Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins

In Silicon Valley, there is a group referred to as the PayPal Mafia — the founders and employees of PayPal who later started their own successful tech companies. In Charlotte, we have the Passport Mafia which springs from a company called Passport, which provided employees with experience in building a business and helped birth more than a dozen startups. Is Charlotte an entrepreneur’s kind of place?

Since 2020, large public safety training centers have been cropping up around the country. Last summer, Central Piedmont Community College announced plans to build a facility in Matthews to provide training for police, fire and Medic personnel. These projects have faced opposition nationally and locally.

On the next Charlotte Talks, the trees are leafing out, the azaleas are blooming, the grass is greening – all sure signs that spring is here and that means gardeners should be working hard to capitalize on the season. A lot of people turned to gardening during the pandemic and stuck with it, and whether you have a typical suburban plot of land or an apartment balcony with flowerpots, we have advice for gardeners, info on native plants, even ways to incorporate chickens into your gardens.

Laws are being proposed and passed nationwide and in North Carolina to loosen gun restrictions. All of this is happening even though nearly 47,000 people died in the U.S. in 2023 from gun-related injuries.

Charlotte City Council member Tariq Bokhari steps down to become deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. Mecklenburg County remains a point of irritation for ICE while immigrants face a massive court backlog due to a lack of resources. And Charlotte continues to woo the CIAA in an effort to bring its tournaments back to town.

Ninety-eight years ago, the Carolina Theatre was born. It closed in 1978 and has sat vacant for nearly half its lifetime — 47 years. Now, it’s set to make a comeback. After years of construction, the theater has been restored to its former glory but also as a state-of-the-art masterpiece.

On the next Charlotte Talks, a conversation about the true story captured in the musical, "Parade," with playwright Alfred Uhry and Rabbi Steven Lebow.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis recently released recordings of death threats he’s received. Both candidates for the N.C. Supreme Court say they have received threats. And the U.S. Marshals Service reports this is happening around the country to many other officials, including judges. Where do political dissension and free speech rights end?

After years of several Democratic sheriffs in North Carolina opting out of a federal immigration program, the General Assembly passed a law requiring them to participate. The purpose is to aid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in removing undocumented immigrants. But in Mecklenburg County, there remains an ongoing dispute over the law. Sheriff McFadden joins us to share his point of view.

Mecklenburg County Commission Chair Mark Jerrell gives his first State of the County address after warning of the need for belt tightening and a potential property tax increase. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis releases records of threats he’s received recently. ICE says it has arrested two dozen undocumented immigrants in the area. And Union County votes to ban 'obscene' events from parks.

As you figure out your taxes, the Trump administration is planning changes at the IRS, including more layoffs to shrink the agency. The IRS isn’t exactly popular, but both customer service wait times and revenue collection have improved recently due to an infusion of cash. All of that is in jeopardy.

Need a good laugh? We look at the expanding and serious business of comedy, and how the Queen City is getting in on a booming industry.

We speak with a journalist covering higher education to better understand the fast-moving, far-reaching changes at the Department of Education. We’ll also hear from two HBCU leaders at Johnson C. Smith University and Clinton College about how their campuses are doing as they face potential federal funding cuts.

We break down the rising influence of cryptocurrency and moves by federal and state governments to embrace it, including in North Carolina.

Money troubles face CMS as it prepares to lose $100 million in federal funding. Matthews continues to struggle with the transit plan. Gov. Stein delivers his first State of the State address and the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is in town.

On the next Charlotte Talks, much of our political divide is centered on morality and what is and is not moral. We seem deeply divided but perhaps we have more in common than we think. Actually, there is science to back that up. Our suspicion of — dislike of — “the other” is rooted in our evolutionary history. We’re hardwired to protect ourselves from perceived threats. So how do we rewire ourselves?

Kwamé Ryan was born in Canada, raised in Trinidad, and studied music in Europe before being officially named to his new position in late 2023. He says he felt connected to Charlotte on his first visit here. We talk about that, his musical philosophy, and his vision for the orchestra.

Five years ago, we had no idea what was about to hit us. We were suddenly faced with trying to figure out what the COVID-19 virus would do. On the next Charlotte Talks, we turn to some of the familiar voices we heard throughout the pandemic to reflect on its impact and what we’ve learned.

Alexander Vindman joins Charlotte Talks to talk about the importance of Ukraine to our safety and how mistakes the West made after the fall of the Soviet Union have led us to where we are today.

Matthews’ opposition to the transit plan may be easing, while wildfires burn across the Carolinas. Overdose deaths in Mecklenburg County have increased dramatically among Black and Hispanic residents since 2019. Meanwhile, the Carolina Theatre prepares to open after 47 years.