Candidates vying for two of North Carolina’s highest-profile political jobs face each other in public debates during the next week. Gov. Pat McCrory and U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, both Republican incumbents, face their respective Democratic challengers, state Attorney General Roy Cooper and former state Rep. Deborah Ross. Carolina Journal Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson previews the debates and assesses their importance during the closing weeks of the election campaign. The outcomes of statewide and national elections could have a profound impact on future interpretations of the U.S. and North Carolina constitutions. That’s the assessment of John Dinan, professor of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University. Dinan explains how the national election could help shift the balance on the U.S. Supreme Court, which has a current 4-4 deadlock between relatively conservative and relatively liberal justices. Dinan also reminds us that North Carolina voters will decide whether Republican-backed justices will maintain a 4-3 majority on the state Supreme Court. North Carolina isn’t running out of fish, but a new legislative group is studying whether the state needs to change its rules to protect certain types of fish from commercial and recreational anglers. You’ll hear highlights from the group’s first meeting. When primarily left-of-center groups offer big-government solutions to address society’s ills, limited-government advocates often respond “no.” But there’s no reason for the discussion to end there. Charitable and private-sector groups often can address problems with much greater effectiveness. That’s the idea behind the Better Yes Network. Co-founder Joe Coletti discusses the group’s origins and goals. Cumberland County officials recently raised some eyebrows. They agreed to transfer taxpayer money originally allocated for schools to help support a proposed baseball stadium. Julie Tisdale, John Locke Foundation city and county policy analyst, explains why this decision causes her to question the local government’s priorities.