Cover

• McCrory signs bill repealing Common Core
• Elections board looking at Wray spending

North Carolina

• General Assembly to hold special Medicaid session, Page 2
• Walker over Berger in 6th Congressional District GOP runoff, Page 3
• Report: N.C. pension may be underfunded, Page 4
• State Briefs, Page 4
• Amendment would allow felony defendants to waive jury trials, Page 5
• O’care exchange subsidies likely to be decided by Supreme Court, Page 6
• JLF: Lawmakers should get rid of new e-cigarette tax, Page 7

Education

• Final budget deal includes large raise for teachers, Page 8
• Kristen Blair commentary: Slowing the summer slide, Page 8
• Report: Charters give students, taxpayers more bang for buck, Page 9

Higher Education

• N.C. officials optimistic about ‘reverse transfer,’ Page 17
• George Leef commentary: What to do with law schools?, Page 17
• Tiny Martin Community College has big problems, Page 18
• Campus Briefs, Page 18
• Issues in Higher Education: UNC-Chapel Hill’s embarrassing academic problem not going away, Page 19

Local Government

• Critics say Raleigh’s plastic bag tax a loser, Page 10
• Town and County, Page 10
• Raleigh wants to limit advertising on vehicles in front of businesses, Page 11
• Richard Dietz commentary: W-S speech ordinance grants notable exemption, Page 11
• Counties using schools as justification for sales tax hikes, Page 12
• Audit: Former Tarboro manager made excessive purchases, Page 13
• Appeals Court: Police cannot continue traffic stops indefinitely, Page 14

Learning Curve

• Book review: Murray’s Curmudgeon’s Guide insightful and irascible, Page 20
• From the Liberty Library, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: Tar Heels not sharpest of troops during Spanish-American War, Page 21
• Book review: The ‘ruling class’ talks peaces, but its actions ensure the opposite, Page 22
• Book review: Riley: Liberal policies big obstacle to advancement of blacks, Page 23

Opinion

• Editorial: Money talks, and that’s OK, Page 24
• Roy Cordato commentary: Hobby Lobby’s clash of rights, Page 24
• Editorial: Film credit claims: Page 25
• Editorial: Charter salaries, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: Plant the seed for fruitful debate, Page 25
• Media Mangle: Price of access not always worth it, Page 26
• Michael Walden commentary: A lesson for N.C. renewal, Page 26
• Becki Gray commentary: Short session an unpleasant fight, Page 27
• Donna Martinez commentary: ‘Haves’ and ‘have-nots’ of employment tenure, Page 27

Parting Shot

• Tillis targeted in backyard charcoal ash spill attack ad (a CJ parody), Page 28