Archives for November 2017

Opinion: Will Tax Bill Open Church Doors Wider Still for Politics?

A place of worship has never been completely clear of politics in America. But that physical and spiritual space for contemplation and reflection may grow smaller still, and moments without intrusion from the bitterness and division in the world could grow shorter.

Tucked into the House version of the tax plan that Republicans dearly crave as “a win” is a provision that would remove a check on places of worship — churches, synagogues and mosques — and some nonprofits. The in-danger Johnson Amendment of 1954, one with more intent than teeth, supposedly prohibits pastors and other faith leaders from endorsing or opposing political candidates from their perches of religious authority or risk losing their tax-exempt status.

A Tax Bill, a Budget and a Deadline

CHARLOTTE, NC– It’s been a busy week, with the Senate taking a big step forward toward passing a Republican $1.5 trillion tax package when the Budget Committee, on a party-line vote, cleared the way for the full Senate to vote on the bill this week. But a meeting to pass a budget and avoid a government shutdown hit a snag when a presidential tweet caused top Democratic leaders to be no-shows for a White House meeting. (Mary C. Curtis)

Opinion: When Holiday Values Meet Policy, It May Be Awkward

Just as the generosity of Angel Tree donations and turkey giveaways clash with the kill-or-be-killed stampede of folks looking for a Black Friday bargain, the warm holiday greetings lawmakers disseminate this time of year might strike a dissonant cord when compared to the current policies and politics coming out of Washington.

Sexual Misconduct in Politics

CHARLOTTE, NC — President Trump has not exactly endorsed embattled Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore but he has come out saying Washington doesn’t need a Democrat like Moore’s opponent Doug Jones. And long-serving House member John Conyers has been revealed to have paid a settlement with a former staffer though he has denied her allegation. (Mary C. Curtis)

Will sexual harassment devolve into just another partisan issue – or will Democrats and Republicans see it as a problem that needs new policies in place? Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis weighs in.

The financial cost of sexual harassment and assault in the U.S.

CGTN’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Mary C. Curtis, award-winning columnist at Roll Call and NBCBL, on the financial impact of sexual harassment and assault at workplace.

Opinion: Remembering Recy Taylor and the Too Familiar State of Alabama

In “The Rape of Recy Taylor,” a recently released documentary, you see the face of bravery. It is Recy Taylor, the 24-year-old African-American — a wife and mother of an infant daughter — kidnapped in 1944 by a carful of young white men, some the sons of the “respectable” leaders of Abbeville, Alabama, where they all lived. A gun held to her head, she was blindfolded, driven to a remote spot and violated in unimaginable ways. She escaped being killed by promising to keep quiet.

But she did not keep that promise.

Taylor’s legacy can be seen in the women speaking up now about sexual harassment of all kinds, most recently Alabama women who on the surface have little in common with a poor black sharecropper from decades ago. In fact, Beverly Young Nelson, who became the fifth woman to accuse Roy Moore when she tearfully recounted her story of an alleged sexual assault, said she and her husband voted for Donald Trump, while Taylor, in her midcentury time, was not allowed to vote at all.

Roy Moore Dilemma – And a Changing Culture

CHARLOTTE, NC — As more women continue to charge Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore with inappropriate behavior, Moore continues to remain defiant and in the race – and he could win. Alabama is a solid red state. But a growing number of his fellow Republicans in the Senate have called for him to leave the race. If he does win, that might trigger an ethics investigation. (Mary C. Curtis)

In the arts, media, politics and pretty much everywhere – no profession is immune – sexual harassment is getting called out. Is it the sign of a cultural shift?

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: Charlotte’s New Mayor, A Young City Council, Bonds Pass, More

On this edition of the local news roundup….

Local Elections wrapped up Tuesday evening, giving Charlotte its first female African American Mayor, in Vi Lyles.

The new Charlotte City Council is sporting several younger council members and keeps a Democratic majority.

Area towns elected new mayors and town boards.

The School Bonds passed, and a few new faces will be seen on the CMS School Board. We’ll talk through the results and the “what’s next” from this year’s election.

And now that this election is the books, Pat McCrory is making headlines, laying blame for his gubernatorial election loss last year and he hasn’t closed the door on a future run for office. We’ll talk about what he said, including his wife’s reaction to his chilly reception now that he’s back in the Queen City.

In the wake of the shooting at a Texas church last Sunday, houses of worship here in the Queen City are evaluating their security and safety. We’ll discuss that.

Those stories and much more with Mike Collins and a panel of Charlotte reporters on the Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE Reporter.

Ann Doss Helms, Reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Kirstin Garriss, government reporter for Spectrum News.

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for RollCall.com and WCCB.

Opinion: Will 2018 Midterms Follow Scorched-Earth Playbook?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It was a nice little mayor’s race in the largest city in North Carolina, considering that Charlotte has gone through a lot of mayors (seven) in the past nine years. And that’s even taking into account Democratic incumbent Jennifer Roberts losing, in the primary, her chance to defend her spot because of her part in a “bathroom” bill that labeled the state in all the wrong ways and her handling of protests that turned violent after a police-involved shooting.

But all that aside, the scorched-earth campaign between two mild-mannered city council members competing to move into the mayor’s office was a bit unexpected. It reached a heated crescendo with a digital ad from the N.C. Values Coalition, which supported Republican Kenny Smith. The ad said Democrat Vi Lyles “is Jennifer Roberts” and featured an ominous voice-over, a man entering a bathroom to the frightened chagrin of a girl already claiming the space, scenes of rioting and the image of comedian Kathy Griffin holding a blurred severed head.

Charlotte Elections 2017: What Happened? Why? What’s Next?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Democrat Vil Lyles beat out Republican mayoral candidate Kenny Smith to become Charlotte’s first female African American to take the city’s top office.

Our political contributor Mary C. Curtis stops by to discuss Tuesday’s election results, what’s next for the city, and who the new voices are in our city government.