News

Feds May Give Muni Broadbands Second Look

RALEIGH — A 2011 North Carolina law placed new limits on city-owned communications service providers. The intent of the measure was to prevent municipalities from building and offering broadband service and using taxpayer subsidies to undercut private competitors. It’s unclear whether a move by the FCC to overrule state law would survive challenges in the courts, but observers are wary.

Barry Smith
News

Arnold Promises Less Drama Than Rucho in Senate District 39

RALEIGH — Matt Arnold admits there is very little difference between his political views and those held by incumbent Sen. Robert Rucho. But that did not stop him from challenging the seven-term veteran lawmaker in the May 6 Republican primary for state Senate District 39. Arnold questioned Rucho's leadership.

Joe Johnson
News

Steinberg Tries To Knock Off Freshman Pittenger in 9th District

RALEIGH — Freshman U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger, R-9th, says enacting effective policy makes it necessary to work across party lines under certain circumstances. Challenger Michael Steinberg chides Pittenger for backing House Speaker John Boehner and says he would support South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy for the top post in the House.

Barry Smith
News

Hise Faces Challenge on Transportation, Education in Senate District 47

RALEIGH — McDowell County Commissioner Michael Lavender said he is leaning heavily on a message that the rural nature of the district is getting shortchanged by current state policies incumbent Sen. Ralph Hise supports. He said transportation funding changes, tax reforms, and education policies are not addressing the needs of a rural district.

Joe Johnson

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: Trump tariffs head to the high court

Voters in many North Carolina cities made their choices this week in municipal elections. We recap the top results and look at some of the major voting decisions across the nation. Then we turn attention to a national story with major North Carolina implications: the future of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The nation’s highest court...

Video

Locke’s Mitch Kokai responds to AG Jackson’s lawsuit over SNAP benefits

Mitch Kokai, John Locke Foundation senior political analyst, discusses North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson joining Democratic counterparts in other states in a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration. It focuses on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Kokai offered these comments during the Oct. 31, 2025, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Mitch Kokai
Video

Locke’s Donald Bryson discusses SCOTUS case dealing with Trump’s emergency tariffs

Donald Bryson, John Locke Foundation CEO and Carolina Journal publisher, discusses the US Supreme Court case addressing President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs. Locke filed a joint amicus brief challenging the constitutionality of emergency tariffs. Bryson offered these comments during the Oct. 28, 2025, episode of Spectrum News’ “Capital Tonight.”

Donald Bryson
Video

Carolina Journal’s Donna King analyzes NC congressional redistricting plans

Donna King, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, discusses the North Carolina General Assembly’s plans to redraw the state’s congressional election map. King offered these comments during the Oct. 17, 2025, edition of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines.”

Donna King

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