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IIt’s been more than a week since the 2024 election and Kamala Harris has faded from the news pages, now dominated by Donald Trump’s choices to fill critical roles in his administration. For those who hoped for a different outcome, the election brought a painful reckoning with reality. Many of us viewed Trump, a lying, disrespectful, vengeful person who defies the law he will be sworn to uphold, as wholly unfit to be President, yet more than half of our voters chose to elect him.   Pundits far more knowledgeable than I am have spent thousands of words trying to explain what went wrong for Democrats. As I’ve read the explanations and listened to interviews with voters, it appears there’s no single reason Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris and probably no single issue that tanked her campaign. But she seemed a decent, hardworking, well-prepared candidate our children and the world could admire.   Three emotions, incredulity, sadness and fear, vied for dominance as I watched the election returns and it became obvious that Trump gained ground with voters across the spectrum. I knew the election would be close, but I did not believe that Americans would elect a convicted felon, a man who talked about grabbing women’s genitals because he thought he could get away with it and a man who incited a violent riot in an effort to hold on to power. For me, no matter his policies, that behavior disqualified him from leading our nation.   The triumph of Trump saddened me because it felt like a repudiation of the hope that we were finally beginning to achieve a nation where all men and all women are “created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” My fear arises from the fact that Trump has demonstrated that he believes he is above the law and he will become President with little to restrain or moderate his exercise of power.   Average voters like me can’t know what Donald Trump is like out of the public spotlight. Perhaps there’s a side of him that is more decent than the public persona he has created, but that persona scorns traits -- honesty, integrity, humility, compassion – most of us were brought up to admire and aspire to attain.     Even so, many people I hold dear voted for Trump – friends, neighbors and family members. These Trump voters are people I know to be kind, decent human beings who would consider much of Trump’s behavior reprehensible in anyone else. And they probably consider it reprehensible in him, but they voted for him in spite of it.   Clearly, something powerful compelled that loyalty. I admit I don’t understand it. Perhaps it is, as some commentators have written, just about peace and prosperity. Voters blamed President Joe Biden and Harris as his vice president, for policies affecting the economy, immigration and wars abroad with which they are unhappy. Perhaps it is the changing media landscape that allows us to live in our own information silos. Perhaps, as a Wall Street Journal analysis suggests, many Democratic voters just didn’t turn out.   Maybe not understanding is my own fault. I’ve avoided talking to Trump supporters about why they are committed to him for fear of risking relationships important to me. As a journalist, one of my core beliefs is that I should be able to ask questions and listen to the answers with some measure of objective detachment. But I haven’t done that and, it appears, neither has the Democratic establishment.   It looks as though Republicans will take control of every branch of the federal government after this election. If Democrats hope to emerge from the ashes of this defeat a stronger party, more objective listening might be an approach that will lead to policies that resonate with a majority of voters.   On a happier note, in North Carolina, the news was better for Democrats and voter turnout was 73.1 percent, the highest in the state this century, despite the road closings and other devastation wrought in Western North Carolina by Hurricane Helene. Governor-elect Josh Stein easily defeated GOP candidate Mark Robinson and several council of state seats went to Democrats including Superintendent of Public Education-elect Mo Green.   While Republicans retained control of the N.C. House and Senate, Democrats narrowly broke the GOP supermajority in the House, meaning Republicans will have to get at least one Democratic vote to override a gubernatorial veto.  In an opinion piece , WRAL in Raleigh interpreted the results as meaning North Carolina voted for reasonable policies and priorities over radical agendas. Though I am disappointed by the outcome of the national elections, I believe most Americans do  want reasonable policies and priorities. We are a nation founded on the principle of majority rule and the majority has spoken. Now we can only pray that the outcome will serve the greater good, perhaps in ways many of us cannot now foresee.   We are lurching through a time of rapid change in the ways we communicate with one another and the changing media landscape helped bring us to this place. I once believed that in a free and open marketplace of ideas, the truth would win out. I’m not so sure anymore, but maybe over the arc of time it will be so. In the meantime, overcoming the fear of having uncomfortable conversations with friends and family may be a place to start. As Abraham Lincoln once said, a house divided against itself cannot stand.   Joy Franklin is a journalist and writer who served as editorial page editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times for 10 years. Prior to that she served as executive editor of the Times-News in Hendersonville, N.C. Franklin writes for Carolina Commentary.

