By John Hood Raleigh, NC – When will North Carolina’s economy return to normal, or at least to a “new normal”? Unfortunately, that destination is many months away, if not years. Still, we’ll know we’re making progress when we can…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our schools have gone in a variety of directions. Some public-school districts that shut down last spring have never reopened for in-person learning to any significant degree. Others…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – After getting many political predictions wrong in 2016, including but not limited to the results of the presidential election, I threw my long-cherished crystal ball out and started building a new one. Figuratively speaking,…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – When Democrats attack pro-growth tax reform as “trickle-down economics,” I can understand their rhetorical intent. But the charge is silly on multiple levels — including the fact that every Democrat who ever serves in…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – Among the pagan-inspired customs of the Christmas season, there has come to be the ritualistic burning of the straw man. Specifically, I refer to the traditional seasonal column by a sly journalist or political…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – As of November, North Carolina’s state government has some $4 billion in unreserved cash in its General Fund, plus well north of $1 billion in its rainy-day account and other reserves. Other states would…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – When U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis narrowly won reelection against Cal Cunningham, the two candidates had collectively spent $78 million. That’s a large number. But it was dwarfed by the $221 million spent on the…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – While modern conservatism in America brings together a number of discrete groups, interests, and priorities, one of its unifying themes is maximizing freedom — by which conservatives mean maximizing the right of individuals, families,…
By John Hood Raleigh, NC – The day before the 2018 midterms, I posted a column about “what to do if you lose.” Without knowing the outcome, I urged those about to be disappointed not to react to their loss…
by Raleigh, NC – North Carolina is already the homeschooling capital of the United States. Now the attraction of this education option is soaring higher than ever — thanks not to the actions of its proponents but to the antics…