Joy Berry, author and child development expert, on AI's growing role in early childhood and the risks of outsourcing parenting to technology

Keith Poston, president of WakeEd Partnership, on the Partners Read literacy program and its impact on Wake County students

Keith Poston, president of WakeEd Partnership, joins Tony to discuss the conclusion of another successful year of Partners Read, a community literacy program that connected more than 325 volunteers with approximately 650 Wake County elementary school students this year, putting 13,000 new books into students' hands. Volunteers are being recruited now for next school year at wakeed.org/partnersread.

Tiffany Wright, AAA Carolinas spokesperson, on Memorial Day travel, gas prices and road safety

Tiffany Wright, spokesperson for AAA Carolinas, joins Tony to discuss what travelers can expect this Memorial Day weekend, including gas price trends, expected traffic volumes and safety tips for the road.

Bill Briggs, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, on doubling SBA loan limits and supporting small businesses in North Carolina

Bill Briggs, deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, joins Lisa Price to discuss the SBA's announcement doubling the cumulative loan limit for its 7(a) and 504 loan programs to $10 million, his visit to North Carolina small businesses and remarks at the FedTex conference, and the agency's ongoing focus on veteran entrepreneurship and manufacturing.

Bruce McClary, senior vice president of membership and communications at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, on record-high consumer financial stress

Bruce McClary, senior vice president of membership and communications at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, joins Tony to discuss the organization's first quarter 2026 Financial Stress Forecast, which shows consumer financial stress has plateaued near record-high levels and that more Americans are proactively seeking nonprofit credit counseling as their capacity to manage debt is pushed to the limit.

Joy Berry, author and child development expert, on AI's growing role in early childhood and the risks of outsourcing parenting to technology

Joy Berry, known as the inventor of self-help books for children and author of more than 200 titles with over 85 million copies sold, joins Lisa Price to discuss a new Brookings Institution report showing that 6 in 10 parents say their toddlers interact with voice assistants daily. Berry explains why she believes AI is becoming a surrogate parent and what families can do to ensure children develop the independence, resilience and real-world coping skills they need.