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: , , , , , , , ,

U.S. Elections and Female Voters

Featured at BBC

On a tour of swing states, the BBC traveled to Charlotte, NC, to talk with several women on Team Harris or Team Trump — and one undecided. How could that be? I joined Mary Ramsey as a journalist/NC expert. Thanks to our Plaza Midwood hosts and the BBC’s Matt Chorley and Richard Lawson. Have a listen to our ‘brilliant’ chat.

Read the rest atBBC
Oct282024 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: , , ,

In battleground North Carolina, a Kamala Harris crowd overflowing with joy — and urgency

Featured at Roll Call

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One rule for politicians and politically inclined citizens: Stay away from Hitler references. They have a “boy who cried wolf” quality and usually end up backfiring, making you appear more extreme than the opponent you’re trying to label.

However, as everyone knows, every rule has an exception. And 93-year-old Ruth Hecht has more than earned hers.

Read the rest atRoll Call
Sep192024 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: , , , , , , ,

Purple Ballot: NC perspectives on the Democratic National Convention

Featured at WUNC

The Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago this week.

In the latest edition of our Purple Ballot series, co-host Jeff Tiberii sits down with a panel of reporters and political analysts to discuss the Democratic Party’s platform, key issues, and campaign strategies leading up to the election.

We’ll also follow the North Carolinians on tap to speak at this week’s convention, including Governor Roy Cooper.

Guests

Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC

Mary C. Curtis, columnist, Rollcall.com and host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”

Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst, John Locke Foundation

Abby Vesoulis, reporter, Mother Jones

Read the rest atWUNC
Aug202024 TAGS: , ,

Local News Roundup: Shooting spree suspects in custody; Optimism from city manager on mobility; Copa America in Charlotte

Featured at WFAE

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup …

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police are investigating a deadly 24 hours after multiple shootings occurred between Monday and Tuesday. It’s part of a rise in homicides in Charlotte this year, which is bucking the national trend in other cities, where homicides are going down. We’ll discuss the latest, including the capture of two teen suspects.

City Manager Marcus Jones is optimistic about our region’s mobility plan, but he also predicts that the price tag for transit and roads will change from its original proposal. We hear more.

Although City Council didn’t meet this week, Malcolm Graham says it’s time for the council to decide the fate of the Eastland Yards proposal. We’ll talk about the latest proposal and the timing of a likely decision.

And an international soccer tournament, the Copa America, comes to Charlotte this week. What is it, and why is it a big deal? We’ll fill you in on Wednesday night’s contest between Colombia and Uruguay and the brawl that followed, and preview Saturday’s match.

Mike Collins and our roundtable of reporters delve into those 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.” Mary 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
Joe Bruno, WSOC-TV Reporter and host of The Political Beat

Read the rest atWFAE
Jul142024 TAGS: , , , , , ,

Politics Monday: Are recent national headlines impacting the presidential campaign in NC?

Featured at WFAE

Over the last month or so, the 2024 political season has kicked into another gear.

The Supreme Court continued to hand down decisions that could have a massive impact on how our society and democracy operate. These include decisions on the power of regulatory agencies, the fallout from the Jan. 6 insurrection and the extent of presidential immunity.

Elsewhere, the first presidential debate has come and gone. Former President Trump has been criticized for the number of lies he told on stage. At the same time, President Biden struggled to stick to his talking points, which has lead some to push for him to be replaced on the Democratic ticket.

This is all occurring as both campaigns feel North Carolina, and its 16 electoral votes, are in play this November. Have the last couple of weeks changed that? Is Trump gaining ground on new demographic groups? Would a different candidate perform better than Biden in North Carolina?

We discuss those questions, and more, in the first episode of our “Politics Monday” series. That’s next time on Charlotte Talks.

GUESTS:

Michael Bitzer, professor of politics and history at Catawba College
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Steve Harrison, WFAE political reporter

Read the rest atWFAE
Jul082024 TAGS: , , , ,
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