Traditions from the past while chickens, oysters on the grill, serving a future generations its history. All served to reunite the community with its rich past, as the chef described in the soledad im soledad obrien. Language of his gullah people. Welcome to matter of fact from bj all tryna do we namin betta South Carolina. Ting dere, eet beto food, eat weregr less than a week away, making it beto food. The first stop in the south on the primary election circuit. Crackin de teet, talk like dis, since 1992, only one democratic crackin de teet, we talkin to cande each other. Carolina, but still went on to win the national nomination, that was john kerry in 2004. E e it is almost a spiritual thing. Weight than the iowa caucus or ready for the next one. The New Hampshire primary. Youre doing things that were South Carolina is also more ancestral. Its almost like i get into a diverse than both iowa and nh people of color make up 30percent of population. Zone. I also wanna make sure the food taste good. College of charleston Political Science professors h. Gibbs knotts and jordan ragusa, you hold onto as much as you authored first in the south,why can. Even just a mouthful of rice. South carolinas president ial primary matters. Mouthful of rice. It is the same spirit that thank you, gentlemen. Moves painter Jonathan Green in so it feels as if South Carolina is becoming more and more his art. Thats our sanctity, thats important in sort of a conversation around who is our glue, if you will. So when i look at painting, i is that a Fair Assessment . Look at painting from a i think so. When we look at republican contests, one of the things thats really notable about spiritual perspective. I think what it means to be South Carolina is that it has a gullah is first, its a culture, really good track record of its a language, its a cuisine, picking who eventually becomes the nominee. On the democratic side, of course, you know, race is a critical issue in the modernic. Music. And South Carolina is the first gullah i would say is the state where candidates have to founding cultural significance confront a large percentage of of the southeast. Africanamericans. Soledad are there any other a culture seeing rebirth, and new growth, in the certainly, yes. Economics matters a little bit more in South Carolina, in south marshgrass of the carolina coast. Carolina, democrats are a little more moderate, a little more conservative than national for matter of fact, im joie chen in the low country of south democrats. And so its a different type of li person whos going to win in iowa versus whos going to win coming up how many days does it really in South Carolina. Soledad i get that sort of take to count absentee ballots . Broad strokes picture of the voter. Talk to me about race, which you mentioned. I mean, people look at iowa and and settling an agricultural New Hampshire, they think, well, argument once and for all, whos right. Soe real peach capital of the soledad now to a weekly theres no black people. Or not, very many. You have to do well with africanamerican voters in South Carolina, you have to talk to issues that matter to africanamerican voters to be able to have any chance in this primary. Soledad outside of race. Is there anything that makes South Carolina more representative compared to the nation than, say, iowa, New Hampshire in republican contests . Theres actually a lot of items. So, you know, we talk about veterans being important in republican primaries. South carolina has a balanced mix of veterans and non veterans. We have a balanced mix of College Educated graduates and non college graduates. You know, theres a good mix of conservatives and non conservatives, and you have a good mix on Something LikeSouth Carolina, but it doesde. Balance out iowa, New Hampshire, disproportionately liberal. Soledad so then would you both say that South Carolina should go first . To have a state in the south, the largest region in the country, its really important to have an early primary state. I think it makes sense to have it go first in the south, but certainly first overall. You know, i dont want to jump in front of iowa or New Hampshire, but, you know, it is more diverse. It is more probably representative of the National Democratic party than iowa and New Hampshire. Soledad give me a sense of of the South Carolina voter. Who are they . Africanamericans make up pm. But theres some other critical characteristics as well. Democratic primary voters tend to be less College Educated and more religious. They also tend to be more conservative compared to the typical democrat nationally. Soledad so what are the issues that are most important to the South Carolina voter . One of the things thats happened in the past decade in South Carolina is that weve had a lot of influx in large manufacturing. Companies like boeing have opened up a plant in the past decade. And so there has kind of been a manufacturing revival in South Carolina that hasnt happened in every state. So i think thats an important economic issue that a lot of south carolinians are looking at. But its not all economics. I mean, one of the things is that, you know, we had a lot of veterans in South Carolina. And