COVID-19 is a deadly virus. That’s indisputable. But information from state health experts and the governor are fraught with mixed messages and questions, which leaves people mostly confused and often afraid, one researcher says. A big problem is that, speaking for North Carolina, that…
While public schools wait for Gov. Roy Cooper to decide how classes will look this year, private schools are finalizing plans for reopening. Unlike traditional public schools, private schools — which aren’t subject to the same rules — have more leeway in deciding how to reopen. …
This coronavirus isn’t going anywhere. It has burrowed deep into our communities, our hospitals, our psyches. It won’t magically disappear, despite all the wishing. The hoping and the dreaming. We’re hurting. In the eye of a hurricane it’s futile to try to assess the damage. We’re…
Each week, staff at Carolina Journal looks back at the week in N.C. politics and chooses several interesting, relevant stories you may have missed. Here’s this week’s review: Lawsuit alert! Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest is suing Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper over Cooper’s COVID-19 executive orders.
Mob violence seems to be the rule across the nation’s historic landmarks, indiscriminately tearing down or vandalizing everything from Gen. U.S. Grant to Cervantes to monuments to the “Greatest Generation.” This is especially true in cities and states with Democratic executive leadership, including North Carolina. Finally,…
Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic include the importance of keeping money in savings to cushion an economic shutdown. Accurate and transparent data, we’ve learned, is critical. Restrictions to freedom must be temporary. Emergency calls for innovation, w…
I’ve about had it. Enough, already, with the mandates and decrees enacted to protect us from COVID-19. From each other. The inconsistent and obtuse data. The pedantic lecturing. Enough. I’m tired, and I’m not alone. I’m sure of that, evidenced by the myriad…
[Editor’s note: This story has been updated] Problems with policing and race relations must be dealt with, North Carolina’s leading politicians say. But meeting to talk about the issues doesn’t guarantee change, experts say. Many North Carolinians are asking lawmakers to do something…
Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses the nationwide civil unrest following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Kokai offered these comments during the June 5, 2020, edition of UNC-TV’s “Front Row with Marc Rotterman.”…
The Cooper administration supports North Carolinians’ right to gather and peacefully protest in the wake of the horrific death of George Floyd, officials say, even as the spread of COVID-19 remains a concern. Their messaging has changed. More than a month ago, the administration opposed mass…
