Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins

Protests erupt across North Carolina over the still-unsettled state Supreme Court race. Clues emerge in the case of Asha Degree, missing since 2000. And Senate leader Phil Berger is unconcerned about a potential drop in state revenue.

On the next Charlotte Talks, among the changes brought on by Trump 2.0 is the sudden disappearance of guidance from the CDC, and other federal agencies, regarding the spread of disease. Although some of that information has been restored, there is still concern in the medical community. Though we might rely on doctors to keep us healthy, they can’t do the best job when their tools are taken away. That — and concerns over the new secretary of health and human services — has raised red flags about public health.

Some of President Trump’s early executive orders have targeted transgender people. It’s both a rights issue and one that raises safety concerns. We look at the impact of what’s been done and what is likely to come for this community.

Nearly 20 years after the Charlotte Sting disbanded, the Queen City buzzes again with talk of women’s basketball. We discuss the latest developments and the potential for more women’s basketball coming to Charlotte.

On the Local News Roundup, the clock is ticking to get a transit plan passed, Fort Liberty returns to Fort Bragg, and the Hornets throw support behind bringing a WNBA team to town.

We speak with four committee leaders on Charlotte City Council about a number of issues facing residents in 2025, including a massive transit proposal, efforts to limit homicides and the cost of living.

The 2020 shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, an unarmed Black man, while he was jogging in a Georgia neighborhood, reignited an outcry against racial injustice, and it also rippled through the running community. We examine what it means to "Run while Black" — and the push to make running more accessible and welcoming.

On the Local News Roundup, possible changes to the Brooklyn Village redevelopment project, the 4th Circuit Court sends the N.C. Supreme Court race back to state court, and Gov. Stein asks for $1 billion for Helene relief.

On the next Charlotte Talks, the popularity of true crime stories and the ethics of reporting and consuming them.

Recent statistics from the American Cancer Society reveal an increase in diagnoses of breast cancer among young women. We hear from two experts and a survivor about this trend, early detection, treatment and more.

On the next Charlotte Talks, restoring confidence in our elections. It has been diminished in recent years mostly by false allegations of voter fraud. Now, the Commission on the Future of North Carolina Election is working to help voters feel confident when casting their vote and to have trust in the process. They studied the last election, and they shared their findings with us.

In 1954, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision led to the integration of public schools and allowed young people like Charlotte's Dorothy Counts-Scoggins to be one of four Black students to break that barrier in 1957. It wasn’t easy. Counts-Scoggins and others guide us through that moment in history.

The final outstanding statewide election in the country moves to the courtroom where candidates make their case for a seat on the NC Supreme Court, CMS raises wages for some employees in order to stay competitive, state and local officials respond to President Trump’s executive orders, and boundary lines for Lincoln and Catawba Counties prepare to shift.

On the next Charlotte Talks, CATS Interim CEO Brent Cagle discusses the challenges he’s faced since taking the job and what lies ahead for the transit system.

Tillis announced his reelection intentions and he already has a challenger. How vulnerable is he? What would cause vulnerability? And, to what extent does President Trump play a role?

On the next Charlotte Talks, stories from eastern North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe about survival and resilience in the face of radical environmental change.

On the next Charlotte Talks, wildfires. Planning for them in a warming climate, ways to prevent them and ways to mitigate the risks.

Freezing temperatures and snow in Charlotte, local transit officials learn more about the possible cost of the transit plan, and Trump's executive orders are felt in North Carolina.