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Featured at WFAE | Mary C. Curtis

Local News Roundup: Winter storm prep; Riggs-Griffin continues; NC General Assembly underway; Panthers end on a high note

Featured at WFAE

Get ready, Charlotte. Winter is coming. Snow and sleet are in the forecast this weekend. We discuss what to expect and how it could impact the coming days.

It’s the election that will not end. The Republican-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled the North Carolina Board of Elections should not certify a victory for Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs over Republican Jefferson Griffin for a seat on that same bench. Riggs recused herself, while the only other Democrat, Anita Earls, dissented. She said Griffin’s challenge had “no likelihood of success” and did not believe the state’s highest court should interfere with the democratic process. One Republican also broke ranks with his GOP colleagues on the bench to rule in dissent.

Gov. Josh Stein continues to issue executive orders related to Helene relief early in his tenure. This week’s order aims at ensuring people have access to heating materials. It waives federal limits on the duration drivers can transport propane. This comes after Stein issued several executive orders last week, also aimed at those impacted by Helene.

And are fortunes turning around for Charlotte sports? Well, maybe not yet, but baby steps. The Hornets won for the first time in about a month. Meanwhile, the Panthers end the season with a losing record, but may finally have found their quarterback.

Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Brad Panovich, WCNC chief meteorologist
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Hunter Sáenz, WSOC-TV reporter
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter
Ben Thompson, morning and midday anchor at WCNC Charlotte

Read the rest atWFAE
Jan102025 TAGS: , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Political drama in Raleigh; New CLT flight paths approved; Bishop tapped for job by Trump; Belichick to UNC

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Lawmakers in Raleigh override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill that provides relief for those impacted by Hurricane Helene while also stripping power from top state Democrats. Critics have called the bill a power grab disguised as a relief measure.

Charlotte City Council has approved a plan to expand flight paths at Charlotte Douglas International Airport to 27, aimed at dispersing noise more effectively. There are now eight flight paths. Two members voted against the plan, citing a lack of transparency from the city and the airport.

After losing his election for North Carolina attorney general, former North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be deputy director for budget at the Office of Management and Budget. He will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

And the North Carolina Board of Elections says it will not order a full hand recount of ballots in the race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat after a partial recount resulted in more votes for the leading candidate, Democrat Allison Riggs. Entering the recount, Riggs led Republican Jefferson Griffin by about 700 votes out of nearly 5.5 million cast.

Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter
Ryan Pitkin, cofounder and editor of Queen City Nerve
Hunter Sáenz, WSOC-TV reporter

Read the rest atWFAE
Dec152024 TAGS: , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Trump takes NC; Democrats win elsewhere; Charlotte City Council members head to Munich; Charlotte FC faces Orlando City in winner-take-all matchup

Featured at WFAE

North Carolina, like other battleground states, went for Donald Trump in this week’s presidential election. What went right for his campaign and what went wrong for Vice President Kamala Harris?

On the statewide level, Democrats picked up wins in races for governor, attorney general, and superintendent for public instruction, among others. The party also appears to have prevented Republicans from retaining their veto-proof supermajority, despite the fact Democrat-turned-Republican Tricia Cotham appears to have narrowly retained her seat, barring a potential recount.

Outside of the election, as the Carolina Panthers head to Munich, Germany to play the New York Giants, several members of city council are going along. The city says the goal is to learn how Munich solves some of its urban problems, but WCNC reports the bill will cost taxpayers about $80,000.

Finally, Charlotte FC has a chance to advance to the next round of the MLS playoffs with a win against Orlando City on Saturday. The series is currently tied at a game apiece.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter
Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Ben Thompson, morning and midday anchor at WCNC Charlotte and host of WCNC’s “Flashpoint”

Read the rest atWFAE
Nov082024 TAGS: , , , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Campaigns ramp up; Early voting in NC and SC; Charlotte FC begins postseason play

Featured at WFAE

Former President Donald Trump makes stops across North Carolina, including in the western part of the state where he repeated false claims about the federal response to Helene.

