704 Unfiltered

Upending the political debate, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a nationwide abortion ban Tuesday, sending shockwaves through both parties and igniting fresh debate on a fraught issue weeks before the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Graham's own Republican Party leaders did not immediately embrace his abortion ban bill, which would prohibit the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy with rare exceptions, and has almost no chance of becoming law in the Democratic-held Congress. Democrats torched it as an alarming signal of where “MAGA” Republicans are headed if they win control of the House and Senate in November.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/lindsey-graham-nationwide-abortion-ban/507-5f623200-497a-44ea-9a28-62b556529e37

Black and Hispanic Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools students saw progress on their English test scores at the end of last school year, but are still behind. 

CMS says between September 2021 and May 2022, students testing at college and career levels went from 3.1% of students to 15.9%.

The school board wants at least 36% of all Black and Hispanic CMS students to test at the highest levels of end-of-year exams this school year.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/cms-college-and-career-ready-black-and-hispanic-students/275-7e36e965-bd32-41c0-83ef-48462e8fc6b4

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

The Gaston County Schools Superintendent apologized to staff members with incorrect or missing paychecks during a town hall meeting Monday night. 

"I have great regrets that all this is done to different people," Jeffrey Booker, Gaston County Schools Superintendent said. 

For months now some employees received incorrect or no paychecks due to a new payroll system. The payroll system, currently a pilot at Gaston County Schools, is a step to modernize the outdated system they previously had.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/gaston-county-schools-employees-no-timeline-payroll-issues/275-8c88780d-cbcf-47ba-9352-0b8cb1ca0eb6

 Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather is requesting assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation into a Charlotte city councilman, the district attorney's office confirmed. 

James "Smuggie" Mitchell was recently elected to city council and holds one of the four at-large seats. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/mecklenburg-county-da-sbi-councilman-stake-james-smuggie-mitchell/275-01284608-1f4a-4b90-83cb-61a466a16062

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

 Efforts to curb the violence in Mecklenburg County continue with a community event in the Beatties Ford Road community, Saturday afternoon.

The Alternatives to Violence Teams (ATV) are getting to know the people they are serving through its meet-and-greet event. More importantly, the organization wants the residents to know their faces as they push to stop violence in the area. There was a DJ playing music to keep the atmosphere fun and inviting.

“It’s about us -- meeting the people where they are, finding out what the needs are because once you find out what their needs are then you can better serve them," said Leondra Garrett, a violence interrupter. She’s on the frontlines, has lived in the neighborhood, and said that has helped her build relationships with residents.

“It makes the connection easier because they trust you.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/seeking-solutions-alternatives-to-violence-charlotte-nc-local/275-2c80788a-8676-4068-b8b2-ca5d9d3965ab

Queen Elizabeth II's grandson Prince Harry hailed her Monday as a “guiding compass” and praised her “unwavering grace and dignity," as members of the public were to get the chance to pay their respects to the monarch when her coffin lies at rest at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh.

The personal statement, posted on Harry and his wife Meghan’s Archwell website, said he cherished their times together “from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved greatgrandchildren.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/queens-coffin/507-76b5d259-e377-4753-be80-55bb8a7d3206

Plus, a tough loss for the Carolina Panthers to start the season. Despite a near-comeback in the fourth quarter, the Panthers fell to the Cleveland Browns 26 to 24. The loss means Carolina will go over a calendar year without winning a game at home.

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

 South Carolina senators rejected a ban on almost all abortions Thursday in a special session called in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Although Republicans had a majority of votes to pass the ban, Republican Sen. Tom Davis threatened to filibuster and proponents of the ban could not get the extra votes to stop him.

Davis, the chief of staff for former Gov. Mark Sanford before being elected to the Senate in 2009, was joined by the three Republican women in the Senate, a fifth GOP colleague and all the chamber’s Democrats to oppose the proposed ban.

Davis opposes a blanket ban on abortions in South Carolina and said he would argue against the bill until the 46-member Senate mustered the 26 votes required to end the filibuster. That appeared unlikely to happen, as only after 24 senators voted for an amended bill that included exceptions for pregnancies cause by rape or incest up to 12 weeks after conception. Twenty senators were opposed and two were absent.

After a recess to work through their options, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey conceded the abortion ban likely couldn't pass, although a vote to end debate had not been taken.

”This is a math question, you have to have the votes to pass it - and we do not,” Massey said.

