State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson’s first few months in office have been anything but boring. Johnson, a Republican and former member of the Winston Salem/Forsyth County school board, in November ousted incumbent Democratic Superintendent June Atkinson. In December, the General Assembly passed a law that stripped some responsibilities from the N.C. State...
What if the governor broke campaign finance laws but no state election board was there to rule? Maybe he would stall an investigation by not appointing members to the board. North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes offered that scenario Wednesday in a news conference. Hayes accused Gov. Roy Cooper of repeating past Democratic governors’...
State senators are asking Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration to answer more than 20 questions in the next five days, as they consider his request for an extra $2.58 million to deal with concerns about a chemical discharge in the Cape Fear River. The seven Republican senators submitted the questions in a letter Wednesday to Cooper...
Joseph Henchman, Tax Foundation executive vice president, explains why North Carolina’s tax reforms deserve special recognition. Henchman offered these comments during an interview for Carolina Journal Radio.
The state Department of Health and Human Services proposes to expand Medicaid and restructure the state’s controversial mental health provider networks, Secretary Mandy Cohen said Tuesday. Cohen spent several months on a “listening tour” getting information from medical providers, patients, and other members of the public. The feedback resulted in a comprehensive report that received...
This is all great news showing real progress. But we shouldn't let our guard down or stop trying to reduce the number of overdose deaths in our communities to zero.
A new proposal urges states to enact restrictive “sectoral bargaining” laws. These states should instead look at what pro-choice labor policies can do.
A disproportionate share of the tax complexity that North Carolinians face is tied to small business and self-employment. Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and family business owners must track their own income and expenses.
Next to the effectual establishment of the Union, the best possible precaution against danger from standing armies is a limitation of the term for which revenue may be appropriated to their support.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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.
How are tariffs affecting North Carolina farmers? The Sharp family explains how lost export markets, rising costs, and supply-chain disruptions are putting pressure on their multigenerational farm. This video is part of a four-part investigative series (see parts one, two, and four).
As part of a four-part investigative series (see parts two, three, and four), CaptiveAire founder and president Bob Luddy discusses how tariffs have affected his commercial HVAC manufacturing company and the broader business community. Luddy says CaptiveAire is spending roughly $15 million annually on tariffs, largely on internationally sourced components such as motors, compressors, electronics,...
Danny Batten, owner of outdoor retailer Surf, Wind, & Fire, which has locations in both New Bern and Edenton, spoke on a panel for the John Locke Foundation about the impact of tariffs on his small business and comparative advantage. This video is part of a four-part investigative series (see parts one, three, and four).
This week on The Debrief, the world comes to Asheville as G20 finance leaders gather to confront Iran, global trade, debt, and economic growth. We examine new Medicaid work and renewal requirements that could affect hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians and the legal fight pitting North Carolina against the Trump administration’s tariffs. Plus, an...
Jeff Moore, John Locke Foundation vice president of communications, discusses the negative impact of North Carolina’s certificate-of-need law on state healthcare costs. Moore offered these comments during the Aug. 28, 2026, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”
This is all great news showing real progress. But we shouldn't let our guard down or stop trying to reduce the number of overdose deaths in our communities to zero.
Dampf Good BBQ scrapped its Durham expansion plans amid backlash over the owners’ Christian beliefs.
Despite the appeal of socialist comradery, people should find community in voluntary associations which pursue non-coercive means of social betterment.
Many have absorbed a view that the poor, the weak, and the downtrodden are pure of heart and should be presumed to be in the right; and the rich, the strong, and the ones imposing their will should be presumed to be in the wrong.
To restore healthy public discourse, each of us must become better listeners. Civil discourse is not a competition with winners and losers; it is a deliberate and respectful exchange of ideas.
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.
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.
Times change. When we introduce IOPL to potential fellows, partners, and donors, some hear the word “political” and think “toxic,” or at least “partisan.”
Like a faith gathering, it incorporated music, fellowship, shared meals, and thoughtful discourse — but with democracy as its central theme.