer is one of the best communicators in the legislature - on social and in person. Both he and Pinsky share critical tips on breaking through the noise at the General Assembly. We also talk with opposition researcher Matt Duffy, field operations go-to Kathryn Vandegrift and long-time comms veteran Mitch Kokai. Their insights are invaluable when it comes to political campaigning and communicating.  Full interviews with Jane Pinsky and Rep. Graig Meyer Our Pod's Cast A huge thanks to our guests, without whom (obviously) we could not have made this podcast. Hosts Jon Camp Founder, Campsight Strategies FacebookTwitterLinkedIn Jeff Tiberii WUNC Political Reporter Twitter Panelists Matt Duffy CampSight Strategies Twitter Mitch Kokai John Locke Foundation Twitter Kathryn Vandegrift Field Organizer Twitter Interviews Jane Pinsky NC Coalition on Lobbying and Gov't Reform Twitter Rep. Graig Meyer Distict 50 (Dem) Twitter Resources If you're interested in more information about our show or are curious to learn more about the topics on this show, reach out and we'll share!

Joe Parrish will be a candidate for the North Carolina House seat in NC District 56, the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. Eventually we get around to talking about that. We begin with Joe’s participation in NC Democratic politics since he was a teen, and his support for a Transgender caucus (separate from the broader LGBTQ caucus) in the Democratic Party. LINKS:Joe’s Medium Post: Why I Am Running for the NC House of Representativeshttps://medium.com/@josephparrish/why-i-am-running-for-the-nc-house-of-representatives-12400a3d0c6 NC Legislature multi-layer interactive district map (Congress, State Senate and House): https://www.ncleg.gov/RnR/Redistricting/MapViewer Joe’s Ballotpedia entry: https://ballotpedia.org/Joe_Parrish NC District 56 Ballotpedia entry: https://ballotpedia.org/North_Carolina_House_of_Representatives_District_56 GayStarNews article on Joe (the ‘asexual candidate’): https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/first-asexual-politician/#gs.hz25s7 District 56 incumbent Verla Insko reelection web site: https://verlainsko.com/ Quillette: https://quillette.com/ IntellectualDarkWeb Reddit sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/IntellectualDarkWeb This episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uqCC41EYJ4oThe TTS web site is: https://TriangleTalkShow.com

This week on Family Policy Matters, NC Family president John Rustin sits down Senator Joyce Krawiec of the North Carolina General Assembly. Sen. Krawiec discusses SB 359 – Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a bill that she sponsors and Governor Roy Cooper recently vetoed. Sen. Krawiec explains the necessity of this and other pro-life bills currently in the NC Legislature, and why North Carolinians should urge their legislators to override the Governor’s veto.

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.

In this episode I interview John Bradford with PetScreening.com about a better way to manage your evaluation and acceptance of pets and service animals.  We also talk a little bit about utility management in NC as John is a representative in the NC Legislature and recently introduced a bill that help studnet housing operators with bill back of natural gas service. This episode is sponsored by Conservice.

Pinetops, a town of about 1,300 outside Wilson, North Carolina, is suffering a double calamity as Hurricane Matthew has left floods and incredible damage in its wake. Less natural but no less frustrating is the unforced error by the North Carolina Legislature in effectively prohibiting municipal broadband networks.This week, we have a doubleheader interview with … Continue reading "Pinetops Threatened by Hurricane and NC Legislature – Community Broadband Bits Podcast 226" ★ Support this podcast ★

Author John Hood presents the biography of former governor Jim Martin & shows how he helped shape public life in NC. Through interviews with top politicians & Governor Martin himself, Mr. Hood shares how the governor was a catalyst for fundamental change in North Carolina.

Author John Hood presents the biography of former governor Jim Martin & shows how he helped shape public life in NC. Through interviews with top politicians & Governor Martin himself, Mr. Hood shares how the governor was a catalyst for fundamental change in North Carolina.

Senior Legislative correspondent Kelly McCullen talks with Governor Pat McCrory about the issues of importance to NC.

Lawmakers hear a report on NC's unemployment insurance program. State officials & individuals prepare for hurricanes. What researchers are learning from studying storms. And tips to help keep your family safe from other dangers at home.

NC lawmakers consider a local sales tax bill. NCSU is applying sustainable techniques to their dining halls. And UNC team has made a documentary on the state's pork industry - we'll take a look & talk to the film's editor-in-chief.

The utility industry is going through big changes. Charles Hayes talks about a new report on the state of the Research Triangle Region. And a new exhibit looks back at 25 years of Durham baseball.

An in-depth look at the NC Senate 2014 Budget Plan. A visit to the City of Medicine Academy - a unique high school - in Durham. And a tour of the Streamliners at Spencer Shops special event at the NC Transportation Museum.

NC legislators hear a report on the state Drivers Ed program. Annabeth Barnes is making a name for herself in racing. Plus Pierce Freelon & Steve Levitin talk about their project - the Beat Making Lab.

A legislative task force shares recommendations for teacher pay. James Ford is the 2014 NC Teacher of the Year. And drummer Shannon Williams teaches his art to students he can't even see. And we prepare for Earth Day with a kayak tour.

Climatologists review data to understand & predict weather patterns & trends. A look at how NC companies go about protecting the electric grid. And Professor Arthur Bogin talks about the evolution of mussels & snails.

NC legislators review 2013 budget cuts & their impact on this fiscal year. We mark North Carolina Beer Month with a look at the science of beer. And Bud Lavery talks about the ongoing work & mission of Prevent Child Abuse NC.