There’s a lot of cliches about mountain folk; resilience, determination, resourcefulness and, yes, stubbornness.   These were all on display when Helene visited horror and devastation on our beloved slice of the world, and they were all welcome. People here tend toward self-dependence, and as such a lot of folks had the tools needed to ride through the storm – foodstocks, fuel supplies, chainsaws, generators etc. – and had access to heavier equipment to help clear impassable roads.   There’s no overstating how terrifying and devastating Helene was in terms of death and sheer destruction. Some WNC towns have literally been wiped off the map, and all of us were knocked back to the Stone Age to some degree, with communications knocked out.   A lot of us had to sit in the dark, conjuring up the worst fears of the fate or our neighbors. Photo courtesy of WFMYnews2.com . But a lot of us also took it upon themselves to venture out to see what we could do to help. A lot of those efforts helped save lives or provide whatever aid could be given to those in need. In fact, so many people were out checking on neighbors, trying to round up water and supplies, attempting to clear roads, etc. that it was a bit of a problem in that people were stepping all over each other.   That was alleviated in large by a competent response on the ground from volunteer organizations, first responders and local and state government. That the response was as quick and effective as it was nothing short of astounding, especially given the fact that everyone was pretty much in a communications blackout thanks to the loss of internet and phone services. Sadly, part of the effectiveness of the response is that a great many local officials, from here to Canton to Asheville, have been through versions of this before. In a very real sense, Hurricane Alley runs now runs through Western North Carolina.   As to the communications collapse, therein lies two of the immediate pressing questions of this event: How did we get so blind and deaf so fast across such a wide area? And what needs to be done so it doesn’t happen again? Previously effective 911 systems became useless when no one could get on either end of the line.   When communications did begin working in stops and starts, a sad chapter of this saga began when charlatans, clowns, pot-stirrers and, yes, foreign actors flooded the zone with stories meant to outrage and confuse. This secondary deluge got so bad local, state and federal officials had to devote resources to debunking misinformation.   Those folks pulled away to flush the junk, with their hands already full, certainly had better things they could have done with their time. But the happy problem we faced in this region was something of an overload of people wanting to help. In the short run it appears to be a lot of folks stepped up, both in official and volunteer capacities, and a lot of good calls were made.   Some of those calls were tough. Western Carolina University was forced to cancel Mountain Heritage Day due to Helene, and in an unprecedented move a week later held a home football game with no fans. We feel both were the right call, the first due to the obvious dangers to life and limb and the second due to the fact that road traffic to ravaged areas remained the top priority (and also due to the fact a large part of the WCU community itself was in the middle of relief efforts). Considering the fact a home football game generates a million bucks in economic activity… well, it was the right call.   We won, by the way.   Also on the economic front, leaf season is gone. And that means the season when local businesses build up enough fodder to last through the winter is gone with it. Keep your dollars local to help keep them keeping on.   Beyond the loss of life and income, we all need to be cognizant of Helene’s damage to the spirit. This storm came as some areas were still rebuilding from Tropical Storm Fred and other localized disasters, laid atop the economic, physical and mental trauma of a pandemic that put the whole country on its back. With Milton bearing down on Florida, the hits from the Age of Chaos just keep ‘a comin’.   With Milton and the upcoming election, the focus on WNC will soon be cast to other places and issues, and that’s when we need to keep our focus. As so many have said, this recovery will not be a sprint but a marathon lasting months and years. Helene didn’t just knock down trees; it has changed the geography of much of the area.   So, it’s important to keep checking back to see what folks need when the national focus has shifted. Mountain natives and the new mountain folk who have sewn their own roots here will still be at the rebuilding.   They, and we, will keep swinging. There’s a lot to be said for stubbornness. Jim Buch anan i s an editor of The Sylvia Herald, former Editorial Page Editor for the Asheville Citizen-Times and writes for Carolina Commentary.

I’ve worked as an official in three elections, including one presidential election. I’ve seen nothing but experienced, dedicated professionals doing their jobs, attending scrupulously to rules and details. Given my positive election experiences, I’m wondering why there’s an intensive effort this year in some states to make voting harder .   Could the recent spate of restrictive election laws be inspired by Donald Trump’s 2020 baseless claims of fraud? Possibly. But restrictive policies have proliferated ever since a 2013 Supreme Court decision removed the Voting Rights Act’s requirement for federal approval of new voting policies in districts with histories of discrimination, Shelby v. Holder.   Restrictive policies make it harder for eligible Americans to vote, especially low-income and minority voters.   According to the Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks the legislation, “Without this guardrail, voters lost a bulwark against discriminatory voting policies and states previously subject to preclearance were free to implement discriminatory restrictions on voting access without advance checks. Many states did exactly just that.”   Recent court decisions have continued to signal that these restrictions are, well, OK.   An unprecedented “wave” of restrictive election laws is under way.   At least 30 states have passed 78 restrictive voting laws  since the 2020 election. Sixty-three of those are likely to become effective in 29 states this fall. They may include constraints on mail voting, with stricter ID requirements, reduced access to drop boxes, limits on who can help voters, and/or rules necessary for voters to stay on mail lists.   A North Carolina appellate court recently barred Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill students from using university-issued digital IDs for voting. (Their decision reversed a superior court’s opinion allowing the digital ID.)   The reversal aligns with the Republican argument that a digital ID is an “image of a photo ID, either as a photocopy or a photo on a mobile device,” found unacceptable in a 2023 N.C. Board of Elections memo .    North Carolina, a battleground state, has also added a photo ID requirement for absentee ballots. There’s also this, an unnecessary ballot measure: To amend the state constitution to clarify that only U.S. citizens can vote. Duh. That’s already the law. Making a big deal of adding it to the ballot, some suggest, advantages Republicans with voters who view immigration as a problem. Either way, it’s money and time wasted.   While some states are restricting voting rights, 156 new laws in 41 states have expanded voting access. They become effective this fall. Some expand vote-by-mail, ballot request and return windows, offer simplified signature verification requirements, or add more ballot return options. Some expand mail voting on tribal lands. States also expanded windows for in-person early voting, made registration easier, and restored voting rights to those returning from prison.   Now, another problem looms. In some states  officials are threatening to withhold certification of results, the process whereby officials count ballots — in-person, mail-in, provisional, absentee. Local election officials certify the ballot count is accurate and complete; state officials do likewise, and, in presidential elections, it goes to Congress. In 2020 and 2022, “rogue” election officials have delayed certification, or refused to certify elections in Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and other states.    However, North Carolina is equipped to handle such situations. During the 2022 midterm elections, two officials were ousted for their refusal to certify the results.   Betty Joyce Nash reported for the Greensboro News & Record and the Hendersonville Times-News before moving to Virginia where she worked as an economics writer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. She co-edited Lock & Load: Armed Fiction , an anthology of literary short stories that probe Americans' complicated relationship to firearms. (University of New Mexico Press, 2017.)