Davis said he promised his daughters he would not vote to make South Carolina’s current six-week abortion ban stricter because women have rights, too.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/south-carolina-senate-abortion-ban/101-04933ad1-2515-401e-80a4-0dab42decb7a

 The Concord Police Department has released body camera footage from a deadly police shooting in Concord; the shooting happened in February at the Modern Nissan Dealership in Concord.

The Concord Police Department said former Concord police officer Timothy Larson was on routine patrol when he says he saw 29-year-old Brandon Combs trying to steal a vehicle from the dealership. Police said during their interaction, Combs jumped into the driver's seat of the police SUV.

The body camera video shows the moments before Larson pulled the trigger. Police said Larson shot Combs after Combs ignored several commands to stop. 

The State Bureau of Investigation found that Larson did not use excessive force in the deadly shooting because Combs was driving a vehicle pointed at Larson.

For the latest breaking news, weather and traffic alerts, download the WCNC Charlotte mobile app.  

The Concord Police Department and SBI looked into the shooting and questioned Larson about his actions. Larson was effectively terminated in May. According to a notice of dismissal, the officer gave investigators false information in regards to the shooting.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/investigations/body-camera-video-police-shooting-concord-timothy-larson-brandon-combs/275-daf24959-cf6e-4288-907a-0cc2426ff600

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch and a rock of stability across much of a turbulent century, died Thursday, Sept 8 after 70 years on the throne. She was 96.

The palace announced she died at Balmoral Castle, her summer residence in Scotland, where members of the royal family had rushed to her side after her health took a turn for the worse.

A link to the almost-vanished generation that fought World War II, she was the only monarch most Britons have ever known.

Her 73-year-old son Prince Charles automatically becomes king, though the coronation might not take place for months. It was not immediately known whether he will call himself King Charles III or some other name.

The BBC played the national anthem, “God Save the Queen,” over a portrait of her in full regalia as her death was announced, and the flag over Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-staff as the second Elizabethan age came to a close.

The impact of her loss will be huge and unpredictable, both for the nation and for the monarchy, an institution she helped stabilize and modernize across decades of huge social change and family scandals.

A woman walking along the McAlpine Creek Greenway in Charlotte Thursday morning was assaulted by a suspect who also attempted to rape her, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Around 11 a.m., the woman was walking on the greenway near Margaret Wallace Road, which is located near Independence Boulevard and north of McAlpine Creek Park. 

"A male suspect assaulted her and attempted to rape her," CMPD said in a tweet later in the day. "The victim was able to fight off the suspect."

The suspect may have injuries to his face or hands as a result of the victim fighting him off, police believe. The suspect is described as a 5 foot 6 inches tall Black man, with a heavy build, dreadlocks, and was wearing all black clothing at the time of the attack, according to police.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/mcalpine-creek-greenway-attempted-assault-rape-charlotte-police/275-b3ee2f6d-b525-49c3-a141-1ffe788979ce

Legislation that would have authorized sports betting across all of North Carolina fell apart late Wednesday as the House narrowly rejected a key measure amid warnings about the dangers of gambling from an unusual coalition of social conservatives and liberal Democrats.

The House voted 51-50 not to approve one of two measures that, when combined, would have established the rules to authorize and regulate gambling on professional sporting events and out-of-state horse racing.

Prospects already looked shaky earlier Wednesday when the House voted by a similar 51-50 margin for a supplemental measure that would have mostly made changes to a separate, comprehensive bill unveiled last year that laid out the structure of how sports betting would be conducted. The supplemental measure focused on how gambling license operators would have been taxed and where the proceeds would have gone.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/north-carolina-sports-betting-legislation-falters-house/275-c2f714c5-4b4e-4354-bada-95382f01a8c9

Plus, Apple’s latest line-up of iPhones will boast better cameras, faster processors, and a longer-lasting battery — all at the same prices as last year’s models, despite inflationary pressure that has driven up the cost of many other everyday items.

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

On Wednesday The South Carolina Senate will debate a near-total abortion ban that right now, does not include exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. 

Abortion exceptions for rape and incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy were removed by a 7-3 vote from a Senate committee Tuesday.

Democrats abstained from voting in an effort to prevent the bill from passing through the legislature. 

“This is an awful bill. I just can’t say that enough,” said Senate Minority Leader Brad Hutto, (D-Orangeburg). “What we've witnessed here is the Republican majority’s attempt to impose an extreme total ban on abortion on women in South Carolina."

