EQUALibrium: A public conversation on race and equity in Charlotte

Featured at WFAE

Eight years ago in 2014, Charlotte ranked 50 out of 50 of the nation’s largest metro areas in an upward mobility study from Harvard and the University of California-Berkeley.
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The “Land of Opportunity” study painted a bleak outlook for Charlotte’s poorest residents, but served as a wake up call for city officials and community members.

Leaders took action to address and correct the trends in mobility. Money was raised, programs were launched and attention was paid to areas like pre-K education, affordable housing and transportation.

So, where is Charlotte now?

In this special conversation, host Mary C. Curtis is joined by local leaders and experts at Project 658 in Charlotte to look at how far the city has come, and what still needs to happen to improve upward mobility in Charlotte.

GUESTS

  • Ely Portillo, assistant director of outreach & strategic partnerships at UNC Charlotte’s Urban Institute
  • Sherri Chisholm, executive director of Leading on Opportunity
  • Vi Lyles, mayor of Charlotte
  • Charis Blackmon, executive director of West Side Community Land Trust
  • Daniel Valdez, senior director of external affairs at Welcoming America
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Mar102022 TAGS: , , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Election recap; mask mandate update; children’s vaccines; guns found at Hopewell High

Featured at WFAE

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup:

Election Day was Tuesday with many local offices on the ballot around Mecklenburg County. We’ll go over some of the key wins in the region and the impact those wins may have.

Guns found at Huntersville’s Hopewell High School prompt conversations about safety at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Mecklenburg County Commissioners discuss the future of the county’s mask mandate, as questions are raised about the metrics being used to calculate COVID-19 positivity rates in the county.

Vaccines have been approved for children ages 5-11 and are already available in the Charlotte region.

CMS is weathering news of another sexual assault allegation — this time, one that resulted in a suspension for the student reporting the assault.

And the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality filed a lawsuit against Colonial Pipeline for the largest gasoline spill in state history, which happened in Huntersville last year.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and all the week’s top news on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

Guests:

  • 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”
  • Claire Donnelly, WFAE health reporter
  • Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter
Nov052021 TAGS: , , , , , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Budget Spat Between CMS, County Resolved; Hannah-Jones Turns Down UNC, Delta Variant Becomes Dominant

Featured at WFAE

On the Local News Roundup: the budget impasse between Mecklenburg County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has been resolved. CMS will get the $56 million in retained funds — and more.

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones rejects UNC Chapel Hill’s delayed offer of tenure after a weekslong debate. The Chapel Hill alum opts to teach at Howard University, instead.

Just when we start reopening from the COVID-19 pandemic, the highly contagious delta variant emerges as the dominant strain in the nation. Meanwhile, COVID-related hospitalization in Mecklenburg County are at all-time lows.

And Mecklenburg County health director Gibbie Harris announces she’s retiring at the end of the year.

Our roundtable of reporters fills us in on those stories and more.

Guests

Claire Donnelly, WFAE health reporter

Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s executive producer for investigations & chief investigative reporter

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for CQ Roll Call and host of its podcast “Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis,” and a senior leader with The OpEd Project.

Hunter Saenz, WCNC reporter

Read the rest atWFAE
Jul092021 TAGS: , , , , , , , ,

POLITICAL WRAP: Phase II Reopening; RNC Planning

Featured at WCCB Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Phase II of reopening is underway in North Carolina. It comes as coronavirus cases are increasing, but so is testing.

We’re taking a closer look at how things are playing out.

And we’re following the latest on the Republican National Convention in Charlotte. Will it move toward virtual events?

And how will things play out among President Trump, Governor Cooper, and Mayor Lyles?

Our political contributor, Mary C. Curtis, has more in the video above.

Read the rest atWCCB Charlotte
May242020 TAGS: , , , , , , , , , ,

Mary C. Curtis: RNC Convention Plans Moving Ahead

Featured at WCCB Rising

CHARLOTTE, NC —  Charlotte still planning to host the Republican National Convention in August amid a global pandemic.

But is it time to pull the plug?

WCCB political contributor Mary C. Curtis has more on the local debate.

 

Read the rest atWCCB Rising
Apr292020 TAGS: , , , , , , ,

POLITICAL WRAP: Plans for RNC Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Featured at WCCB Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mayor Vi Lyles putting a question mark around RNC 2020 in Charlotte.

Could that pit the city, CDC, and state officials against the president?

WCCB Charlotte political contributor Mary C. Curtis has more in the web video above.

