Michelle Obama is certainly a different kind of First Lady – in style and substance. The moment she appears before a crowd, people reach out to touch her. She shakes hands, leaning in to share a laugh. She is the first African American to occupy the unelected but strategically and symbolically important position, but her special talents have made her influential across the world.
On Charlotte mayor’s election, and the future of N.C. Democrats and Republicans
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Washington Post columnist Mary C. Curtis is examining the election results. She was there when Mayor Patrick Cannon declared victory.
Democrats now hold a 9-2 majority in the City Council. Is Charlotte becoming a Democratic city?
And did dissatisfaction with GOP Governor Pat McCrory hurt Edwin Peacock’s campaign?
Nov062013
It’s Election Day!
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The polls are open and 23,000 people voted early for the Charlotte mayoral race.
Terrance is breaking down what’s at stake on Election Day,
Mary C. Curtis is putting it all in context – including how one candidate mixed things up by crashing his opponent’s press conference!
Nov052013
North Carolina residents on SNAP cuts: ‘This is just a worse version of bad’
CHARLOTTE – Diane Byrd, 53, is making ends meet – barely. The in-home health care worker makes just over $400 every two weeks. She pays $470 in rent. And she has depended on the $200 in food stamps she receives, not for herself but for her son’s daughter, Zabria Sherrill, the 7-year-old granddaughter she is raising. “You’ve got your light bill, your gas bill. You’ve got to do the wash,” Byrd said on Friday. “If they cut back on what I get, I’ll have to scratch it out.” But she said she’s not sure how.
On Nov. 1, when Congress failed to act, the temporary increase in the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — established in the 2009 stimulus bill – expired. More than 47 million American saw their benefits go down, a cut of $5 billion in the next year; the Agriculture Department estimated that a family of four receiving food stamps would receive $36 less a month. In Congress, the discussion is about cutting SNAP benefits further as a means of reducing spending. The only disagreement between Democrats and Republicans is over how deep the cuts would be.
Agencies that are expected to fill in the gaps will continue to do the work they’ve been doing on the ground for years. “Since December of 2007, nothing has given these folks a break,” said Carol Hardison, chief executive officer for 13 years at Crisis Assistance Ministry in Charlotte. “This is just a worse version of bad,” she said of the SNAP cuts.
Nov052013
The end of domestic violence awareness month, but not the problem
CHARLOTTE – The confident, composed and extremely successful businesswoman sitting beside me at the “Women Helping Women” lunch was also the face and voice in the video, the one talking about how to move on and grow stronger after experiencing domestic violence at the hands of a partner who professes love.
The event called attention to activities planned for October, domestic violence awareness month. While the month may be drawing to an end, the problem is far from solved. Earlier this year, when President Obama signed an updated version of the Violence Against Women Act, which backs local and state efforts, he acknowledged that the rate of sexual assaults has dropped and progress has been made. But he said there is still work to do.
Oct302013
Who will be the next Charlotte mayor?
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Election Day is less than a week away. We’re talking with Mary C. Curtis on her thoughts regarding the race for mayor.
She’s got all you need to know on the race and the candidates.
Curtis says there’s no clear winner at this point.
Oct302013
The Battle Over Voting Access in North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, NC: Political and current events columnist Mary C. Curtis discusses the inroads NC GOP wants to make with African-Americans, Gov. Pat McCrory’s chat with the Heritage Foundation, and the future of the NAACP’s Moral Monday protests.
Oct232013
GOP launches minority outreach in N.C., defends voter law in court
CHARLOTTE — Republicans were busy in North Carolina and Washington on Monday. Did the activity in the courts and on a conservative stage have the effect of muddying the welcome mat the GOP rolled out for minority voters in the state?
Earlier in the day, Republican state officials filed to urge a federal court to dismiss two lawsuits challenging changes in North Carolina’s voting laws, changes opponents contend disproportionately harm African American voters. A third challenge by the U.S. Department of Justice is waiting in the wings.
Monday evening in Charlotte, at the opening of the Republican National Committee’s African American engagement office in North Carolina, Earl Philip, North Carolina African American state director, said he believed in the message he has been taking to churches, schools and community groups.
Oct222013
North Carolina attorney general dislikes laws he must defend
Roy Cooper wants everyone to know how he really feels. That must be why he wrote a column lamenting why and how he thinks his home state of North Carolina is moving in the wrong direction – that, and perhaps he’s trying out for a gubernatorial run in 2016.
Oct172013
