What Really Happened During the Cooper Years?

I sat down with journalist AP Dillon to talk about something a lot of North Carolinians are still trying to make sense of: the lasting impact of the Cooper years.Like many families, AP's life was turned upside down during COVID. We talked about homeschooling, school mask policies, vaccine concerns, and what it was like trying to navigate those years while also covering state government as a reporter.But our conversation didn't stop there.We dug into transparency in state government, Governor Roy Cooper's record in office, disaster recovery efforts after major hurricanes, school choice battles, public safety issues, and the ways political power gets exercised behind the scenes.Along the way, AP shared what she learned from years of following Cooper's administration—tracking executive orders, public records, vetoes, and the decisions that shaped North Carolina during some of its most contentious years.Whether you agree with her conclusions or not, the conversation raises bigger questions about accountability, transparency, and who gets heard when major decisions are being made.Because politics isn't just something that happens in Raleigh.It shows up in our schools, our churches, our businesses, our communities, and sometimes right at our own kitchen tables.And if there's one thing North Carolina has taught me, it's that the stories worth telling are usually a lot more complicated than the headlines make them seem.00:00 Lockdown Life Hacks00:45 Kite Science Day01:50 Masking School Chaos02:50 Kids Get Radicalized03:50 Vaccine Heart Scare06:16 Cooper Briefings Blackout06:35 How She Tracks Cooper08:07 HB2 And The 2016 Playbook09:35 Vetoes And Progressivism10:48 Transparency And Records15:57 Campaign Dirt And Rumors19:05 Kristin Cooper Controversy20:43 Make Stuff Cost Less23:49 NCORR Disaster Recovery Fail30:22 Helene Aftermath And Volunteers33:57 Rebuilding and Resentment35:01 Common Core Clash37:58 School Choice Fight43:22 Party Pressure and Veto Power46:26 COVID Orders and Loss50:46 Riots and Double Standards57:26 Untested Rape Kit Backlog01:00:48 Curated Politics and Transparency01:02:03 Prison Releases and Soft Crime01:04:48 National Guard and Next ChapterSupport Where the Dogwood Blooms: If you enjoy our content, consider supporting us via:VenmoCash AppConnect with AP Dillon:XConnect with Where the Dogwood Blooms:WebsiteInstagramXTikTokContact:[email protected]:#APDillon #RoyCooper #NCPolitics #NorthCarolina #ConservativePolitics