North Carolina is currently the highest stakes swing state in the Union. Democrats and Republicans have fought brutal battles for the favor of its voters for decades. In a state known for highly competitive, rough and tumble politics, North Carolina is in danger of entering a crisis-level new era, where raw, partisan politics threatens the...
Politics has taken a dangerous turn in a closely divided North Carolina, moving its influence from the campaign trail to the court bench. Little known to the public, four state Supreme Court justices are considering a legal manuever that threatens the credibility and viability of the state’s highest court for decades to come. Hosts Dallas...
The votes of millions of North Carolinians hang in the balance as a plot to nullify the voices of citizens is hatched at the state’s highest court. Listen in as hosts Dallas Woodhouse and Mitch Kokai uncover this case of Extreme Injustice: The Usurper Four. Extreme Injustice is an investigative project of The Carolina Journal....
If a state government agency wants to avoid complying with N.C. law, it might be able to accomplish its goal through a collusive lawsuit settlement. But state lawmakers could take steps this year to strike back against those settlements. Andy Jackson, director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation, explains...
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson could present very different messages to N.C. voters and taxpayers in the years ahead. The two men previewed a divergent path during their public swearing-in ceremonies in Raleigh. While Cooper complained about the COVID-19 pandemic, racism, unaffordable health care, and unequal opportunity, Robinson emphasized the...
From extended COVID-19 shutdowns to unexpected government fines, owners of alcohol-related businesses in North Carolina have faced special challenges in the past year. John Trump, Carolina Journal managing editor, recaps some of the industry’s key concerns. Bar owners and operators across North Carolina filed lawsuits just before the Christmas holiday. The suits challenge the executive...
After a month of uncertainty, Republican Paul Newby emerged as the eventual winner of the N.C. Supreme Court chief justice’s election, unseating incumbent Democrat Cheri Beasley. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, assesses Newby’s likely impact as the leader of the state’s highest court and top officer in North Carolina’s judicial branch. American history has faced...
The N.C. Association of Educators teachers union has been vocal about keeping brick-and-mortar schools closed to students during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s despite the evidence of major learning loss. The union stance also ignores scientific arguments in favor of returning students to classrooms. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of...
As we look forward to a new year, Carolina Journal Radio reviews some of the most interesting topics from 2020. Amy Coney Barrett has joined the U.S. Supreme Court as its 115th justice. She has said her judicial philosophy mirrors that of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, and supporters characterize her as an originalist. Jon...
The COVID-19 pandemic has produced both health and economic consequences. A new “misery index” attempts to document how those consequences have played out in states across the country. Joseph Coletti, John Locke Foundation senior fellow, explains why he developed the index. He explains how North Carolina compares to neighboring states and others throughout the United...
We still haven’t heard the final word on the 2020 election, but some observers are already looking ahead to North Carolina’s next big electoral contest. Voters will replace Republican Richard Burr in the U.S. Senate in 2022. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, analyzes early announcements and speculation about a contest that could have a major...
