There is nothing particularly new about conservative American politicians and their allies resisting public efforts to aid Americans in need. Ever since Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security …
On Nov. 3, the Washington Post reports, "fast-fashion" retailer Shein banned sales of sex dolls on its site after a government regulatory agency threatened to bar the company from operating in France …
Is there a hierarchy of Americanism? Many National Conservatives and other on the populist Right appear to think so. Using such terms as “legacy Americans” and “heritage …
Two of the most important purchases by consumers are food and gas. We obviously need food to sustain ourselves, and most of us enjoy the experience of eating. Because we are a mobile society, with …
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, it’s worth revisiting the philosopher whose ideas made that revolution possible, and whose warnings still apply …
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Well, almost. Autumn leaves will fall first, rolling out a brownish-orange carpet for Thanksgiving and, before that, Halloween. Just how happy those …
On Oct. 23, U.S. President Donald Trump exercised his constitutional clemency powers to pardon Changpeng Zhao, co-founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange Binance. As the usual suspects howl …
Having spent nearly 40 years analyzing and writing about North Carolina politics and public policy, I often find myself placing today’s challenges and controversies into historical context. …
For a man supposedly intent on winning a Nobel Peace Prize, Donald Trump spends an extraordinary amount of time waging war, threatening to wage war, and fantasizing about waging war. Notwithstanding …
There’s a strong argument to be made that North Carolina Republicans have, for many years, not been serious about adhering to legal and constitutional norms when it comes to the state’s …
Back in June, I attended the first "No Kings" rally in Gainesville, Florida. On Oct. 18, I attended the second. Positive differences: While crowd estimates always vary, this rally definitely turned …
The North Carolina General Assembly is about to redraw the state’s congressional districts for the 2026 elections. It will be the fourth-such map employed this decade — and …
“There will be no firing squads in North Carolina during my time as governor,” Governor Josh Stein said Oct. 3 after signing a criminal justice bill into law in response to the …
"During the 2024 presidential election," Maurie Backman wrote at Moneywise in March, "farming-dependent counties overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump. Almost 78% endorsed his most recent …
Having expanded its Opportunity Scholarship program and strengthened its charter-school laws, North Carolina got a solid “B” in the latest American Legislative Exchange Council ranking of …
There are more than a few modern American progressives who wish that the leaders on their side of the great national political divide possessed the same commitment to hardball, take-no-prisoners …
"Medicine today is a business enterprise," Dr. Joseph Varon writes at the Brownstone Institute. "Patients are consumers, doctors are 'providers,' and healing has been crowded out by billing codes, …
While the government shutdown in Washington and the state budget impasse in Raleigh involve different actors and effects, there is a common denominator: the extent to which debates about public …
Recently, the Federal Reserve (the “Fed’) cut its key interest rate — the group’s first rate cut in nine months. Although the reduction was modest — one quarter of one …
It’s been one year since Hurricane Helene first hit Western North Carolina on Sept. 27, 2024. With so many recovery needs still yet to be addressed and so little help from the federal …