Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins

A week of ins and outs. The Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization reverses their initial rejection of NCDOT’s I-77 toll lanes so, they’re in. CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill, though, is out. The school board fired her and Stephanie Sneed stepped down as chair with some board members saying the board is broken. Those stories and more with our roundtable of reporters.

North Carolina native Nina Simone was a classically trained pianist turned singer who blended jazz, blues, classical, gospel and protest music. She also blended music with her fight for civil rights. In Asheville, while in high school, she met poet and playwright Langston Hughes and formed a decades-long friendship and creative partnership. That's the topic of a new book about them both by NC State professor Jason Miller.

In a vote on Tuesday, the CMS School Board fires Superintendent Crystal Hill. Then, the fate of the I-77 toll lanes: After public opposition, the project was voted down. But the state passed a law requiring local governments to repay millions to the N.C. Department of Transportation if that vote stands. That has some municipalities rethinking their decisions. We hear from leaders in the region about what comes next, and about how Charlotte reached its decision.

Dr. Annie Andrews is a pediatrician and mother from Charleston. She is the Democratic candidate running for the open U.S. Senate seat in South Carolina. No Democrat has won a Senate seat in S.C. since 1998. She discusses her hopes to flip the seat.

Americans are working longer than ever, but many say the workplace isn’t built to support them. Sixty-four percent of workers over 50 report seeing or experiencing age discrimination. Twenty-two percent say they are being pushed out of their jobs because of their age. Since those 55 and older are the fastest-growing age group in the labor force, what does this mean for the workforce? How can older workers stay competitive?

The back-and-forth between CMS leaders continues. President Donald Trump stumps in Gastonia for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley. Charlotte City Council may reverse its vote opposing the I-77 toll lanes, and the Women’s Tennis Association is moving its headquarters to Charlotte. Those stories and more with our roundtable of reporters.

Testosterone is getting a lot of attention these days. The defense secretary pushed for new guidelines on testosterone screening for troops, while young men and boys are increasingly exposed to social media influencers promoting ways to boost the hormone. We discuss the rise of testosterone culture and its health implications.

Local news in trouble. The media landscape here took another hit last week as McClatchy, the parent company of the Charlotte Observer, eliminated a quarter of its newsroom. This comes after years of downsizing at the paper, and McClatchy is doing the same across its properties nationwide. What this means and what, if anything, can be done to keep news healthy.

Local news in trouble. The media landscape here took another hit last week as McClatchy, the parent company of the Charlotte Observer, eliminated a quarter of its newsroom. This comes after years of downsizing at the paper, and McClatchy is doing the same across its properties nationwide. What this means and what, if anything, can be done to keep news healthy.

NASCAR star Mark Martin rose from the small-town tracks of Arkansas to the speedways of NASCAR, carving a career out of consistency and precision. Now, Martin has written about his career, his time living in Charlotte, and his passion for racing. He joins us to discuss “Never Lift.”

Southeast Charlotte has transformed into one of the region's bustling centers for business, housing and development. We explore how it got here, how the area is changing and what comes next. We’ll also look at the push to create communities where people can live, work, shop and spend time without getting in a car.

CMS Superintendent Crystal Hill tells “Charlotte Talks” that the investigation into her found no wrongdoing. As the school board approaches a deadline for a decision, towns around Charlotte are deciding how to vote on the I-77 South toll lanes, Mooresville Mayor Chris Carney announces he’ll retire, and North Carolina’s mail-in ballots are out.

On Sept. 11, 2001, four planes were hijacked. Two flew into the World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Then, everything changed. Those who are old enough will never forget where they were that day, but to a growing number of people, it is history. We look back on our immediate reaction and the lasting impact of those terrorist attacks.

The NFL is back on Wednesday and Carolina starts on Sunday. The Panthers 2025 season featured a surprise division crown that's led to some primetime matchups for the team this season. We discuss the expectations, plus take a look at stadium renovations and a recent report on football players and CTE.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is back in session after a bumpy summer revealing tension between Superintendent Crystal Hill and the school board, even as the district celebrates significant post-pandemic academic gains. We’ll talk to Hill about her return, the investigation’s aftermath, recent district academic gains, the challenges facing students and teachers, and what she believes the district needs to accomplish this year.

Nearly two decades after the hazing death of 19-year-old Harrison Kowiak at Lenoir-Rhyne University, North Carolina has enacted Harrison’s Law, expanding the definition of hazing and increasing criminal penalties. We examine what the new law changes, the federal landscape for hazing and whether stronger statutes can truly shift campus culture.

The reopening of Jail North is just weeks away after the Mecklenburg County Commission voted unanimously to approve it. Two protesters arrested during last fall's immigration crackdown go to trial in U.S. district court. North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards is formally censured by the House of Representatives. And North Carolina plays host to the G20.

As unemployment rates among young people continue to rise, Charlotte sees an influx of jobs going to those 25 to 34. The next challenge is keeping them here for good. We discuss how the Queen City seems to fight the narrative nationally of a hard time to be a first-time member of the workforce.

We sit down with Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden to discuss jail overcrowding, deaths in custody, cooperation with immigration enforcement officials, the need for a juvenile detention facility, and lawsuits and investigations involving the operation of the county jail.

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina. Landslides tore apart families and killed dozens. What more could have been done to save lives? And what could be done to save them in the future? Those are some of the questions asked in WCNC's new documentary "Lost Ground: America’s Landslide Crisis."

Millions of bison once roamed North America, from Alaska to North Carolina. After being hunted to near extinction, fewer than 1,000 were left by the late 1800s. Today, bison and a handful of other large animals are having a surprising renaissance. We speak with the author of a new book about why many animal populations have plummeted and why some are making an unexpected comeback.