CHARLOTTE, NC- The President hopes to impress a Republican majority on Capitol Hill and the country tonight in his State of the Union Address. He’s in his last two years and looking forward to what his legacy will be. WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis previewed the event with Terrance. She says the economy will be a hot topic. The President wants to simplify the tax code and help lower income and middle class families. Astrid Muhammad, from Charlotte, will be in the First Lady’s block during the speech. The Affordable Health Care Act helped her when she discovered she had a brain tumor and needed it removed.
State of the City Address
CHARLOTTE, NC- Mayor Dan Clodfelter recently laid out his plans for the city of Charlotte in his State of the City address. He says a “re-invention” is key. WCCB Charlotte Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis was there when the mayor gave his speech. Clodfelter, who was appointed, could be running in the next election. Clodfelter would not talk politics during the speech, but said the state and city were strong.
Jan142015
North Carolina’s Impact in Washington Congressional Session
CHARLOTTE, NC- It’s day two for leaders on Capitol Hill and there’s already been controversy and drama. Political Contributor Mary Curtis previews how North Carolina’s Representatives are stacking up in Washington. Governor Pat McCrory visited with President Obama to discuss the states Medicaid plan. He wants to be able to alter the plan based on the states needs. Senator Thom Tillis has been sworn in and is getting to work. Mary talks about things he promised during his campaign and how she thinks they’ll work out now that he’s in office.
Jan072015
The Best Columns of 2014
The Daily Beast picks the top offerings by the nation’s columnists, from Charles Blow’s first-rate prose to Roger Cohen’s elegiac tones to Mary Schmich’s artful misdirection. Every year, we catalogue the best columns of the year here at The Daily Beast. Amid a sea of year-end Best Ofs in songs, movies, and books, the column is still a strangely neglected American art form, despite the democratic proliferation of online opinion.
Jan012015
New Year’s Resolutions for Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As we conclude 2014, Charlotte has made the headlines for both the good and not so good. Political contributor and columnist, Mary C. Curtis takes a look back at the mayoral scandal, the ongoing dispute over the streetcar project and race relations in the city.
Jan012015
What Charlotte Needs Under the Christmas Tree
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As we wrap up 2014, we’re looking ahead to the new year with our political contributor Mary C. Curtis. Curtis lays out what Charlotte needs – or wants – under the Christmas tree this holiday, starting with unity within Mecklenburg County’s Board of County Commissioners.
Dec242014
Will holiday filmgoers remember or care about Sony’s insulting e-mails?
Whether fans of the celebrities insulted in snarky, leaked e-mails will decide to punish Sony Pictures Entertainment by withholding box-office dollars might be the least of the beleaguered company’s problems. But it is a problem in our entertainment-hungry society, where competition for attention and audience is fierce.
Dec232014
7 Stories You Should Have Paid More Attention To In 2014
As 2014 winds down, we want to learn about the stories that didn’t make the headlines. It’s hard to say what qualifies as an underreported story, but here are some suggestions from smart people we know. …
6. Jonathan Ferrell
“I think that the name of Jonathan Ferrell, the young man killed by police officer Randall Kerrick in Charlotte, N.C., is too often left off of the sad roll call of unarmed, African-American men shot by authorities. We will certainly hear more in 2015 as Kerrick goes on trial unlike in so many other cases of no indictment. This story also points to how a southern city is ahead of New York in this case, though protests continue and citizens are watching. Stay tuned.”
— Mary C. Curtis @MCurtisnc3, multimedia journalist in Charlotte, N.C.
Dec222014
In a police shooting case in Charlotte, fewer headlines but familiar call for justice
CHARLOTTE — Now it’s Charlotte’s turn in an unwanted spotlight. The story is familiar – white police officer, unarmed black man, a shooting and the one without the gun dead in the street. Loved ones grieve, a mother holds a Winnie the Pooh doll from a childhood not too many years past and protesters demand action.
Charlotte is not Ferguson, Mo., or New York City – not this time. Randall Kerrick, the 28-year-old officer who killed 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013, was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter. And now the public waits for a resolution. Kerrick made his first, brief court appearance on Thursday. The next is scheduled for early next year – this will take a while.
Dec122014
Racial Profiling Concerns in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Racial profiling in Charlotte is an issue picking up steam this week. WCCB’s political contributor, Mary C. Curtis joins Terrance Bates on Rising to add perspective to the debate as it relates to Jonathan Ferrell, Eric Garner and Mike Brown.
Dec102014
