The Latest

• Do previously infected individuals need the Covid vaccination?

  A recent study from Israel suggests the answer is, “No.” A preprint of the report–“Protection of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection is similar to that of BNT162b2 vaccine protection”–was posted on 4/24. From the Abstract: Understanding the level of protection of previous infection compared to that of vaccination is…

  Jon Guze, May 6, 2021, 144 words

  

• Corporate welfare recipient fined for sharing military specs with China

  As reported here: US defence contractor Honeywell has been fined US$13 million for harming national security after sharing technical information about American fighter jets and other military aircraft with China and other countries. Honeywell said it “inadvertently shared” the technology during “normal…

  Brian Balfour, May 6, 2021, 216 words

  

• As state board moves to suppress election observers, legislators move to protect them

  Earlier this week, I wrote about how the North Carolina State Board of Elections (SBE) was seeking to suppress the number of election observers to two per day per party, a move that would make elections less transparent and which is contrary to state law: A…

  Andy Jackson, May 6, 2021, 382 words

  

• High cost of virtue signaling

  Christopher Bedford of the Federalist highlights a disturbing development in our social interactions. The cost of virtue signaling over the past five years has grown exponentially, from the painless task of planting anti-Trump signs in your yard all the way to turning your family members over to authorities,…

  Mitch Kokai, May 6, 2021, 343 words

  

• Biden as Trojan horse

  Bobby Jindal writes at National Review Online about the contrast between President Biden’s words and deeds. Biden’s third run for the White House was successful because of who he is not. He won the primary by not being Bernie Sanders and the general by not being Donald Trump.

  Mitch Kokai, May 6, 2021, 336 words

  

• New Carolina Journal Online features

  Carolina Journal Online reports on the N.C. House’s push toward the General Assembly’s crossover deadline. Ray Nothstine’s CJ Opinion explains why an attack on a conservative UNC-Chapel Hill publication delivers a warning about toxic campus culture.

  Mitch Kokai, May 6, 2021, 35 words

  

• Looks like Cooper moved his reopening goalposts again just in time

  NC has been achieving Cooper's abandoned reopening metrics. Cooper had said his orders were just until we had a vaccine. Now he's saying wait till two-thirds of people are vaccinated. Reports are that probably won't happen, certainly not any time soon.

  Jon Sanders, May 5, 2021, 423 words

  

• Five days of school are better than four

  Paul N. Thompson, a professor of economics at Oregon State University, assessed the effects of a four-day schedule for public school students in Oregon. He found a significant decrease in student performance in schools that switched to a four-day schedule. Why does this matter to North Carolina?  After all,…

  Terry Stoops, May 5, 2021, 100 words