The Latest

• Graphs show no helpful effect from mask orders

  Since June the dominant feature of Cooper's orders to "fight" COVID-19 continues to be the mask order. He has made only cosmetic changes to his orders for shutdowns and partial-to-mostly shutdowns. Freer societies are witnessing better results than this.

  Jon Sanders, October 30, 2020, 589 words

  

• Candidate question: The N.C. Division of Employment Security was slow to respond to millions of unemployment insurance claims filed this year in response to the pandemic. How could such a logjam in the face of a future crisis be avoided?

  Transparency, planning, and follow through. State leaders should give businesses more than a few hours’ notice, so they could figure out ways to keep or sustain employees. Also, the Employment Security Commission was not adequately prepared to handle the volume of applications. The people who were thrown into unemployment through…

  Jordan Roberts, October 30, 2020, 105 words

  

• Martin Center column contrasts police education and police training

  Dorothy Schulz writes for the Martin Center about problems linked to current ideas about police education. Law enforcement/criminal justice degrees are among the most awarded in the country. This includes about 35,000 associate, 63,000 bachelor’s, and 7,500 master’s degrees conferred annually. Their popularity is based on a misconception. Colleges…

  Mitch Kokai, October 30, 2020, 299 words

  

• Washington Examiner lauds the Senate leader

  Editors at the Washington Examiner highlight one reason to praise U.S. Senate leader Mitch McConnell. When it comes to achieving confirmation of conservative judges, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has good reason to be “tooting [his] own horn.” The Kentucky Republican admitted that’s what he was doing when…

  Mitch Kokai, October 30, 2020, 326 words

  

• An election of constitutional norms versus changing rules

  Victor Davis Hanson of National Review Online explores one important aspect of the choice in this year’s presidential race. An inert Biden is playing the role of good ol’ Joe from Scranton, while his supporters hope not to change not only the presidency but also the very rules…

  Mitch Kokai, October 30, 2020, 311 words

  

• This weekend on Carolina Journal Radio

  Even political junkies might know little about N.C. elections beyond the races for president, governor, and U.S. Senate. Rick Henderson analyzes recent developments in other important statewide races for the next edition of Carolina Journal Radio. Terry Stoops discusses learning loss among public school students tied…

  Mitch Kokai, October 30, 2020, 112 words

  

• New Carolina Journal Online features

  Lindsay Marchello reports for Carolina Journal Online that threats of election-night violence have prompted some downtown Raleigh businesses to board up their storefronts. Donald van der Vaart’s Daily Journal explores N.C. counties’ concerns about possible costs linked to solar power plants.

  Mitch Kokai, October 30, 2020, 40 words

  

• Candidate question: Should localities and municipalities have the ability to enact laws that differ from N.C. legislation?

  We do not believe so. Localities should not be allowed to pass legislation that runs counter to those passed by the General Assembly. Situations like the HB2 fiasco are bound to happen when this occurs. Allowing municipalities to pass inconsistent laws also leads to a variety of problems including local…

  Jordan Roberts, October 30, 2020, 112 words