Meanwhile, early voting numbers are coming as polls are open in both North and South Carolina. What is the early data telling us? And how does it compare to 2020?

Mark Robinson has amended his defamation lawsuit against CNN. Robinson, who was seeking $50 million in damages, is now asking for $25,000. Robinson has denied the report that alleges he made racist and misogynistic comments on a pornographic website. All of this comes as Democrats continue to spend money attacking Robinson and linking other Republican candidates to him.

And Charlotte FC is back in the postseason for the second straight year. The team starts a best-of-three series at Orlando on Sunday.

Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter
Nick Ochsner, WBTV chief investigative reporter
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte

Read the rest atWFAE
Oct282024 TAGS: , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Helene cleanup, politics and misinformation; Charlotte transit questions; NC musicians plan benefit concert

Featured at WFAE

On the Charlotte Talks local news roundup, the fallout from Helene continues. Where does the cleanup effort stand? What is the status of the infrastructure in the region?

Meanwhile, Election Day is just a few weeks away and early voting begins next week. How do state and local officials plan to make voting accessible to those impacted by the storm? How is misinformation throwing a wrench in those plans?

Elsewhere, the drama over a regional transit proposal continues with Charlotte city officials split on whether to participate in a transit summit organized by John Higdon, mayor of Matthews. We breakdown the latest in this ongoing saga.

Finally, three North Carolina musicians are joining forces to play a benefit concert at Bank of America Stadium for those impacted by Helene. Luke Combs, Eric Church and James Taylor will all take part in “Concert for Carolina” on Oct. 26.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter
Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Alexandria Sands, reporter with Axios Charlotte

Read the rest atWFAE
Oct112024 TAGS: , , ,

Local News Roundup: Robinson fallout; Trump campaigns in Mint Hill; CMS assignments; Hurricane Helene latest

Featured at WFAE

On the Charlotte Talks local news roundup, the fallout continues after a CNN report accused North Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson of making racist and misogynistic comments on an online porn forum.

Both presidential candidates continue to emphasize North Carolina with high profile visits this week, including a stop in Mint Hill by former President Donald Trump.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education votes to make several changes to student assignments, but it avoids some controversial assignments, at least for now.

And, as Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the southeast, we discuss the impact on Charlotte and the Carolinas.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Hunter Sáenz, WSOC-TV reporter
Lisa Worf, senior editor for news and features at WFAE

Read the rest atWFAE
Oct032024 TAGS: , , ,

Local News Roundup: Harris campaigns in Charlotte; Additional funds for Eastland Yards; Former NC Rep. Kelly Alexander dies

Featured at WFAE

Charlotte City Council approves an additional $11 million in funding for the Eastland Yards project. We discuss what this means and get reaction from local residents and officials.

Fresh off her debate with former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris is in North Carolina including a stop in Charlotte. This comes after Trump was in the Queen City last week.

We remember the life and career of former Charlotte-area state Rep. Kelly Alexander, who died last Friday at the age of 75.

And it’s been 23 years since 9/11, we hear remembrances from emergency responders and learn how they’re keeping the memory of that day alive with future generations.

We dive into those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Ryan Pitkin, cofounder and editor of Queen City Nerve
Ely Portillo, senior editor at WFAE News
Ben Thompson, morning and midday anchor at WCNC Charlotte and host of WCNC’s “Flashpoint”

Read the rest atWFAE
Sep132024 TAGS: , , ,

Local News Roundup: Tracks for the Red Line price tag; back to school; Panthers make roster cuts

Featured at WFAE

After decades of effort, the city of Charlotte has agreed to buy the Norfolk Southern freight rail line. The $91 million purchase will pave the way for a commuter rail line to the Lake Norman area. We’ll go through the details.

