A defamation lawsuit filed 13 years ago by veteran North Carolina attorney Gene Boyce against Democratic Attorney General Roy Cooper and his 2000 campaign committee will go to trial in April 2014. Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson explains the ad that’s at the heart of the lawsuit and the potential bad press the trial could give Cooper, who seems to be starting a run for governor. Then we turn to the controversy over efforts to replace the unsafe Bonner Bridge on the Outer Banks. Thousands of people who live and work on North Carolina’s Outer Banks had their lives disrupted recently, when the N.C. Department of Transportation shut down the 50-year-old Bonner Bridge, the only road connection between the mainland and Hatteras Island. You’ll learn why state and local officials are placing the blame squarely at the feet of a left-of-center Chapel Hill-based group called the Southern Environmental Law Center. Next is a look at the ongoing criticism of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services over the past year. Secretary Aldona Wos responded to critics during a recent presentation for state lawmakers. You’ll hear highlights from her remarks. That’s followed by perspective on national defense challenges. A dozen years after the 9/11 attacks, American leaders are still debating the best ways to address these challenges. Lt. Col. Sean Moser of the N.C. National Guard discusses potential impacts of those decisions for North Carolina. And finally, John Locke Foundation director of research and education services Terry Stoops delves into teacher turnover statistics in North Carolina and why a recent media narrative that the rate has increased, and has increased because of disagreement over Republican education policies, is wrong.