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CHARLOTTE, NC — Mayor Pro Tem Vi Lyles won the Democratic Primary over Incumbent Mayor Jennifer Roberts. Lyles will face Republican Kenny Smith in the General Election on November 7th.
Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis discusses what will be the key issues the General Election and why Roberts couldn’t hold off Lyles.
CHARLOTTE, NC– World leaders are trying to figure to out how to deal with North Korea. This comes after North Korea claimed to have successfully launched it’s largest nuke ever, on Sunday. Amid the threat, South Korea has stepped up its live military exercises.
Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis offers more perspective on the role of the North Korea’s other neighbors and the U.S.
CHARLOTTE, NC – Tropical Storm Harvey is on the move after making landfall for a second time Wednesday morning. The storm is battering the border of Texas and Louisianabringing more catastrophic flooding to regions that are already underwater. Meantime, thoughts turn to figuring out what happened in Houston and how the effects of future storms can be prevented.
Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis offers more perspective.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) – A few hundred people rallied on the campus of North Carolina’s flagship university to demand the removal of a Confederate statue there. The gathering Tuesday night at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill focused on a statue known as “Silent Sam.” People chanted “tear it down” while police officers watched from behind temporary metal barriers surrounding the statue, depicting a Confederate soldier. “Hey, hey. Ho, ho. This racist statue has got to go,” the crowd also chanted. The protest was largely peaceful, but at least three people were arrested.
Governor Roy Cooper says the university has the authority to take immediate action if it believes the statue is posing a risk to public safety. However, the university says it does not have the legal authority to remove the statue.
NEW YORK (AP) – President Donald Trump is defiantly blaming “both sides” for the weekend violence between white supremacists and counter-demonstrators in Virginia and rebuffing the widespread criticism of his handling of the emotionally-charged protests.
Trump addressed reporters Tuesday in New York.
In his remarks, he showed sympathy for the fringe group’s efforts to preserve Confederate monuments.
In doing so, Trump used the bullhorn of the presidency to give voice to the grievances of white nationalists, and aired some of his own. His remarks amounted to a rejection of the Republicans, business leaders and White House advisers who earlier this week had pushed the president to more forcefully and specifically condemn the KKK members, neo-Nazis and white supremacists who took to the streets of Charlottesville.
Mary C. Curtis, political contributor, weighs in.
CHARLOTTE, NC — The Charlotte Citizens Review Board (CRB) is holding closed hearings this week to take another look at the evidence and circumstance surrounding last year’s fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott.
The board will decide if the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was wrong when it decided Officer Brentley Vinson followed the department use of force policy when he killed Scott. The District Attorney determined that the shooting was justified
Scott’s death sparked protests and violent riots across Charlotte.
There has been calls for decades for the CRB to have more power. They can make recommendations to adjust police training, policy and procedures, but cannot reverse the decision by Chief Kerr Putney and the DA not to charge Officer Vinson.
If the CRB decides the shooting isn’t justified, the Chief Putney and the City Manager will re-evaluate the case.
Is this the kind of case that could lead to the CRB getting more authority?
Political Contributor, Mary Curtis weighs in.
(CNN) — Conflicting signals about the possibility of war between the U.S. and North Korea. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that the U.S. is willing to sit down for talks with North Korea, but only if it relinquishes its pursuit of nuclear weapons. He says the goal of all U.S. foreign policy now is to make good on President Donald Trump’s campaign slogan to “make America great again.”
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham says military option is “inevitable” if Kim Jong Un continues developing missiles that are capable of reaching major U.S. cities.
This all comes after Pyongyang’s firing of two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July. In response, the U.S. has just tested it’s fourth ICBM.
Political Contributor, Mary C. Curtis offers more perspective into the rising North Korea threat.
CHARLOTTE, NC: Soccer fans are becoming more vocal about bringing a professional team to Charlotte. But a MLS team could be a victim of other funding priorities.
City leaders will talk about money for a new stadium during an economic development meeting on Thursday.
How has Charlotte handled funding for other sports franchises in the past? What is the main issue that needs to be addressed for city leaders to get on board?
WCCB’s political contributor, Mary C. Curtis, weighs in.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools new superintendent has officially been on the job for less than a month but his recent staff hires, pay raises, and creating of new positions have already raised some eyebrows. For example, Dr. Clayton Wilcox created a “culinary manager” job and hired the husband of the chief of staff to fill the position for $85,000 / year.
Mary C. Curtis offers some perspective on how this could impact a vote on the district’s $1B bond package that will be on the November ballot.
