Alex Jacquez, chief policy advocacy officer at Groundwork Collaborative, on rising prices and what inflation means for North Carolina families this summer

Alex Jacquez, chief policy advocacy officer at Groundwork Collaborative, on rising prices and what inflation means for North Carolina families this summer

Alex Jacquez, chief policy advocacy officer at Groundwork Collaborative, joins Tony to break down how the war in Iran is driving roughly 60% of May's inflation increase, with gas prices up more than 40% and airfares jumping 26% compared to last year. Jacquez explains why North Carolinians are spending an extra $1.1 billion on gas and diesel alone, how rising transportation costs ripple through grocery prices, and why consumer sentiment has fallen to levels lower than the Great Recession as wage growth fails to keep pace with inflation.

Michelle Futrell, director of lung cancer screening programs at LUNGevity Foundation, on the gap in early detection

Michelle Futrell, director of lung cancer screening programs and initiatives at the LUNGevity Foundation, joins Tony Riggsbee to discuss why only 25% of eligible Americans are getting screened for lung cancer despite screening reducing the risk of death from the disease by 20%, and what patients should know about eligibility guidelines, misconceptions and biomarker testing after a diagnosis. For more information visit lungevity.org [http://lungevity.org].

Dr. Michael Bitzer, director of the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service at Catawba College, on a new Senate race poll

Dr. Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history and director of the Center for North Carolina Politics and Public Service at Catawba College, joins Tony Riggsbee to discuss a new Catawba College-YouGov poll showing Democrat Roy Cooper leading Republican Michael Whatley by 14 points in the race for North Carolina's U.S. Senate seat, driven largely by Cooper's 50% support among independent voters.

John Eaton and Dr. Jessica Keller on new research and treatment advances for veteran PTSD

John Eaton, vice president for complex care at Wounded Warrior Project, and Dr. Jessica Keller, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory University, join Tony Riggsbee to discuss new research showing more than three in four veterans served by Wounded Warrior Project report PTSD symptoms and the growing clinical evidence supporting alternative treatments, including psychedelic-assisted therapy, for veterans who have not responded to traditional care. For more information visit woundedwarriorproject.org [http://woundedwarriorproject.org].

Project Yellow Light Founder Julie Garner on Combating Distracted Driving

Distracted driving causes approximately 3,200 deaths and 315,000 injuries among teenagers each year. Julie Garner, the founder of Project Yellow Light, joins host Lisa Price to discuss these sobering statistics and how she is turning tragedy into purpose. Garner shares how she established the foundation in honor of her son to give high school and college students a platform to create impactful advertisements. Plus, hear from the 2026 student winners whose scholarship-winning ads will be featured in national campaigns, including a showcase in Times Square.