They’re called “stimulus” projects, but eight “stimulus” grants received by North Carolina and showcased in a new report put out by two Republican senators have become the national punchline for jokes about the massive, ill-advised government spending plan that was touted as the solution to the country’s ailing economy and business stagnation. John Locke Foundation Director of Health and Fiscal Policy Studies Joe Coletti summarizes the eight projects, which are found on several North Carolina university campuses and points out why they, in reality, do little or nothing to “stimulate” job creation and national economic recovery. Speaking of efforts to revive the teetering economy, since Steve Forbes published a book titled How Capitalism Will Save Us, the Obama administration and Congress have increased the government’s role in the health care and financial sectors, in addition to pursuing additional bailouts of state and federal government. Still, the chairman of Forbes Media believes market forces will help the United States recover from its economic slump. Forbes cites public dissatisfaction with Washington’s elected officials as a positive sign. He offered his prognosis for the nation’s recovery during a recent visit to Durham. Then we turn to higher education. More college students enter classrooms these days with diagnoses of attention deficit order, dyslexia, and other similar learning disabilities. A recent report from the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy discusses the topic and examines universities’ responses to those students’ needs. Report author and USA Today editorial writer Melana Zyla Vickers discusses key themes from her research. That’s followed by a fascinating look at the role morality plays in economics. Critics often argue that people who favor free markets more than government action favor greedy businessmen and profits instead of the public interest. Dwight Lee, professor of global markets and freedom at Southern Methodist University, rebuts that claim. Lee points to the importance of making a moral case for markets.  And finally, we turn our education lens to the K-12 years. John Locke Foundation Director of Education Studies Terry Stoops discusses the robust growth of home schools in North Carolina and why more and more North Carolina families are seeking alternatives to the traditional public school option. Stoops also comments on the re-emergence in the public square of former Gov. Jim Hunt – the politician some refer to as the state’s first education governor – and Hunt’s continued ties to education in the state.