Government

Hurricane Humberto and Hurricane Imelda: How Accurate Are Our Forecasts?

Send us a text In this episode of Storm Stories, Shoresides sits down with **Joe Friday** — veteran meteorologist and former National Weather Service director — to talk about a growing risk in how we forecast storms. Across the U.S., staffing shortages and cuts to weather-balloon launches are degrading forecast precision exactly when two hurricanes…

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The Sports Betting Game: Are Schools Like UNC Wilmington Winning?

Send us a text In this episode of Shoresides, we sit down with sports-betting expert Steve Bittenbender to unpack what legal mobile sports betting now means for North Carolina. We dive into how apps like FanDuel and DraftKings—and the tax revenue they generate—are reshaping the financial landscape for smaller college programs, including the Seahawks. We…

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The Cost of Making Waves — What Federal Cuts Mean for North Carolina’s Public and Community Radio

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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Defunded: Youth Violence Prevention Cut in Robeson County

Send us a text In Robeson County, North Carolina—home to some of the state’s highest youth violence rates—community-led prevention efforts were working. Until they weren’t. In this episode of Shoresides, host Nicolas Magrino speaks with Paul Smokowski, founding executive director of the North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center(NC-YVPC), and Leon Burden, lead violence interrupter and…

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What’s Behind That Proposed North Carolina Octopus Farming Ban?

Send us a text This episode, Shoresides delves into the strange, ethically murky world of octopus aquaculture with scientist Dr. Jennifer Mather—to ask: Should North Carolina go ahead with banning Octopus farming? Does it need to? Links: My Octopus Teacher https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12888462/?ref_=ttawd_ov_i Octopus farming in NC? A bill was filed banning it https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/12/octopus-farming-house-bill-293-carolina-general-assembly-law-ban-aquaculture ‘Horrific Terror and…

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North Carolina: Immigration, Private Prisons, and the Human Cost

Send us a text Shoresides explores life in coastal North Carolina through the lens of resilience, justice, and community action. In this episode, host Nicolas Magrino examines the implications of President Trump’s second term, focusing on the private prison industry’s role in mass deportations and the human cost of immigration policies. Featuring insights from immigration…

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You Don’t Need a Home to Vote

Send us a text You Don’t Need a Home to Vote dives into the intersection of homelessness and democracy in America. In this episode, Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, speaks candidly about the barriers unhoused individuals face in accessing their voting rights. Whitehead shares why this issue is vital,…

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North Carolina Voter ID

Send us a text North Caroloina voter ID requirements. With the 2024 election underway, many voters are encountering ID rules for the first time, raising questions and concerns about how to vote without a hitch. Host Rend Smith shares his own experience of uncertainty at the polls and digs deeper with insights from experts, including…

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Souls to the Polls

Send us a text In this episode, we take you to Wilmington, North Carolina, where community members have gathered for Souls to the Polls, an event organized by local faith groups and the NAACP. We speak with Larry Dennis, the social action chair for St. Stephen's AME Church, on why supporting voting access is critical…

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Literacy at the Polls

Send us a text Welcome to Shoresides and our series on voter access. In this episode, Rend Smith sits down with Nicole Wolf-Camplin, the Adult Literacy Coordinator at the Cape Fear Literacy Council. Nicole discusses the range of programs offered by the Council, including their ESL program, which supports non-native speakers on their path to…

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