Archives for April 2017

Friday News Roundup: New CMS Boundary Proposal; Bank Shareholder Meetings; Dale Jr. Retires

On the local news roundup: new school boundaries for CMS.  Different atmospheres at the annual Bank of America and Wells Fargo shareholder meetings. Craft brewers stymied in their efforts to grow, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. turns in the keys. Host Mike Collins and the roundup reporters cover those stories and much more.

Opinion: The Obama Effect — Pros and Cons for Republicans and Democrats

Barack Obama, the charismatic former president, can cause a scene just by walking into a coffee shop, as the rapturous crowds in usually blase New York City demonstrated at one of his cameos. So as he gently re-entered the public and policy eye this week, it’s no surprise that he could throw both Democrats and Republicans off balance — though of course for very different reasons.

 

CMS Student Assignment Changes, and What’s Next?

CHARLOTTE, NC — Under CMS Superintendent Ann Clark’s proposed plan for phase two of Student Assignment, neighborhoods across Mecklenburg County would see their elementary, middle or high schools change.

More magnets schools and magnet seats would also be added.

WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis weighs in on what all the changes mean for your kid.

The Heat: Trump’s 100 Days

As Trump nears 100 days in office — the 100th day falls on April 29, when government funding is set to expire — the first months of Republican-controlled government have featured a successful Supreme Court nomination and a flurry of activity to roll back regulations issued by the Obama administration.

But Republicans also failed to clear their first big hurdle: repealing and replacing parts of former President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 health law, the Affordable Care Act.

WFAE Friday News Roundup: NCAA and ACC Bring Championships Back, and more

On the local news roundup, the NCAA brings championship games back to the state but not to Charlotte.  The ACC is more generous.  And another lawsuit connected to Wells Fargo’s sales practices.  Mike Collins and the roundup reporters cover those stories and more.

Opinion: Weighing the Costs of War and Diplomacy

John F. Kelly is getting a lot of criticism these days, and that’s understandable. As leader of the Department of Homeland Security, the retired Marine general now has to be more sensitive to the politics of any given situation.

So when he publicly said critics of his agency’s policies — whether they come from Congress, civil rights groups or the public — should “shut up,” he came off as what he once was, a military man giving orders. When the administration, Kelly’s department in particular, is challenged on its travel bans and inconsistent immigration enforcement, Kelly could do more listening and learning

But as America’s foreign policy and national security efforts become increasingly muscular and aggressive, there is some comfort in his presence among the rest of the men — and they are mostly men — advising President Trump and the members of Congress with power to approve or restrict military action and to balance the money spent on military and diplomatic efforts. Kelly is a member of that club no one wants to belong to — he lost his son in action — and he has another child in service.

NCAA Games and CLT

CHARLOTTE, NC– Repealing House Bill Two is enough to bring NCAA games back to North Carolina, but Charlotte didn’t make the roster cut for tournament games past 2018. Raleigh, Greensboro, Cary and Winston-Salem will host dozens of NCAA tournaments from 2019 to 2022. WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis weighs in.

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.

 

Same-Sex Marriage Ban Filed in N.C. House

A bill filed Tuesday by four North Carolina House Republicans would reinstate the ban on same-sex marriage, defying a 2015 Supreme Court ruling. The bill titled “Uphold Historical Marriage Act,” comes just two weeks after lawmakers repealed North Carolina’s HB2.

 

WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis weighs in.

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.