Both the Surry County Republican Party and WakeUp Women in Guilford County heard presentations this week on new Common Core State Standards for public schools. John Locke Foundation Director of Research and Education Studies Terry Stoops delivered those speeches. The News & Observer quoted Stoops for an article about Wake County schools‘ performance. The Daily Tar Heel interviewed him for an article about education funding in the next state budget. NCPolitical News.com and N.C. Senate Republicans promoted Stoops’ column on the “Medicaid Monster” eating up funding for other North Carolina state budget priorities.

Speaking of Medicaid, NCPoliticalNews.com also promoted Health and Human Services Policy Analyst Katherine Restrepo‘s research newsletter comparing North Carolina’s and Oregon’s Medicaid programs. The Heritage Foundation’s “Insider Online” highlighted Restrepo’s report on Gov. Pat McCrory’s Medicaid reform plan. Restrepo’s Florida-based report co-author discussed their findings during an appearance this week on WFAE Radio’s “Charlotte Talks” program.

NCPoliticalNews.com and Cape Fear Business News promoted Director of Regulatory Studies Jon Sanders‘ latest report on the benefits of  for state rules, along with his research newsletter assessing McCrory’s economic development plan and Director of Fiscal Policy Studies Sarah Curry‘s newsletter about the recently announced sale of Smithfield Foods to a Chinese company.

A Fayetteville Observer column cited Economics and Regulatory Policy Analyst Michael Lowrey‘s latest By The Numbers report, which ranks cities and counties by the local government tax-and-fee burdens. The Mooresville Tribune published Lowrey’s recent column on McCrory’s transportation plan.