The Charlotte Ledger Podcast

In this live video chat recorded Friday, Feb. 15, 2026, Charlotte Ledger reporters discuss some of their coverage from the week: * Opposition increases over plans to expand I-77 near uptown * Early voting starts for the March 3 primary * New job numbers show Charlotte was No. 2 in the country for creating jobs in 2025, behind only New York City * A closer look at a mixed-use project in Charlotte’s...

Charlotte is booming. New towers rise, new residents arrive and the city’s economic engine hums. But beneath the growth, some longtime residents ask a deeper question: What has been lost along the way? In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, host Steve Dunn talks with Robert FitzPatrick — a Charlotte native, longtime community organizer and nationally known expert on pyramid schemes and c...

Billions of dollars in public investment. New office towers breaking ground. Nearly 5,000 apartments in the pipeline. After years of pandemic disruption and slow return-to-office trends, Charlotte’s center city may be entering a pivotal new chapter. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Ledger editor Tony Mecia talks with Michael Smith and James LeBar of Charlotte Center City Partners a...

Recorded live Jan. 5, 2026, at The Sharon at SouthPark. PBS and public media have been in the spotlight lately — and not in a way anyone asked for. When federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was eliminated, NPR and PBS stations across the country faced sudden cuts and hard choices. In this special live episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Ledger editor Tony Mecia sits dow...

Aging rarely arrives all at once. For many families, the realization comes quietly: a holiday visit that feels a little different, a parent who seems less steady, less engaged, or less organized than before. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, we share a recording of a Jan. 14, 2026, webinar produced in partnership with Caregiving Corner, focused on how families can recognize meaningf...

In this live video chat recorded Friday, Jan. 15, 2026, Charlotte Ledger reporters discuss some of their coverage from the week: * Development plans for the Manor Theatre site in Eastover * Workplace trends in 2026, such as AI and “job-hugging” * An interview with new LendingTree CEO Scott Peyree — on plans for the company and how he found out about the death of predecessor Doug Lebda * How histor...

When tragedy struck one of Charlotte’s most visible tech companies last fall, it forced an unexpected leadership transition at a pivotal moment. LendingTree CEO Doug Lebda’s sudden death in October 2025 left the company — and the city — reeling. Within hours, longtime executive Scott Peyree was asked to step into the top role and steady a business serving millions of consumers nationwide. In this...

In this live video chat recorded Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, Charlotte Ledger reporters discuss some of their coverage from the week: * Fallout from the arrest of Sycamore Brewing’s co-founder on sex-crime charges * The drop in enrollment at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to their lowest level in 14 years * Unraveling the mystery of why Coffey and Thompson art gallery in Eastover closed * A look at the...

Most people don’t learn about money in school — yet nearly every adult is expected to juggle budgets, debt, savings, taxes and investing. For many, that gap creates stress, shame, or a sense that finance is “for other people.” But what if understanding your money wasn’t about getting rich — but about gaining freedom? In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, host Steve Dunn explores the rea...

Every December, the same Christmas classics return on repeat — “Elf,” “Home Alone,” “A Christmas Story,” “It’s a Wonderful Life.” But longtime Charlotte arts critic Lawrence Toppman says some of the season’s richest films are the ones most people have never heard of. From forgotten Thanksgiving dramas to animated immigrant tales, from World War I truces to bittersweet family reunions, Toppman open...

Higher education is in the midst of a transformation — from rising costs and enrollment declines to new questions about the value of a degree. But in the middle of uptown Charlotte, Johnson & Wales University is carving out a different path, one rooted in affordability, career readiness and a unique strength in food, wellness and hospitality. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, ma...

In this live video chat recorded Friday, Nov. 21, 2025, Charlotte Ledger reporters discuss some of their coverage from the week: * Border Patrol arrests in Charlotte * Controversy over plans to wide I-77 between uptown and South Carolina with toll lanes * Arts funding * Recent economic development announcements of Maersk and Scout Motors * Will passage of the transit referendum lead to land deals?...

Between billable hours and family life, few professionals find time to chase the stories in their heads — but one Charlotte attorney did. As a trial attorney, Mathew Flato has spent decades in litigation. Now, he’s turned his eye for detail and structure into a new kind of brief: a debut novel. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, Steve Dunn talks with Flato about “Ocean Child,” his fi...

