The state’s seasonally adjusted March 2024 unemployment rate was 3.5 percent, unchanged from February’s revised rate. The national rate decreased 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.8 percent ..read more

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column observing that, over the first eight months of the 2023-24 fiscal year, the state’s General Fund revenue was down slightly from what was collected during the first eight months of the previous fiscal year ..read more

Rep. Tricia Cotham has been appointed chair of the  to oversee education appropriations, the largest area of the state budget. This esteemed leadership position is a testament to her dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to enhancing education in our state.  ..read more

The debate surrounding immigration and border security dominates in Washington, yet Congress has little to show for it. Protecting our border and reintroducing law and order to our broken immigration system should be goals shared by every one of our elected officials ..read more

In the mosaic of domestic economic vitality, American businesses are the mortar holding our country together. Small businesses, in particular, are responsible for two-thirds of all newly created U.S. jobs, yet they are the most vulnerable to economic shifts and have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years – from lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to persistent supply chain disruptions.  ..read more

Governor Roy Cooper released his recommended budget for FY 2024-2025, . The Governor’s plan would raise teacher pay by 8.5% and invest over $1 billion in public schools across North Carolina instead of more taxpayer-funded private school vouchers ..read more

RALEIGH — It might sound odd to hear this from someone who’s been writing a syndicated column on politics for nearly four decades, but politics has become vastly more important in our lives than it should be ..read more

More than 900,000 North Carolinians are at risk of losing their access to affordable internet at the end of this month. The Affordable Connectivity Program is set to lapse if Congress does not allocate more funding. Last month, bipartisan members of the North Carolina House of Representatives sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging them to renew funding for the ACP.  ..read more

RALEIGH — Which major urban area in America experienced the largest decline in homelessness last year? According to a recent analysis by the Brookings Institution, it was Wake County — North Carolina’s most-populous. It had a rate of 78 homeless residents per 100,000 population, down 40% from 2022 ..read more

Governor Roy Cooper announced two appointments to the North Carolina District Court ..read more