so what we see in these exit polls is that Something LikeWorld Affairs is more important to a lot of voters here than in some states. There is, of course, a concern, feature we like to call were paying attention even if youre too busy. There could soon be a change to soledad but very rarely makes the top five, frankly. Correct. The absentee ballot counting right. And help health care is a big concern. I mean, South Carolina is one of procedure to prevent what some those states that decided not to expand medicaid after the fear could be quote election geddon. Affordable care act was passed. So its kind of an above its an all of the above situation. But economic matters end up nobody is really calling it being number one in the data that. Instead of counting all the states absentee ballots in one weve looked at and weve talked day, there is a push for a two about a lot of the really Strong Economy in South Carolina in if this passes, election certain parts. Officials would tabulate ballots but that is not a correct case the monday before election day in november. The absentee ballot would get state why there really are two marked and sealed in envelopes South Carolinas and that middle part of the state and rural areas, they are really struggling. Until 9 00 on election day. Hospitals are closing, jobs are a. M. Under the current law, drying up. Absente ballots cant be tabulated until election day,gh, and so, you know, there is a concern about, you know, just delaying final results. Making ends meet andurviving in many of these places. In 2018, a tight congressional race between democrat Joe Cunningham and republican katie its not all thriving areas like arrington wasnt called until greenville and charleston and columbia. Soledad who do you guys think 2 00 a. M. Will win it from the democratic side . Cunningham was declared the winner. Id be very surprised if biden doesnt win the south the proposal now heads to the carolina primary. Senate floor. And last summer, state officials soledad and if he does, lets ended paperless voting and say, hypothetically win the South Carolina primary. How does that tie him up or revealed a 51milliondollar paper ballot voting system. Whoever . So one of the things the paper ballots will be used reason South Carolina is so important is that a lot of Southern States come really in really quickly after south statewide for the first time for carolina. The primary. When we return and so if you do well in south why people from all over the carolina, it stands to reason world want a piece of this youre going to do well in georgia and alabama, states with peach. Similar demographic and added attitudinal profiles and so doing. If biden were to do well here, hes probably going to do well in these other states. And that could be enough to get the momentum to be able to get the nomination. Soledad jordan gibbs, thank you so much, gentlemen, appreciate it. Thank you. Next on matter of fact calculating the cost of Climate Change. When you take align, you have the support of a probiotic we either had to sell the house or elevate the house. And the gastroenterologists who developed it. Align naturally helps to soothe homeowners face a tough your occasional digestive upsets 24 7. Decision a 400 thousand so where you go the pro goes. Dollar decision. My home is going down 10, 20, go with align, the pros in digestive health. 30 percent, is it worth putting in the money to raise it . Plus capturing the past to protect a communitys future. And how did a peach pit South Carolina against its neighbor georgia . Oh, hi, samantha. You look more like a heather. Do you ever get that . Its nice to finally meet you in person. Youre pete nocchio . Oh, the pic . That was actually a professional headshot. Im sure thats it, yeah. I, uh, i think ive lost a few pounds recently too. Im actually doing a juice cleanse. Wait you dont. glass breaking gasp ah oh. with geico, the savings keep on going. Just like this sequel. 15 minutes could save you 15 or more on car insurance. New tide power pods one up the cleaning power of liquid. Can it one up spaghetti night . It sure can. Really . Can it one up breakfast in bed . Yeah, for sure. Thanks, boys. What about that . Uhh, yep it can . Yeah, even that i would very much like to see that. Me too. Introducing new tide power pods. One up the toughest stains with 50 more cleaning power than liquid detergent. Any further questions . Uh uh nope one up the power of liquid with new tide power pods. Giant peach, well sort of, right here in South Carolina. Its called the peachoid, a massive water tower that is shaped and painted to resemble a peach. The 135foot tower is near the North Carolina border, in the city of gaffney which has a population of about 13thousand. The citys tourism director says people from all over the world, from countries like, canada, germany, and japan have visited to snap pictures. Many recognize the tower from the netflix show, house of cards. You may ask why the tower is here, instead of say georgia which is known as the peach state. But South Carolina has actually produced more peaches than georgia for more than 35 years. This has created a sort of friendly rivarly pitting, get