The presidential candidacy of Vice President Kamala Harris highlights the considerable impact that Black women have on America, showcasing their education, power, and influence in elections and beyond. Black women serve as essential, multi-dimensional leaders across various sectors, including politics, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership. Their contributions merit acknowledgment and respect.   Yet, Black women leaders in North Carolina face a host of challenges that hinder their effectiveness and visibility. Key obstacles include intersectional discrimination, which combines racial and gender biases, alongside a stark lack of representation in leadership roles. Workplace biases further complicate hiring and promotion processes, impeding their professional advancement. Limited access to networking opportunities and mentorship stifles their growth, while the demands of juggling multiple responsibilities can lead to burnout.   Tracey Greene-Washington is tackling these challenges head-on.  Tracey is a Black woman leader in North Carolina committed to creating more opportunities for Women of Color . Based in Charlotte, she is an entrepreneur, award winning author, Tedx speaker, and philanthropist dedicated to driving social change. Her initiatives focus on amplifying the voice and impact of women who confront cultural stereotypes and challenges, helping them to step into leadership roles, particularly in the philanthropic and nonprofit arena.  Originally from Asheville, Tracey is a certified coach through the Coach Diversity Institute and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in social work.   As a thought leader and strategic partner in the national philanthropic and social change movement, Tracey has expanded her influence and reach by providing strategic thought partnership and consulting support to diverse philanthropic entities across the country and most recently five prominent women-led giving circles across the country, in collaboration with Philanthropy Together , Philanos , and the Community Investment Network .   Tracey serves as the President of Indigo Innovation Group , a consulting firm dedicated to working with philanthropic, nonprofit, and public/private organizations to drive systemic change through systems change, equity and strategic partnerships. She is also the founder of CoThinkk , a BIPOC-led philanthropic initiative designed to foster systems change in Western North Carolina, with an emphasis on strategic investments, racial equity, network-building, and civic engagement.   In addition to her consulting work, Tracey is a social entrepreneur and co-owner of NoGrease Northlake, Razored Technologies and No Grease Premium Barbershops , in partnership with her husband, Edmund Washington.   In recognition of her dedication and commitment to her work, Tracey recently received the Black Women Give Back Award . This annual honor celebrates ten distinguished philanthropists and funders who have made a significant positive impact on the lives of Black women and girls around the globe. The Reunity Ceremony brings together diverse Black and allied communities to honor these leaders, mark the end of Black Philanthropy Month, kick off the global Black giving season, and acknowledge the UN's International Day for People of African Descent at the close of August.   Tracey’s nomination for the Black Women Give Back Award highlights her notable contributions across multiple platforms, showcasing her profound impact in the field. She has provided consulting services to philanthropic and nonprofit organizations, as well as private and public sectors. Furthermore, Tracey actively participates in two giving circles—the NGAAP and the Women’s Impact Fund in Charlotte—demonstrating her deep commitment to the giving circle movement.   This award comes at a pivotal time as CoThinkk celebrates its tenth anniversary. Founded in 2014, CoThinkk is a philanthropy organization focused on social change, operating as a giving circle that prioritizes shared leadership, equity, systems change, and systemic transformation. Spearheaded by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latine, and Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander) leaders, CoThinkk tackles pressing social challenges and advocates for racial equity in Western North Carolina (WNC). Over the past decade, CoThinkk has distributed nearly $1 million to support a variety of initiatives through strategic grants, self-care stipends, coaching support, and capacity-building efforts.   With more than 25 years of experience addressing complex social issues, Tracey has emerged as a distinguished female leader dedicated to fostering meaningful change for women in North Carolina, across the nation, and around the world through collaboration and strategic risk-taking.   Virgil L. Smith formerly served as president and publisher of the Asheville Citizen-Times and Vice President for Human Resources for the Gannett Company. He is the principal for the Smith Edwards Group and the author of " The Keys to Effective Leadership .” He is the founder and a writer for Carolina Commentary.

