News
Former governor, chief justice inch closer to running for Burr’s seat in the U.S. Senate
Beasley is assembling a new team in preparation for a 2022 U.S. Senate bid and an announcement could come in days.
Podcast
Carolina Journal Radio No. 924: State should take new steps to fight collusive lawsuits
If a state government agency wants to avoid complying with N.C. law, it might be able to accomplish its goal through a collusive lawsuit settlement. But state lawmakers could take steps this year to strike back against those settlements. Andy Jackson, director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation, explains...
News
Harrington, known for her no-nonsense approach, Senate’s first female majority leader
Sen. Kathy Harrington, R-Gaston, doesn’t seem impressed at becoming the first female majority leader of the N.C. Senate. She is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Raleigh. She sports a concealed-carry permit, and her daughter is a law enforcement officer. She listens more than she talks, and she doesn’t forget. She is not someone...
Video
Locke’s Mitch Kokai discusses U.S. House’s election bill
Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses H.R. 1, the For the People Act. It’s the U.S. House’s plan for inserting the federal government into state election rules. Kokai offered these comments during the Jan. 29, 2021, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “Front Row with Marc Rotterman.”
News
N.C. overpaid more than $69 million in unemployment benefits last year
In yet another sign of turmoil at the N.C. Division of Employment Security, officials announced this week the division overpaid more than $69 million in unemployment benefits last year. The pandemic causes a sharp spike in claims in 2020, with nearly a third of workers filing for unemployment. State and federal employment programs paid out...
News
Senators to file bill requiring schools to be open for in-person instruction
With evidence mounting that schools can operate safely amid COVID-19, the General Assembly will soon consider a bill that would require North Carolina classrooms to be open for in-person instruction. The legislation, expected to be filed in the next few days, would mandate that every school district offer in-person learning in some capacity, while also...
Opinion
Opinion
NC can protect ratepayers without driving away data centers
NC can protect ratepayers, respect communities and remain competitive for the next generation of data center investment.
Opinion
The race to the Dan
This retreat is known in military history circles as an ingenious strategy by Greene to survive and keep an army in the field against one of the best experienced generals in the world — Lord Cornwallis.
Opinion
‘Cardiac Pack’ to generate new headlines 43 years after championship
North Carolina's highest court will hear oral arguments next month in a case involving one of the state's best-known sports teams.
Opinion
NC parents: There’s a bookie in your college freshman’s pocket
Investing is about ownership, long-term growth, and building a future. Wagering on whether the Tar Heels cover the spread this weekend is not investing, no matter how sleek the interface.
Elections
News
2024 in review: A year of civic engagement in NC
The year 2024 was marked by significant developments across politics, the economy, education, and energy in North Carolina. As one of the nation’s most dynamic and closely watched states, it played a pivotal role in shaping regional and national conversations.
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."
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.
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.
News
Federal judge allows challenge of 225,000 NC voter registrations to move forward
A federal judge will allow state and national Republican groups to move forward with their lawsuit challenging 225,000 voter registrations in North Carolina. An order issued Friday denied requests from the State Board of Elections and Democratic National Committee to have the case dismissed.
Videos
Video
Carolina Journal’s Donna King analyzes new NC budget
Donna King, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses key pieces of North Carolina’s new state budget. King offered these comments during the July 10, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”
Video
America 250 and The Battle of Moore”s Creek Bridge
In this special episode of The Debrief, Jeff Moore sits down with Bob Rosser to discuss Running the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge and the Revolutionary War history behind one of North Carolina’s most important early battles. As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this conversation explores the people, places, and legacy of Moores Creek —...
Video
NC’s Booming Sports Betting Industry + Gov. Stein’s DPS Selection
This week on The Debrief, The Center Square’s Alan Wooten joins the show with the latest on North Carolina’s booming sports betting industry as state revenues approach the $300 million mark ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Plus, the Carolina Journal team examines growing controversy surrounding Gov. Josh Stein’s selection to lead North Carolina’s Department...
Video
Bridge Safety, Abolishing The US Dept of Ed, and Teen Social Media Rules
This week on The Debrief, we break down the latest on Helene recovery efforts and Lake Lure bridge safety, where rebuilding, public access and long-term infrastructure questions remain front and center. We also bring you an update on North Carolina’s budget process, examine the renewed push to abolish the US Department of Education and what...
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
Opinion
Voting by foot works quite well
If you don’t like key characteristics of your community, including how it is governed, you and your family can move somewhere else.
News
Exclusive video: Brittany Boltinhouse, Miss North Carolina USA, sits down with CJ
Brittany Boltinhouse was crowned Miss North Carolina USA in June of 2026, but two days ago she was stripped of her title. The Miss USA organization says Boltinhouse did not uphold their organization’s standards but she believes her Mormon faith and outspoken conservative views may have played a role in the decision.
Opinion
Ceuta’s border collapse is a warning for NC
State lines and county boundaries provide no protection from a federal government that has lost control of who enters and who remains.
Opinion
Book review: Leftist delusions threaten ‘permanent things’
"Manufacturing Delusion" is a deeply-researched, intellectually rigorous, yet readable volume that should occupy a prominent spot on the shelf of every American concerned about the future of our republic.
Civil Society
Opinion
A post-Thanksgiving reflection on gratitude over grievance
Outrage won’t solve our problems. And it won’t prepare us for tomorrow. What is needed now is a sense of redemption and reasons to feel hopeful.
Opinion
The importance of civic engagement 250 years after the founding
What YMCA's Youth and Government program is doing is remarkable. This year’s conference garnered interest from NC state legislators, mayors, policy analysts, and state officials.
Opinion
Institute fosters stronger public leadership
Times change. When we introduce IOPL to potential fellows, partners, and donors, some hear the word “political” and think “toxic,” or at least “partisan.”
Opinion
NC leaders champion post-election unity through ‘Civic Saturdays’
Like a faith gathering, it incorporated music, fellowship, shared meals, and thoughtful discourse — but with democracy as its central theme.
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...
