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Featured at WFAE | Mary C. Curtis

Local News Roundup: Shooting spree suspects in custody; Optimism from city manager on mobility; Copa America in Charlotte

Featured at WFAE

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup …

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a deadly 24 hours after multiple shootings occurred between Monday and Tuesday. It’s part of a rise in homicides in Charlotte this year, which is bucking the national trend in other cities, where homicides are going down. We’ll discuss the latest, including the capture of two teen suspects.

City Manager Marcus Jones is optimistic about our region’s mobility plan, but he also predicts that the price tag for transit and roads will change from its original proposal. We hear more.

Although City Council didn’t meet this week, Malcolm Graham says it’s time for the council to decide the fate of the Eastland Yards proposal. We’ll talk about the latest proposal and the timing of a likely decision.

And an international soccer tournament, the Copa America, comes to Charlotte this week. What is it, and why is it a big deal? We’ll fill you in on Wednesday night’s contest between Colombia and Uruguay and the brawl that followed, and preview Saturday’s match.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time.” Mary is also a contributor to a new book “We Refuse to Be Silent: Women’s Voices on Justice for Black Men”
Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV Reporter and host of The Political Beat

Read the rest atWFAE
Jul142024 TAGS: , , , , , ,

Politics Monday: Are recent national headlines impacting the presidential campaign in NC?

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Over the last month or so, the 2024 political season has kicked into another gear.

The Supreme Court continued to hand down decisions that could have a massive impact on how our society and democracy operate. These include decisions on the power of regulatory agencies, the fallout from the Jan. 6 insurrection and the extent of presidential immunity.

Elsewhere, the first presidential debate has come and gone. Former President Trump has been criticized for the number of lies he told on stage. At the same time, President Biden struggled to stick to his talking points, which has lead some to push for him to be replaced on the Democratic ticket.

This is all occurring as both campaigns feel North Carolina, and its 16 electoral votes, are in play this November. Have the last couple of weeks changed that? Is Trump gaining ground on new demographic groups? Would a different candidate perform better than Biden in North Carolina?

We discuss those questions, and more, in the first episode of our “Politics Monday” series. That’s next time on Charlotte Talks.

GUESTS:

Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba College
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter

Read the rest atWFAE
Jul082024 TAGS: , , , ,

A federal trial will determine the fate of North Carolina’s voter ID law. We take a closer look as the proceedings begin

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On the next Charlotte Talks we take a closer look at the federal trial that could determine the fate of North Carolina’s photo voter ID law. That trial is scheduled to start Monday. Beginning last fall, North Carolina voters had to produce a photo ID, but a federal lawsuit alleges that law violates the Voting Rights Act by discriminating disproportionately against Black and Latino voters. Republican lawmakers disagree.

The trial which will be held in Winston-Salem, is a long time coming. Previous trial dates set in 2021 and 2022 were postponed. We take a closer look at the implications of this trial and what it could mean for North Carolina voters in the future.

GUESTS:

Michael Bitzer, Ph.D., professor of politics & history at Catawba College
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, political reporter for WFAE
Susan Roberts, professor of political science at Davidson College

Read the rest atWFAE
May092024 TAGS: ,

Local News Roundup: 4 officers die in shooting; college protests over the war in Gaza; CMS budget; a win for transgender health care in NC

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This week saw one of the worst shootings of law enforcement in U.S. history and the worst ever in Charlotte. Four officers and the perpetrator died and other law enforcement officials were injured. We look at what happened, learn more about those killed, and discuss what comes next.

UNC-Chapel Hill is one of the schools across the country where people are being arrested and academics are being disrupted due to protests over the war in Gaza and the relationship these institutions have with Israel.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board voted unanimously to approve a slightly revised budget proposal. It includes pay raises for teachers and staff, technology upgrades for students, and building maintenance. Now the budget heads to the county commission. We break down what we can expect.

And a federal appeals court ruled that gender-affirming care must be covered by state health insurance in North Carolina. This comes as restrictions on transgender health continue to pass in state legislatures across the country.

All that and more on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Nick de la Canal, WFAE host and reporter
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Erik Spanberg, managing editor at the Charlotte Business Journal

Read the rest atWFAE
May052024 TAGS: , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: VP Harris visits Charlotte; Not enough NC school vouchers; Centene’s HQ gets a new owner

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Vice President Kamala Harris visits Charlotte. We’ll have a wrap-up of her visit.

Good news (or bad news) in school vouchers: 13,500 students are granted North Carolina opportunity scholarships, but it’s not even close to the number of students who have applied. We look at the numbers.

On Monday night, City Council member Renee Johnson offered up an alternative way to pay for public transit plans (spoiler alert — she got the idea from Asheville).

CATS will hold Public Meetings about the Red Line Commuter Rail this month in Northern Mecklenburg and Iredell County, and a virtual meeting will take place next week. We’ll hear more.

The defunct Centene headquarters building in University City gets new life this week as Vanguard announces it will buy the building. We’ll give the details.

The Charlotte Knights begin their season with a six game home stretch against the Norfolk Tide.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. says he’s got enough votes to be on North Carolina’s ballot in November. If he’s validated in NC, how will this impact the vote here?

