A bare cupboard
There’re two ways for a President to pass his bills: One is old-fashioned back-room arm-twisting, cajoling, and deal-making. Presidents like Lyndon Johnson have been masters of that art but, oddly... Read More
NC Spin Articles
Court sessions canceled because number of judges reduced
The General Assembly’s recent budget decision to slash the state’s corps of emergency judges has started to take effect. According to the latest lists released by the Administrative Office of the... Read More
NC can and must do better in attacking drug abuse crisis
When reporting on the opioid crisis in North Carolina, a few names come up a lot. Robert Childs, executive director of the North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition, is one of them. With staff in... Read More
Partially privatizing traffic enforcement
Drivers who pass stopped school buses could get fined up to $1,000 under a bill that Gov. Roy Cooper signed on July 25 — but the hefty fine isn’t why legislators from both parties opposed the... Read More
Reconciling records to identify ancestors
by Paul O'Connor, published in The Wilson Daily Times, August 3, 2017. Anyone who owns a Bible recording vital family dates is blessed in more than a religious sense. Knowing the names and important... Read More
Misplaced loyalty
by Tom Campbell, Producer and Moderator, NC SPIN, July 27, 2017. “On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country…” That’s the opening sentence of the oath Boy Scouts take... Read More
Health care for millions and democracy itself is now at risk
It is not just health care for 30 million people at stake these days. Democracy is hanging by a thread too-in Raleigh and in Washington. First, consider the spectacle of Sen. John McCain, arriving... Read More
Exaggeration won't stop school choice
During the 2016-17 academic year, nearly one out of five North Carolina children were educated in settings other than district-run public schools. In Wake County and some other urban areas, the... Read More
A never-ending fight for freedom
The 2017 legislative long session is over. Kind of. In the wee hours of June 30, on the eve of the new fiscal year, the General Assembly adjourned, only to schedule encore sessions in August and... Read More
'Obamacare' reeling after Senate defeat
Dealing a serious blow to President Donald Trump's agenda, the Senate early Friday rejected a measure to repeal parts of former President Barack Obama's health care law after a night of high suspense... Read More
