Friday, June 2, 2017
Political and business reaction to President Trump's climate agreement exit. Charlotte's murder count rises over the Memorial Day weekend. What does U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis think about the Russia investigations? Guest host Erik Spanberg and a reporters roundtable review the week's news.
Reaction is coming in from city hall and the business community on President Trump's decision to move the U.S. toward the exit in the Paris climate agreement.
Four homicides over the Memorial Day weekend brought Charlotte's murder count for 2017 to 36 - nearly 90 percent higher than the number of killings at this point last year. As of Thursday afternoon, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested suspects in two of the weekend murders.
The proposed Mecklenburg County budget is out. There's no property tax increase, and while Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools received a tentative go-ahead for a nearly $1 billion bond package this fall, the school system is not getting its entire funding request filled.
Also included in the county budget: money for a possible Major League Soccer stadium, should Charlotte be awarded an expansion team. But city hall's continued reluctance to join the county in the soccer push could hinder soccer's prospects here.
It's also budget season in Raleigh. The North Carolina House has approved its spending plan, setting up negotiations with the state Senate.
Ahead of next week's expected Senate testimony from former F.B.I director James Comey, North Carolina U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis sat down with WFAE's David Boraks this week and discussed, among other things, the investigations into Russia's involvement in last year's election.
Guest host Erik Spanberg and a roundtable of local reporters will look at those and other stories on this week's Local News Roundup.
GUESTS
David Boraks, reporter, WFAE News (@davidboraks)
Ann Doss Helms, reporter, The Charlotte Observer (@anndosshelms)
Shawn Flynn, managing editor, Spectrum News (@FlynnShawn)
Nick Ochsner, investigative reporter, WBTV News (@NickOchsnerWBTV)