Politics

Republicans in North Carolina's congressional delegation are split on President Donald Trump's withdrawal of troops from northern Syria. 

A class action lawsuit challenged the use of solitary confinement in state prisons. 

In our weekly look back at North Carolina politics, Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch discuss those developments and why the state has been slow to reveal details of drinking water contamination in Pittsboro.
 

More explosive and fast-moving news from the Trump White House this week.

State Rep. Graig Meyer thinks the money it takes to campaign for seats in the North Carolina General Assembly is really a lot. The Democrat also happens to be a key player in bringing in what his party needs to have a chance at reclaiming power.

On this edition of the podcast, Meyer details fundraising and recruitment efforts, what the policy priorities would be for a Democratic majority, and why his name (pronounced "Greg") is spelled that way.  
 

Why do people vote against their own economic interests? In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump won states populated by mostly white, working class voters — like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio — but his tax cuts benefit the rich.

A powerful state lawmaker borrowed $500,000 from a friend and political donor for a personal loan. Months later, that lender was indicted on federal bribery charges.

However, the lawmaker - David Lewis (R-Harnett) - said he knew nothing of the investigation into his friend. And there is no evidence to suggest this loan was part of the federal investigation.

That story is among the topics Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch discuss in the latest review of the week in North Carolina politics.

In a time-crunched, court-ordered process, the North Carolina General Assembly recently redrew the state's legislative district maps to be used in next year's elections. A Wake County Superior Court had found the Republican-controlled legislature had gerrymandered dozens of House and Senate districts for extreme partisan advantage. The redrawn maps are now under court review.

More trouble in the UNC System this week with a chancellor suspended after being caught on film at a bar with co-eds. 

A former congressman and North Carolina GOP chairman pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during an investigation of a bribery scheme.

And state lawmakers ressurected a controversial bill, backed by Duke Energy, that would, among other things, give the energy company more autonomy to set rates. 

Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch discuss all that and whether the General Assembly will adjourn before Halloween. 

Impeachment is once again at the center of this week’s newscycle. Now Congress has text messages from U.S. diplomats discussing President Donald Trump’s interactions with the Ukraine.

Expanding Medicaid eligibility to cover more low income North Carolinians could lead to 37,000 new jobs in the state. That's the projection from a George Washington University professor who produced a report earlier this year on the potential economic benefits of Gov. Roy Cooper's proposal. Dr. Leighton Ku shares his message for lawmakers on this edition of the politics podcast. 

Former North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes will plead guilty to charges that he lied to FBI agents.

Democrats have filed another lawsuit challenging North Carolina's political boundaries, this time charging that the congressional map is too partisan. Could it make tensions between state Republicans and Democrats worse? This week the finger-pointing between lawmakers in the General Assembly included calls for lie detector tests.

Meanwhile, more resignations made us wonder who would want to be president of the UNC System. And video of a drunk driver raised questions about whether Blue Cross NC properly reported the arrest of its CEO. 

Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch synthesize the week's political news.

Sen. Dan Blue is the longest serving member of the North Carolina General Assembly. With 36 years of experience in the Legislature, the Wake County Democrat is well-versed in redistricting, budget negotiations, and working with Republicans.

North Carolina legislators completed their court-ordered redistricting this week. Lawmakers were working on a swift turnaround and, for more transparency, the mapping sessions were livestreamed. The process drew criticism and praise. Becki Gray of the John Locke Foundation and Rob Schofield of NC Policy Watch discuss the meaning of "independent" redistricting and whether anything has changed with lawmakers' return to consideration of Medicaid expansion. 
 

The journalism community is in mourning over the loss of veteran broadcaster Cokie Roberts. Considered one of the founding mothers of NPR, Roberts blazed trails for women in journalism while helping to set the tone and standard for the emerging field of public radio.