Carolina Journal Radio No. 753: N.C. DOT bets on viability of passenger-only ferry

The N.C. Department of Transportation believes enough people will want to pay $15 apiece for pedestrian-only access to Ocracoke Island to justify a $6 million passenger ferry program. Carolina Journal’s latest cover story examines the DOT Ferry Division’s plan. Editor-in-Chief Rick Henderson discusses the proposal and its potential impact. Like it or not, popularity plays a key role in our lives. Mitch Prinstein, professor of psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill, explores that role in the book Popular: The Power of Likability in a Status-Obsessed World. Prinstein distinguishes between two different types of popularity. He explains why it’s better for us to person one type than the other. When President Trump ended his predecessor’s immigration program targeting so-called “Dreamers,” those brought to this country illegally as children, he gave Congress time to come up with legislation that would address the same goal. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., responded with a bill called the SUCCEED Act. In a recent news conference, Tillis explained why he believes his proposal would benefit the Dreamers without encouraging more illegal immigration in the future. Raleigh attorney Thomas Farr has been nominated to serve as a judge for the U.S. District Court. Senators from both parties questioned Farr during a recent confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill. You’ll hear questions and answers about Farr’s judicial philosophy and his approach to recent N.C. cases dealing with redistricting and voting rights. North Carolina lawmakers recently reopened the door for companies seeking state film incentives. Jon Sanders, the John Locke Foundation’s director of regulatory studies, explains why that decision means bad news for the state’s taxpayers.