It sounds like a futuristic, innovative transportation plan: build high-speed rail service in North Carolina. But would it really be worth it for state officials to apply for a piece of $8 billion in federal stimulus funds to do just that? The John Locke Foundation’s director of research, Michael Sanera, explores that question as he details the results of a new policy report produced for JLF by noted transportation analyst Randal O’Toole. Sanera explains that ‘high-speed’ rail wouldn’t actually travel at high speeds, and that the belief that a system would clean the air isn’t accurate. Then we turn to politics and the legal system. President Obama could impact the nation’s legal system for decades with his nomination of federal appellate Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court. N.C. State political science chairman Andy Taylor explains why the Sotomayor nomination raises some red flags for fans of limited, constitutional government. Next, lawmakers have struggled this year to balance the state’s books for the new budget year. Americans For Prosperity state director Dallas Woodhouse believes those lawmakers should focus their attention on cuts and scaled-back programs. Woodhouse says legislators should scrap any plans to increase taxes. That’s followed by a look at air transportation in our state. Before the economy tanked, North Carolina already started to see a decline in air service at the state’s smaller airports. John Locke Foundation policy analyst Michael Lowrey discusses how airline industry changes have affected North Carolina and discusses likely changes on the way for the future. And finally, Locke Foundation education policy analyst Terry Stoops describes a first-of-its-kind survey of North Carolina’s private schools. Stoops gathered and analyzed the data about K-12 private options in order to start a dialogue about the role of choice in education. He explains his plans for expanding on the research in this interview.