News

Legislators ‘exploring options’ in response to redistricting special master

Leaders of the N.C. General Assembly’s redistricting committees are labeling as “outrageous” and “extraordinary” the appointment of a West Coast-based law professor to a role that could involve redrawing this state’s legislative election maps. A three-judge federal panel overseeing the Covington v. North Carolina redistricting lawsuit named Stanford Law School professor Nathaniel Persily Thursday as...

CJ Staff

News

Court appoints special master in legislative redistricting case

The three-judge federal court panel reviewing North Carolina legislative districts decided Thursday to appoint Stanford Law School professor Nathaniel Persily to redo at least part of the maps submitted in the Covington v. North Carolina lawsuit. In its order, the panel said it was likely two of the three Senate districts and seven of the...

CJ Staff

Video

Cato’s Patrick Michaels assesses current state of climate debate

Dr. Patrick Michaels, director of the Center for the Study of Science at the libertarian Cato Institute and author of the book Lukewarming, offers a current assessment of the political debate over climate change. Michaels offered these comments during an interview for Carolina Journal Radio.

News

Debaters agree on need to pay teachers more, disagree on how

NEWTON — Legislators and policy experts agree that North Carolina teachers need more pay. They disagree on how to dole out the money. Pay raises should be based on how a teacher performs in the classroom, said Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, at an education policy debate Oct. 24. The event, hosted by the N.C. Institute on...

Kari Travis

News

Conservative House Democrat Brisson switches to GOP

State Rep. William Brisson, D-Bladen, said he is switching to the Republican Party because Democrats have become too progressive. With Brisson’s change in party affiliation, the House Republicans increased their supermajority to a margin of 75 to 45.. He is running for his seventh term in House District 22, which covers nearly all of Bladen...

Dan Way

News

Cooper should fire attorney ensnared in Fusion GPS probe, NCGOP says

The North Carolina Republican Party says Gov. Roy Cooper should fire his lead campaign attorney Marc Elias, who paid for an opposition research dossier that helped spark a probe into whether President Donald Trump’s campaign had any ties to Russia. NCGOP Executive Director Dallas Woodhouse said Wednesday from news reports that broke overnight, it “appears...

Dan Way

Opinion

End NCAE’s taxpayer-subsidized dues check-off privilege

Any organization receiving public payroll deductions should annually certify that it meets the law’s requirements and provide documentation sufficient to verify its membership and eligibility.

Donald Bryson

Opinion

Boosting civic knowledge among young adults is no simple task

The future of American civic life depends on students' continued willingness to learn real lessons from the nation's past.

Mitch Kokai

Opinion

Cost curve bends, but not enough

Medical spending in the US as a share of gross domestic product was 15% lower than projected 14 years earlier, and indeed was only “marginally higher” than in 2010.

John Hood

Opinion

The right balance of tech for NC schools

Despite the good intentions of many school leaders and teachers, we are concerned by growing evidence that suggests those tools are harmful for our children’s learning and development and undermine our own efforts to promote intentional screen use at home.

Joe Waters

Opinion

Federal crash will hurt North Carolinians

America’s ship of state is huge, ornate, cluttered, and bound for calamity. Will North Carolinians just go along for the (perilous) ride? Or will we demand action before it’s too late?

John Hood

Opinion

Should NC reform its primary system? The case to return to 40% threshold

In a Carolina Journal poll conducted shortly after the November elections, 43% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the results of the 2024 primaries, stating that they did not produce the best candidates for the general election. While 46% were satisfied and 10% were unsure, the significant level of dissatisfaction highlights potential issues within North Carolina’s primary system.

Donna King

News

Boliek sworn in as state auditor, says he’ll start with audit of DMV

On Wednesday, Dave Boliek was sworn in as the new state auditor of North Carolina and announced his hires for senior staff and says he will start work with an audit of the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Katherine Zehnder

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.

Donna King

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

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...

Video

Carolina Journal’s Donna King analyzes NC state budget debate

Donna King, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses major developments in North Carolina’s ongoing state budget debate. King offered these comments during the May 15, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donna King

Video

UNC-Asheville whistleblower complaint explored

Carolina Journal reporter David Bass speaks with former University of North Carolina at Asheville research assistant Aidan Settman about his whistleblower complaint against the university.

David N. Bass

Video

Locke’s Mitch Kokai analyzes NC’s marquee Senate race

Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses North Carolina’s high-profile US Senate race. Kokai offered these comments during an April 21, 2026, interview with WNCN (CBS17).

Mitch Kokai

Video

Locke’s Donald Bryson analyzes NC teacher pay proposals

John Locke Foundation CEO Donald Bryson discusses current ideas for raising teacher pay in North Carolina. Bryson offered these comments during the April 10, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donald Bryson

News

NC passed on buying part of the Carolina Hurricanes

As the Carolina Hurricanes continue to make their way through the Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, state Treasurer Brad Briner made known that North Carolina was presented with the opportunity to buy part of the franchise last year, but passed.

Theresa Opeka

News

Social media, AI safety bill advances in NC Senate

Social media bill is quickly advancing through the General Assembly, Democrats say it may not go far enough.

Katherine Zehnder

Opinion

Boosting civic knowledge among young adults is no simple task

The future of American civic life depends on students' continued willingness to learn real lessons from the nation's past.

Mitch Kokai

Opinion

NC bill blurs AI policy, social media rules

I’m not saying government should stand by and do nothing, but we should certainly be wary of creating broad new authorities for state government without clear evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs.

Donna King

News

UNC uses bridge funds for DEI-targeted research

The federal ban, and a new UNC Board of Governors policy emphasizing free speech and nondiscrimination, have not ended research targeted by the Trump administration for promoting left-wing racial and gender ideology.

Ashley Dowdney

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.

Michael Cooper

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.

Drew DiMeglio

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.”

John Hood

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.

Ashlynn Warta

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

Legislators ‘exploring options’ in response to redistricting special master

Court appoints special master in legislative redistricting case

Cato’s Patrick Michaels assesses current state of climate debate

Debaters agree on need to pay teachers more, disagree on how

Conservative House Democrat Brisson switches to GOP

Cooper should fire attorney ensnared in Fusion GPS probe, NCGOP says

Opinion

End NCAE’s taxpayer-subsidized dues check-off privilege

Boosting civic knowledge among young adults is no simple task

Cost curve bends, but not enough

The right balance of tech for NC schools

Federal crash will hurt North Carolinians

Elections

Should NC reform its primary system? The case to return to 40% threshold

Boliek sworn in as state auditor, says he’ll start with audit of DMV

2024 in review: A year of civic engagement in NC

Trump nominates Bishop to be deputy director for budget at OMB

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

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

Videos

Bridge Safety, Abolishing The US Dept of Ed, and Teen Social Media Rules

The Debrief: Remaining Covid Lawsuits + Sam Hayes Interview

Carolina Journal’s Donna King analyzes NC state budget debate

UNC-Asheville whistleblower complaint explored

Locke’s Mitch Kokai analyzes NC’s marquee Senate race

Locke’s Donald Bryson analyzes NC teacher pay proposals

Culture

NC passed on buying part of the Carolina Hurricanes

Social media, AI safety bill advances in NC Senate

Boosting civic knowledge among young adults is no simple task

NC bill blurs AI policy, social media rules

UNC uses bridge funds for DEI-targeted research

Civil Society

A post-Thanksgiving reflection on gratitude over grievance

The importance of civic engagement 250 years after the founding

Institute fosters stronger public leadership

NC leaders champion post-election unity through ‘Civic Saturdays’

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

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