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter and host of “The Political Beat”
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte

Read the rest atWFAE
Apr082024 TAGS:

Local News Roundup: Triplexes up for discussion again at City Council; Hornets practice facility approved; Pineville’s controversial substation vote; March Madness in the Carolinas

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At City Council Monday night, the city proposed a modification to development rules that would limit triplexes in residential areas to corner lots only. How does this depart from what was laid out in Charlotte’s 2040 plan?

City Council also voted 7-1 this week to move forward with plans for a stand-alone practice facility for the Charlotte Hornets. We’ll remind you of how this changed from the original plan, and fill you in on what will happen next.

Both the President and the Vice President were in North Carolina this week to talk about affordable healthcare. This already made multiple visits to the Tar Heel state for President Biden and Vice President Harris, which will undoubtedly be a major battleground state in this November’s election.

In Pineville, the town council approved a controversial substation this week, but it was a tight vote. We’ll talk about the very short special meeting that ended in a 3-2 vote. The leaders say the substation is crucial to keeping up with the growing demand for utilities. We’ll discuss.

The NCDOT gets positive feedback for its updated plan for a new Amtrak rail yard in South End. We’ll explain.

And March Madness continues for teams in North and South Carolina. We’ll break it down.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s executive producer for Investigations & chief investigative reporter
Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Ely Portillo, senior editor at WFAE News

Read the rest atWFAE
Mar292024 TAGS: , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Rep. Jeff Jackson votes for TikTok ban; Sports betting live in NC; Aftermath of State Superintendent primary upset; CMS Superintendent on district’s future

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Representative Jeff Jackson votes in favor of a proposed TikTok ban in Congress, but Dan Bishop is against it. We hear why.

Two North Carolinians are now the co-chairs of the Republican National Committee, hand-picked by former President Donald Trump.

Last week we discussed the upset in the GOP race for state Superintendent in North Carolina. So what happens next? We hear about the general election candidates and their electability.

North Carolina principals asked state lawmakers Monday to revise the state’s pay plan. We hear what representatives of the state Principals and Assistant Principals’ Association said.

And, in case you haven’t heard, sports betting has gone live in North Carolina. We’ll fill you in.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Ben Thompson, morning and midday anchor at WCNC Charlotte and host of WCNC’s “Flashpoint”

Read the rest atWFAE
Mar152024 TAGS: , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Pat Cotham out after Super Tuesday upset; Matthews Commission discontinues Zoom comments; Sheriff McFadden at the SOTU address

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Super Tuesday in North Carolina ended with upsets (including Pat Cotham losing out on the seat she’s held since 2012), low voter turnout and the end of the line for Nikki Haley. We’ll recap what the primary will mean for the local, state and national vote going forward.

The Town of Matthews decided no more Zoom comments will be included in future meetings after offensive remarks were made last week. We’ll hear what Mayor John Higdon said about the Zoom-bombers.

CATS said this week at the Charlotte City Council meeting that it still plans to move the main bus station uptown underground. We’ll hear what CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle said about the plans, which aren’t changing despite the Hornets’ no longer participating in the plan to build a practice facility as part of the project.

This week, Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden is in the audience for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. He’s Charlotte-area representative Alma Adam’s guest for the address, and she said she wants to highlight his efforts to reduce gun violence.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter and host of “The Political Beat”
Ely Portillo, senior editor at WFAE News

Read the rest atWFAE
Mar082024 TAGS: , , , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Berger and Moore talk Charlotte transit and more; Matthews Town Commission meeting chaos; former City Council member Lynn Wheeler dies

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North Carolina’s Speaker of the House Tim Moore and Senate Leader Phil Berger said during a visit to Charlotte this week that the city’s top transportation priority should be roads.

This is our last local news roundup before Super Tuesday — what do you need to know before you head to the polls? We’ll talk voter ID and more.

A Town Commission meeting in Matthews was derailed this week by racist and homophobic comments. We’ll break down what happened in the public comment section of that meeting.

And a former longtime member of Charlotte City Council, Lynn Wheeler dies at the age of 80 after a battle with cancer.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s executive producer for Investigations & chief investigative reporter
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE’s political reporter

Read the rest atWFAE
Mar012024 TAGS: , , ,

Local News Roundup: Union County bans fluoride in their water; the Leandro saga continues; Charlotte FC kicks off season

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Union County commissioners vote to ban fluoride in the county water supply. According to the CDC, putting fluoride in water is vital to keep teeth healthy, especially in young children. The practice has been done across the country for decades. Detractors claim the issue is about consent, personal freedom, and whether the board has the authority to add fluoride to the water.

Elsewhere, more signage is coming to uptown Charlotte as a display bearing the company’s name will be added to the Wells Fargo building. City Council noted this follows a precedent after signage was approved for the Truist building in 2020.

The saga of the Leandro lawsuit continues. This week, the North Carolina Supreme Court considers whether the state needs to pay around $700 million to fund education improvements as ordered by a trial court.

And coming off a playoff appearance last fall, Charlotte FC returns to the pitch this Saturday to kick off its third season. Will a new coach mean more success for the team?

Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte

Read the rest atWFAE
Feb232024 TAGS: , , , , , ,
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