We profile an 80 year-old Wilson County shoeshine man. Lawmakers hear a report on potential voter fraud. Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson addresses the NC Science Festival. And author Marisha Pessl talks about her new book.

We profile an 80 year-old Wilson County shoeshine man. Lawmakers hear a report on potential voter fraud. Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson addresses the NC Science Festival. And author Marisha Pessl talks about her new book.

A Durham school is changing how students learn. State lawmakers review the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. And Andrew Rodgers previews Winston-Salem's annual RiverRun International Film Festival.

Lawmakers review the state pension plan for firefighters & EMT's. We go stargazing at the Staunton River Star Party. And retired NASA astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison talks about the importance of STEM education in preparing students for future careers.

We conclude our series of UNC profiles with a visit to the NC Research Campus. We learn how Morehead Planetarium helped train the early astronauts. And Ben Sutton talks about the work of the IMG College sports marketing company.

Lawmakers consider revising regulations for midwives. We visit the state's only remaining military school, Oak Ridge Military Academy. And we mark National Guard Month with Major General Gregory Lusk.

The UNC Coastal Studies Institute looks into the impact melting glaciers impact the oceans. The Cape Fear River Watch works to protect & preserve fish in the river. Plus Tara Romano talks about the work of NC Women United as we mark Women's History Month.

State lawmakers review options for teacher pay. We profile the NC Arboretum. And Dr. Curtis Charles talks about the Cybersecurity Academy at FSU's Ctr. for Defense & Homeland Security.

State legislators learn about a new federal plan to prepare for offshore drilling. A Charlotte exhibit showcases groundbreaking inventions. And author Philip Gerard talks about his new book.

NC legislators review the impact of the coal ash spill in the Dan River & the sewer spill in the Haw River. We visit the mid-Atlantic's largest chestnut orchard at High Rock Farm. And Stephen Lair tells us about the Salute to Senior Service award program.

State lawmakers hear different perspectives on school funding. Kelly McCullen discusses the issue further with Sen. Josh Stein. We continue our series of UNC campus profiles with North Carolina Central University. Beth Dehghan of Women NC & two of the group's scholarship fellows discuss this year's projects with the UN's Commission on the Status of Women.

NC legislators look into ways to provide people with better access to healthy foods. The Future Farmers of America reinvents itself for the 21st century & beyond. And education leader Tom Vander Ark talks about digital learning.

NC lawmakers consider state recognition for the Chowanoke Tribe. Chimney Rock State Park works to balance tourism needs with environmental protection efforts. And Dr. Valerie Johnson previews some of the many events coming up to celebrate Black History Month.

We take a ride with the nationally-recognized St. Andrews University Equestrian Program. We tour the historic Radisson Governors Inn. And author Allan Gurganus talks about his new book.

NC legislators look into state regulators' approval process for engineering projects. Kelly McCullen discusses the issue further with Rep. Chris Millis. David Hains tours Charlotte Douglas International Airport. And CPA Haleh Modasser shares financial planning tips during National Financial Wellness Month.

State lawmakers review the rising cost of caring for older inmates in NC prisons. Kelly McCullen talks further about the issue with Sen. Mike Woodard. A high-tech puppet show is presenting an old craft in a new light. And Dean Susan Jaffe of the UNCSA School of Dance talks about the programs underway at the school.

NC legislators discuss altering state rules for local environmental ordinances. Kelly McCullen talks further on the issue with Rep. Chuck McGrady. A nationally-known venomologist joins ECU to treat & study snake bites. Morehead Planetarium played an important role in training early astronauts.

A Mooresville facility is using aerodynamics to help athletes improve their performance. State lawmakers conclude their special session reviewing vetoed bills. Dr. Nadine Barret talks about men's health during this Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Gov. McCrory calls lawmakers back to consider bills he has vetoed. An NCSU professor is engineering a unique type of search-&-rescue "biobot." Canines for Service helps provide assistance animals for the disabled. And author Jason Mott talks about his new book - The Returned.

NC lawmakers work to pass the state budget. Montlieu Academy is using classroom technology to improve students' educational experience. And Lap It Up offers fun programs for dogs AND their owners.

Dr. Dan and Michael Howe, a North Carolina Legislature “watchdog” with a special interest in reporting on legislation that protects, augments, or infringes on your right to keep and bear arms in North Carolina, discuss the legislative process – how bills are introduced, discussed, debated, amended, and eventually put to a vote.E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (2 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (3 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (4 of 4)

Dr. Dan and Michael Howe, a North Carolina Legislature “watchdog” with a special interest in reporting on legislation that protects, augments, or infringes on your right to keep and bear arms in North Carolina, discuss the legislative process – how bills are introduced, discussed, debated, amended, and eventually put to a vote.E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (1 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (3 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (4 of 4)

Dr. Dan and Michael Howe, a North Carolina Legislature “watchdog” with a special interest in reporting on legislation that protects, augments, or infringes on your right to keep and bear arms in North Carolina, discuss the legislative process – how bills are introduced, discussed, debated, amended, and eventually put to a vote.E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (1 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (2 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (4 of 4)

Dr. Dan and Michael Howe, a North Carolina Legislature “watchdog” with a special interest in reporting on legislation that protects, augments, or infringes on your right to keep and bear arms in North Carolina, discuss the legislative process – how bills are introduced, discussed, debated, amended, and eventually put to a vote.E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (1 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (2 of 4)E13: Michael Howe - Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature? (3 of 4)

The NC Supreme Court convenes in Edenton to mark the city's 300th birthday. We continue our series on NC 's community colleges with Mitchell Community College. And author Daniel Wallace talks about his new book.