Raise your hand if you know what “ the Fed ” does, besides its responsibility for deciding the interest rates that ultimately affect our payments for mortgages, cars, credit cards, and more. Few know how the Fed operates, though everybody cares deeply about their pocketbooks. Among other chores, such as supervision and regulation, the Fed closely tracks the economy in order to make policy decisions. Its Congressional mandate? Maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates.   In  July, we the people figured there’d be a rate cut. We knew the Fed had begun raising rates  against inflation  in 2022, as spending roared back after the pandemic shutdown. Inflation refers to prices continuing to rise  over time. This erodes purchasing power. But no. Rates remain between 5.25 percent and 5.50 percent.             Included in the Fed’s rationale is a reference to “disappointing jobs data.” However, the chairman of the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee [FOMC], Jerome Powell, said if labor markets strengthen, a September rate cut is likely. Business Insider  reports that the July jobs report “came in cooler than expected, with the US economy adding 114,000 jobs. The unemployment rate rose to 4.3%.” This triggered a widely-respected rule—the Sahm-rule recession indicator , which has a perfect track record in identifying downturns in real time.             Maximum employment is defined as the greatest number of people employed, or fewest unemployed, that the economy can manage and still keep prices stable. The unemployment rate and prices work in tandem. The economy is dynamic, ever-changing. If most people have jobs, a firm would struggle to find workers. They would need to raise wages to attract employees. That cost would be passed along to customers in the form of higher prices.             Indeed that happened in North Carolina, post-pandemic, according to N.C. State’s economist Mike Walden, when the economy re-opened, and, with federal assistance still coming in, people sought different work .             “How did these industries react to the shortages? They reacted the way economists would expect. They made their jobs more attractive to workers, especially by increasing the pay. For example, in North Carolina between 2019 and 2024, average hourly wage rates rose three times faster in leisure/hospitality and construction, and two times faster in education/health care and general service jobs compared to the increase for the average job.” The wage increases also outpaced price increases (inflation) over the same time period. Walden adds that he expects the annual inflation rate to come very close to 2% by the end of 2024. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Fed reduce their benchmark interest rate by two percentage points in the second half of 2024.”            In setting rates, the FOMC depends on current international, and regional economic intelligence. Committee members assess economic conditions in light of the Congressional mandate of maximum employment and price stability .   Price stability means a low and stable rate of inflation, ideally, 2 percent. That target is coming closer to reality.             The “FOMC” stands for Federal Open Market Committee, which consists of the seven members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors who determine rates: the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and four other regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on the FOMC, on a rotating basis, with the other Reserve Bank presidents.             At FOMC meetings, the senior official at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, for instance, discusses financial and foreign exchange markets, plus the New York Fed's Trading Desk, where U.S. government securities are bought and sold. Staff from regional reserve banks’ boards of governors discuss their  districts’ economic and financial conditions and forecasts. The board of governors and all 12 Reserve Bank presidents—whether they’re voting members that year or not—assess recent developments in their districts and the overall economic outlook from which they determine the interest rate.   Betty Joyce Nash reported for the Greensboro News & Record and the Hendersonville Times-News before moving to Virginia where she worked as an economics writer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. She co-edited Lock & Load: Armed Fiction , an anthology of literary short stories that probe Americans' complicated relationship to firearms. (University of New Mexico Press, 2017.)

In the days following the June 27 CNN-produced presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, national news outlets have been dominated by stories of Biden’s poor performance and calls from various pundits, and even the New York Times Editorial Board, for him to step aside.   Yet, there have been no calls for Trump to step aside as the Republican nominee, despite the fact that his debate performance, while more robust than Biden’s, was almost wholly untethered from fact or truth. Why have lead stories not hammered him for his lies or questioned whether he is mentally sharp enough to remember what’s actually true? Does he really believe the “alternative facts” he proclaims?   Most news organizations have fact-checked the debate and called out his unfamiliarity with the truth, but those stories have not led the news cycle day after day and they have not resulted in pundits raising the question of whether such a deceptive, or perhaps delusional, person is fit to serve as president of the United States.   In the era of social media, news organizations no longer set the agenda for the nation in the way they once did, but the stories that dominate their coverage, and the focus or lack thereof they put on aspects of those stories, still affect the public’s perception of what’s important and what isn’t.   The debate format favored Trump, in part because moderators did not challenge his lies.   As Medhi Hasan in The Atlantic, Heather Cox Richardson on her Substack site “Letters from an American,” and others have pointed out, intentionally or otherwise, Trump used a debate tactic called the “gish gallop,” which would make it hard for even the most skilled debater to formulate an effective response.  As Richardson explained, "It's a rhetorical technique in which someone throws out a fast string of lies, non-sequiturs and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut in the amount of time it took to say them. Trying to figure out how to respond makes the opponent look confused, because they don't know where to start grappling with the flood that has just hit them."   The network said before the debate that the moderators would not challenge the accuracy of the candidates’ statements. That left Biden with the hopeless task of trying to set the record straight while also laying out his own agenda for a second term.   Trump made false or mostly false statements regarding virtually every topic moderators asked about. He said Biden “allowed millions of people to come in here from prisons, jails and mental institutions,” which the fact-checking site Politifact labeled “Pants on Fire,”  the label it reserves for the most outrageous lies. He said “The problem (Democrats) have is they're radical, because they will take the life of a child in the eighth month, the ninth month, and even after birth,” labeled “false” by Politifact, which pointed out that willfully terminating a newborn’s life is infanticide and is illegal in every U.S. state. And the lies and outrageous exaggerations went on and on and on.   Trump repeatedly said Biden was the worst president ever and claimed that he was the best. Biden pointed out that presidential scholars had ranked Trump as the worst president ever which, according to Politifact, is true. The 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, released in February, collected responses from 154 presidential historians. The historians ranked Biden as the 14th best president in U.S. history, and put Trump last.   Whether Biden’s health and mental acuity will carry him through a second term as president cannot be known with any certainty. The same must be said of Donald Trump. At age 81, Biden is only three years older than Trump, who is 78.   One thing is certain, Biden’s halting debate performance justifiably raised concerns within the Democratic Party about whether he should be their standard bearer in November. And it justifiably riveted the attention of news organizations.   Yet Trump somehow escaped the same scrutiny. No one expects the Republican Party to hold him accountable. It has so far shown him sycophantic devotion, despite his deceitful, philandering, vengeful and self-aggrandizing language and behavior. But the news organizations that seem obsessed with Biden’s performance might do well to focus a brighter spotlight on Trump’s.

