Higher education watchdogs have seen good news in recent years when it comes to free-speech protections on N.C. college campuses. Jenna Robinson, president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, discusses a new report that grades the campuses based on their policies promoting or limiting speech. It’s no secret that American politics has become increasingly polarized. Duke University ethics professor Walter Sinnott-Armstrong believes more argument could help fight that polarization. Sinnott-Armstrong explained his theory during a recent speech in Raleigh. You’ll hear highlights from his remarks. Before Hurricane Florence stormed through North Carolina, state lawmakers already were talking about ways to improve disaster relief in the wake of the 2016 damage from Hurricane Matthew. Rep. Jimmy Dixon, R-Duplin, explains how government could learn lessons about disaster preparations from the state’s farmers. N.C. voters face six proposed constitutional amendments on the November ballot. John Dinan, professor at Wake Forest University, places North Carolina’s latest proposals in a national context. Dinan is author of the book State Constitutional Politics: Governing by Amendment in the American States. North Carolina’s certificate-of-need law has restricted new medical facilities and major medical equipment for decades. The idea behind the CON law goes back even further. That’s according to Jordan Roberts, John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst. He discusses the history and explains how the CON law hurts those seeking affordable health care options.