Opinion Roundup: Russians troll N.C. campaigns, school shootings & safety, fed debt and more

Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: indictment of Russian trolling in N.C., addressing school shootings and safety, the transformation of a debt hawk into a dove and more.

RUSSIAN ELECTION TROLLS & N.C.

CULLEN BROWDER: Russian meddling indictment features disruptive efforts in NC (WRAL-TV analysis) -- The federal indictment of Russians on charges of tampering with the U.S. election system hits home for North Carolina. Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused 13 Russians of an elaborate plot to disrupt the 2016 presidential election, charging them with running a hidden social media trolling campaign aimed, in part, at helping Republican Donald Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton. North Carolina shows up in the indictment that lays out the Russian meddling charges.

MICHAEL GORDON: Russian conspiracy targeted Charlotte and N.C. indictment says (Charlotte Observer analysis) -- As the largest city in a pivotal swing state, Charlotte and North Carolina became targets of Russian operatives accused of attempting to disrupt the 2016 presidential election. Special prosecutor Robert Mueller’s 37-page indictment charges more than a dozen Russian nationals and businesses of attempting to defraud the United States by using “fraud and deceit for the purpose of interfering with the U.S. political and electoral system, including the presidential election of 2016.” Prosecutors say Charlotte and greater North Carolina did not escape the conspiracy.

ALICIA PARLAPIANO and JASMINE C. LEE: The Propaganda Tools Used by Russians to Influence the 2016 Election (New York Times analysis) -- Thirteen Russian nationals have been charged with illegally trying to disrupt the American political process, according to an indictment filed by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel investigating Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election. Here are the tools the Russians used.

DEVLIN BARRETT, SARI HORWITZ & ROSALIND S. HELDERMAN: Special counsel indicts Russians in 2016 election interference (Washington Post analysis) -- Thirteen people are accused of working for a Russian propaganda organization and posing as Americans to support candidate Donald Trump and attack his political opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Russians Charged With Interfering in U.S. Election (Wall Street Journal analysis) -- Three Russian companies and 13 Russian citizens were indicted on charges of engaging in a widespread effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, providing the most comprehensive official account to date of a sweeping, multimillion-dollar effort by Russians to upend U.S. politics.

MATTHEW BURNS: NC lawmakers sidestep questions after mass shooting (WRAL-TV analysis) -- In the wake of Wednesday's shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people, the latest in a string of mass shootings, WRAL News contacted members of North Carolina's congressional delegation and state political leaders and put the following questions to them:

LAURA LESLIE: Moore to create school safety committee (WRAL-TV analysis) -- In the wake of Wednesday's shooting at a Florida high school that killed 17 people, North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore plans to appoint a committee next week to come up with plans to improve school safety in the state.

N.C. House leader creating school safety panel (AP news analysis) -- The leader of the North Carolina House plans a new committee to study what changes could be made to improve school safety.

SETH THOMAS GULLEDGE: Interfaith Clergy call for prayers and action in wake of Florida shooting (Greenville Daily Reflector) -- Following the wake of the Florida shooting, clergy members of all different faiths came together in Greenville with a message of unity, compassion and action.

JIM MORRILL: Pittenger had blasted exploding debt. Now backs plan that makes it worse (Charlotte Observer analysis) -- At a 2015 congressional hearing, Republican Rep. Robert Pittenger grilled the U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew over the nation’s rising debt. But earlier this month, Pittenger oted for a spending bill to increase the federal deficit by $320 billion over 10 years while adding $2 trillion to the national debt. That vote has become a flashpoint between Pittenger and Mark Harris, the main candidates in May’s 9th District Republican primary.

TRAVIS FAIN: Conspiracy theories, criminal investigations plentiful in NC bail bonds world (WRAL-TV analysis) -- Tendrils of a long-running battle between opposing bail bonds groups reach toward the highest corridors of North Carolina politics.

OLIVIA NEELEY: Judge Fitch seeks Senate seat: After 16 years on the bench, Wilson jurist seeks return to legislature (Wilson Times analysis) -- After nearly two decades, Superior Court Judge Milton F. “Toby” Fitch Jr. hopes to switch seats from behind the bench to the state Senate. Fitch retired from his long-held post and filed to run for the N.C. Senate.

Now is the time ... expand Medicaid (Greensboro News & Record) -- Gov. Roy Cooper has done his part to forge a reasonable compromise on expanding Medicaid in North Carolina. Now the Republican-controlled General Assembly should be willing to bend a little and help get Medicaid coverage for an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 additional people.

Forced arbitration denies victims their rightful day in court (Wilson Times) -- Attorney General Josh Stein has the right idea when it comes to forced arbitration — we just wish he’d take it further. Stein joined fellow state attorneys general early this week in calling for a federal law that would ban mandatory arbitration clauses in employment contracts that govern workplace sexual harassment claims.

JAMES MORRISON: ECU, SAS Partner To Solve Rural Problems With Big Data (WUNC-FM analysis) -- East Carolina University is on a mission to improve health and economic prosperity in rural parts of the state, and is using big data to pursue that goal.

Navigating new challenges (New York Times) -- For the presidents, chancellors and provosts of our nation’s colleges and universities, issues on campus grow more urgent. Given the demands on these decision-makers — and the many constituents they must serve — how can they best navigate their leadership challenges? This spring, The New York Times will bring together the most influential leaders in higher education – Including UNC President Margaret Spellings, to explore powerful ways to address these issues.

What to make of Roy Cooper’s pipeline fund (Charlotte Observer) – Gov. Roy Cooper negotiated a $58 million fund from energy companies that want to build a natural gas pipeline. The way he did it let Republicans question his ethics. For all the Cain that Republicans raise, the state is clearly better off with the energy companies paying $58 million to the state than not.