Cover

• Mountain man vs. government
• Voting drives in state hospitals will continue
• Lawmakers wrangle over training for bail bondsmen

North Carolina

• Critics: Obamacare Medicaid savings illusory, Page 2
• N.C. unemployment tax fix would retire federal debt earlier, Page 3
• 138 Perdue executive orders await McCrory, Page 4
• State Briefs, Page 4
• Elected Council of State, while unwieldy, is unlike to change, Page 5
• UNC Health Care CEO says single-payer plan most efficient, Page 6

Education

• N.C. 26th in latest ranking of high school graduation rates, Page 7
• Kristen Blair commentary: What’s in a word?, Page 7
• New Republican leaders may expand virtual charter education, Page 8

Higher Education

• Private colleges take aim at spiraling tuition costs, Page 17
• Robert Weissberg commentary: Cut college costs by unbundling, Page 17
• Little apparent payoff for research campus so far, Page 18
• Campus Briefs, Page 18
• Issues in Higher Education: Gender grudge match continues in science and tech education, Page 19

Local Government

• Food trucks still not free of restaurant ties, Page 10
• Town and County, Page 10
• Mecklenburg may have to redo 2011 property tax revaluation, Page 11
• Michael Lowrey commentary: Negotiating poorly with the Big Cat, Page 11
• Court: 2nd Amendment doesn’t apply to concealed weapons, Page 12

Learning Curve

• Book review: Woodward exposes failure of 2011 debt-limit talks, Page 20
• From the Liberty Library, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: Guy Owen’s works of fiction transcend their rural N.C. settings, Page 21
• Book review: Helms speeches strike chord in time greatly expanding government, Page 22
• Book review: Novel about Wall Street meltdown unveils perils of high-flying lifestyle, Page 22
• Movie review: There’ll always be an England, and apparently James Bond, as well, Page 23

Opinion

• Editorial: Mary Easley’s holiday gift, Page 24
• Becki Gray commentary: N.C. positioned for dramatic reform, Page 24
• Editorial: Education reform, Page 25
• Editorial: Voter ID, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: Time for leaders to step up, Page 25
• Michael Walden commentary: Debts and deficits, Page 26
• Editorial Briefs, Page 26
• Andy Taylor commentary: A kindler, gentler, more female Congress?, Page 27
• Marc Rotterman commentary: Where are the responsible reporters?, Page 27

Parting Shot

• Chairman Parker hails return to ‘normalcy’ for Dems (a CJ parody), Page 28