Local Limelight: Durham Rep. Vernetta Alston

We talked with Democratic state Rep. Vernetta Alston, who represents southwest Durham in North Carolina's General Assembly, for our Local Limelight series.

Here are some of her favorite things and places.

🍕Favorite place to eat: Lilly's Pizza in Raleigh's Five Points.

🥗 What the Triangle is missing: Restaurants where you can get a good salad.

📱First read in the morning: Texts, then email or The News & Observer.

📖 Last great book she read: "Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery" by Christie Aschwanden.

👀 Currently reading: "Wilmington's Lie" by David Zucchino and "City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era" by Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner.

🎧 Go-to podcast: The usual suspects, Alston told Axios: The Daily, Up First and 30 for 30.

• For non-daily listening, Alston plugged The Outlaw Ocean.

🍎 Favorite long weekend spot: New York City.

🐈‍⬛ Family cats, who Alston said "just live in the house I live in:" Pie, who's still a kitty, and Tart, 2.

⚖️ If she could pass any law, it would be: Death penalty repeal. Alston filed legislation on the issue last session, and plans on filing another bill this year, too.

🤫 How she unplugs: Exercise or "just not talking to people."