The COVID- pandemic has produced both health and economic consequences A new misery index attempts to document how those consequences have played out in states across the country Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow explains why he developed the index He explains how North Carolina compares to neighboring states and others throughout the United States Gov Roy Cooper set up a new bipartisan group to focus on health insurance coverage The governor is focusing on one aspect of coverage Medicaid expansion But lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle want to turn attention to other issues including relaxation [... more]

North Carolina welcomes a new state superintendent of public instruction in Republican Catherine Truitt will take the job after serving as leader of the online-only Western Governors University in this state Truitt also served as former Republican Gov Pat McCrory's top education adviser Terry Stoops John Locke Foundation vice president for research and resident scholar assesses Truitt's top priorities in her job at the head of the N C Department of Public Instruction Mention the word environmentalism and many people will think of left-of-center activists who oppose development energy exploration and other economic activity But a recent article in the [... more]

Elections for president U S Senate and governor grabbed the headlines But North Carolinians addressed many other items during the recent election including local referendums on issues such as taxes bonds and alcohol Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow analyzes the results of local referendum votes across the state While Democrat Joe Biden has declared victory in the presidential race President Trump appeared to claim North Carolina's electoral votes Democratic Gov Roy Cooper won re-election but Republicans secured significant victories in other statewide races In an online forum nearly one week after Election Day GOP political consultant Jonathan Felts [... more]

In case you haven rsquo t been bombarded lately with ads about healthcare plans we want to remind you it rsquo s open enrollment season That rsquo s right the clock is ticking and you have less than a month to decide which healthcare plan you rsquo ll go with in On the next MoneyWise Live hosts Rob West and Steve Moore talk about that and more with Lauren Gajdek of Christian Healthcare Ministries That rsquo s the next MoneyWise Live at pm Eastern pm Central on Moody Radio [... more]

Democratic Gov Roy Cooper will serve a second term as North Carolina state government's chief executive officer But voters have added three new Republicans to the group of elected executives making up the Council of State Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief discusses Cooper's re-election victory the historic election of Mark Robinson as North Carolina's first African-American lieutenant governor and two other newcomers among the council of statewide elected officials A legislative watchdog group believes North Carolina can help clean up government finances by giving new authority to internal auditors You'll learn details of the proposed reform along with reaction from [... more]

AG Barr Authorizes Probes Into Voting Irregularities [... more]

Amy Coney Barrett has joined the U S Supreme Court as its th justice She has said her judicial philosophy mirrors that of the late Justice Antonin Scalia and supporters characterize her as an originalist Jon Guze John Locke Foundation director legal studies analyzes Barrett's record He discusses the new justice's likely impact on the nation's highest court Those who want to reform higher education ought to look at governing boards That's a key piece of advice in a recent report from the James G Martin Center for Academic Renewal Report author Jay Schalin the center's director of policy analysis [... more]

Democrat Senators Ask Judge Barrett Repulsive Questions [... more]

Gov Roy Cooper and other advocates of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina argue consistently that expansion would not cost any state taxpayer dollars A new analysis from the John Locke Foundation and the Ohio-based Buckeye Institute call that claim into question A model based on enrollment estimates and Medicaid costs in expansion states suggests N C budget writers would face a gap of million to million to cover new Medicaid costs Jordan Roberts John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst highlights key points from the new Medicaid expansion analysis A Superior Court judge recently struck down Wilmington's restrictions on vacation [... more]

A Union County judge has approved a deal calling on the state of North Carolina to boost education spending by more than million a year It's the first stage of a plan that would lead to billions of dollars of new spending The money is tied to the long-running Leandro lawsuit Terry Stoops John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies analyzes the latest developments in the quarter-century-old Leandro case The N C Association of Educators teachers union is leading a lawsuit designed to kill the state's Opportunity Scholarship program But three families are going to [... more]

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named California Sen Kamala Harris as his running mate in the bid to replace Republican Donald Trump in the White House Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief explores Harris' credentials for the vice president's job Henderson discusses the VP candidate's pros and cons for the Biden campaign in North Carolina and nationwide The U S Supreme Court declined this year to take up new cases clarifying Second Amendment rights During a recent online forum sponsored by the John Locke Foundation Campbell University law professor Greg Wallace analyzed the high court's rejection of gun-rights cases Wallace [... more]

