Carolina Journal Radio No. 897: Cooper’s school reopening plan creates uncertainty

Gov. Roy Cooper has announced that N.C. public schools should reopen with a mix of online and in-person classes. No public school can reopen with all students in class at the school building. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies, analyzes the impact of Cooper’s order for students, parents, and teachers in the upcoming academic year. A recent report focused on diversity of viewpoints at the University of North Carolina’s flagship Chapel Hill campus. Co-author and UNC business professor Mark McNeilly discussed details of the report during a recent online John Locke Foundation forum. McNeilly explains why a variety of viewpoints help lead to a better educational climate. COVID-19 has struck nursing homes particularly hard. During a recent legislative briefing, Rep. Perrin Jones, R-Pitt, recounted one particularly sad story about the impact of nursing home restrictions. Jones urged state health officials to help ensure that ailing nursing home residents continue to have contact with their closest family members. That idea also motivates a piece of legislation dubbed the No Patient Left Alone Act. You’ll hear highlights from a recent legislative debate on that proposal. As North Carolina and the rest of the country continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 election season moves forward. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, offers an update on the N.C. governors’ race, as well as President Trump’s re-election bid against Democratic challenger Joe Biden.