Under the Dome podcast: NC’s congressional GOP freshmen, Trump immigration plans (original) (raw)

Each week, join Dawn Vaughan for The News & Observer and NC Insider’s Under the Dome podcast, an in-depth analysis of topics in state government and politics for North Carolina.

Start your week in North Carolina politics with our latest Under the Dome podcast, for the week of Jan. 13, 2025. Dawn Vaughan here, your podcast host and The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief. Today’s Under the Dome newsletter is a preview of our new podcast that posted this morning.

On this latest episode, I’m joined by Washington correspondent Danielle Battaglia. We talk about the five new members of North Carolina’s congressional delegation: U.S. Reps. Mark Harris, Pat Harrigan, Brad Knott, Addison McDowell and Tim Moore.

Moore was the longest-serving state House speaker. He was back in Raleigh on Jan. 8 for the first day of the General Assembly’s long session, which included swearings-in and the election of new House Speaker Destin Hall. Former speaker and now U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis was there, too.

Former Republican North Carolina House Speakers U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, left, and U.S. Rep. Tim Moore talk during the opening of the North Carolina General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at the Legislative Building.

Back to Washington, Battaglia brings you up to speed on the five new Republican members of the North Carolina delegation.

After the break, we talk about the executive branch, President-elect Donald Trump’s plans for immigration policy and how that may impact our state.

Headliner of the Week

Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of the Week. I talk about the weather, and Battaglia talks about the interactions between current and former presidents and vice presidents at the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter.

Listen to our latest episode and catch up on previous episodes. You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audible, iHeart, Pandora, Amazon Music and Stitcher.

You can sign up to receive the Under the Dome newsletter at newsobserver.com/newsletters. Want your friends to get our email, too? Forward them this newsletter so they can sign up.

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan is the Capitol Bureau Chief for The News & Observer, leading coverage of the legislative and executive branches in North Carolina with a focus on the governor, General Assembly leadership and state budget. She has received the McClatchy President’s Award, N.C. Open Government Coalition Sunshine Award and several North Carolina Press Association awards, including for politics and investigative reporting.