Jussie Smollett’s release from jail mere days into his sentence for faking a hate crime reveals another example of entitlement culture run amok.
All tagged opinion
Voters can still be persuaded
Some partisans I know insist political allegiances are so rigid that elections have become little more than turnout contests. Whichever party gets its base out wins. Persuadable swing voters used to exist in significant numbers, they concede, but are now about as hard to find as Bigfoot.
Let’s try building back faster
It’s an often-repeated tale, I admit, but I’m going to repeat it, again: the world’s largest low-rise office building, the Pentagon, was built in 16 months. Can you imagine a project even a tenth the size of the Pentagon being constructed that quickly today?
Conservatives see freedom as progress
Although the definition and priorities of American conservatism have been the subject of much debate among the chattering classes in recent years, most actual American conservatives will readily tell you what unifies their sometimes-raucous ranks: freedom.
John Hood: Feds blew it on COVID relief
If ever there was justification for sudden, expedited, large-scale federal expenditure, the COVID crisis was it. Americans faced a deadly pandemic.
OPINION: Pistol permits and Jim Crow?
Was the pistol permit law of 1919 an important part of "Jim Crow" efforts to deny access to arms for African Americans?
We need more housing options
As post-COVID shifts in work arrangements and living preferences continue to motivate many Americans to relocate, North Carolina will continue to be a popular destination. Indeed, we can attract even more professionals, families, retirees, and other folks to our state if we lean into one of our competitive advantages: housing options.
OPINION: A look into the different expressions of conservatism
As someone who tends to fall on the libertarian end of the political spectrum, I used to struggle with understanding the term "conservative" as a political category. I have noticed the term expresses a broad political ideology.
Unaffiliated voters surpass Democrats in N.C.
Unaffiliated voters have overtaken Democrats as the largest voting group in North Carolina, according to the latest data from the N.C. State Board of Elections.
OPINION: Popular ed school fads fail students who need help the most
The fight over Critical Race Theory grabs headlines. But there’s a more fundamental problem plaguing public schools.
Why Carolinians liked strong legislatures
How should North Carolina be governed? The same question can be asked about any other state in America, or any other country in the world. It’s a critical question. It lies at the heart of every political dispute you can think of, from education reform and environmental protection to tax policy and economic development.
Drug money: How NC will spend the $750M opioid settlement
The opioid epidemic is killing more than 100,000 Americans each year. Fentanyl alone — not counting other opioids such as heroin, oxycodone, and morphine — now top the list as the No. 1 cause of death for adults 45 and younger. That's more than suicides, car wrecks, and COVID-19.
College majors vary widely in cost
It costs a lot more to train a future engineer than to train a future journalist. Some smart aleck might suggest the cost differential is entirely understandable, since a poorly trained engineer will tend to wash out of her profession while a poorly trained journalist might well rise to the top of his.
State democrats get reality check
The North Carolina General Assembly is going to stay in Republican hands after the 2022 midterms. For state Democrats, this is a bitter pill to swallow. That they’ve already managed to swallow it, however, is evident in their manifest failure to recruit enough candidates to put up a credible fight this year for control of the legislature.
OPINION: Don't call it the gypsy moth and other outrageous stories
Below are a few of the interesting and outrageous stories that caught my attention during the week. Sadly, there's not enough time to highlight all of them.
OPINION: Bludgeoning the poor with higher gas prices
Many ideologues focus on the politics of higher gas prices and what it means for the November midterm elections. Yet, poorer North Carolinians and Americans across the country are bludgeoned by rising energy costs, particularly today’s sticker shock at the gas pump.
OPINION: Mr. President, read the room
Throughout the course of history, we’ve learned that whenever tyranny rears its ugly head, an uprising of freedom will face it down. Our constitutional republic is built upon freedom, and every free nation across the world is as well. Thousands of miles away in Europe, freedom is facing an onslaught, and the whole world is bearing witness.
Ukraine's social media warfare marks a turning point in history
Battlefield wedding ceremonies; a Ukrainian farmer stealing a Russian tank with his tractor and posting it on eBay; Ukrainian mothers and children fleeing to find a line of donated strollers from Polish mothers. These images have bombarded our newsfeeds ever since Feb. 24, when Russian troops invaded neighboring Ukraine.
John Hood: Why numbers matter in political debate
I promise I’m no math geek. So why do my columns about North Carolina politics and public policy so often feature rankings, economic data, or other statistics?
North Carolina groups stepping up support those in war-torn Ukraine
Doctors, nurses, and other aid workers from North Carolina's Samaritan’s Purse are lifting off Friday morning from Greensboro headed to Poland to to deploy a field hospital. The humanitarian aid organization based in Boone has been helping in situations like Ukraine for more than 50 years.