On the cover

• Pay attention! Outcome of N.C. Supreme Court races could alter political landscape for years

News

• Graduation rates continue to increase, Page 2

• Quick Takes, Pages 3-5

• Governor’s lawsuit against Rules Review Commission could unleash executive power, experts say, Page 6

• Cooper’s permission slip does little to help this small-town bowling alley, Page 7

• USGA deal at Pinehurst is cronyism at its worst, experts say, Page 8

• Nurse’s union win in Asheville could be a loss for patients, Page 9

• But wait … there’s more! Court of Appeals races, Page 10

• N.C. Supreme Court election candidates, Page 11

 

Features

• Civitas Poll, Page 2

• Timeline: A crumbling republic?, Pages 12-14

• Q&A with Adam Griffin: Lawsuit challenged Wilmington’s restrictions on vacation rentals, Page 15

 

Opinion

• Amy Cooke commentary: The confessions of a judiciary junkie, Page 2

• Terry Stoops commentary: The case against public sector union bargaining, Page 16

• George Ehrhardt commentary: Of academic freedom and false alarms, Page 17

• Preston Cooper commentary: When student debt is a good thing (and when it’s not), Page 17

• Becki Gray commentary: For North Carolina voters, the choice is clear, Page 18

• Mitch Kokai commentary: Five-year-old court ruling should raise concerns, Page 19

• Donald Bryson commentary: Republicans face tough fight for state’s highest court, Page 20

• John Trump commentary: Gov. Cooper knows best, so who are we to question him?, Page 22

• Andy Taylor commentary: Ever-changing districts portend interesting results, Page 23

• Michael Walden commentary: Did a third of the economy disappear?, Page 23

• Jordan Roberts commentary: Funding gap in Cooper’s Medicaid expansion plan, Page 24

 

Commentary by John Hood

• Cooper faces test on voter ID, Page 2

• State economic recovery is sputtering, Page 21

• COVID response creates policy options, Page 21