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NC legislative leaders and the inevitable temptations of power
In an acceptance speech he delivered in 1991 at a Copenhagen awards ceremony honoring his contributions to European civilization, Vaclav Havel – a poet and playwright who had risen from Soviet-era dissident to become president of what was then still known as Czechoslovakia – used the opportunity to hold forth on the temptations of political […]
Social Security and the threat it faces in 2025
Today is the 89th anniversary of one of the most important and impactful statutes in American history. It was August 14, 1935, that President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, thereby establishing a federal system that would dramatically improve the lives of hundreds of millions of people — retirees, people with disabilities, […]
The nation’s post-Olympics vibe leans hopeful; politicians should take heed
If there was a moment that best captured the positive vibe of the recently concluded global media extravaganza that was the Paris Olympic Games, it might just have been the action of a pair of U.S. athletes who missed out on a gold medal. It happened near the conclusion of the women’s gymnastics competition when […]
Big Duke Energy dollars are flowing to attacks in the NC governor’s race
North Carolina’s largest energy provider has a long record of making campaign contributions to politicians of both major political parties. Charlotte-based Duke Energy has, for instance, donated more than $1 million directly toward electing governors in recent years, as well as to dozens of candidates for other state government offices. But a recent attack ad […]