Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: Eclipse Recap; Mayoral Debate; Confederate Monuments In NC

We all turned our eyes (protected, of course) to the skies to watch the solar eclipse on Monday. We’ll talk about local reaction to what we saw, especially in the prime viewing areas.

Most of Charlotte’s candidates for mayor participated in a Tuesday night debate—we’ll break down where they came down on issues like the I-77 tolls, and more.

Redistricting is in the news once again as new legislative district maps are released around the state to comply with a Supreme Court order that found that many North Carolina legislative districts were illegal racial gerrymanders. We’ll get a reaction from around the state.

Following the clash in Charlottesville, events continued around the nation, and here in Charlotte and around the state organized by a variety of different groups. In addition to those events, the president continued to defend his initial comments on the violence that happened in Charlottesville when he attended a rally in Phoenix.

And Wells Fargo employees in Charlotte and elsewhere are bracing for more negative headlines amid the account scandal review- we’ll update you on that.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE reporter.

Mary C. Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.

Erik Spanberg, senior staff writer at the Charlotte Business Journal.

Ann Doss Helms, reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Opinion: Saying ‘Not Trump’ Is Not Enough for GOP

When Donald Trump is the bad cop, everybody can be the good cop.

President Trump Blames Charlottesville Violence on ‘Both Sides’

NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump is defiantly blaming “both sides” for the weekend violence between white supremacists and counter-demonstrators in Virginia and rebuffing the widespread criticism of his handling of the emotionally-charged protests.

Trump addressed reporters Tuesday in New York.

In his remarks, he showed sympathy for the fringe group’s efforts to preserve Confederate monuments.

In doing so, Trump used the bullhorn of the presidency to give voice to the grievances of white nationalists, and aired some of his own. His remarks amounted to a rejection of the Republicans, business leaders and White House advisers who earlier this week had pushed the president to more forcefully and specifically condemn the KKK members, neo-Nazis and white supremacists who took to the streets of Charlottesville.

Mary C. Curtis, political contributor, weighs in.

In wake of the hate crimes in Maryland and Oregon, self-protection becomes a priority

Should we bring a gun?

It’s not exactly the question you think would come to mind while planning a leisurely getaway. But as my husband and I packed for a long weekend of culture, Southern cuisine and a well-deserved rest, it was one we repeatedly and seriously asked ourselves.

Opinion: Democrats May Be Too Optimistic About 2018 Gains

The redrawn congressional districts in North Carolina turned out to be too racially driven for a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives — with Justice Clarence Thomas siding with the majority.

Who’d have thought it?

But the fact that it’s arguably a toss-up, in some judges’ reasoning, how much the Republicans in the state legislature used race or pure partisan advantage while doing their dirty work highlights how difficult it will be for Democrats to retake the majority in the House — Trumpian scandals and a proposed budget that hurts many in the GOP base notwithstanding.

Opinion: In North Carolina, the Good and Not-So-Good News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s North Carolina, so, of course, the good news is followed by that pesky dark cloud every time.

You would think everyone in the state would welcome the end of the long saga over House Bill 2, the so-called bathroom bill, which was repealed recently in a compromise. That bill, which had compelled people to use the bathroom that corresponded to the gender on their birth certificates, also said cities could not follow Charlotte’s lead and enact their own anti-discrimination ordinances or a minimum wage and much more.

 

Jeff Sessions-Style Policing Makes Everyone Less Safe

The Trump administration is most comfortable with power and the powerful.

On the world stage, this attitude has taken the form of a relationship with Russia’s Vladimir Putin that is cozier than ones with traditional allies such as Germany’s Angela Merkel. That sentiment trickles down within America’s borders, as well, to Trump’s words on policing, where for the self-proclaimed “law and order” president, force wins out over conciliatory tactics every time — including in his own “get ’em out of here” rally cries that have resulted in his own legal headaches.

It’s no surprise, then, that Attorney General Jeff Sessions is following the Trump lead.

 

GOP Seeks a Safe Space From the Words of Coretta Scott King

For a party and an administration that ran on being tough guys, afraid of nothing and no one, and disdainful of “PC culture,” whatever that’s supposed to mean, Republicans are, like President Donald Trump, proving to be poster boys (and, yes, the crew is testosterone-heavy) for the perpetually offended, perfect pictures of bullies who crumble when one of their targets dares talk back. – See more at: http://www.rollcall.com/news/opinion/gop-seeks-safe-space-words-coretta-scott-king#sthash.JZ7IqwAt.dpuf

Devaluation of black lives infects America to its core

It wasn’t really a surprise. Mecklenburg County District Attorney Andrew Murray laid out a careful case for why his office, following an investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation, decided not to charge Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Brentley Vinson in the shooting death of 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott, who is African-American. Murray said he found no legal wrongdoing. Scott had a gun, Murray said the evidence showed that Scott didn’t drop it when officers shouted at him to do just that, and Vinson said he felt he had no choice, that he and his “buddies” were threatened.

Is Hillary Clinton as Cautious as Her Reputation?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A persistent criticism of Hillary Clinton has been her overly cautious nature, her reluctance to take bold stands, her preparation to the point of predictability. Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” has taken these traits to parody on her way to an Emmy. But anyone who sees candidate Clinton frozen in that place hasn’t been paying attention this election season.

Of course, Clinton never will be “wild and crazy,” particularly when compared with her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, the very essence of both. It’s also true that her views on many issues have remained remarkably stable. But those who say Clinton really doesn’t believe in anything only have to look at how, and how frequently, she has spoken with nuance about race to an electorate anxious about the changing demographics and power.