704 Unfiltered

The head of the nation's top public health agency on Wednesday announced a shake-up of the organization, saying it fell short responding to COVID-19 and needs to become more nimble.

The planned changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — CDC leaders call it a “reset”— come amid ongoing criticism of the agency's response to COVID-19, monkeypox and other public health threats. The changes include internal staffing moves and steps to speed up data releases.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/cdc-walensky-changes/507-8f94be91-5a61-4eee-85b1-cabb10362095

The South Carolina Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the state's fetal heartbeat abortion law which only went into effect weeks ago.

The justices Wednesday unanimously voted in favor of a temporary injunction against the measure, which stops it from taking effect for now while they consider the legality of the measure. That ruling likely will take several more weeks to come down.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/south-carolina-supreme-court-abortion-law/101-b326a2f1-e11a-4618-8b4e-4b63bd5e5651

Plus, is going out cheaper than buying groceries?

Food prices continue to rise. Is it actually more affordable to dine out with the family instead of cooking?

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 bill that would ban nearly all abortions without exceptions for rape or incest in South Carolina is heading to the full House floor after a 13-7 vote from the House Judiciary Committee. It's the latest move as some lawmakers move to outlaw the procedure following the decision to overturn Roe V. Wade earlier this summer.

The vote fell along party lines, with all yes votes coming from Republicans and all votes against the bill from Democrats. Five members did not vote. 

Rep. Weston Newton (R-Beaufort) hinted that exceptions for rape or incest could be added back. 

"Exceptions including rape and incest of minors are not now included in this bill, but are no less significant today, than they were when we passed the heart beat bill and celebrated that as being pro life," said Newton.

The proposed legislation does provide protections for the life of the mother and includes a limited number of health conditions that would allow doctors to perform abortions. 

The bill does not criminalize South Carolinian's seeking an abortion, but does include penalties for those who perform the procedure. It also includes banning the selling and buying of drugs that induce abortions. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/near-abortion-ban-south-carolina-full-south-carolina-house-representatives/101-42635f32-94ba-43e3-b008-6c1c927e0b19

Less than two weeks after her husband's COVID-19 isolation ended, first lady Jill Biden has tested positive for the virus. 

The White House said Jill Biden tested negative for COVID-19 Monday as part of regular testing, but then developed cold-like symptoms in the evening. A rapid antigen test came back negative, but she tested positive on a PCR test. 

"The First Lady is double-vaccinated, twice boosted, and only experiencing mild symptoms," the White House said in a Tuesday morning statement. 

Like her husband, Jill Biden was prescribed the anti-viral drug Paxlovid. She will isolate from others for at least the next five days and is currently in South Carolina, where she and Biden were on vacation. She will return home after two negative COVID tests in a row.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-19/507-5ef9f695-2a80-4af0-8470-92bcad6d13dc

Plus, When should school start? 

As students across the Carolinas return to the classroom, when do you think the school year should start?

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! 

After receiving a tip, administrators at South Middle School in Lancaster, South Carolina, found a gun in a student's book bag on Monday, the Lancaster County School District confirmed Monday afternoon. 

This comes as students in Lancaster County head back to school Monday.

According to a news release from the district, after receiving the tip from another person who saw the pistol, the student was taken out of class and detained, then the pistol was recovered.

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office confirmed that the student had a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with a loaded magazine; a round was not chambered. 

The student did not point the pistol at anyone or make any threats, according to the sheriff's office.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/gun-found-students-book-bag-south-middle-school-lancaster-south-carolina/275-999da6a3-b541-42f4-9192-306d1f331616

A federal judge on Monday said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that is investigating whether former President Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws while trying to overturn his narrow 2020 general election loss in the state.

Attorneys for Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, had argued that his position as a U.S. senator provided him immunity from having to appear before the investigative panel and asked the judge to quash his subpoena. But U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May wrote in an order Monday that immunities related to his role as a senator do not protect him in this case.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/lindsey-graham-georgia-election-probe-donald-trump/101-b7e55f90-a7ad-483d-adde-1ad3c87b6a8b

And on this morning's edition of #WakeUpCLT To Go, we're discussing the new social media trend that's taking over the workplace: Quiet quitting! It sounds bad, but is it? Workers say they're taking back their lives by no longer going above and beyond what they're paid to do.

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! 

Happy first day of school, South Carolina! Thousands of students in our area will wake up Monday morning and head back to the classroom for the new school year.

Indira Eskieva joins Wake Up Charlotte To Go from Rock Hill, where pay raises and better incentives led to the hiring of nearly 200 new teachers. We hear from some of those teachers, who discuss why Rock Hill offers a lot to educators who were considering a major change in life.

Tradesha Woodard is in Lancaster, where district leaders are preparing for heavy traffic on the first day of school. To help prevent major backups, schools in Lancaster have made some changes to schedules and are asking for parents to be patient in student pick-up and drop-off lines Monday.

Ben Thompson connects the dots on North Carolina's COVID-19 State of Emergency, which ends Monday. You may not notice an immediate change, but the state of emergency did so much more than simply enforce COVID-19 safety measures and protocols.

