Carolina Journal Radio No. 888: COVID-19 pandemic draws new attention to telemedicine

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated more attention for telemedicine. As more people access health care through their phones and computers, the John Locke Foundation and Brookings Institution have prepared a new telemedicine report. Co-author Jordan Roberts, JLF’s health care policy analyst, discusses the report’s key findings and recommendations. North Carolina has entered the first stage of Gov. Roy Cooper’s phased reopening of the state’s economy. Critics contend the state ought to be reopening more quickly. During a recent online forum sponsored by the John Locke Foundation, N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, offered his ideas for moving North Carolina’s economy forward with proper safety precautions. North Carolina’s public schools are closed for the year. It’s unclear how schools will operate when students return in August. During a recent news conference, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson and State Board of Education Chairman Eric Davis addressed challenges linked to reopening schools. Before the pandemic, one of the hot debates on college campuses involved the benefits and drawbacks of socialism. Freedom activist Andres Guilarte is warning college students about the dangers of turning toward socialism. He offers real-life examples from his home country of Venezuela. The N.C. Department of Transportation recently faced a scathing audit. It contends state DOT officials overspent their annual budget by $742 million. Rick Henderson, Carolina Journal editor-in-chief, analyzes the audit’s key findings. He discusses potential implications for the cash-strapped DOT.