The failure to convict Trump in the months following the January 6th insurrection, coupled with the Republican Party's unwavering loyalty to him, has brought us to this critical juncture. This lack of foresight and partisan loyalty has put our nation's democracy in peril. On May 30th, 2024, Donald J. Trump was convicted of 34 felonies in the State of New York. This historic trial was a major blow to the former President of the United States, who had claimed that the trial was rigged by President Joe Biden. However, the evidence presented during the trial showed that Trump had indeed committed multiple crimes, including paying $135,000 in hush money to Stormy Daniels, a porn star, to keep her quiet about their alleged affair. The charges were brought by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and many Republicans and media commentators have criticized the decision to bring the case to trial. However, 12 Manhattan jurors convicted Trump on 34 counts. Eleven charges for legal services; 11 charges for checks paid for legal services and 12 charges for legal expenses. The sentencing hearing on July 11th is crucial for Americans and the world in order to see what kind of justice will be administered to Donald J. Trump.  Will he receive probation?  Will he be relegated to community service?  Or will he be jailed for his actions?  Jail may include weekends or a period of time behind bars.  This is an important moment in American History.  Will Judge Merchan administer justice as he would for an ordinary American? Or will he signal that Trump is indeed above the law as he believes he is? Trump's behavior has worried many Americans. He is known for his dishonesty and lack of accountability, and his conviction on multiple counts of fraud and other crimes is a major blow to his reputation. Most disturbing are his comments about wanting to be a dictator on Day One if re-elected. The failure to convict Trump during his impeachment trial in 2021 has also contributed to the current crisis. Many Republicans have refused to hold Trump accountable for his actions, and instead have continued to support him despite his numerous scandals. This lack of accountability has allowed Trump to continue to act with impunity. In North Carolina, the upcoming election has brought the very essence of democracy into sharp focus. The state's gubernatorial race is currently locked in a virtual tie between Trump supporter Mark Robinson, a Republican, and Democrat Mark Stein. This closely contested contest mirrors the national political landscape: Republicans are bolstered by a majority on N.C. Supreme Court and by a majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. The United States has reached a precarious state, with roots dating back to the early 1990s and Newt Gingrich's Contract for America. Fast forward to 2021, when the Senate acquitted Trump of charges related to inciting an insurrection that resulted in the deaths of five people, including two law enforcement officers. The Republican-led Senate, under Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's leadership, had demonstrated its hypocrisy by blocking President Obama's Supreme Court nominee,  Merrick Garland, from a hearing. This stark contrast is evident in McConnell's swift approval of subsequent Supreme Court nominees, which gave the Court a conservative majority of 6-3. On July 11th when Trump is scheduled for sentencing, democracy will be on trial and the world will be watching.  Remember,  Judge Arthur Engoron has already found Trump is liable for fraud in the civil case, where Trump was fined close to a half billion dollars for sexual misconduct and for taunting the plaintiff. If Trump is re-elected in 2024 and is allowed to remain in office without facing any consequences for his actions, it could have disastrous consequences for American democracy. Trump has already shown that he is willing to use his power to undermine democratic institutions and silence his critics, and if he is allowed to continue in office without accountability, it could lead to a complete erosion of democratic values. In conclusion, Judge Juan Merchan has a critical role to play in ensuring that justice is served in this case. A jail sentence may be necessary to send a strong message that no one is above the law, regardless of position or power. The future of American democracy depends on it. Virgil L. Smith formerly served as president and publisher of the Asheville Citizen-Times and Vice President for Human Resources for the Gannett Company. He is the principal for the Smith Edwards Group and the author of "The Keys to Effective Leadership.” He is the founder and a writer for Carolina Commentary.

North Carolina’s early childhood education system is hurting. The advocacy group NC Child reports 44 percent of the state’s families living in a “child care desert,” with more than three times as many children as openings in centers.  A third of the state’s providers may close within three months because they lack funds to pay wages competitive enough to attract workers. By June 2024—next week—the pandemic funding that has temporarily stabilized childcare runs out. Child care advocates are asking state legislators for $300 million to keep centers afloat and affordable. They asked last year, too, for the same amount. To no avail. A report from the Century Foundation also predicts child care center closures —1,178 in North Carolina, affecting 155,539 children. Wait. What’s the return on investments in early education? Turns out, it’s high. Quality child care means lower crime rates, fewer poor people going to prison, fewer unemployed, and more, higher-paying jobs. Benefits reverberate for generations to come. During the Trump administration, cuts in outreach and enrollment reduced the number of children covered by health insurance. Food and housing insecurity for children also rose, due to cuts in SNAP benefits and housing assistance. And, an article in Education Week recently detailed a Heritage Foundation conservative policy agenda that includes how a second Trump administration might use the federal government to promote private school choice and parents’ rights, which will make it harder for public schools to serve poor children. Lack of quality childcare hurts families and the economy. This pickle is ironic when we remember that North Carolina practically pioneered early childhood education nationwide in 1993, under former Gov. Jim Hunt’s Smart Start. Though Smart Start’s still a player, its current network of 65 local partnerships in 2024 is not enough. Nobel-prize-winning economist James Heckman studies investments in early education. He and his colleagues report a 13 percent return on investment for comprehensive, high-quality, birth-to-five early education. Researchers analyzed life outcomes in health, crime, income, IQ, schooling, and the increase in mothers’ incomes when childcare enables their re-entry into the workforce. Bottom line: Early years matter. From birth to age 5, brains develop fast. A baby's ability to learn is “unparalleled,” in Heckman’s words. “Safe, nurturing, enriching environments strengthen early brain development, while stressful or unstable environments can harm it. When children attend high-quality ECE (early childhood education) during these important years, they benefit from enhanced cognitive and social-emotional development. Even though evidence for long-term effects of ECE on child development is mixed, some studies show that participating in high-quality ECE yields long-term advantages for individuals and for society, including higher educational attainment, better adult health, and less involvement in crime. High-quality centers with stimulating and developmentally-appropriate environments provide more than health and safety, they nurture “responsive” relationships with teachers. All young children can benefit from high-quality ECE, but it especially helps children from low income families, children with disabilities served in inclusive classrooms, and dual language learners. This November, vote for candidates who care enough about children to keep early childhood education in North Carolina fully funded. This will strengthen not only North Carolina’s families, but also its economy. Wouldn’t it be great to say we take care of all of our kids because they are the future? Betty Joyce Nash reported for the Greensboro News & Record and the Hendersonville Times-News before moving to Virginia where she worked as an economics writer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. She co-edited Lock & Load: Armed Fiction, an anthology of literary short stories that probe Americans' complicated relationship to firearms. (University of New Mexico Press, 2017.)

