John Hood: Test Scores Show Modest Improvement
RALEIGH — Test scores are up for North Carolina’s public-school students — a welcome development, although the news isn’t all good.
Opinion
Bottom Line with Brad: Cryptocurrency
I bet each of you reading this has a piece of paper that you are certain is worth something. It’s about two and half inches wide and 6 inches long and is made of a cotton and linen blend. It’s green and has all sorts of symbols on it that probably need a lot of explanation.
John Hood: Border Control Sets Stage for Reform
RALEIGH — Over the first six months of the Trump administration, the United States has experienced a dramatic decline in illegal border crossings. In June, reported the Department of Homeland Security, there were just 25,243 apprehensions or expulsions — the lowest such number in reported history.
John Hood: Tales of Adventure Engage Young Readers
RALEIGH — I am not much of a weeper. But a recent survey of American schoolchildren is testing my stoic disposition. Only 36% of 13-year-olds say they read for fun at least once a week. Back in 1984, the year I graduated high school, 70% did so.
John Hood: Federal Change Could Transform State Care
RALEIGH — Since the federal reconciliation bill was signed into law last month, fans and foes of the sprawling legislation have waged a war of words over its likely fiscal and economic effects. Some argue its permanent repairs to a broken business-tax code will boost capital investment, productivity, and wage growth. Others argue that adding trillions of dollars to federal deficits over the next decade is grossly irresponsible, risking stagflation or worse.
John Hood: Legislature Was Wise to Reclaim Power
RALEIGH — Of all the legislation enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly this year, none is more significant than House Bill 402, which strengthens legislative oversight of state regulations. Passed by both chambers in June, it drew opposition from Gov. Josh Stein. In July, lawmakers overrode his veto to make it the law of the land.
John Hood: Don’t Give Cash to Street Panhandlers
RALEIGH — It’s not the biggest threat to public safety, I admit, but panhandling along and often on North Carolina roadways is illegal, dangerous, counterproductive — and commonplace.
Op-ed: North Carolina Needs a New Tool in the Fight Against Cancer
Each year, nearly 70,000 North Carolinians receive the devastating news that they have cancer. In rural communities, where access to preventive care and cancer screenings is comparatively limited, diagnoses are often made later, when the disease is harder to treat and more costly. The burden of cancer is alarmingly high in our state, and it's hitting rural families hardest.
John Hood: Democrats Will Soon Fall to Third Place
RALEIGH — The likely Democratic nominee for North Carolina’s Senate race next year, former Gov. Roy Cooper, led likely Republican nominee Michael Whatley by six points in the first independent poll commissioned after the two men announced their campaigns last month.
John Hood: Germans Played Role in Carolina Revolt
RALEIGH — As Americans continue to celebrate our country’s semiquincentennial — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the war for American independence — I will continue to highlight the pivotal role that North Carolinians played in these historic events.
Op-ed: North Carolina’s Hospitals Are Feeling the Heat In More Ways Than One
Just a few weeks ago, WakeMed in Raleigh reported a surge in heat-related emergency cases, including three children. They weren’t alone. Hospitals across North Carolina have been overwhelmed this summer, not just by record temperatures, but by the growing pressure to do more with less.
John Hood: Tariff Threats Hurt Carolina Workers
RALEIGH — Daimler Truck North America operates some of North Carolina’s largest manufacturing facilities, including a Freightliner truck plant in Mount Holly, a Freightliner and Western Star plant in Cleveland, a components and logistics center in Gastonia, and a Thomas Built Buses plant in High Point. It employs some 6,800 North Carolinians in the Charlotte area alone.