Summertime in North Carolina is usually associated with vacations, but this year, summertime features a statewide election. John Locke Foundation President John Hood discusses the July 17 statewide election runoff, which features several council of state runoffs for Republicans, as well as three congressional runoffs for the GOP, and one Democratic runoff for Labor Commissioner. Then we turn to the recent legislative debate over North Carolina’s projected sea-level rise by climate change alarmists. You’ll hear why lawmakers such as Sens. David Rouzer, R-Johnston, and Harry Brown, R-Onslow, wanted to rein in regulators’ ability to use sea-level projections to limit coastal development. You’ll also hear a response from Duke University climate scientist Rob Jackson. Next is a look at juvenile justice law. While many issues split Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly, others lead to intraparty debate. Republicans offered the most vocal support for and opposition to a recent bill to help some North Carolinians expunge 15-year-old nonviolent offenses from their criminal records. You’ll hear highlights from the state House’s debate on the topic. That’s followed by a look at international finance. As Greece deals with economic turmoil, East Carolina University history professor Anthony Papalas watches with a professional interest. A specialist in ancient Greek history, Papalas has been traveling to the Mediterranean country for decades. He shares his thoughts about the causes of Greece’s current woes. And finally, Charlotte’s light rail system is touted by rail supporters as evidence that the Triangle should fund and build a rail system connecting Orange, Durham, and Wake counties. That’s just not correct, according to John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Local Government Studies Michael Sanera. He offers data on Charlotte’s system and explains why the Triangle plan is fundamentally flawed.
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