it, georgia and South Carolina against each other. The Georgia Department of of fact from South Carolina. Agriculture tweeted south weather and climate events cost carolina says they harvest three the u. S. 45 billion dollars in times more peaches as georgia, damages last year. But we say ours are three times sweeter. And while South Carolina had a rather mild Hurricane SeasonSouth Carolinas Ag Department last year, the state is still fired back with the ageold and charleston, the lowlying your heart. Port city, is at risk for thats it for this edition of flooding even when there is no matter of fact in greenville, hurricane. Scientists say Climate Change is South Carolina. Well see you next week back in causing the sea level to rise in washington, d. C. Charleston, which means more tidal flooding. Correspondent Jessica Gomez travels to charleston to see how the city and those who live there are preparing for what could become charlestons biggest safety and economic threat. Jessica charleston, South Carolina, dependent on water, and now defending itself against water. What is happening is the result of sea level rising, it is being eaten away. There is dirt inside of the walls because the foundation is sinking. Jessica ana zimmerman, her home flooded in 2015. Two years later when Hurricane Irma hit, she knew it was time to leave. Like much of the charleston water and its dirty water and it starts to bury everything and you just realize you cant even save anything. Jessica while the city is spending millions on projects like fortifying its sea walls, and improving drainage systems, its wrestling with how to handle the thousands of people moving to charleston every year. Critics say it hasnt pumped the brakes fast enough on new development, fill and build communities that make the flooding problem worse for those around them. Some, like margaret peery, who lives with her special needs son, are taking matters into charlestons iconic Historic District , to be elevated, 6 feethell, o is going to buy the house . Who is gonna buy a house under construction that has water in it . Jessica this is all original. Builder buz morris says it was a complicated and costly process, about 400thousand dollars but now dozens more projects like it are underway, as flooded Historic Homes are losing value. People are looking at that from a money stand pointtheyre saying if my home is going down 10, 20, 30 percent, is it worth putting in the money to raise it . Robert handa hello, and welcome to, jessica money. Many of those on charlestons Asian Pacific america. Im robert handa, your host for our show here east side dont have an area challenged by flooding and on nbc bay area and cozi tv. Gentrification. Whenever you feel short of breath for whatever reason, Derrick Milligan his mom has its a scary experience. Lived here for 80 years, her neighbors not so lucky. But when it happens and you cant recover, that is what its like living with lung disease theyre being forced out because they dont have Flood Insurance so they cant get the such as asthma, lung cancer, and copd. Today, we meet some young people trying to help Fund Research renovations they need. And maybe find cures. Well meet youth ambassadors for the fight for air climb, jessica many, left to the mercy a stair climb up a San Francisco skyscraper to raise money of nonprofits, like the sustainability institute, which helps weather proof homes for those who cant afford it, like for their cause, which is to provide patient education, bedridden m support medical research, as well as Public Policy efforts. Charlestons vulnerable well also hear from a health and Education Specialist with population, most at risk. There are so many homeowners that need help and dont have the American Lung association, who put together programs the means to afford the types of designed to raise awareness and Fund Research to save upgrades they would need, in order to fortify their homes and protect them against these weather events. Weather events, scientists say, that are here to stay. If we stopped emitting co2 today, it would take over 100 years for the atmosphere to cleanse itself and get back to preindustrial levels. It is like trying to turn around a great big ship, its like how do you slow an Aircraft Carrier and make a uturn . Jessica leaving ay,tides of ch. In charleston, South Carolina, for matter of fact, im Jessica Gomez. When we come back can South Carolina avoid an Election Night cliffhanger . Soledad what some fear could be quote electiongeddon. Plus a lesson in history from a community thats endured for more than 400 years. Gullah, i would say, is the of the southeast. Do you have concerns about mild memory loss related to aging . Prevagen is the number one pharmacistrecommended memory support brand. You can find it in the vitamin aisle in stores everywhere. Prevagen. Healthier brain. Better life. Of fact in South Carolina. For a small state, South Carolina has something of an outsized reputation. Its known for its peaches, its beaches, and its complicated history. One of the first Major Centers of the african slave trade in north america on the other side of the state in Charles Towne todays charleston sits in the heart o