Read the rest atWCCB Charlotte
Apr052020 TAGS: , , , , , , , ,

POLITICAL WRAP: Voter ID; Pelosi Delay; Charlotte Homicides

Featured at WCCB Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It appears North Carolina voters will not have to show ID in March’s presidential primary. A Federal Court temporarily blocked new requirements set to go into effect next year. The decision can be appealed but that would be up to Democrat state Attorney General Josh Stein.

U.S. Senators return to Washington at the end of the week. But the question remains, how longer will Nancy Pelosi wait to deliver the articles of impeachment? Senate leaders remain at an impasse over whether there will be new witnesses and testimony in a Senate trial.

Closer to home, this year’s homicide rate in Charlotte is on track to be the worst since 1993. CMPD has investigated 108 murders so far. Mayor Vi Lyles says Charlotte is looking at data from other cities for ways to curb the violence.

Read the rest atWCCB Charlotte
Dec292019 TAGS: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Takeaways From Election Night 2019

Featured at WCCB Rising

CHARLOTTE, NC  —Voters in Mecklenburg county reject one of the biggest items on Tuesday’s ballot, a quarter-cent sales tax increase.

The sales tax would have generated an estimated $50 million a year for the arts, parks and schools.

As for the mayor’s race incumbent Democrat Vi Lyles has been re-elected for a second term.

She easily beat republican challenger David Rice.

Political contributor Mary C. Curtis discusses some of the biggest takeaways from the election.

Read the rest atWCCB Rising
Nov062019 TAGS: , , , ,

Is a blue city in a purple state having second thoughts about hosting a red convention?

Featured at Roll Call

OPINION — CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When the Democratic National Convention hit town in 2012, the dancing traffic cop made headlines for his smooth moves and entertaining approach to law enforcement. The officer captured the party atmosphere of that event, leading up to the renomination of no-drama President Barack Obama for a second term.

City leaders and residents now look back at that time with nostalgia as they prepare for the Republican National Convention coming to town from Aug. 24-27 next year to renominate a president who is all drama, all the time — as chants of “Send her back” at a Trump rally in Greenville, North Carolina, earlier this month have reminded everyone of exactly what’s at stake.

Anticipating the economic and related benefits for the city after it was chosen by the GOP last year, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Tom Murray said, “Charlotte has the collaboration, infrastructure and hospitality that will make the 2020 RNC an unforgettable experience for its attendees.”

Now, some are worrying about just how unforgettable the experience will be.

Read the rest atRoll Call
Jul252019 TAGS: , , , , , , , , , ,

Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup: Voter ID Is Law In NC; 9th District Still Unresolved; I-77 Tolls

Featured at WFAE

On this edition of the Local News Roundup:

The disputed election in the 9th Congressional district is a long way from being resolved. The new Congress takes office on Jan. 3 and the citizens in the 9th district will not have representation. How long could it go on? We’ll discuss the state election board’s plans for a hearing after the new year. We’ll also talk about what McCrae Dowless’ attorney said this week about proving her client’s innocence.

Voter ID is now law in North Carolina after the house overrode Governor Cooper’s veto. The move was followed immediately by lawsuits challenging the law.

The opening of the new Interstate 77 toll lanes is delayed again. I-77 Mobility Partners says that the section of the project that was slated to open by the end of 2018 will now be pushed back to the first quarter of 2019, with the full 26-mile project complete by summer.

Another jobs announcement for Charlotte this week, with more than 1,200 jobs headed our way in the expansion of financial tech company AvidXChange. What kinds of jobs will they offer and what’s the expected impact on the Queen City? We’ll explore.

City Council voted to approve new equipment for the CMPD SWAT team totaling over $500,000. We’ll talk about what equipment was picked and why some council members opposed the purchase.

Charlotteans are remembering Jim Rogers, the former CEO and Chair of Duke Energy, who died at the age of 71 this week. We discuss what some are saying about his legacy.

And with the Panthers’ Monday Night Football loss to the Saints this week, our post-season chances are just about zero. Cam Newton is sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury. What might this mean for Ron Rivera and others next season?

Guest host Erik Spanberg from the Charlotte Business Journal will go through those stories, and much more with our roundtable of reporters on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

Guests:

Ann Doss Helms, reporter for theCharlotte Observer 

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

David Boraks, reporter for WFAE

Alex Olgin, reporter WFAE

Read the rest atWFAE
Dec212018 TAGS: , , , , , , , , ,
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