Unaffiliated voters surpass Democrats in N.C.
Unaffiliated voters have overtaken Democrats as the largest voting group in North Carolina, according to the latest data from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
opinion
OPINION: Popular ed school fads fail students who need help the most
The fight over Critical Race Theory grabs headlines. But there’s a more fundamental problem plaguing public schools.
Why Carolinians liked strong legislatures
How should North Carolina be governed? The same question can be asked about any other state in America, or any other country in the world. It’s a critical question. It lies at the heart of every political dispute you can think of, from education reform and environmental protection to tax policy and economic development.
Drug money: How NC will spend the $750M opioid settlement
The opioid epidemic is killing more than 100,000 Americans each year. Fentanyl alone — not counting other opioids such as heroin, oxycodone, and morphine — now top the list as the No. 1 cause of death for adults 45 and younger. That's more than suicides, car wrecks, and COVID-19.
College majors vary widely in cost
It costs a lot more to train a future engineer than to train a future journalist. Some smart aleck might suggest the cost differential is entirely understandable, since a poorly trained engineer will tend to wash out of her profession while a poorly trained journalist might well rise to the top of his.
State democrats get reality check
The North Carolina General Assembly is going to stay in Republican hands after the 2022 midterms. For state Democrats, this is a bitter pill to swallow. That they’ve already managed to swallow it, however, is evident in their manifest failure to recruit enough candidates to put up a credible fight this year for control of the legislature.
OPINION: Don’t call it the gypsy moth and other outrageous stories
Below are a few of the interesting and outrageous stories that caught my attention during the week. Sadly, there's not enough time to highlight all of them.
OPINION: Bludgeoning the poor with higher gas prices
Many ideologues focus on the politics of higher gas prices and what it means for the November midterm elections. Yet, poorer North Carolinians and Americans across the country are bludgeoned by rising energy costs, particularly today’s sticker shock at the gas pump.
OPINION: Mr. President, read the room
Throughout the course of history, we’ve learned that whenever tyranny rears its ugly head, an uprising of freedom will face it down. Our constitutional republic is built upon freedom, and every free nation across the world is as well. Thousands of miles away in Europe, freedom is facing an onslaught, and the whole world is bearing witness.
Ukraine’s social media warfare marks a turning point in history
Battlefield wedding ceremonies; a Ukrainian farmer stealing a Russian tank with his tractor and posting it on eBay; Ukrainian mothers and children fleeing to find a line of donated strollers from Polish mothers. These images have bombarded our newsfeeds ever since Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded neighboring Ukraine.
John Hood: Why numbers matter in political debate
I promise I’m no math geek. So why do my columns about North Carolina politics and public policy so often feature rankings, economic data, or other statistics?
North Carolina groups stepping up support those in war-torn Ukraine
Doctors, nurses, and other aid workers from North Carolina's Samaritan’s Purse are lifting off Friday morning from Greensboro headed to Poland to to deploy a field hospital. The humanitarian aid organization based in Boone has been helping in situations like Ukraine for more than 50 years.