News

Rising prices of fertilizer and diesel affecting farmers

Farmers across the country, including North Carolina, are “taking it on the chin” when it comes to diesel and fertilizer prices, which have risen to unprecedented levels. The U.S. is dependent on and a major importer of foreign fertilizer. Factors driving costs up include Russia’s war with Ukraine, a limited supply of the relevant minerals...

Theresa Opeka
News

Trump rally-goers say endorsements will influence their votes

On Saturday, April 9, a crowd of red-hatted, flag-waving fans of former President Donald Trump descended on Selma, N.C.’s “The Farm at 95” venue to hear from Trump and other prominent conservative speakers. Shortly after the gates opened at 2 p.m. many enthusiastic attendees were more than happy to dance to the country music blaring...

David Larson
Video

Locke’s Mitch Kokai assesses latest polls in GOP Senate race

Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses recent polls in North Carolina’s Republican U.S. Senate primary. Kokai offered these comments during the April 8, 2022, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “Front Row with Marc Rotterman.”

Mitch Kokai
News

Briefs aim to sway judge in long-running N.C. school funding legal dispute

Editor’s note: This developing story was last updated Monday afternoon with reply briefs. Last update: 5:05 p.m. Plaintiffs and N.C. Justice Department lawyers are urging a judge to order $795 million in new state education spending. Legal briefs filed since Friday confirm agreement from both groups about whittling down the size of a $1.75 billion...

CJ Staff

Opinion

Elections

News

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

"Dan has been a tireless fighter for our MAGA Movement in the House of Representatives on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees," Trump said in a press release issued Tuesday night. "Dan will implement my cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all Agencies, and root out the Weaponized Deep State."

Theresa Opeka
News

Democrats want federal court to address GOP challenge of 60,000 NC ballots

The North Carolina Democratic Party filed a lawsuit Friday to ensure challenges of 60,000 ballots in the state's latest election are addressed in federal court. Republicans filed the challenges with the State Board of Elections. The challenges could affect the outcome of the state Supreme Court race between Democrat Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin, along with a handful of state legislative contests.

CJ Staff
News

Griffin asks Appeals Court to order decision on election protests by Tuesday

Republican North Carolina Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin is turning to North Carolina’s second-highest court for an order that would force state election officials to make a final decision about Griffin’s election protests Tuesday. The State Board of Elections had planned to hear oral arguments about the protests the following day, according to a document Griffin filed Friday with the state Court of Appeals.

CJ Staff

Videos

Video

The Debrief: Remaining Covid Lawsuits + Sam Hayes Interview

This week on The Debrief, Mitch Kokai and Donna King discuss the remaining covid lawsuits and other court cases in North Carolina. Plus, North Carolina State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes sat down with Carolina Journal’s Theresa Opeka to talk about his first year in office, including his accomplishments and what’s on the...

Culture

Civil Society

Opinion

For healthy civil society, politics needs to stay in its lane

Political and cultural causes are important. They motivate us to make the world around us better and hone our sense of justice. Also, the excitement of fighting the good fight can be, for lack of a better word, fun. But everything has its time and place. And even if we think a particular political issue...

David Larson
Opinion

Flashback: North Carolina’s Easter Monday tradition forged on the baseball diamond

On Good Friday state offices will be closed in North Carolina for Holy Week, along with 10 other states. However, that has not always been the case in North Carolina. The Monday after Easter — rather than Good Friday — was a legal holiday in North Carolina for 52 years, and for many years before...

Dallas Woodhouse