Send us a text In this episode of Shoresides, we sit down with **North Carolina State Representative Zack Hawkins** during the final hours of critical budget negotiations. Hawkins discusses a controversial federal proposal that would have blocked state-level AI regulation for ten years — and explains why such preemption drew fierce bipartisan criticism. He warns…
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Send us a text When a false shark sighting shut down Carolina Beach, the ripple effects exposed something deeper: how much our coastal communities rely on the National Weather Service and its communication networks to maintain trust and safety. In this episode, Shoresides sits down with **Stephen Pfaff**, meteorologist-in-charge at NWS Wilmington, to explore the…
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Send us a text After a massive earthquake off Russia triggered a Pacific tsunami, people began asking: could a tsunami reach coastal North Carolina? In this episode of Shoresides, we talk with **Stephen Pfaff**, meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service’s Wilmington office, about how tsunamis form, the real risk (or lack thereof) for our shores,…
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Send us a text Public radio stations across North Carolina — especially in rural and coastal areas — are facing devastating cuts under the newly enacted Rescissions Act of 2025. That includes WRVS in Elizabeth City, which may lose up to 70% of its funding. What’s at stake? No local tornado warnings. No emergency alerts….
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Send us a text When alligators show up in swimming pools, under cars, or at the local Bojangles drive-through, **Kate Marshall** gets the call. As Southport’s certified jurisdictional alligator handler, she’s seen relocation requests quadruple this year alone. She tells Shoresides exactly what it’s like on the front lines of human–gator conflict. From safety protocols…
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Send us a text Lately, the town of Southport, North Carolina has had some excitement, 20 alligator removals since May, setting a new record. For a resident named Bonner Herring and his trusty Labrador Strike, that almost ended in tragedy. In this episode, Shoresides catches up with them to hear their story and to wonder…
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Send us a text In this final episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition, host Natalia Sanchez Loayza steps into one of North Carolina’s most cherished traditions: high school sports. But instead of focusing on touchdowns and rivalries, she takes us behind the scenes to examine how climate change is reshaping the very conditions under which…
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Send us a text In this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition, host Natalia Sanchez Loayza takes us on a journey into the heart of rural North Carolina alongside Jeanette Tapia, outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Farmworkers Project in Harnett County. We spend the day in the field witnessing firsthand the dedication and determination of…
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Send us a text In this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition, host Natalia Sanchez Loayza shifts the focus inland to explore the profound impact of climate change on North Carolina’s farm workers. She speaks with Mario Vargas, coordinator of the North Carolina offices of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) and the Campaign for…
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Send us a text In this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition, host Natalia Sanchez Loayza dives beneath the surface to explore how climate change is disrupting marine life and infrastructure along North Carolina’s coast. She’s joined by Dr. Jane Harrison, an environmental economist at NC State University, whose personal story and professional research illuminate…
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