Archives for July 2018

Obama’s Push for More Female Leaders Gets Help From Men Acting Out

OPINION — Former President Barack Obama has not been a headline fixture since he left office. In fact, with a few exceptions, the opposite has been true, maybe because he feels it’s better to keep his political distance in this partisan time or because he’s holding off in order to make a greater impact when he decides to speak up. But last week, Obama did make a bit of news when he encouraged more women to take leadership rolesbecause “men have been getting on my nerves lately.”

Obama certainly could have been talking about certain men who were particularly vexing during his own time in the White House, and have continued to bedevil Democrats (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, for starters).

But he did not have to take a stroll down memory lane.

Trump’s Plan To Aid Farmers Impacted By Trump’s Trade War

Political contributor Mary C Curtis weighs in on the local impact and President Trump’s plan to offer aid to US farmers caught in his trade war.

Trump is promising 12 billion dollars in emergency relief to help farmers hurt by retaliation from other countries, like China and the European Union.

Charlotte Talks News Roundup: Divided City Council Backs RNC, Local Reaction To Trump/Putin Meeting

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)

 

Opinion: Charlotte Gambles on the Convention Las Vegas Didn’t Want

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Vi Lyles, the Democratic mayor of the largest city in North Carolina, said championing a bid to host the 2020 Republican National Convention was likely “the most difficult decision of my career.”

As word spread this week that Republicans have chosen Charlotte over other candidates, with a formal announcement due Friday, it’s almost certain the event will be one of the city’s biggest tests.

President Trump’s Walk-back

CNN – Donald Trump did something he rarely does — admit a mistake. The President has been taking a pounding from both sides of the political aisle over his comments during the Helsinki, Finland, summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. So Trump tried some cleanup at the White House, now saying he misspoke when he said, “I don’t see any reason why it would be” Russia that interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Reading prepared remarks to reporters in the Cabinet Room, Trump said, “The sentence should have been: ‘I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.” He also said he accepted the US intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russians meddled in the election, something he wouldn’t do while standing right next to Putin on Monday. But even this came with a caveat from Trump: “It could be other people also.”

Public Hearing Ends In 6-5 Vote to Accept Contracts for 2020 RNC

“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.

Opinion: Dems to African-American Women: This Time We Mean It

So why was Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, making an appearance at this year’s Essence Festival in New Orleans, an event known for its high-powered mix of music, culture and empowerment, geared to engage black women globally? Did he see and enjoy “Girls Trip,” the 2017 mega-hit about the reunion of four black female buddies, set against the backdrop of the festival, and decide to get in on the fun, maybe take in a Janet Jackson concert?

Or was he connecting with his party’s most loyal base, which has carried the electoral load for years, and has also expressed dissatisfaction when that contribution was downplayed or overlooked?

Trump’s Crucial Meetings with NATO and Putin

CHARLOTTE, NC — While in the U.S. a judge orders the Trump administration to speed up the unification of parents and children separated at the border, and both political parties gear up for a contentious fight over a Supreme Court nominee, the president heads overseas. But it won’t be a vacation; instead he will have crucial meetings with allies and Russia. This is against a backdrop of Trump’s sharp critiques of allies and warm words for Putin.

A Contentious Fight over a Supreme Court Vacancy

If you thought it was going to be a slow summer in Washington, think again. When Justice Anthony Kennedy resigned, it meant the justice who was most considered a swing and unpredictable voter could be replaced with someone who leaned even more to the right. Democrats, who saw Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stall President Obama’s choice, Merrick Garland, want to delay President Trump’s pick (the second vacancy he has filled) until after the midterms.

A simple majority vote is all that is needed in the Senate. A key to activity from the both parties could hinge on the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, and whether its fate hangs in the court’s balance.