The Carolina Cabinet

Hosted by Peter Pappas
  • 4.7 (28)
  • Politics
  • Updated Daily

The Carolina Cabinet is a conservative talk radio podcast hosted by Peter Pappas. The show discusses the latest political news and issues from a Republican perspective. We interview guests from all walks of life, including politicians, activists, and experts. The Carolina Cabinet is a must-listen for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest conservative news and commentary. This podcast is targeted towards Republicans, conservatives, and anyone who is interested in conservative political news and commentary.

  1. 20h ago

    Richard Ojeda: Fighting for Labor, Health Care Access and a Fair Tax Code

    Richard Ojeda, retired Army major, former West Virginia state senator and the Democratic nominee for Congress in North Carolina's 9th District, sits down with Peter Pappas. He grew up in coal country, where his choices at 18 were to dig coal, sell dope or join the Army, and he makes his case on three fronts. On labor: why he wants every job unionized and right-to-work repealed ("when you don't have a seat at the table, you're on the menu"). On health care access: keeping VA care close to home for the veterans around Fort Bragg. On taxes: making the first $45,000 of income tax-free and asking billionaires to pay more, as Peter presses him on how to close the gap. Also in this episode: the 2018 West Virginia teacher strike, public schools and vouchers, data centers and the water they use, Flock cameras, ICE reform, and his pledge to hold a town hall in every county.

  2. 2d ago

    Justice Anita Earls: Advancing Civil Rights and Fair Representation in North Carolina

    Welcome back to The Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County’s smartest hour of talk radio. In this episode, Peter Pappas sits down with North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls for an insightful conversation about her personal journey, her dedication to civil rights, and her distinguished career on the bench. Raised in a mixed-race family that overcame legal barriers, Anita Earls shares how those formative experiences shaped her passion for law and motivated her lifelong commitment to justice. From reflecting on landmark cases involving voting rights and partisan gerrymandering to addressing the challenges facing today’s judiciary, Anita Earls offers candid perspectives on the importance of a fair, informed, and accessible legal system in North Carolina. Whether you’re curious about her path from Seattle to Durham, her work with the legendary Julius Chambers, or her thoughts on keeping our democracy healthy, this episode delivers thoughtful commentary on the intersection of law, community, and public service. Justice Earls faces Republican Sarah Stevens in November. Find all of our candidate conversations at thecarolinacabinet.com. 00:00 Intro: why she became a civil rights lawyer 06:14 Thirty years as a civil rights attorney 08:44 Suing and defending the state 12:24 Attack ads and a lawyer's past clients 13:43 Why both sides need good lawyers 19:54 State constitutions and gerrymandering 20:59 Measuring fair districts 24:52 What extreme gerrymandering does to voters 27:20 The Griffin case and "bloodless coup" 31:12 School funding and her campaign 34:22 Where to find Justice Earls

  3. 3d ago

    Judge Rosalyn Hood on Fair Courtrooms, Army Service, and Justice You Can Trust

    Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler welcome Judge Rosalyn Hood, Cumberland County District Court, Seat 6, who is finishing her first four-year term and running unopposed. A Western Carolina University track athlete whose Olympic hopes ended with two fractured ankles, Hood enlisted after 9/11 as a parachute rigger, commissioned as an officer, served multiple overseas tours, and retired in 2024 as a lieutenant colonel after 22 years. She spent 16 years in the district attorney's office before taking the bench. She explains how district judges rotate through criminal, family, DSS and domestic violence courtrooms, why she calls people by name and makes sure those without a lawyer are heard, and the meaning behind her slogan, "justice you can trust." Plus: what an unopposed race means, how the courthouse leadership team works, and what happened when a sitting judge got picked for a jury. She's not taking campaign contributions this cycle. Find every candidate conversation at thecarolinacabinet.com.

  4. 4d ago

    Judge Toni King on Human Trafficking Court, Spotting the Signs, and Keeping Courts Open

    Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler sit down with Judge Toni King, a Cumberland County District Court judge for 17 years, who is running unopposed this fall. A military kid whose father served 30 years, King first came to Fort Bragg in middle school and came home to Fayetteville after college and law school. Most of the conversation is about the human trafficking court she runs, with separate juvenile and adult dockets. She explains why Fayetteville's spot on I-95 makes trafficking a local problem, why the people picked up on charges are often victims too, and how the court works with the district attorney, defense counsel, therapists and nonprofits to get them treatment and a way out. She walks through warning signs anyone can watch for, in public and in hotels, and the training the court has funded for hotel and airport staff. She closes with an open invitation to come watch court, why only the clerk records proceedings, and what running unopposed means to her. Find every candidate conversation at thecarolinacabinet.com.

