Charlotte Talks

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.

There's a technology gap in Mecklenburg County for some local students - not at school, but at home. A North Mecklenburg group is trying to close that digital divide. And now it has been recognized as the most innovative in the nation.

A Davidson group called E2D - for Eliminate the Digital Divide - has made big strides over the past three years in closing the gap between technology haves and have-nots in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Founded three years ago, E2D provides free computers to families that lack them, along with training and low-cost internet access.

Next Tuesday, a runoff election will decide if Dan Clodfelter or Jennifer Roberts will be the Democrat’s nominee for mayor of Charlotte. On Wednesday morning, the candidates faced off at the McGlohon Theater, in a live debate on Charlotte Talks.

We learned something about new CMPD chief Kerr Putney on Thursday. In an appearance on Charlotte Talks, host Mike Collins asked Putney what attracted him to becoming a police officer.

"Well Mike, nothing. That’s the truth of it. I did not want to be a cop," Putney said.

In fact, Putney says he didn't care for police officers growing up in Roanoke Rapids, NC.

Obviously, that changed. After 23 years on the job, Putney took over as police chief July 1st.

In an hour-long interview with WFAE’s Charlotte Talks Monday, Governor Pat McCrory lashed out at Republican lawmakers in Raleigh for what he sees as bad and misguided legislation. This includes a proposal to redistribute sales tax and what’s become known as ‘The Magistrate Bill.’

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

There is wine and then, there’s fine wine.  Think you can tell the difference? If you can, you might be interested to know that North Carolina is the home of the largest fine wine auction in the Southeast and Mid Atlantic.  If you can’t tell the difference but would like to learn, we’ve gathered three fine wine experts to join us to talk about how to experience fine wines, whether price and quality go together, the rise in counterfeit fine wines and more.

Friday, September 5, 2014

We’ve long heard about the difficulties faced by the parents of teenagers, but the ‘tween years can be just as bewildering. Those are the middle school years, when kids and adults must navigate an ever-changing world with children struggling to fit in even as they endure neurological and physical shifts.  We meet one woman who is trying to take the pain and mystery out of those years.

Monday, August 11, 2014

The stock market has been outperforming the economy and investors were just starting to get comfortable again when the market began to decline. Should we be concerned? We’ll talk to two of the city’s leading financial planners about that and about how to talk to kids about money: what do they need to know and when they need to know it.