This week we’ll be talking about the life and career of the man that many call the Father of American opera: Carlisle Floyd. Our guests are Floyd's neice, Jane Matheny, and his biographer, Thomas Holliday. A native of Latta, South Carolina, Carlisle Floyd became a professor of composition at Florida State University in 1947. His magnum opus, Susannah, was first performed in 1955 and became the most performed American opera, second to Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess.Floyd was both composer and librettist of his operas, which typically portrayed themes common to rural America, especially the post-Civil War South. 2026 in the centennial of Carlisle Floyd’s birth and today we’ll talk with our guests about his long life and his career.

This week we’ll be talking with Charleston author Victoria Benton Frank about her new novel, The Violet Hour. Victoria was born in New York City, raised in Montclair, New Jersey, but considers herself to have dual residency in the Lowcountry. She is a graduate of the College of Charleston and the French Culinary Institute. Her mother was the late Dorothea Benton Frank, a best-selling novelist and native of Sullivan’s Island.With the release of The Violet Hour (2026, Simon & Schuster), her second novel, she continues to hone her craft, this time with a story of grief and healing.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for February 21, 2026: House Freedom Caucus members try and impeach a solicitor; the expanded homestead exemption bill advances; the SC Supreme Court race gets a HUGE curveball; and more!

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for February 17, 2026: we sit down with Senate Minority Brad Hutto and House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford about the legislative session so far and what they hope to accomplish in a Republican supermajority Statehouse; two big national Democrats are heading to the Palmetto State later this month; and more!

This week, Bobbi Conner talks with MUSC's Dr. Mary Hart Bryan about Parkinson’s disease and mental health.

This week Bobbi Conner talks with MUSC's Dr. Besim Ogretmen about research exploring new cancer therapies.

Every four years, the Winter Olympics gives us a front-row seat to discipline and focus. And while most of us will never compete on that level, watching elite athletes offers students a valuable lesson in commitment.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and that means different things for students of all ages. Research shows that showing kindness strengthens relationships, boosts well‑being, and creates healthier school communities.

This week, we’re discussing notable liars throughout history.

This week, we have a very special edition of the show, recorded in front of a live audience in Salt Lake City, Utah.