The state is set to award another $15 million in school dropout prevention grants, though there?s no sign the first round of grants had much impact on the state?s dropout rate. Terry Stoops explains in the next edition of Carolina Journal Radio why the dropout grant program is not necessarily the best way to tackle the problem.

As government prepares to devote new money to dropout grants, Gov. Mike Easley has asked much of state government to tighten its belt. Joe Coletti examines the governor?s decision to order 2 percent budget cuts (or ?reversions?) from many state agencies.

We?ll also hear Chad Adams deliver a progress report on local governments pursuing new sales and land-transfer taxes, meteorologist Roy Spencer assesses the impact of global warming hysteria, and former New York Times Washington correspondent Adam Clymer explains the long-term political impact of the 30-year-old debate over the Panama Canal treaty.