Award-winning columnist, writer, speaker and editor
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The debate over school re-openings intensifies, amid a rise in coronavirus cases.
It comes as new data shows nearly one in four American teachers are at higher risk of serious illness if they contract coronavirus.
Click above for more with our political contributor, Mary C. Curtis.
On this edition of the Charlotte Talks local news roundup:
The Huntersville education advisory commission recommends that the town operate its own charter school and split from CMS, a move that one CMS official says is “politically driven.” How likely is this outcome?
Vice President Mike Pence was in the Queen City this week for an RNC Kickoff Meeting, as next year’s Convention, which will be held in Charlotte, is getting closer. What was the purpose of this visit, and what have we learned about plans for the 2020 Republican National Convention?
As abortion legislation is passed around the country, rallies are taking place nationwide, and here in the Queen City. We’ll talk about a Charlotte rally where anti-abortion and abortion-rights advocates clashed.
In South Carolina, the House and the Senate have now approved around $120 million in tax breaks to offer to the Carolina Panthers to entice them to move practice fields and the team’s headquarters to the state from North Carolina.
And get ready to start your engines — this weekend is the second “Race Weekend” in a row for Charlotte (we hosted the NASCAR All-Star Race last Saturday, and this weekend is the Coca-Cola 600). What should we know to attend the event or avoid the crowds?
Those stories and much more with Mike Collins and a panel of journalists on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.
Guests:
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com and WCCB
Alexandra Olgin, WFAE Reporter
Glenn Burkins, editor and publisher of QCityMetro.com
Jonathan Lowe, reporter for Spectrum News
CHARLOTTE, NC –On the first day of the N.C. legislature’s short session, more than 15,000 teachers will be heading to Raleigh in an action they are calling the March for Students and Rally for Respect. Unlike teacher walkouts in other states, notably West Virginia, North Carolina’s action will be one day only – but teachers taking part hope it won’t end there.
CHARLOTTE — When the headline is “Why the South is the worst place to live in the U.S.,” it’s an invitation to trash talk. But isn’t that what makes stories like this one in The Post so much fun? They are bound to unleash regional pride and get the blood flowing and the stereotypes flying in the comments section.
CHARLOTTE, NC: Governor Pat McCrory announced an increase in base pay for new teachers. Washington Post columnist and local political writer Mary C. Curtis talks with Terrance Bates about why some are criticizing the Governor’s plan.
“He’s got a very difficult balance to strike,’ said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. ‘The expectations that are there within his party may not mesh well with the expectations people in this state have.”
Meet the new South, which has some of the same problems as the old South.
It’s undeniable that a black mayor welcoming a black president into a city can tout skyscrapers, sports and a thriving arts scene. But despite those signs of growth, in the region that has gained political prominence — both parties chose the South for their national conventions — some intractable challenges remain, especially for the poor and the young.
Let’s put it this way: Despite the goodies, a weekend brunch for journalists, with a lineup of experts, was demoralizing. Held at the Charlotte Observer, the topic was “The South and Presidential Politics 2012: Red States and Purple States.” The moderator was PBS’ Judy Woodruff, a Duke grad. The panel was UNC Chapel Hill all the way.
