Youth smoking on the increase
I promised myself that I was not going to let myself get outraged in 2018. Everybody is outraged about something these days, so what’s the point? But a presentation at the recent North Carolina... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Justice Ginsburg in Durham
I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks,” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told me the other day in Durham. The 85-year-old... Read More
Peer pressure produces good policy
Peer pressure has been the reason, or at least the rationalization, for many a youthful indiscretion — not that I would know from personal experience. Actually, the effect doesn’t dissipate when... Read More
Six Statistics North Carolinians should know
Since 2010, when voters put Republicans in charge of most state governments across the United States, North Carolina became one of about a half-dozen states where conservative reformers have... Read More
Siamese twins, P. T. Barnum and Trump's approval ratings
Can a new book about North Carolina’s famous Siamese twins help explain today’s persistent, even growing, support for President Donald Trump? Notwithstanding the disarray in the White House, the... Read More
The 2020 census, citizenship and potential impacts on North Carolina
Once every 10 years, we count all individuals living in the United States in the census. In 2010, respondents were asked ten questions about basic characteristics, such as age, sex, race, and... Read More
Can we reduce invisible unemployment?
by Dr. Mike Walden, NCSU Professor of Economics, Marcy 30, 2018. We’ve seen great improvement in reducing unemployment in both the nation and North Carolina in recent years. Many economists think... Read More
Community colleges deserve more than lip service
It has long been commonplace for North Carolina politicians to lavish generous praise on community colleges. Alas, this praise is more often a sort of rote incantation than a real statement of... Read More
Are North Carolina's kids too fat to fight?
A recent national report found that obesity among active duty service members increased 61% between 2002 and 2011, and is impacting recruitment, as the Pentagon projects that by 2030, 64% of potential... Read More
I'm not a RINO but a real Republican
RINO – a derogatory term – stands for “Republicans In Name Only.” It's derisively used by certain activists who think their brand of Republicanism is the only acceptable kind. Actually, it's... Read More
