RALEIGH — All 50 states offer unemployment-insurance benefits to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Because states fund these benefits with payroll taxes, however, and must replenish exhausted UI trust funds with interest-bearing loans from the federal government, UI benefits vary according to how state legislatures weigh the resulting tradeoffs.

RALEIGH — Over the past year, North Carolina has posted one of the largest employment gains in the country. Alas, that’s not saying much.

RALEIGH — Most federal, state, and local policymakers are saying the right things about housing. Our leaders say they want to make it easier for young people to purchase homes and older people to keep them. But are they doing enough to turn their words into deeds?

RALEIGH — For all the satisfied smiles among school-choice supporters, and the gnashing of teeth among its opponents, North Carolina is not one of the top-ranked states for educational freedom.

RALEIGH — On April 12, a large crowd of North Carolinians will gather in the town of Halifax to commemorate the 250th anniversary of a pivotal historical event.

RALEIGH — Who is to blame for North Carolina losing its industrial base over the past two decades? Misguided federal lawmakers who passed free-trade agreements? Foolish state policymakers who refused to invest in new infrastructure? Overzealous local regulators?

RALEIGH — Among the worst features of today’s politics is its pervasive crudity. Democrats and Republicans don’t just compete for electoral power and disagree on policy. They question motives, hurl insults, and seek not just victory but utter domination. They exude mutual contempt.

RALEIGH — When Congress passed its budget-reconciliation bill last summer, it created a bunch of problems for North Carolina policymakers — thank goodness!

RALEIGH — The Triangle and Charlotte regions are among the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. But they are hardly the only North Carolina communities with expanding economies. Indeed, a new study from the state Department of Commerce shows that over the past decade and a half, 90 of our 100 counties have outperformed the national average.

RALEIGH — A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to speak at a ceremony honoring those who fought at the first major southern engagement in the American War of Independence. Our commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge on February 27 was part of a broader First in Freedom Festival, which I’m pleased to report attracted thousands of people to tours, presentations, reenactments, and other events throughout the greater Wilmington area.

RALEIGH — I have a large and loving family, many cherished friends and colleagues, daily opportunities for meaningful work and enjoyable play, and countless other blessings. Still, on occasion, I feel lonely and disconnected.

RALEIGH — During the just-completed primary campaigns for North Carolina General Assembly, you may have heard one or more candidates say that state government is currently operating without a budget. That is not, strictly speaking, true.

Over the most-recent 12-month period, North Carolina’s economy expanded by an inflation-adjusted 3%. Among the 50 states, only South Carolina (3.5%) posted a significantly faster growth rate. North Carolina also continues to top CNBC’s ranking of the best states for business.

RALEIGH — State and local leaders say they want to lower the cost of living for most North Carolinians. In many cases, however, their actions don’t match their words.

RALEIGH — Last week, when the U.S. Supreme Court released its long-awaited ruling in the “emergency tariff” case, President Donald Trump called the decision “ridiculous,” its reasoning “stupid,” and the justices who wrote or supported it “fools,” “lapdogs,” and the agents of nefarious foreign powers.

RALEIGH — During the first few months of America’s war for independence, the British redcoats occupying the rebellious city of Boston won one major battle (for Bunker Hill and nearby Breed’s Hill, on June 17, 1775) as well as several minor skirmishes. But the Continental Army, under its new commander George Washington, kept the occupiers bottled up in the city. If the Americans ever managed to place cannons onto the heights overlooking the harbor, the British authorities realized, their position in Boston would become untenable.

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s economy just posted a sizzling 5.6% growth rate. Since 2020, average income per North Carolinian rose faster than the national and regional averages. And our headline unemployment rate in December was 3.9% — quite low by historical standards.

RALEIGH — You may not be interested in federal deficits, but federal deficits are very interested in you.