This country’s social safety net includes three huge programs – Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid. Some policymakers have been talking about the need for reform for years, particularly as the Baby Boom generation begins to retire. John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation, details why the need for reform is so pressing, why there’s been so little progress, and what must occur if the programs are to remain solvent. Then we turn to a commemoration of the late economist Milton Friedman, who would have turned 100 this summer. To honor his memory, the John Locke Foundation helped host a lecture focusing on one of Friedman’s key goals: school choice. JLF’s Terry Stoops and Roy Cordato, along with Bob Luebke of the Civitas Institute, examine some of the key elements of Friedman’s thinking on school choice issues. Next is look at the looming budgetary process known as “sequestration.” Without any action from Congress, the federal budget is slated for more than $500 billion in defense cuts. Some Republican senators are fighting that option. Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire recently shared their defense spending concerns with a Fayetteville audience. That’s followed by a fascinating look at free markets. Any student of economics has heard of the “invisible hand” of the free market, a force that seems to lead to positive social outcomes. But Duke professor John Staddon worries about a force he labels the “malign hand” of the markets. Staddon discusses fears about the “malign hand” that led to his latest book. And finally, Carolina Journal Managing Editor Rick Henderson discusses CJ’s plans for covering the Democratic and Republican conventions. Henderson explains that coverage will use a variety of platforms to report on activities inside and outside the convention arenas.