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

GT Real Estate, one of multiple companies owned by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, submitted a plan to pay back creditors in the failed Rock Hill Panthers HQ project. 

Under a reorganization plan submitted in court on Thursday morning, Tepper's other company, DT Sports Holding, will make $82 million available in cash under a Plan Sponsor Agreement with GT Real Estate. 

The plan includes paying contractors who worked on the site $60.5 million, as well as paying York County $21.165 million.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/rock-hill/gt-real-estate-bankruptcy-panthers-rock-hill-project-money/275-6031ce02-fd4c-4c0b-b61e-c7fddea5b9e3

Carowinds will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year with an all-new area that pays tribute to the Carolinas' spirit of invention and the history of flight. 

Carowinds first opened on March 31, 1973, to 6,000 guests and great fanfare. Now, 50 years later, the beloved theme park will celebrate "50 years of Carolina fun" with new rides and attractions, including Aeronautica Landing. 

“I am proud to be celebrating the golden anniversary of Carowinds as well as the amazing associates who have delivered on our goal to make our guests happy,” Manny Gonzalez, Carowinds vice president and general manager, said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/carowinds-aeronautica-landing-50th-anniversary-celebration/275-d7685647-6c25-4b0b-b1ae-43de36c967b0

Plus, Friday will start wet but things will quickly improve as we have the most pleasant weather since early summer! Larry Sprinkle has your full forecast.

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! 

NASCAR announced it is moving its NASCAR Productions operations to a new state-of-the-art facility in Concord. 

The new 58,000-square foot studio will be built on the land adjacent to the NASCAR R&D Center, which is across Derita Road from the airport in Concord. The move comes months after Cabarrus County officials approved an incentives package designed to bring NASCAR Productions to Concord. 

NASCAR confirmed the new facility will house 125 NASCAR Productions and Motor Racing Network employees with room to expand further in the future. NASCAR said it will also keep a large presence in Uptown Charlotte with a contingent of employees remaining at Fifty Five South (formerly NASCAR Plaza) for the foreseeable future.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/sports/motor/nascar/nascar-productions-concord-north-carolina-facility-cabarrus-county-relocation/275-ca5bcb4d-fade-46a8-9401-00d7e3e3a2dd

An elaborate scam in Charlotte is swindling families out of money and their homes, according to police and a large rental company.

FirstKey Homes owns hundreds of houses across the Charlotte area and rents them out to residents. The company told WCNC Charlotte scammers are pretending to own some of its properties and are renting them out to victims to collect rent money.

India Green said she is a victim of this scam, after moving to Charlotte from Virginia with her two sons. She moved into a house at the beginning of August, only to find out she doesn’t have permission to be there.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/consumer/charlotte-rental-scam/275-6ac0539a-8a74-41f6-87cf-ee290e1e24d5

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! 

 There's a new development in the battle over abortion in our state.

The procedure is legal in North Carolina but a lawsuit seeks to reinstate a 1973 ban after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The State Attorney General's Office asked a federal judge Monday not to reinstate the ban. 

Last month, Judge William Osteen with the Middle District of North Carolina said his previous injunction on the 20-week ban "may now be contrary to law" after the Supreme Court struck down Roe V. Wade.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/court-battle-over-nc-abortion-rules-continues-as-state-ags-staff-asks-judge-not-to-restore-20-week-ban/83-1d7dc1d6-dfe9-498d-ac33-22645c522f04

Former President Donald Trump will be questioned under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general’s long-running civil investigation into his dealings as a real estate mogul, he confirmed in a post on his Truth Social account.

Trump’s testimony comes amid a flurry of legal activity surrounding him, taking place just days after FBI agents searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida as part of an unrelated federal probe into whether he took classified records when he left the White House.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/trump-testifying-investigation/507-3d0e1fe2-1b96-4525-ab66-a896cb30d15f

Plus, You're probably a good parent to your kids, and even your pets. But what about plants? On this episode of #WakeUpCLT To Go, we're showing our green thumbs (or lack thereof) and our ability to take care of houseplants! A new poll shows nearly 25% of Americans can't keep a houseplant alive for six months. For some, they don't even try.

One-third of people surveyed said they don't have any living plants in their house. But there are a lot of success stories of people taking care of plants and letting them thrive indoors. On this episode, we're showing some of the photos people have sent of their houseplants. Whether it's a basic fern or an exotic plant that isn't native to the Charlotte, North Carolina, area, plant lovers and gardeners love to nurture their babies.

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! 

Months after they were sentenced to life in prison for murder, the three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery in a Georgia neighborhood faced a second round of criminal penalties Monday for federal hate crimes committed in the deadly pursuit of the 25-year-old Black man.

U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood scheduled back-to-back hearings to individually sentence each of the defendants, starting with Travis McMichael, who shot Arbery with a shotgun after the street chase initiated by his father and joined by a neighbor.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/ahmaud-arbery/ahmaud-arbery-sentencing-greg-travis-mcmichael-william-roddie-bryan-federal-hate-crime/85-99e3a176-5358-4a6b-ad5d-fc1c1ce52f03

With monkeypox cases on the rise in the United States, the federal government has declared a public health emergency to bolster the response to the outbreak that has infected more than 7,500 Americans as of Aug. 5. 

