December 2017
On the cover
• Government won’t solve opioid crisis
• Medical marijuana serves as alternative to opioids
News
• Quick Takes, Pages 2 and 3
• Failed megaport site still vacant and is losing value, Page 4
• New report shows farmers double-dipping taxpayer subsidies, Page 4
• Waiting to be paid, Page 5
• Future of free-market health reforms uncertain, experts say, Page 6
• Pine Mountain developer making no progress, Page 7
• State Bar chides UNC Center for Civil Rights for filing lawsuits illegally, Page 8
• Innovative School District moving forward despite some opposition, Page 9
• Apprenticeships help address skills gaps, Page 10
• Virtual charters seek contract renewal from lawmakers, Page 11
• Red Hat event teaches girls collaboration through coding, Page 11
• Polls, Page 24
Interviews
• Michael Gillespie: Reformation’s political impact felt 500 years later, Page 18
• Jasna Bukvic-Bhayani: Charlotte-based makeup artist challenges N.C. licensing law, Page 19
Opinion
• Julie Tisdale: The painful reality of certificate-of-need laws, Page 14
• Mitch Kokai: Another expensive brick in the wall, Page 15
• Shannon Watkins: The NCAA’s UNC decision: Nothing to see here, Page 16
• Kristen Blair: Screen media and the evidence on early learning, Page 17
• George Leef: Why is reforming our colleges such a struggle?, Page 17
• Editorial: Criminal justice reform offers rare chance for bipartisan success, Page 20
• Terry Stoops: Complacency puts N.C. charter school movement at risk, Page 20
• John Trump: North Carolina one of the few states not smiling during happy hour, Page 22
• Michael Walden: North Carolina: How will it look in 2050?, Page 22
• Andy Taylor: Please, stop speaking my language, Page 23
• Becki Gray: About holidays and families, Page 23
John Hood commentary
• Why we fight for freedom, Page 21
• Carolina tax reform sets the pace, Page 21
• Community college delivers real value, Page 21