Award-winning columnist, writer, speaker and editor
Donald Trump does not have to be the Republican nominee for president of the United States.
No, the man who has been found guilty of 34 felonies in New York state, a twice-impeached former president, liable for a multimillion-dollar judgment for sexually assaulting and defaming a woman, who has placed retribution at the top of his agenda for a second term and promises to be a dictator on Day 1, doesn’t have to be a lock for the top spot as the GOP tries to recapture the White House.
But he is.
Video has been released of a June 2 incident in uptown Charlotte where tear gas was used on protesters. We’ll talk about the conversation caught on body cam that led to a suspension for one CMPD officer.
The RNC was in Charlotte this week, but occurred in a much different way than was planned two years ago. The political speeches did happen, the roll call of states did happen, the expected uptown protests did happen, and in a surprise move, President Trump did visit. But area businesses saw little impact. We’ll give a rundown.
CMS continues to work to improve connectivity for students learning online as the school year gets underway, with several drive-up Wi-Fi sites for students access. This is happening as plans are forming on phasing in a return to in-person school, with the youngest and those with special needs coming back first.
And as colleges return and COVID-19 clusters change the way classes resume, we’ll get an update on coronavirus numbers in Mecklenburg County and around the state.
Mike Collins will tackle those stories and much more with our panel of local reporters 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 and chief investigative reporter
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com and WCCB
David Boraks, reporter for WFAE
CHARLOTTE, NC — President Trump says governor Roy Cooper has about a week to decide on whether the Republican National Convention can be at full capacity in August.
Gov. Cooper says he supports having the convention in North Carolina but he has to put the health and safety of citizens first.
Here’s our political contributor Mary C. Curtis.
The Charlotte City Council voted in favor of the bid for the 2020 Republican National Convention, but the narrow 6-5 vote came after strong comments by council members and citizens. We go through the debates, the vote and where our bid stands.
President Trump’s failure to back U.S. intelligence agencies during his press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki drew criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. We’ll talk through what our local lawmakers had to say.
One week after the CIAA announced that it’d be opening up its search for a tournament host city beginning in 2021 rather than staying in Charlotte, several cities have shown interest in hosting the tournament. We’ll talk about who has thrown their hat in the ring.
And CATS has revealed plans for new transit options, including an uptown tunnel.
GUESTS
David Boraks, WFAE reporter (@davidboraks)
Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call columnist (@mcurtisnc3)
Ann Doss Helms, The Charlotte Observer education reporter (@anndosshelms)
Erik Spanberg, Charlotte Business Journal senior staff writer (@CBJSpanberg)
“It’s not a convention like any other because Donald Trump is not a president like any other,” says WCCB Charlotte Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis.
In North Carolina, Republicans see a prime opportunity for a U.S. Senate win in November. So national and state party leaders, anxious to broaden the base, are again turning to African American voters. The latest effort is a North Carolina Black Advisory Board “to strengthen the party’s ties with diverse communities and expand engagement efforts across the state,” the Republican National Committee said in a statement Thursday.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said of the 11 board members, “Their knowledge and roots in black communities across the state will be invaluable as we share our message of empowerment and expanding access to the American Dream.”
They have their work cut out for them.
Will the Democratic South rise again?
It was almost but not quite like being in the middle of the action on Inauguration Day. If you opened the door of the restaurant on the Senate side of the U.S. Capitol, you could practically hear echoes of President Obama’s speech and Beyonce’s rendition of the National Anthem, real or lip-synched. But it was all a little muddled. You could say the same about the state of the Democratic Party in the South.
I watched the inauguration ceremonies on big screens in the eatery, surrounded by Southern Democrats with a plan. I listened to strategies designed to re-establish the party’s dominance in the region it once owned. Because of issues of race, social issues and habit, for starters, it won’t be easy.