Charlotte Talks

Aired on Tuesday, December 6 2016

A partnership that includes the EPA, Aclima and Google Earth is bringing new technology to Charlotte to help us assess air quality to improve future development.  What will that mean for Charlotte communities? Host Mike Collins finds out.

Monday, November, 28

The 1971 uprising of inmates at Attica State Prison turned violent but brought attention to the treatment of prisoners. We talk with an historian about the legacy of Attica.

The North Carolina governor’s race is still undecided more than a week after Election Day. Smoke filters into Charlotte from wildfires in the mountains... and the toxicology report is back on Keith Scott.  Those and other stories on the local news roundup.

North Carolina voters played a big role in the outcome of the presidential race, but the governor’s race is still too close to call.  Our panel of reporters will look at that, and at some of the other shakeups and outcomes in state-based races.  Also, CMS takes a vote on the magnet school lottery, and the Hornets are off to a flying start.  

The latest and greatest in technology from gadgets to big screen, 4K OLED TVs. What’s ready to buy, what you should wait to buy and what’s affordable – all well before Black Friday sales.

Over the summer we put a call out to hear your version of the Charlotte Talks theme song. The response was impressive and overwhelming. Thank you for taking the time to create and craft your tunes, we really enjoyed this project. 

WFAE reporters Nick de la Canal and Gwendolyn Glenn, and Charlotte magazine associate editor Adam Rhew were all at the protests that erupted last night in the University area after a black man was shot and killed by a black CMPD officer. We recap last night's protests and what we know about the shooting death of Keith Lamont Scott. 

On the local news roundup – the NCAA pulls 7 championship events from North Carolina because of HB2.  The ACC follows suit. Wells Fargo is fined by regulators over employees creating unauthorized accounts.  County Commissioners look at plans to revitalize the North Tryon Corridor – what they said about this new vision.  And we get the latest on election campaigning throughout the state with our roundtable of reporters.

Heather Havrilesky has been giving advice to the heartsick and emotionally lost and confused. She’s the author of a weekly advice column called ‘Ask Polly’ featured in New York Magazine and now the author of a new book called How to be a Person in the World. Her advice is funny, smart, and geared towards those who may or may not be experiencing some sort of existential crisis. We talk about her advice style, her new book, and more.

The American electorate is becoming a house divided. Polarization has reached a level we haven’t seen in at least a generation, and a growing number of people - Republicans and Democrats - say they view the other side as a threat. But political affiliation isn’t the only dividing line. Where we live - rural versus urban - creates another level of disconnect. How did voters end up so firmly in their political corners? A look at the state of disunion.