All in Opinion

School closures were too risky

When the news broke on January 3 that one of North Carolina’s largest school districts, Cumberland County, was considering a shift to virtual instruction in response to rising case counts of the Omicron variant, I felt my stomach lurch.

Those we've lost in 2021

As we close the books on 2021, the year leaves stories for the future: an awakening from the pandemic, renewed attention to public school classrooms, and indications that the 2022 elections could bring a Republican wave.

N.C.’s Apple deal named worst of 2021

The $846 million subsidy deal that North Carolina struck with Apple just topped the “year’s worst” list of a nonpartisan economic think tank. The Center for Economic Accountability selected the 39-year agreement to put Apple’s campus in Research Triangle Park as the “Worst Economic Development Deal of the Year,” saying that its annual $21 million cost to the state led the list of reasons.

Worker shortage won’t end soon

On a recent road trip through Western North Carolina and North Georgia, I had occasion to stop at service stations, restaurants, hotels, and small businesses. Each establishment had a sign on the door conveying the same message: help needed.

Manufacturing continues to thrive

With the recent announcements of a new Toyota battery plant in Randolph County, a new Fujifilm Diosynth drug plant in Wake County, a large MasterBrand cabinet facility in Kinston, and a big White River Marine operation in New Bern for making saltwater boats, among other projects, North Carolina’s manufacturing sector appears to be thriving.

Op-Ed Todd Johnson: Concern over inflation renews need for competitive payments marketplace

As inflation continues to drive soaring costs across the U.S., Americans are in need of relief. Unfortunately, as Capitol Hill begins its mad dash to raise the debt limit prior to the New Year, credit card companies are yet again planning to hike swipe fees. This move will hit businesses and spike already high prices on everyday products for American consumers. North Carolinians are counting on our Congressman Patrick McHenry, as the ranking member of the House Committee on Financial Services, to oppose another swipe fee increase.

Got to pick a pocket?

’Tis the season to reference a different Charles Dickens classic, I know, but I happen to have Oliver Twist on the brain. You may recall that Fagin is the rogue who takes in orphans and runaways, trains them to pick pockets and swindle marks, and then distributes the proceeds between himself and street tough Bill Sikes.