Duke Energy and Dominion Energy have decided to pull the plug on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline The pipeline had faced multiple legal challenges and permitting delays Donald van der Vaart John Locke Foundation senior fellow analyzes the reasons guiding the ACP owners' decision Van der Vaart also discusses the impact for N C electricity ratepayers U S Rep Greg Murphy R- rd District brings an interesting perspective to the COVID- policy debate Murphy is a physician He understands more about COVID- 's health implications than most policymakers Murphy shared his concerns about North Carolina's coronavirus response during a recent Raleigh [... more]

If you rsquo ve ever had a major medical procedure you probably found the related paperwork and billing confusing And when you don rsquo t understand the hundreds of medical codes and their true costs how do you know which charges are legitimate On the next Moneywise Live hosts Rob West and Steve Moore welcome Lauren Gajdek of Christian Healthcare Ministries to help find a solution Becoming an educated medical consumer on the next MoneyWise Live at pm Eastern pm Central on Moody Radio [... more]

The Line of Fire Radio Broadcast for [... more]

Much of the discussion about COVID- involves models predicting the disease's impact Governments at all levels are relying on those models as they make decisions about the best way to respond to the pandemic Donald van der Vaart John Locke Foundation senior fellow and former N C environment secretary explains why he believes the state should be looking at a range of models Van der Vaart also explains why COVID- offers an existential threat in a way that climate change does not The decision to shut down much of North Carolina's economy has generated opposition The first Raleigh protest of [... more]

DNI to Schiff Release the Transcripts or I will [... more]

The coronavirus scare reminds us about government-erected barriers that stand in the way of an effective response Jordan Roberts John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst discusses policy changes at the state level that would help North Carolina deal better with problems linked to the virus's spread Medicaid expansion has dominated the N C political debate in recent years A recent report challenges a key claim from expansion's proponents They say the infusion of government money linked to expansion would help shore up struggling rural hospitals Roy Lenardson government affairs director with the Foundation for Government Accountability explains why those [... more]

Gov Roy Cooper emerged from a recent meeting with business executives and proclaimed that none of them had asked for a tax cut Cooper used that fact to bolster his opposition to reducing business taxation The problem for Cooper is that every company cited in his comments about the meeting has taken advantage of targeted state tax breaks Those targeted incentives top million Jon Sanders John Locke Foundation director of regulatory studies analyzes the governor's skewed view of business tax policy The N C Coalition for Charter Schools has named Lindalyn Kakadelis as its new executive director Kakadelis explains how [... more]

This week on Family Policy Matters host Traci DeVette Griggs sits down with Kristan Hawkins president of Students for Life America Hawkins shares the state of the pro-life movement right now both on the federal and state levels and how we all can be ready to fight for life when Roe v Wade is hopefully overturned [... more]

Kansas' decision to move forward with Medicaid expansion has placed more pressure on North Carolina to follow suit Jordan Roberts John Locke Foundation health care policy analyst assesses the potential impact of Kansas on the Medicaid expansion debate in this state Republican legislators especially in the N C Senate have remained cool to all expansion proposals Conflicts between the United States and China appear to be growing Walter Lohman director of the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center recently discussed The China Challenge in Raleigh in a speech sponsored by the Jesse Helms Center Lohman highlighted challenges linked to long-term American [... more]

Debate about public education in North Carolina gets bogged down by some popular myths The myths include misconceptions about teacher pay and the impact of school choice on public school enrollment Terry Stoops John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies addresses those myths and attempts to correct the record Occupational licensing laws limit economic opportunities in North Carolina During a recent speech for the Federalist Society in Raleigh attorney Justin Pearson of the Institute for Justice explained how Pearson shares highlights from that presentation in a one-on-one interview The University of North Carolina System has [... more]

With the N C General Assembly wrapping up work for the year now is a good time to review some of the year's victories for the freedom movement Becki Gray John Locke Foundation senior vice president focuses on advances in taxes spending regulation education choice and criminal law reform She also places this year's events in the broader context of changes seen since Republicans took over the legislature at the beginning of the decade Medicine continues to make major advances But most of those advances involve new treatments for diseases We've seen very few cures in recent years Rep Jim [... more]

