Opinion Roundup: The landmark Leandro case, 20 years later

Tuesday, August 1, 2017 -- A roundup of opinion, commentary and analysis on the impact of the Leandro education case, a nod of support toward President Trump's choice to fill a long-vacant judgeship, the response by police departments to Trump's recent comments on brutality and more.

JANE WETTACH: Leandro - past, present, and future (EdNC analysis) -- Explore the landmark Leandro case and its impact on the education landscape in North Carolina with Jane Wettach, clinical instructor and director of the Children’s Law Clinic at the School of Law at Duke University.

Trump gets this one (Greensboro News & Record) -- Thomas A. Farr isn’t the man Democrats would have chosen to fill a long-vacant federal judgeship in North Carolina. But Democrats don’t get to choose.

Police respond wisely to Trump bombast (Charlotte Observer) -- President Trump is OK with police brutality. Thankfully, many police departments stood up to say they’re not.

CAROL LEONNIG & TOM HAMBURGER: Trump dictated son’s misleading statement on meeting with Russian lawyer (Washington Post analysis) -- President Trump’s personal intervention, described by people with knowledge of the deliberations, is part of a series of actions that some advisers fear could place him and some members of his inner circle in legal jeopardy as the probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election proceeds.

Protecting whistleblowers (Winston-Salem Journal) -- A milestone Sunday didn’t get much attention in our nation’s capital, but it should have. It was the first National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, as designated by the bipartisan Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus.

N.C. voting with its wallet against Israel divestment (Wilson Times) -- N.C. taxpayers will no longer be forced to support corporate boycotts of the United States’ strongest Mideast ally and the only true democracy in the region. Gov. Roy Cooper has signed his name to House Bill 161.

EDDIE FITZGERALD: New GTP head brings understanding of area (Kinston Free Press analysis) -- Former Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas is bringing a wealth of knowledge to Eastern North Carolina as the new executive director of the Global TransPark. Thomas was hired earlier in July to oversee the sprawling manufacturing and production hub that was a concept launched in the late 1990s.

STEPHANIE CARSON: Trump Administration Sued by Clean Air Carolina (Public News Service analysis) -- The Federal Highway Administration now faces a lawsuit for its abrupt suspension of the clean-air standard earlier this year. Clean Air Carolina is represented in the suit by the Natural Resources Defense Council, U.S. PIRG and the Southern Environmental Law Center. The standard was put in place by the Obama administration and intended to reduce major highway transportation greenhouse-gas emissions.

VALERIE BAUERLEIN: N.C. Gov. Visits Barrier Islands Where Power Outage Caused Evacuations (Wall Street Journal analysis) -- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper toured the Outer Banks Monday, where a power outage has led to the evacuation of two vacation islands during peak season, threatening the local economy, where tourism is a $1 billion annual business.

MADHUMITA MURGIA: Power outage in North Carolina’s Outer Banks may keep tourists out for two weeks (Washington Post analysis) -- Tens of thousands were forced to cancel vacations after a construction accident caused a widespread outage. “We are heartbroken,” said one Connecticut resident who was driving there with her family when she learned their rental was canceled.

CATHERINE KOZAK: Sand Project: More Turtles Than Expected (Coastal Review column) -- A major beach re-nourishment project on the Outer Banks has encountered far more sea turtles than expected, which has prompted further study but hasn’t slowed progress.

D.G. MARTIN: Thoughts on seventy-six trombones and loyalty to leaders (Winston-Salem Journal column) -- “Seventy-six trombones led the big parade, with a hundred and ten coronets close at hand. They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuosos, the dream of ev’ry famous band.” Can you guess where I am going with this?