WCNC Charlotte's Flashpoint

This week on Flashpoint, it's all about real estate in the Queen City, and we're looking at all sorts of angles. Up first: Ben Thompson chats with David Kennedy about the housing boom Charlotte is seeing right now. Kennedy is the president of the Canopy Realtor Association, and he says that there's a lot to like about an active market, but notes there still needs to be work done to ensure housing...

This week on Flashpoint, Ben Thompson tackles two tough subjects: the trans rights debate, and racial inequity in healthcare.   Up first: U.S. Representative Alma Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, has proposed a "Momnibus" bill, which has multiple bills rolled into it. The goal: to get Congress to address the inequities Black women face in healthcare, especially pregnant Black women. She relates t...

This week, Flashpoint's Ben Thompson sits down with a Winthrop professor who debunks myths about widespread elections fraud. Despite a long list of proposals in state capitols promising to secure our elections, the U.S. doesn't have a problem with election fraud, according to Dr. Scott Huffmon. "This is a solution that can't quite find the real problem," said Huffmon, professor of politics at Wint...

Ben Thompson goes one-on-one with US transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg about Charlotte's 2040 plan, possibilities of expanding rail, and more.   PLUS: Charlotte city leaders discuss the city's plans for transit and what could come.   These stories and more, online: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/flashpoint-politics-charlotte-transit/275-f31da8b9-e7db-48a0-8603-622f0808...

As restaurants, stores and museums reopen at near-normal capacity limits across North Carolina, public health officials are displaying a cautious optimism.   Dr. Raynard Washington, the deputy director of the Mecklenburg County Health Department, said his office continues to closely watch the numbers.  There's been a recent plateau in downward progress.   In the meantime, the county is getting mor...

Some Charlotte Democrats are pushing for changes with the city's  Future 2040  plan, which supporters say will make the Queen City more equitable, connected and affordable. The plan also tackles some of the city's ongoing problems, such as  affordable housing , heavy traffic and long commute times.  Policy 2.1, under the Neighborhood Diversity & Inclusion section, calls for allowing "duplex and tr...

Charlotte's affordable housing crisis is nothing new, and now city leaders are addressing proposals that could bring solutions to people in need. First, Ben Thompson is joined by Taiwo Jaiyeoba, assistant city manager and chief city planner, to discuss the Charlotte 2040 plan. Next, City Councilman Tariq Bokhari discusses a proposal to add more duplexes and triplexes in the city and the eliminatio...

On this week's FlashPOINT, we're looking at Charlotte's affordable housing crisis and the hidden cost of the coronavirus pandemic. There was nearly 1,000 evictions in the last few months of 2020 in Charlotte alone. These are folks who have fallen between the cracks despite the moratorium on evictions. Plus, we discuss efforts to make Charlotte more inclusive for LGBTQ citizens and protections loca...

If you thought the new year would mean a break from partisan politics, think again! We start this week's show with North Carolina State Sen. Jeff Jackson, a Democrat from Charlotte, who tells us why he chose to run for U.S. Senate in 2022 and why now is the right time to make that announcement.  Then we're joined by Charlotte City Councilmen Larken Egleston and Tariq Bokhari for a roundtable discu...

After focusing for months on the 2020 election and COVID-19 pandemic, this week's FlashPoint with Ben Thompson is all about Charlotte! Guests on this week's show include City Council members Larken Egleston and Tariq Bokhari.  Topics on this week's program include Charlotte's biggest obstacles entering 2021, as well as renaming streets that are named after Confederate generals and white supremacis...

After spending weeks focusing on the 2020 presidential election, this week's episode is all about Charlotte. Years after the Queen City's non-discrimination ordinance caused shockwaves across North Carolina and ultimately cost the state billions of dollars (and an NBA All-Star Game) will Charlotte move to create another non-discrimination ordinance?    Charlotte City Council members Larken Eglesto...

Election Day is behind us and absentee ballots are still being counted in several states that could determine the final outcome of the presidency.    On this week's show, Ben Thompson is joined by Michael Dickerson, director of the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, who explains the absentee ballot counting process and what poll workers have to do in order to accurately count every vote. We al...

We're now less than 3 days away from Election Day 2020 and the stakes couldn't be higher. Now that early voting has wrapped up, it's down to in-person voting and any remaining absentee ballots that will come through the mail.    Ben Thompson is joined by Catawba College political science professor, Dr. Michael Bitzer, who breaks down voter turnout, record early voting and what we can expect after...

We're less than 2 weeks until the 2020 election and all eyes are on the Carolinas, where President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are focusing their campaigns. On this special edition of FlashPoint, Fred Shropshire and Sarah French break down what's happening in our area as Election Day gets closer.  Ben Thompson examines why North Carolina is so important to both candidates. And...

We're less than a month away from the 2020 election and all eyes are on North Carolina, where President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are focusing their campaigns. But it goes far beyond the state level, with campaigns going so far as to target specific neighborhoods. Ben Thompson is joined by Michael Dickerson, the head of the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, as they gear up...

On this week's episode of FlashPoint on WCNC Charlotte, Ben Thompson is joined by former Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx, who talks about what he's been up to lately, why he's backing Joe Biden in November's presidential election and if he'll ever return to politics. North Carolina voters are on track to set a record when it comes to absentee ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ben is joined by...

The Republican National Convention is in the rearview mirror and the race to the White House is on! Ben Thompson is joined by North Carolina State Rep. Chaz Beasley and former Vice-Chairman of the NCGOP, Wayne King to discuss the RNC and they each make the case for their party's candidate in November's election. In Segment Two, Ben is joined by Dr. Micahel Bitzer, a political science professor at...

It's finally here. The 2020 Republican National Convention has rolled into Charlotte and the 2020 presidential election is on! On this week's show, Ben Thompson is joined by Charlotte City Council members Larken Egleston and Tariq Bokhari to discuss the RNC and what it will look like compared to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee. Then, Egleston and Bokhari discuss multiple ethics com...

As North Carolina prepares for the 2020 election, the state has received well over 100,000 requests for mail-in ballots. That is five times where we were this same time in 2016. To discuss the tremendous increase across North Carolina, we're joined by Catawba College political science professor Dr. Michael Bitzer. Bitzer digs into the data and tells Ben Thompson why the 2020 election could be dete...

We're just a couple of weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Charlotte. And as changes seem to be made on a daily basis, we're still learning what the toned-down convention might look like in the Queen City. Ben Thompson is joined by Republican strategist Larry Sheehan, as well as Democrat strategist Douglas Wilson to discuss it. Plus, we're talking about the methods schools are us...

As protests against racial injustice continue across America, there are louder calls to "defund the police." On this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by Charlotte City Councilman Braxton Winston to discuss the semantics and meaning behind defunding the police. Winston shares his thoughts on the movement, how police tactics should be changed and if defunding police is really "reform." Winston also e...

Coronavirus continues to be the biggest headline nationwide and in the Carolinas. While the numbers aren't great for North Carolina, they're better than some of our neighbors, including North Carolina. Ben Thompson is joined by Ashley Smith of Reopen NC, the group pushing for Gov. Roy Cooper to be impeached and have businesses across the state back open. Smith explains why her group believes Coope...

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going for nearly six months. Ben Thompson is joined by Congresswoman Alma Adams, who says the federal government's response to COVID-19 was insufficient. Adams also discusses what could be done to help people in North Carolina and nationwide recover. During her interview, Adams talks about protests for social justice during the pandemic and what law enforcement and p...