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/senate-committee-removes-rape-incest-exceptions-abortion-bill-south-carolina/101-87e8e3df-740c-4a1e-a7b3-5bbdf7491872

In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and also temporarily halted the Justice Department’s own use of the records for investigative purposes.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-special-master/507-a4b919b1-b31e-4fb3-9ec2-0330f17e891e

Plus, turns out Charlotte is one of the most polite cities in the US, at least according to people who live here. A new survey asked residents around the country to rank their city's politeness. Charlotte tied with Dallas, Texas at number 15 for more polite. 

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Charlotte welcomes a new city council on Tuesday, September 6 during a swearing-in ceremony. The new council includes mostly familiar faces with a few new names.  

"The priority should be 'let's get back to basics.' We've had a lot of self-inflicted wounds, we really need to go back and think about regular infrastructure, potholes, the job of the city," Tariq Bokhari, district six councilman, said.

In recent years, council tackled a number of controversial issues including the Unified Development Ordinance, the Charlotte 2040 comprehensive plan, pandemic response, and transit. 

"This last council was able to put a bow on a lot of big things before this term ended... it's got to be back to the basics of housing, community safety, transportation," Larken Egleston, outgoing district one councilman, said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/charlotte-city-council-swears-in-new-members-on-tuesday-september-6-flashpoint/275-96188c90-5a54-4785-8bd8-765ecdd0275f

In a legal victory for former President Donald Trump, a federal judge on Monday granted his request for a special master to review documents seized by the FBI from his Florida home and also temporarily halted the Justice Department’s own use of the records for investigative purposes.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon authorizes an outside legal expert to review the records taken during the Aug. 8 search and to weed out from the rest of the investigation any that might be protected by claims of attorney-client privilege or executive privilege. Some of those records may ultimately be returned to Trump, but the judge put off a ruling on that question.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-special-master/507-a4b919b1-b31e-4fb3-9ec2-0330f17e891e

Plus, have you ever had a boss treat you so badly that you were forced to quit your job? Welcome to "quiet firing."

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

Authorities say a man shot at police on Sunday when they approached him about an assault report.

On Sunday, the Gaston County Police Department released details about a shooting between officers and Matthew Curtis Buford, 33, on Stoney Oaks Drive. 

The situation began on Sunday when a resident on Stoney Oaks Drive told police they found a vehicle on their property. Officers arrived and found an assault rifle in the vehicle and confiscated it along with the vehicle.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/man-shot-by-police-after-shooting-at-officers-in-gaston-county-officials-say-matthew-buford-north-carolina-shooting-investigation/275-7fd2682e-9452-4130-ac85-73996bd44a82

Legislation banning nearly all abortions with few exceptions is heading to the Senate for consideration after a third and final vote from House Lawmakers Wednesday. 

"It's a sad day for women across this state," said Rep. Beth Bernstein (D- Richland). 

"A person’s a person, no matter how small. Today is a great day in south Carolina," said Rep. Adam Morgan.

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/sc-house-passes-abortion-ban-with-exceptions/101-d3a8f4d2-b70b-44e2-81c7-7d9f5485b5dc

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT! 

A suspect is hospitalized in critical condition after being shot by Concord police officers at Concord Mills Mall Wednesday. Two other suspects, who weren't injured during the incident, were also arrested. 

Concord police responded to the mall after a shopper called 911 saying her credit cards were stolen. The caller gave the dispatcher a description of the suspects, according to Concord police. 

Responding officers confronted the suspects outside the mall, triggering a foot chase. Maj. Todd McGhee said officers chased the suspects into the mall before they led officers outside to a construction area on the property. 

During the chase, one of the three suspects fired a shot at the pursuing officers, according to McGhee. The bullet struck the ground in front of the officers, police said.

The two officers returned fire striking the suspect, who was airlifted by helicopter to Atrium Health's Carolina Medical Center in Charlotte. The suspect remains in critical condition.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/concord-mills-mall-closed-due-to-police-activity/275-27c3c1e9-3d4c-4606-b0ab-5fc1ac7bbf78

A federal judge on Thursday ruled that constitutional protections don't shield U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham from testifying before a special grand jury investigating possible illegal efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May rejected Graham’s argument that all his calls with Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, were protected under the U.S. Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which shields members of Congress from questioning about official legislative acts.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/lindsey-graham-trump-election-probe-fulton-county-georgia/85-067515b9-cb47-4f9c-80f0-5ecbfa15f778

Plus, Happy Friday! What are your Labor Day weekend plans? Larry Sprinkle and Chris Mulcahy have your full forecast on #wakeupCLT To Go.

Watch Wake Up Charlotte each weekday morning from 4:30 to 7 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte, and as always, join the conversation on social media using #WakeUpCLT!