WT Columns

On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an alert banning drone flights over parts of New Jersey through Jan. 17 for unspecified “Special Security Reasons.” The unspecified actual reason is lots of people getting creeped out because they believe they’re seeing lots of drones hovering over the state at night. There’s an element of panic here, and panic tends to […]

The presidential election captured most of the nation’s attention on Nov. 5. But few paid any mind to California’s U.S. House of Representatives election outcomes since the results were a foregone conclusion. A quick look at the reelected individuals shows a sorry assortment of unindicted felons, power-crazed subversives, anti-American worker proponents and fervently pro-illegal immigration advocates.  Not only did this […]

More than 4 in 10 (41%) of those polled are stressed by the holidays. Fortunately, there are many ways to bust holiday stress. Set realistic goals. Your expectations should correspond to your circumstances, time and money. Don’t try to outdo family and friends. You don’t have to impress anyone. A wonderful holiday season doesn’t have to be expensive. Set a […]

When Bill Belichick was hired as head football coach at Carolina, at a reported $50 million compensation package, the first thought that came to my mind was that former UNC President Bill Friday had warned us about the dangers of big money in college athletics. In a 2010 television interview I conducted with Friday, he recounted that in the ‘50s […]

Much has been said on the topic of democracy lately, since both Democrats and Republicans believe they are the only ones who can save it. Predictably, neither one of our steeply declining political parties understands how democracy is supposed to work. The people are supposed to be much more involved in government than just voting. They need to be doing […]

Even the most curmudgeonly of Scrooges can’t help but tap their toes when they hear the first few notes of the modern masterpiece “Mary’s Little Boy Child.” For that, we can all thank the North Carolinian who so memorably paired calypso and Christmas — though that was not his original intention. The joyfully named Jester Hairston was born in 1901 […]

When Daddy died in 1990, some of the magic went out of Christmas. He was a child of wonder who delighted in small things, like cups of coffee and sausage biscuits and his children. He was in his element in the Christmas season.  Most children had the Sears catalog, pages and pages of toys and clothes that Santa could bring. […]

Most of us are likely to see little direct impact from a recent court ruling favoring three business owners in Jacksonville. But the decision should please any North Carolinian who favors economic liberty. A unanimous three-judge state Court of Appeals panel ruled on Dec. 3 that plaintiffs in Proctor v. City of Jacksonville could continue to challenge city food truck […]

America’s courts and the judges who sit on them have always been inextricably linked to the world of politics. Indeed, the idea that lawyers who are either appointed by politicians or who run for office themselves wouldn’t be political animals to some degree — and often render judgments that reflect their own personal values and philosophies — is rather silly. […]

Most days in my depraved, transsexual lifestyle start the same: I wake up at 5:15 a.m. to pet my cat, have some coffee and journal a little before I get out the door. I bike down the street to a gym where I get to see a few friends and sweat a little before putting in my time at the […]

“Bitcoin,” economist Dean Baker argues at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, “won’t put food on the table. Bitcoin also won’t put gas in your car or provide medical care for your family.  … Bitcoin doesn’t actually produce these items or anything else that we directly consume.” Baker is absolutely right. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies don’t produce the various […]

Congress is considering several bipartisan, common-sense reforms for holding pharmacy benefits managers to account. Legislation could even pass before the end of this year — to the great benefit of millions of patients and small business owners nationwide. PBMs are companies employed by insurers to design and administer prescription drug “formularies.” In other words, these companies are in charge of […]

Making the transition from service member to veteran can be daunting. In an instant, you leave behind a community of brothers and sisters bound by a noble purpose. Then, there’s the more practical aspect of exiting military service, as many are left to find their next mission. The attributes that made us successful in service — being driven, calm under […]

The Protestant Reformation that started in 1517 in Europe advanced onward with the completion of the American Revolution. Freedom of religion in America allowed new churches to be started here, several of which believed they reached the full potential of the Reformation. However, politics and government were part of the Reformation as well. Politics had always been front and center […]

I was introduced to the concept of tariffs over half a century ago when I took my first undergraduate economics class. While I remembered the definition for the next test, to be honest, I didn’t find tariffs all that interesting or important. Who would have thought that 55 years later, tariffs would be one of the top topics of discussion?  […]

Of course Congress and the White House are going to reduce federal funding for Medicaid expansion. Of course North Carolina and other states will be forced either to reduce Medicaid coverage or to shoulder billions of dollars in additional medical expenses. That was always the inevitable endgame for Medicaid expansion. No, you haven’t missed any official announcements. Neither congressional leaders […]

When they are challenged on their authoritarianism, North Carolina Republicans’ most frequent ploy is to retrieve grievances from decades ago. The party is run by a coterie of legislators who suffered years of irrelevance and disrespect at the hands of the eastern North Carolina Democratic machine, and these people still enjoy resurrecting Democratic misdeeds to justify their own malfeasance. This […]