Mecklenburg County voters recently rejected a sales-tax increase It was advertised as raising money for arts and parks Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow has examined the impact of the timing of local sales-tax votes on the likelihood of their approval He's found that voters are less likely to endorse these tax hikes during high-turnout elections Public schools have struggled for years with a racial achievement gap But recent research is pointing toward ways to help improve minority student performance Seth Gershenson professor of public policy at American University explains how a teacher's race can make an impact on [... more]

Supporters of the N C Department of Transportation are raising concerns about dwindling funding for highway projects They point to higher-than-expected costs from hurricane repairs as well as money diverted from construction to pay legal settlements linked to the now-discarded Map Act Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow explores DOT funding issues North Carolina does relatively well compared to other states when it comes to parental school choice That's the assessment from Neal McCluskey director of the Center for Educational Freedom at the Cato Institute During a recent visit to the Tar Heel State McCluskey highlighted its recent school [... more]

Gov Roy Cooper recently signed into law Senate Bill It marks the latest step in an ongoing campaign to fight overcriminalization in North Carolina Mike Schietzelt John Locke Foundation criminal justice fellow explains how the new legislation fits with the goal of cleaning up the state's overly complicated criminal code Overly burdensome occupational licensing rules restrict economic freedom in both North Carolina and South Carolina During a recent meeting in Winston-Salem the group Classical Liberals in the Carolinas learned how Jon Sanders John Locke Foundation director of regulatory studies focused attention on North Carolina's licensing restrictions Jennifer McDonald senior research [... more]

The general election is more than a year away but there's plenty of political activity at the state and federal level Democratic Gov Roy Cooper and Republican Lt Gov Dan Forest appear to be headed toward a contest for the Executive Mansion Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief analyzes recent polling data linked to the governor's race Education reform represents an important goal But reformers have a mixed record of success That's the assessment from Robert Pondiscio senior fellow at the Thomas B Fordham Institute Pondiscio explains why education reform measures often fall short of their worthwhile goals He offers reformers [... more]

State senators have rolled out their version of a billion General Fund spending plan for the budget year that starts July The Senate differs from the House in prioritizing pay raises for state workers Neither chamber has included any money for addressing Gov Roy Cooper's proposed Medicaid expansion Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow analyzes the Senate's proposals Whatever you think about the best way to fight crime you likely support the idea that crime-fighting policies ought to work as intended Brandon Garrett professor at the Duke Law School focuses on evidence-based criminal justice He explains how his research [... more]

Thousands of N C public school teachers walked off the job May for a march and rally in downtown Raleigh They called for higher pay more benefits and Medicaid expansion among other demands Terry Stoops John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies analyzes the impact of the teachers' one-day walkout One of Donald Trump's major selling points during the presidential campaign was his track record for making business deals Andrew Taylor professor of political science at N C State University assesses Trump's record as a presidential deal-maker As chairman of the U S Senate Intelligence [... more]

The N C Association of Educators union is urging public school teachers across the state to skip school on May to take part in a march and rally in Raleigh Terry Stoops John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies analyzes the union's goals He also discusses the potential impact of the lost day of classroom instruction Ever since North Carolina's Republican-led General Assembly embarked on major tax reform in the state has served as a model for state-level tax reformers across the country Grover Norquist president of Americans for Tax Reform discusses North Carolina's successful [... more]

North Carolina has been able to cut tax rates in recent years without having to slash state services That's thanks to sustainable budget practices Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow outlines several key steps lawmakers have taken to pursue sustainable budgets When Margaret Spellings wrapped up her tenure as president of the University of North Carolina System she offered the Board of Governors a positive assessment of UNC's current state Shannon Watkins policy associate at the James G Martin Center for Academic Renewal says Spellings and other university leaders might be viewing UNC through rose-colored glasses Watkins explains why [... more]