Leaders from the Charlotte region headed to Florida this week to see how Miami’s Bus Rapid Transit program works. The region’s new mobility plan includes BRT, but skeptics aren’t convinced it’s a good option here. We hear what they learned.

It’s back-to-school week for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, and there’s no shortage of news about education. In addition to teacher shortages leading up to the first day, there’s news that CMS violated North Carolina’s records law by withholding rape and sexual assaults records within the district. And is the district playing favorites with the media by only inviting certain outlets to a briefing?

And last week, the Carolina Panthers won their first game since last December. It was a preseason game, but put an end to a dismal losing streak by the team. Does it mean more wins are in our future? We discuss.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into these stories, and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS

Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
Erik Spanberg, managing editor of the Charlotte Business Journal
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.” Mary is also a contributor to a new book, “We Refuse to Be Silent: Women’s Voices on Justice for Black Men”

Read the rest atWFAE
Aug302024 TAGS: , , , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: CMS vacancies as first day approaches; frustration over transit planning; Cooper to speak at DNC; Trump and Vance in NC

Featured at WFAE

We’re just days from the start of classes for Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools, and the system still has hundreds of teacher vacancies. How does CMS plan to address them?

Matthews Mayor John Higdon is still voicing his frustration with the $25 billion mobility plan for the Charlotte region and its plan to provide Matthews with bus rapid-transit service. This comes in the same week that Cornelius commissioners voted to support the new transit sales tax. We’ll bring you up to date.

This week, Democrats from all over the country gathered in Chicago for the DNC, including many representatives from North Carolina. Gov. Cooper was among them. We’ll hear what role he played in support of the Harris/Walz ticket.

Former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance were in Asheboro this week for Trump’s first outdoor rally since the assassination attempt earlier this summer.

And, Charlotte’s newest professional sports team sells out its home opener.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into these stories, and more, on the Charlotte Talks’ local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Erik Spanberg, managing editor for the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time.” Curtis is also a contributor to a new book “We Refuse to Be Silent: Women’s Voices on Justice for Black Men”
Mary Ramsey, local government accountability reporter for the Charlotte Observer
Ely Portillo, executive editor at WFAE News

Read the rest atWFAE
Aug232024 TAGS: , , , , ,

Local News Roundup: Debby wreaks havoc in NC; Diorio to retire; Truist to sponsor PGA at Quail Hollow; and more

Featured at WFAE

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup …

Tropical Storm Debby began wreaking havoc on the Charlotte area Thursday with flash flooding, power outages, flight delays and cancellations. A state of emergency is in effect for North Carolina. The weather is also behind the cancellation of campaign stops by Kamala Harris and JD Vance.

Longtime Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio has announced that she’s retiring next year. Diorio made the announcement Thursday, saying she plans to leave her position by July 2025.

We have an update to a story we discussed back in June in which two Mecklenburg County Commissioners blocked a Pride proclamation from being put on the commission’s meeting agenda for procedural reasons. The commission voted this week on Pride proclamations. We’ll bring you up to speed.

Truist Bank, headquartered in Charlotte, is the new sponsor for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club starting in 2026. We learn more.

If you’re a soccer fan in Charlotte you got BIG news this week with the announcement that Charlotte FC has signed Tim Ream, a Premier League defender who is also on the U.S. men’s national team, to its roster. What will this mean for Charlotte FC?

The Carolina Panthers announced this week that quarterback Bryce Young will sit out the first preseason game Thursday against the New England Patriots. The starter in the quarterback role will instead be Jack Plummer. Why this move? We discuss.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those stories and more, on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

GUESTS:

Steve Harrison, WFAE’s political reporter
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV reporter and host of The Political Beat
Erik Spanberg, managing editor of the Charlotte Business Journal
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time.” Mary is also a contributor to the new book “We Refuse to Be Silent: Women’s Voices on Justice for Black Men”

Read the rest atWFAE
Aug112024
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