As famine plagues Gaza and university students in North Carolina and throughout the United States express outrage at the slaughter of Palestinians, Israeli tanks and troops have entered Rafah and seized control of the border crossing with Egypt. Protestors have been arrested at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at N.C. State and are present on the Quad at UNC-Asheville. On university campuses throughout the nation, administrators have called in police to remove encampments and students from occupied buildings. Thirty-six students at UNC-Chapel Hill have been among more than 2,200 people arrested at U.S. campuses as of May 5, according to CNN. President Biden responded to the student protests May 2nd, saying they “put to the test two fundamental American principles. First, the right to free speech and the right for people to peacefully assemble and make their voices heard. The second is the rule of law. Both must be upheld.” Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses and forcing the cancelation of classes or graduation, none of this is peaceful protest, he said. When a reporter asked if the protests had caused him to reconsider his policies toward Israel, he said “no, “ as he walked away from the podium. Biden delivered the clarity he insisted was needed. But in answering that question, he expressed an abysmal lack of empathy and understanding for the angst students and others feel about the war in Gaza and the U.S. role in supporting Israel’s prosecution of it. The comment disrespected the anguish students and others feel about the Israeli assault that began after Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages. More than 34,000 Gazans, many of them defenseless women and children, have been killed by the Israeli response. Biden could have said, “Look, I understand their distress over the immense suffering and I’m doing all I can to try to end it in a way that will bring stability to the region. I applaud their courage and commitment, but please, for all our sakes, they need to stay within the bounds of the law.” Biden rightfully denounced the anti-Semitism that has tainted many protests. But not all protestors who want to see the U.S. exert more pressure to end the assault on Gaza are anti-Semitic. This is the greatest challenge of Biden’s presidency. The long-term implications of the war between Israel and Hamas for the world and for the U.S. are profound. Few people understand that better than veteran New York Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman. Friedman spent 10 years from 1979 to 1989 reporting from Beirut, Lebanon, and Jerusalem. His book, “From Beirut to Jerusalem,” gives readers a comprehensive account of the complex history, motivations amd interests that drive this ongoing conflict. His many sources in the Middle East and the U.S. make his current columns for The New York Times perhaps the most insightful analysis regarding the war. In an April 16 column, Friedman wrote that he gives “the Biden team generally high marks for the job that it has done responding to the hugely fraught and complex Gaza war….” Friedman supports what he calls the “Biden Doctrine,” a convergence of strategic thinking and planning he’s learned about through his reporting. It would involve a defense alliance among the U.S., friendly Arab states and Israel against Russian-allied Iran and the terrorist groups it backs including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. It would require Israel to agree to a ceasefire, to agree to withdraw from Gaza and to allow an Arab peacekeeping force to take control there, and to agree to work toward a Palestinian state with a reformed Palestinian Authority. The barriers to such a stabilization of the Middle East are manifold, and include the intractable Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Friedman has written that there is probably zero hope for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and the Israeli-Iranian conflict without regime change in Iran, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Early this week, Netanyahu sent troops into Rafah, the area to which more than a million Palestinians have retreated as their homes and cities have been destroyed, in a likely futile effort to wipe out Hamas. On Monday, the Israeli military began targeted strikes against the city hours after Hamas agreed to a cease-fire proposal negotiated by Egypt and Qatar to pause the fighting. Israel said the proposal didn’t meet its requirements, but that it would send a delegation to the mediators. On April 24, Biden signed a $95 billion military aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Despite that, Friedman wrote a couple of days later, the Biden administration has been telling Netanyahu that if he mounts a major military operation into Rafah, the U.S. will restrict some arms sales to Israel. As Friedman repeatedly points out, by continuing to pummel Gaza, Israel is becoming an international pariah. More critically for Americans, Israel is undermining the legitimacy of its staunchest supporter, the United States and the Biden administration. “The Democrats who just gave Israel $26 billion are coming telling us that we’re going to lose the White House if we don’t vote for Biden,” Hatem Bazian, a UC Berkeley lecturer who co-founded Students for Justice in Palestine, told Stanford University protestors, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. “You’re gonna lose the White House because you lost our vote. You lost the White House because you opted to protect Netanyahu rather than protect the American public.” Protestors are leveraging the only influence they have. Unless the Biden team does a better job of leveraging its influence over Netanyahu, and communicating its Middle East policy with voters, the only regime change may be in the United States. Joy Franklin is a journalist and writer who served as editorial page editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times for 10 years. Prior to that she served as executive editor of the Times-News in Hendersonville, N.C. Franklin writes for Carolina Commentary.

