Myths that Won’t Die: “Immigrants Take American Jobs and Bloat Welfare Rolls” President Trump wants $170 billion in immigrant “enforcement” dollars—more than combined FBI and CIA funding —to tighten or stop legal illegal immigration. The public is souring on this idea. Immigrants are confused and scared. The plan: Spend $45 billion to double immigrant-detention capacity. But siting these prisons has become problematic. Communities are balking. Lawmakers in Democratic-led sta

Retired editorial page editor and writer for the Asheville Citizen-Times.

As North Carolina closes out a consequential 2025, the state moves into 2026 navigating a complex convergence of political, social, economic, and institutional pressures. Beneath the surface of a growing economy and vibrant communities lies a deeper story: one of systems under strain, households navigating rising costs, and an electorate confronting trust-shaking challenges. The year’s events reveal a state at a pivotal moment, where policy decisions made now will reverbera