As communism’s iron grip tightened around eastern Europe in the 20th century, the government became increasingly hostile toward relationships that didn’t center around the State. Civil society was crowded out, and in some cases outlawed, by the expansion of communist regimes that saw little use for friendship. Citizens were encouraged to look to their rulers for...
Ollie Mulligan, this week from an airport somewhere in the Northeast, talked about his upcoming flight home, about returning to his native Ireland, to County Kildare. He thought aloud about the bright, rolling green fields. Of horses, and of Guinness. Mulligan, turning the conversation, started talking about his businesses in his other home, of Great...
Nearly 2 million Americans have turned down jobs because the unemployment benefits are too lucrative — backing up a Republican-led plan in North Carolina to curtail emergency pandemic benefits. A new poll, conducted by the firm Morning Consult in late June, found that nearly one in three unemployed workers turned down job offers. The expanded...
The narrative of the Nikole Hannah-Jones saga that has engulfed the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been pretty straightforward: Evil Republicans on the Board of Trustees unexpectedly deny the fundamental academic right of tenure to a black female journalist because of politics and racism. The reality is a lot more complicated. Reasonable...
The General Assembly may allocate hundreds of millions in federal relief toward closing the digital divide this session, but a John Locke Foundation expert says lawmakers still need to reduce regulations to further help the expansion of broadband infrastructure. The budget passed by the Senate would allocate $330 million for Growing Rural Economies with Access...
Gov. Roy Cooper this year said his administration was exploring the development of a vaccine passport for residents. “We want to be able to help people to be able to show others that they have gotten the vaccine because a lot of people are going to want that,” the governor said while touring a vaccination...
Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the N.C. State Board of Elections, is blocking attempts by the N.C. House Freedom Caucus to inspect voting machines for possible irregularities. Republicans are crying foul. “What we actually seek to show the public is that the equipment in North Carolina is not a problem,” said Rep. Keith Kidwell,...
The exclusive teaching of Critical Race Theory in public school classrooms would be outlawed under a bill making its way through the N.C. Senate. On Wednesday, July 14, the Senate Education Committee took up a proposed committee substitute for House Bill 324, a measure that passed the House on May 12 in a 66-48 party-line...
Like much of the nation, North Carolina has a civics and history crisis. Yet, it may be even worse than thought in North Carolina after a Fordham Institute study gave the state a “D-” grade for civics and an “F” for history. Even more troubling for many educators and curriculum designers across the state is...
Published below are the full and unedited remarks of NC Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, on the threat to critical race theory to American society and its founding principles. Berger offered up the remarks on July 14. Certain Enlightenment Era concepts have defined American culture since our nation’s founding. Sometimes referred to as “classical liberalism,”...
Triangle-based media outlets have been extensively reporting various issues surrounding Nikole Hannah-Jones declining to accept an offer of employment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Several media outlets are reporting on UNC-Chapel Hill black student leaders and organizations’ demands from campus administrators. On July 7, the News and Observer’s Kate Murphy reported:...
