Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862
91.5 Chapel Hill 88.9 Manteo 90.9 Rocky Mount 91.1 Welcome 91.9 Fayetteville 90.5 Buxton 94.1 Lumberton 99.9 Southern Pines 89.9 Chadbourn
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

North Carolina Right-Leaning Think Tanks Are Merging

Two think tanks — both nurtured and sustained financially over the years by the family of longtime conservative political donor Art Pope — are merging.

The John Locke Foundation and Civitas Institute announced on Thursday that they'll unite under the Locke Foundation name starting Jan. 1. The John Locke Foundation began in 1990, while Civitas started in 2005.

Amy Cooke will remain the Locke Foundation's CEO and publisher of the Carolina Journal news website and newspaper. Civitas Institute head Donald Bryson will become foundation president and its chief strategy officer.

"We have created an unmatched powerhouse for economic opportunity and conservative values in North Carolina and in the Southeast," Cooke said in a news release.

Both groups have received funds routinely from the John William Pope Foundation, of which Art Pope is chairman. Art Pope leads Variety Wholesalers Inc., which operates Roses and Maxway discount retail stores. Pope served in the state legislature annd was then-Gov. Pat McCrory's budget director.

Civitas Action, a political education arm of Civitas Institute, will remain in place as a separate sister organization, the release said.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
More Stories