NC SPIN Podcasts

Question to Peg O’Connell and Becki Gray – Trustees of New Hanover Regional Hospital are talking about the possibility of selling their county owned facility. Reactions have been vocal and reverberations are statewide. While the concept is that consolidation will save costs and improve healthcare evidence suggests otherwise. State Treasurer Dale Folwell says it will further prevent cost transparency for patients and the state health plan. Tell us your reaction to the sale or merger of this hospital.

NCSPIN episode #1107 Air Date 01/31/2020

Topics:

One month and counting

Collateral damage

Three Governors speak

Tell us something we don’t know

Panelists:

Peg O’Connell, Political analyst

John Hood, Syndicated columnist and author

Chris Fitzsimon, Director, The Newsroom

Becki Gray, VP, John Locke Foundation

Tom Campbell, Moderator

Tom Campbell discusses the civil rights movement and wonders who speaks for it today.

Question to John Hood and Cash Michaels – Recently we’ve seen controversy surrounding the pledge of allegiance. A majority of members of the Bladen County Board of Elections opposed opening their meetings by reciting the pledge and the chairwoman even threatened to call the police if anyone attempted to say the pledge. She has since changed her decision, but this is developing into a political battle. What is the opposition to saying the pledge? Should the pledge be standard for public meetings? Should it be mandatory?

Question to Rufus Edmisten and Becki Gray – A group of legislators in North and South Carolina are recommending we study deregulating electric utilities so more competition can be allowed for generating power in each state. One big hurdle is who would own the power transmission lines the regulated monopolies have built. What’s your reaction to this proposal?

NC SPIN episode #1106 Air Date 01/24/2020

Topics:

Students left behind. Will teachers strike?

MLK Day

Three governors

Tell us something we don’t know

Panelists:

Rufus Edmisten, former Secretary of State/Attorney General

Cash Michaels, journalist and filmmaker

John Hood, syndicated columnist and author

Becki Gray, VP John Locke Foundation

Tom Campbell discusses highlights from a recent event featuring three former North Carolina Governors.

Question to Chris Fitzsimon and John – When the legislature mandated that public schools were require to teach a course on economics and personal finance before they could graduate. In order to accommodate this in the teaching curriculum students will take only one U.S. history course instead of the current two courses. Your reaction to this decision?

Question to Donna Martinez and Brad Crone – The Daily Tar Heel, the student newspaper for UNC Chapel Hill has filed a suit against the UNC Board of Governors to overturn the Silent Sam Settlement. Their suit contends that both the agreement to pay the Sons of Confederate Veterans $75,000 as well as the $2.5 million payment violated the North Carolina Open Meeting Law and both actions should be overturned. What’s your reaction to this lawsuit?

NC SPIN episode #1105 Air Date 1/17/2020

Topics:

The one-day meeting

Ongoing education battles

Duke coal ash cleanup

The leaky education pipeline

Tell us something we don’t know

Panelists:

Donna Martinez, WPTF Radio and John Locke Foundation

John Hood, syndicated columnist and author

Chris Fitzsimon, Direct, The Newsroom

Brad Crone, Communications and political consultant

Tom Campbell, Moderator