Gov Roy Cooper recommends average percent public school teacher pay raises and a billion bond package in his latest budget plan Joseph Coletti John Locke Foundation senior fellow analyzes Cooper's proposals and highlights key pros and cons George Washington Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton garner more attention but James Wilson also played a significant role as an American Founder Jim Zink associate professor N C State University has studied Wilson's impact on the U S Constitution Zink shares details of his research State Treasurer Dale Folwell is running into opposition as he tries to change the prices the State Health [... more]

Many congressional Democrats including potential presidential contenders have endorsed the idea of providing Medicare for All Roy Cordato John Locke Foundation senior economist examines the proposal He explains why an expansion of the existing federal health insurance program for older Americans would not lead to the results Medicare for All proponents are proposing The Democratic takeover of the U S House of Representatives means a much different political world for conservatives and for the Trump administration David French National Review senior editor explores the potential impact of recent political changes on conservative policy priorities State government collects plenty of data [... more]

Candidates are already lining up for the elections in North Carolina It's not unusual to see candidates jump into a race a year before the election But some might be throwing their hats into the ring even earlier than normal That's because primary elections have been moved up from May to March Rick Henderson Carolina Journal editor-in-chief discusses developments in the upcoming races for governor U S Senate and other important statewide elected positions Some governments use sin taxes to nudge people away from behavior that elected officials and bureaucrats dislike Adam Hoffer associate professor of economics at the University [... more]

This week on Family Policy Matters NC Family President John Rustin speaks with Greg Baylor senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom and the Director of ADF's Center for Religious Schools Baylor unpacks how religious and moral objections to the Obamacare contraceptive mandate have played out judicially under the aid of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and if the Trump administration has done enough to provide protections for these objectors [... more]

When Apple announced plans for a major expansion in Austin Texas it appeared that Raleigh and North Carolina had lost another competition for a major economic development That was despite the state's willingness to give Apple substantial tax incentives Jon Sanders the John Locke Foundation's director of regulatory studies assesses the impact of Apple's announcement on N C tax incentive policy Free speech is one of the most fundamental rights protected in the U S Constitution's Bill of Rights But free speech faces continual attacks David French senior writer for National Review worries about attacks on the culture of free [... more]

The U S economy has posted impressive gains recently Both President Trump and former President Barack Obama are claiming credit Roy Cordato the John Locke Foundation's senior economist puts the competing claims to the test A Winston-Salem surgeon is taking North Carolina state government to court because of a law that blocks him from purchasing an MRI scanner Dr Gajendra Singh says the scanner would help him provide a valuable service to his patients at a reasonable cost North Carolina's certificate-of-need law blocks Singh from making the purchase Singh and his attorney Josh Windham of the Institute for Justice explain [... more]

- - with radio host Stacy Washington by Truth for a New Generation [... more]

David Christensen Vice President for Government Affairs with the Family Research Council in Washington D C discusses a number of pro-life initiatives that are making their way through the U S Congress and the Executive Branch in our nation's capitol [... more]

The Line of Fire Radio Broadcast for [... more]

The Line of Fire Radio Broadcast for [... more]

The Line of Fire Radio Broadcast for [... more]

NC Family president John Rustin talks with Helen Alvar JD professor of law at George Mason University and founder of Women Speak for Themselves about the U S Supreme Court's May opinion in Zubik v Burwell and what that ruling means for the Little Sisters of the Poor and other religious nonprofits [... more]

This week NC Family president John Rustin talks with Daniel Blomberg JD an attorney with The Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty about Little Sisters of the Poor v Burwell an important religious freedom case before the U S Supreme Court about why this case matters to every person of faith in America [... more]

NC Family president John Rustin talks with Barbara Holt president of North Carolina Right to Life about the pro-life movement in North Carolina and various events for pro-lifers during January's Sanctity of Human Life month [... more]

Christian Car Guy [... more]

NC Family president John Rustin talks with Kellie Fiedorek litigation staff counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom ADF about the U S Supreme Court's recent landmark decision in a lawsuit involving Hobby Lobby Stores and Conestoga Wood Specialties two family-run businesses that challenged the Obamacare abortion pill mandate [... more]

In Part of a two-part series NC Family president John Rustin continues a discussion with Arina Grossu Director of the Center for Human Dignity at the Family Research Council in Washington D C about the current status of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide in the United States [... more]

Christian Car Guy [... more]