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