As a pharmacist, I have seen firsthand the impact today’s big pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have on patients they claim to serve.  Most patients don’t realize that PBMs control the price you pay at the pharmacy counter. While PBMs promote health plan cost savings to businesses for their employees, their records often tell a different story. Thankfully, in Raleigh and in Washington, law makers are finally waking up to the role PBMs play in drug pricing. For years, PBMs have operated in the shadows, signing up employers to trust them and utilize their services, while effectively evading any oversight attempts by state regulators. In 2021, the NC General Assembly passed a ban on the practice of rebate accumulating, which PBMs used to deny patients their due savings from drug discount programs. How did PBMs escape oversight? The answer is that just a handful of large PBMs control 80% of the U.S. market. The PBMs then lobby Congress and oversight agencies to prevent any questioning of their business practices. This market domination is problematic because with no legal mechanisms in place to ensure accountability, PBMs can hide behind harmful, profit-motivated pricing practices while employers and patients pay the price. Traditional PBMs tout their size and scale as factors that secure better deals for clients. It is true that big PBMs can procure drugs in larger quantities at wholesale prices, but they often fail to pass these savings benefits on to their clients. Recently in Washington, lawmakers asked the CEO of UnitedHealth Group (UHG), a large PBM, to testify before the Senate Finance Committee. UnitedHealth Group’s Optum Rx unit, along with CVS/Aetna’s Caremark and Cigna’s Express Scripts, now control 80% of the PBM market. With $370 billion in revenues last year, UnitedHealth has grown so big that it now employs more than 10% of all physicians in America and even owns an FDIC-insured bank that can advance payments to providers on pending claims! With this large of a share of the market, the American people deserve some oversight and questions to be answered. I am urging the Senate Finance Committee to keep asking companies like UnitedHealth Group to explain its rapid consolidation of the market, as well as its vertical integration that is limiting consumer choice and hurting patients at the pharmacy counter. It is past time PBMs are held accountable for their impact on healthcare costs, and leaders in Washington need to pass PBM oversight measures. This legislation and oversight will finally bring accountability and reform to this broken system and put the focus back on patients, where it belongs. NC Rep. Wayne Sasser (R) is a pharmacist by trade and represents Montgomery and Stanly counties in the NC General Assembly.

Remember that word? Unless you’re studying for a spelling bee, it probably doesn’t ring a bell. But when you hear the much-bandied about question in the current political arena, “are you better off than you were four years ago?”, that bell ought to ring. Because that’s where we were four years ago. There’s a human tendency to put a pleasant gauze over the past, emphasizing the positive and minimizing the negative. So, when considering the lay of the land four years ago, one might vaguely recall a couple of contact points with the economy, the price of gas and price of food, were better. One might not recall that four years ago employment fell by a combined 22.4 million in March and April. That decline of 15 percent was unprecedented in modern times. (The decline in the Great Recession of 2007 was 6 percent). That’s because four years ago we found ourselves in the grip of the COVID pandemic. That’s where hydroxychloroquine comes in. The Trump administration's chaotic response to the pandemic included promoting unproven treatments like hydroxychloroquine and even suggesting the use of bleach as a potential cure. Misinformation spread like wildfire, leading to confusion and fear among the populace. There was plenty of magical thinking – that it would go away with the coming of warmer weather, etc. There was plenty of pin-the-blame game, with Trump and media allies insisting that COVID be called the Wuhan Virus or Chinese Virus. Above all there was a push to reopen the economy, despite the fact that ramped up testing and other safety measures weren’t in place. There was also a push to split a frightened populace even further, with Trump delivering tweets railing against lockdown measures in the states with Democratic governors – Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota all got the “LIBERATE!” treatment. Misinformation was running rampant and conspiracy theorists were having a field day. Over in Britain, they were burning cell towers, as somehow someone came up with the idea 5G technology was spreading COVID. Similarly, messages coming from the White House briefings were all over the board. When masking was recommended Trump watered down the message by saying the recommendation wasn’t really a mandate and he couldn’t see himself wearing one. As to hydroxychloroquine, well, it’s been around as a malaria treatment for decades. Somehow it got touted as a COVID treatment, and Trump picked up on it. On several other treatments that weren’t really treatments as well. A paper called the “Impact of Trump's Promotion of Unproven COVID-19 Treatments and Subsequent Internet Trends: Observational Study’’ at the National Library of Medicine reported “From March 1 to April 30, 2020, Donald J. Trump made 11 tweets about unproven therapies and mentioned these therapies 65 times in White House briefings, especially touting hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. These tweets had an impression reach of 300% above Donald J Trump’s average. Following these tweets, at least 2% of airtime on conservative networks for treatment modalities like azithromycin and continuous mentions of such treatments were observed on stations like Fox News. Google searches and purchases increased following his first press conference on March 19, 2020, and increased again following his tweets on March 21, 2020. The same is true for medications on Amazon, with purchases for medicine substitutes, such as hydroxychloroquine, increasing by 200%.” During White House briefings Trump mentioned hydroxychloroquine 37 times in total; chloroquine 12 times; azithromycin 8 times; and remdesivir 8 times in total. April of 2000 also gave us the tale of Trump and bleach. Contrary to popular belief, Trump didn’t actually say folks should drink bleach, but he did muse about whether disinfectants could be used to treat coronavirus infections inside human bodies. It was close enough to saying “drink this stuff’’ that Lysol issued a statement essentially saying “don’t do that.’’ Trump’s comments came after Department of Homeland undersecretary for science and technology William Bryan presented a study finding sun exposure and cleaning agents like bleach could kill the covid virus on surfaces. "So, supposedly we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light,” Trump said, “and I think you said that hasn’t been checked, but you’re going to test it. And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. (To Bryan) And I think you said you’re going to test that, too. Sounds interesting, right?" Four years ago, we were frightened of losing our jobs and our lives. Against this backdrop people were looking to their government for leadership. That’s what we were getting. Despite the challenges we faced four years ago, it's hard to deny that things have improved since then. The current situation may not be perfect, but we are in a much better place today than we were back then. Jim Buchanan is a longtime mountain journalist and author.