  5. 5d ago

    School Board Race: Theodore Lee Miller on a GED Graduation Standard, Trades, and Accountability

    Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler sit down with Theodore Lee "Ted" Miller, one of 16 candidates for at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Education. Miller, a Flint, Michigan native who came to Fayetteville with the Army and retired in 2001 after a 20-year career, puts one proposal at the center of his campaign: every senior takes and passes the GED to graduate. He argues an 89% graduation rate means little if students aren't at grade level, and that a graduate who can't pass the GED was failed by the school system. Peter and Laura press him on the numbers behind that claim and on what happens to students who don't pass. His answer: free continuing-education classes at FTCC and a corrected transcript once they do. The conversation also covers the district's capital needs, Miller's case that Cumberland County has been shortchanged by the NC Education Lottery, his idea for yearly home visits by homeroom teachers (Laura isn't sold), consequences for students who assault teachers, and bringing hands-on trade programs back to the schools. Find all of our candidate conversations at thecarolinacabinet.com. 00:00 Intro 00:42 Meet Theodore Lee Miller 03:13 Why he filed 05:55 A GED requirement to graduate 09:44 Who passes, and what happens if they don't 11:37 School funding and the NC Education Lottery 13:44 Enrollment and choice schools 14:45 Home visits by homeroom teachers 17:53 Students who assault teachers 19:46 Trades and hands-on learning 22:47 Failing to teach critical thinking 23:52 Telling 16 candidates apart 24:51 The FTCC path and a corrected transcript 26:01 How to reach the campaign 27:51 Even if I don't win

  6. 5d ago

    Parents Push Back on E.E. Miller Changes, PFAS Next Steps, and the Candidate Outreach Scorecard

    Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Peter Pappas and Laura Mussler open the live show with two Cumberland County parents, Michelle Cazarez and Michel Santana, who pushed back when the district moved to end E.E. Miller Elementary's year-round calendar and Spanish immersion. They describe learning about the change from a February voicemail, why principals were left out of the loop, what a year-round calendar means for military families, and how parents organized. Miller is staying year-round for now, and they explain how to stay involved through the Cumberland County Save Our Schools group on Facebook. Then: the next phase of the PFAS fight, including the county's $1.3 million engineering and source study; the Cabinet's race-by-race candidate outreach scorecard, covering who has appeared, who has booked, and who hasn't answered; and rapid fire on a tuberculosis case at 71st, new grants accepted by Fayetteville City Council, Mayor Mitch Colvin's appointment to the NC Board of Transportation, the court fight over White House press credentials, and J. Cole's night at the Crown Coliseum. Peter, who sits on the Civic Center Commission, discloses his seat before the Crown item. Judge Toni King and Judge Rosalyn Hood follow in their own episodes. Find every candidate conversation at thecarolinacabinet.com.

  7. Oct 3

    School Board Race Deep Dive: Quincei Lovejoy on IEPs, Funding Priorities, and Parental Voice

    Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Host Peter Pappas sits down with Quincei Lovejoy, a CPA, financial planning manager at Fayetteville PWC, and one of 16 candidates for three at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Education. Lovejoy explains why her own family's experience with the IEP process pushed her to file, and says a parent asking for an evaluation should get one in under 30 days. She and Peter get into school safety beyond locked doors — bullying, mental health, and the SROs who have become bouncers — and how discipline works when a student is covered by an IEP. Peter asks the CPA about the numbers: 1,200 fewer students this year, families leaving for charters and Opportunity Scholarships, the cost of rebuilding E.E. Smith, and a $670 million budget. She gives credit where it's due, to the IB and AP programs and a superintendent whose district cut its low-performing schools from 27 to 20, and closes with her case for a shake-up on the board: trust, but verify. Find all of our candidate conversations at thecarolinacabinet.com. 00:00 Intro 00:17 Meet Quincei Lovejoy 03:12 Why she's running 03:25 The IEP process 06:56 Supporting teachers and staff 09:23 Safety is more than locked doors 10:02 IEP protections and discipline 13:00 Counselors and staffing 13:45 Enrollment, budgets and vouchers 16:13 What's working: IB, AP and EC 17:10 Low-performing schools and the superintendent 17:51 Career and technical education 18:57 1,200 fewer students 20:24 Families voting with their feet 24:50 E.E. Smith and the cost of new schools 26:31 Working across board factions 27:57 School closures and transparency 30:07 Trust, but verify 33:32 Time for a change

  8. Oct 1

    Dr. Kimberly Hardy on Running for NC-7, Healthcare, and Listening to Local Communities

    Welcome back to the Carolina Cabinet, Cumberland County's smartest hour of talk radio. Host Peter Pappas sits down with Dr. Kimberly Hardy, an associate professor of social work at Fayetteville State University and the Democratic nominee for Congress in North Carolina's 7th District. Hardy talks about her decade as a school social worker, beating a six-term incumbent in the 2020 NC House primary before losing to Diane Wheatley, and why she says a candidate's platform should be shaped by the people she meets. Peter asks the state party's second vice chair whether she can stand up to the party she helps run. On policy, Hardy makes the case for a single-payer health system and against the new Medicaid requirements, then turns to the district itself: Cumberland County's Tier 1 neighbors, the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge and the toll debate, PFAS, farm tariffs, and college costs for HBCU and military-affiliated students. They close on where two people on opposite sides of the table can still agree. Hardy faces Republican Rep. David Rouzer, a Libertarian and an independent on the November ballot. Find all of our candidate conversations at thecarolinacabinet.com.

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4.7
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About

The Carolina Cabinet is a conservative talk radio podcast hosted by Peter Pappas. The show discusses the latest political news and issues from a Republican perspective. We interview guests from all walks of life, including politicians, activists, and experts. The Carolina Cabinet is a must-listen for anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest conservative news and commentary. This podcast is targeted towards Republicans, conservatives, and anyone who is interested in conservative political news and commentary.

Information

  • Creator
    Hosted by Peter Pappas
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    240
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Hosted by Peter Pappas
  • Show Website
    The Carolina Cabinet