The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is reshaping lives in North Carolina, across the country, and around the world. The John Locke Foundation is helping N.C. leaders respond to challenges linked to the pandemic. CEO Amy Cooke discusses freedom-forward ideas JLF is promoting to help the state. She also assesses the impact on people’s wallets, job opportunities, and plans for the future. Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder has spent more than five decades teaching in college classrooms. He’s had a front-row view of higher education’s problems. Vedder discusses his concerns in the recent book Restoring the Promise. During a recent visit to North Carolina, he shared key themes from the book. State lawmakers want to make it easier for military veterans and their spouses to work in this state. You’ll hear highlights from a recent legislative debate about loosening occupational licensing restrictions for those connected to the military. Before COVID-19 hit the American economy, observers already were thinking about the trajectory of the American economy. Paul Cwik, professor of economics at the University of Mount Olive, applies what’s known as Austrian business cycle theory to offer pre-coronavirus projections for the future.  N.C. public schools will remain closed to students at least through the middle of May. That means families across the state are transitioning to online instruction. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies, discusses challenges and opportunities linked to technology-based education.