Uptown Charlotte’s cultural block is home to three museums that opened within months of each other, helping define the city’s modern arts identity. Among them is the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, a compact, instantly recognizable building anchored by the mirrored “Firebird” sculpture — one of the most photographed artworks in North Carolina. Inside, the museum holds a world-class collection of Eu...

In this live video chat recorded Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, Charlotte Ledger reporters discuss some of their coverage from the week: * Tuesday’s election * Michelin ratings of Charlotte restaurants * The effect of the government shutdown on food-assistance benefits and flights at Charlotte’s airport * The prospect for new office construction * The upcoming shutdown of Charlotte magazine * Trends in hom...

After nearly a decade covering Charlotte’s skyline and business growth — first at the Charlotte Business Journal and then on a national real estate beat — journalist Ashley Fahey is returning to her local roots. Now, as managing editor of The Charlotte Ledger, she’s helping steer the newsroom’s next chapter of growth and community reporting. Fahey officially joined the team in September 2025. In t...

In this special episode, we quickly break down what’s on the ballot in Mecklenburg County for the 2025 election — from the Charlotte City Council races to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Board of Education contests and the closely watched transit tax referendum. Tony Mecia of The Charlotte Ledger and Sucharita Kodali of The Election Hub explain what each race means for the future of the communit...

When federal funding cuts and grant freezes hit local nonprofits, many in Charlotte’s safety-net community were forced to make painful choices. One of them, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy , has spent decades standing up for the region’s most vulnerable residents — and now finds itself navigating a financial and moral test of its own. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, The Ledger...

In a city full of newcomers eager to make connections, a Charlotte startup found a simple way to bring people together — through learning. From watercolor painting to small business branding, SkillPop has helped thousands of locals discover new skills and friendships by turning breweries, boutiques and coffee shops into classrooms. What began as a handful of pop-up lessons in 2015 has evolved into...

In this episode, we talk with Robert Dawkins of Action NC, who explains why he believes raising Mecklenburg's sales tax to pay for transit and transportation is unfair and misguided. Dawkins advocates for a "NO" vote on November's referendum, arguing that the plan puts too heavy a burden on low- and middle-income families, lacks accountability and repeats a pattern of broken promises from previous...

After more than 40 years in commercial real estate and banking, Sallie Jarosz thought she was ready for rest. But just a few months into retirement, she realized that slowing down completely wasn’t in her nature. In this episode of The Charlotte Ledger Podcast, host Steve Dunn talks with Jarosz about rediscovering purpose, mentoring others and why she traded spreadsheets for service — joining Fiel...

In this episode, we hear from Shannon Binns of Sustain Charlotte, who makes the case for a “YES” vote on the proposed transportation sales tax referendum. Binns argues that investing in transit, roads, sidewalks and bike lanes is essential to keep up with the region’s explosive growth, improve safety, reduce congestion and make Charlotte more competitive for the future. In a conversation with Char...

Matthew Seneca and Sarah Hayes Harkins are bringing Argentine tango — and a new kind of event space — to Charlotte. Together, they founded Tango CLT, a school for the dramatic partner dance, and The Long Room, a Plaza Midwood venue that blends art, community and celebration. Both come from performing arts backgrounds — Seneca in theater and teaching, Harkins as a ballerina with Charlotte Ballet —...

The Charlotte region is in the middle of a population boom, adding tens of thousands of new residents each year. That growth is fueling opportunity and energy, but it’s also straining roads, schools, housing, and infrastructure in ways that demand new solutions. At this year’s Canopy Realtor® Association EXPO, Charlotte Ledger executive editor Tony Mecia moderated a panel of regional leaders who d...

When Carlos Jorge and Nathalie Simmons Jorge talk about healthcare, it goes far beyond checkups and prescriptions. For them, medicine is equal parts science, integrity and human connection. Their Charlotte-based practice, Companion Health, PLLC, was built on a belief that the best care is rooted in research and compassion, and that sometimes the most powerful thing a doctor can say is, “I don’t kn...