Online searches show many people are wondering how monkeypox spreads. Several VERIFY viewers, including Becki and Rob, have asked us whether the virus can be transmitted by touching surfaces that have come in contact with a person who has monkeypox. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/verify/monkeypox-verify/monkeypox-transmission-spread-touching-contaminated-surfaces-risk-level-fact-check/536-a793bb82-adac-43ab-8df9-dad4c7f17a06

Plus, Olivia Newton-John, the British-Australian actress and singer who became everyone's sweetheart with her portrayal of Sandy in "Grease," died Monday morning, according to an announcement posted on her official social media accounts. She was 73.

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! 

Police are searching for at least two suspects after nine people were injured in a shooting in Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine neighborhood early Sunday morning. 

Officers were called to the 1300 block of Main Street near downtown shortly before 1:40 a.m. following reports of a disorderly crowd. 

Police said two groups started fighting while officers were clearing the crowd from the street. At least two individuals involved in the altercation pulled out firearms and exchanged multiple rounds of gunfire into the crowd. 

In a press briefing, Cincinnati police said eight men and one woman were hurt and treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. The victims’ ages range from 23 to 47. 

An officer fired one shot at an unidentified suspect who was leaving the scene, but it’s unclear whether the suspect was struck by gunfire, according to police. 

"Today's events are completely and totally unacceptable. The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture. I want to express the city's gratitude to the officers on the scene. Their quick response likely saved many more from injury and prevented the loss of life," Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement. 

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has additional information, they are asked to contact the Cincinnati Police Department Criminal Investigations Section at 513-352-3542.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/ohio/cincinnati-shooting-9-injured-2-gunmen-sought/530-7f2cf5bd-099b-4025-8177-94558179ab62

Over 400 flights have been delayed and dozens more are canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Sunday, according to Flight Aware.

About 245 of these are American Airlines flights, with another 88 of the flights being run by PSA Airlines, an American Airlines subsidiary. 

American Airlines told WCNC Charlotte that the delays are cancellations are due to storms expected Sunday afternoon and evening.

This comes after over 600 flights were delayed and 50 were canceled at the airport on Saturday, and another 1,100 flights were canceled across the U.S. on Friday.

Last weekend, weather conditions left hundreds of flights delayed or canceled at the Charlotte Douglas Airport.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/travel/hundreds-of-flights-delayed-dozen-canceled-at-charlotte-douglas-airport-over-weekend/275-280d5397-5b78-4d1c-ac9e-c1742e65c6c8

Plus, a sheriff in western North Carolina is proposing a new way to help keep students and teachers safe in the classroom: By putting AR-15s in schools for school resource officer access.

The Madison County Sheriff says the guns will be locked in safes so only officers can access them. In a Facebook post announcing the plan, the sheriff went on to say "we've got to be prepared - Even in our rural counties -- for the enemy when he tries to come in and deter our children."

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 Federal Bureau of Investigations has arrested four current and former Louisville Metro Police officers in relation to Breonna Taylor's death. 

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday charges include violating Taylor's civil rights, unlawful conspiracies, unconstitutional use of force, and obstruction offenses.

The officers charged include former LMPD detectives Joshua Jaynes and Brett Hankison, and current LMPD Sgt. Kyle Meany and detective Kelly Goodlett.

LMPD Police Chief Erika Shields says termination procedures for Meany and Goodlett have begun.

Jaynes, who was the lead investigator in the case, was the officer who signed the search warrant that lead to Taylor's death on March 13, 2020.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/investigations/breonna-taylor-case-lmpd-officers-arrested-charged-doj-fbi-investigation/417-dc411eda-4a7c-460c-a0c3-2f8a8f8218c6

Robinhood, a popular app that allows users to buy and sell stock without paying commission or account minimums, is closing its Charlotte office as company layoffs continue. 

The Uptown office opened last year, promising to bring hundreds of jobs to Mecklenburg County. Charlotte-based employees will begin working under Robinhood's "work from anywhere" remote model, company spokesperson Casey Becker told WCNC Charlotte. It's unclear how many Robinhood workers are based in Charlotte or when the office will be closed.

The fintech firm's move to Uptown was seen as a revival of sorts, with Charlotte's center being mostly empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic after years of growth and a thriving corporate environment. 

Robinhood stock made its Wall Street debut in July of 2021. The company introduced millions of people to investing and went viral for the Gamestop saga of 2021 which saw stock prices rise rapidly and cause volatility in the market. 

CEO Vlad Tenev announced another round of layoffs and corporate reorganization on Aug. 2. Tenev said Robinhood would be letting go of 23% of its workforce, after cutting 9% of employees earlier this year.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/money/robinhood-uptown-charlotte-office-closing/275-e07d97cf-9fec-46ae-a965-d03c87bbfec7

Plus, Duke Energy is offering customers a $75 gift card to adjust their smart thermostats. Would you sign up for the program?

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!