On October 7, 2023, the world changed.  Hamas attacked innocent Israeli citizens enjoying a concert.  Women were raped and senior citizens were kidnapped along with children, women and men.  A terrible, horrible, cowardly act against the Israeli people.  The world was outraged with this act of terrorism.  President Joe Biden was quick to offer unequivocal support for Israel.  Most Americans supported the comments and position of the American President. The world was outraged and supported Israel’s counter attack against Hamas, formally known as Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya.  More than 1,200 Israeli citizens were killed on October 7, 2023. No one would argue with Israel’s right to defend itself and target Hamas for this horrendous act of terrorism.  More than 270 hostages were taken, with over 134 still being held by Hamas. As the war enters its fifth month; there is no end in sight.  What we do know is that more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 70,000 wounded; with reports that more than half of those killed or wounded are women and children.  Not to mention the recent shooting of starving Palestinians surrounding food trucks. Does President Biden make a mistake by continuing to offer unequivocal support to Israel? I believe he does, considering Israel’s brutal military response, which most Americans, likely including the President, could not have anticipated. Daily photos, video, and commentary from Al Jazeera show the devastation of Gaza.  The displacement of over 2 million Palestinians, who are without food, water, electricity, and the basics of human life.  When you see complete residential areas demolished, along with hospitals, schools, churches, warehouses and any place where civilians gather, it turns your stomach.  Gaza is considered the worst place for children now in the world.  Keep in mind the population of Palestinian children is close to half of the population in Gaza.  It stands to reason when you drop 2,000-pound bombs that you are going to kill children. The United States is being called complicit in this indiscriminate attack on Palestinians in Gaza. The United States has vetoed three (3) UN security council resolutions calling for humanitarian aid to Gaza.  Moreover, when the US rightfully points the finger at Russia’s aggression into Ukraine, we as the world leader for peace and democracy need to be careful with our international policies; or risked being accused of hypocrisy. This commentary began with the atrocious attack on October 7th and Israel’s rightful duty to respond militarily and to gain the release of their blameless hostages.  Moreover, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated his goal of eliminating Hamas and freeing the hostages.  The families of hostages want the primary objective to be bringing their family members’ home. It seems to me, Netanyahu has another agenda: the genocide of all Palestinians in Gaza.  You tell people to leave the northern sector of Gaza and go south, and then you bomb them.  You bomb hospitals, you shoot at ambulances, you bomb schools; and then you blame Hamas. This does not add up; and begs the question, who are we as Americans? I stand with the Arab Americans who voted “uncommitted” during the Michigan primary in February.  I cannot support the policy of Israel killing civilians and blaming it on Hamas. What happens to the Palestinians after the Israel-Hamas war?  Who will rebuild their schools, hospitals, homes and infrastructure?  It cannot be built on the revenge seeking of Netanyahu. Some military experts believe it is not possible to eliminate Hamas.  Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe says: “To ‘eliminate’ or destroy Hamas, Israel will have to destroy the root cause of Hamas, its reason for existence. That means Israel will have to accept progress towards a two-state solution and Palestinian statehood for Gaza and the West Bank. Prime Minister Netanyahu is on record in January 2024, stating, he is opposed to a Palestinian state because it would constitute “an existential danger to Israel.” To resolve this terrible situation, it is time for American leadership to do what is best for Palestinians and Israelites to prevent the ongoing genocide. Many say we are hesitant to do the right thing, because we are politically supportive of Israel. Who are we as Americans?  As Americans, we are a diverse group of individuals who come from different backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences. We have a long history of standing up for what is right and fighting for justice. It is our nature to lead and take action when faced with challenges. By taking a leadership role in resolving these conflicts, we can work towards creating a more peaceful world.  By supporting our allies, such as Israel, and holding them accountable when it is necessary. Let us remember the values that define us as Americans—compassion, unity, and freedom. It is up to us to lead positive change and create peaceful solutions. Virgil L. Smith formerly served as president and publisher of the Asheville Citizen-Times and Vice President for Human Resources for the Gannett Company. He is the principal for the Smith Edwards Group and the author of "The Keys to Effective Leadership.” He is the founder and a writer for Carolina Commentary. Photos from US News and Al Jazeera