RALEIGH -- Gov. Bev Perdue said today she would create 2,000 slots in the state's pre-kindergarten program within weeks – the latest move in her confrontation with the legislature over pre-K for at-risk four-year-olds. "We've chosen to do this," she said, speaking at Happy Face Preschool in Raleigh this morning. "I'm sure there will be a gnashing and grinding of teeth, but at the end of the day, regardless of what (legislators') reaction is, there will be 2,000 children who by Aug. 15 will have the preparation they need to start kindergarten prepared....That's a fight worth having." News Observer
Submitted 4 hours ago

Remember all that talk about Florida's universities being an answer to the state's economic troubles? The New York Times points out that Florida lawmakers have a funny way of showing their commitment to that, with both the House and Senate now proposing big budget cuts to universities for the fifth year in a row. Even so, it seems the state universities are doing a decent job with what they've got. A report from the Florida Board of Governors released this month shows that the system has a total economic impact of nearly $80 billion. Tampa Bay Times
Submitted 8 hours ago

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to tackle another election-year blockbuster and will decide whether the University of Texas' race-conscious admission policies violate the rights of white applicants. If health care reform, illegal immigration crackdowns, voting rights and TV indecency were not enough, now the nine-member bench is poised to add to its high-profile docket, wading into the divisive, sea-change issue of state-mandated racial diversity and affirmative action. Oral arguments would be held this fall, ensuring the court -- however it decides the appeal -- will be a major campaign issue. A ruling however will not likely be issued until early 2013. CNN
Submitted yesterday

In 2010, an alliance of conservative republicans took over the North Carolina legislature for the first time in 100 years and are now implementing legislation which can be traced back to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). It is no coincidence this occurred in 2010, because this was the year the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United, and the Republican takeover was financed by North Carolina multimillionaire Art Pope. Truth-Out
Submitted yesterday

SC Gov. Nikki Haley says her proposed budget for the next fiscal year increases money for public schools. But a closer look shows her recommendations actually would cut state funding by nearly $80 million. The Republican governor is correct only by disregarding some pots of money. Her proposal represents an increase in recurring money for K-12 schools, when factoring in all state revenue sources – chiefly, the penny of the state sales tax that goes directly to education programs. The State
Submitted yesterday

Inside a Metro Nashville middle school bathroom, the boy didn’t know what to make of his classmate’s roaming eyes. And so he went to see the school counselor. Was the boy who glanced at him gay, he wondered. And if he didn’t turn away, did that make him gay? The Tennessean
Submitted yesterday

With the withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq in December and an exit from Afghanistan planned for 2013, many Americans are hoping that President Obama’s State of the Union promise of a large “peace dividend” will help lift the country out of the Great Recession. U.S. military spending rose dramatically after 2001, beginning even before September 11. After controlling for inflation, military spending rose at an average rate of 5.3% per year from 2001 to 2010, while the U.S. economy grew at an average annual rate of only 1.6%. The U.S. spent $689 billion on the military in 2010, almost six times more than the next biggest spender, China ($119 billion), and more than eleven times more than Russia ($59 billion). In fact, the U.S. spent more on the military than the next seventeen nations combined. AllGov
Submitted 2 days ago

The Obama administration is focused on teaching again – but this time it’s hoping to reform the entire profession itself. On Wednesday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke to teachers at a town-hall meeting to launch a $5 billion proposal that would try to improve the teaching profession at every level, from the recruitment and training process to the career ladder and pay and tenure systems. Christian Science Monitor
Submitted 2 days ago

That's The Randle Report for the last week. We posted about 1,000 stories this week. Join us again on Monday morning as we bring you every significant business, economic development and political story that breaks each hour in the South in real time. Feel free to use the sort buttons above to find your favorite story over the last several days. If you are looking for more information on economic development in the South, click on the headline above to read Southern Business & Development magazine. If you want to keep up with the South's growing automotive industry, go to www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com. Have a good weekend!
Submitted 5 days ago

Spring break is just around the corner, and the Emerald Coast is getting ready for the annual invasion of college students and families. “From week to week it’s different for the folks visiting us, and a lot of school calendars are reflective of that,” said Jon Ervin, director of marketing and communications with the Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council. “In general, in looking at the big markets for us, their breaks are starting around the 12th of March, so we should see traffic as soon as the first week of March.” Northwest Florida Daily News
Submitted 5 days ago