Commentary


North Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson speaks Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in Raleigh, N.C. Robinson is facing calls to resign from elected officials and LGBTQ advocacy groups over comments he made in June in which he criticized teachings in K-12 public schools and likened peoples' sexual orientation to “filth.” (AP Photo/Bryan Anderson, file)
The Real Problem With Mark Robinson’s Bigoted Belief Is the NC GOP Believes It Too

North Carolina’s lieutenant governor sparked a national uproar over his latest anti-LGBTQ statements. But where is the outrage from his party’s leadership?

Becky Cooper in Bounce Milwaukee
Op-Ed: ‘You Don’t Speak for Me,’ Small Business Owner Tells Lobbyists Opposing Biden’s Agenda

Becky Cooper, owner of Bounce Milwaukee, lays out her support for human-focused components of Biden's agenda.

NC educators protest near the General Assembly building in Raleigh in 2018. Education funding was a major point of conflict in the state in the last decade, particularly longstanding funding inequities between urban and rural counties. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)
The Moment I Realized NC Public Schools Are Not Treated Equally

How a move to a specialty school in Durham convinced an Edgecombe County teen that North Carolina schools are funded unfairly.

It's been a long decade for public education in North Carolina. (Image via Shutterstock)
A Judge Told NC’s Legislature to Fix Huge School Funding Inequalities. They’re Just Not Doing It.

The courts excoriated the state 24 years ago because rural schools aren’t funded like urban schools. The legislature is out of time to make it right. 

A view of a damaged trailer in Haywood County, NC, after historic flooding. Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency in Haywood County after the heavy rainfall from Tropical Depression Fred devastated the area, putting businesses under 6 feet of water and mud and killing several.l Climate scientists warn that climate change will produce more frequent and violent storms in the years to come. (Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Climate Change Is Not a Warning for North Carolina – It’s Already Here.

A rural North Carolina advocate on the need for big climate change and infrastructure plans to offset the impacts on farms and families.

At work in DC in December 2001, Eva Clayton was a trailblazing former congresswoman from North Carolina. She was also a longtime local leader in Warren County, NC. (Getty Images)
Trailblazing US Rep. Eva Clayton: The Virus is Winning the Race in Rural North Carolina

The low vaccination numbers and lack of health care access make for a deadly combo in rural places.

As North Carolina schools reopen, public health leaders will face pressure to require the COVID-19 vaccine. (Image via Shutterstock)
NC’s Public Schools Already Require Vaccines. The COVID-19 Vaccine Should Be One of Them.

If and when a COVID-19 vaccine is cleared for younger children, North Carolina’s schools should add it to the list of required immunizations.