Tune in here to this ​Wednesday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about Charlotte’s growing concerns over public safety and the urgent issues surrounding the city’s transit system. Joined in studio by Charlotte City Council member Edwin Peacock III, Brett dives into Tuesday night’s high-stakes meeting on CATS safety following a recent deadly incident on the light rail. Councilmember Peacock shares insights from the meeting, which brought together top officials like CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings and District Attorney Spencer Merriweather. He highlights key takeaways, including a need for increased security visibility, better staffing, and more aggressive enforcement of fare policies. Peacock also expresses cautious optimism about new safety leadership within CATS and calls for transparency and data collection to guide future policy. The conversation shifts to broader questions about accountability, the so-called “honor system” on public transit, and how the city can rebuild public trust. It’s an eye-opening look into a system at a crossroads.

Later, Jensen shifts the conversation to the controversial one-cent transit tax that will appear on the November ballot. Still joined by Charlotte City Council member Edwin Peacock III, in studio the discussion explores whether the estimated $30 billion in projected revenue over 30 years could be used to improve transit safety. Peacock affirms that while the plan doesn’t explicitly spell out safety upgrades, there is flexibility in how the funds could be allocated—especially for new technology, fare enforcement, and system modernization.

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Tune in here to this ​Tuesday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about Mayor Vi Lyles’ recent controversies and introducing his exclusive interview with Democratic mayoral candidate Brendan Maginnis.

Maginnis doesn’t hold back—criticizing Lyles for what he describes as years of political maneuvering, lack of transparency, and a series of scandals including secret payouts, public safety missteps, and controversial development decisions. Maginnis, a former Marine and financial advisor, explains that he's running for mayor because no one else was willing to challenge the status quo. He highlights his focus on affordability, childcare, and systemic reform, emphasizing his commitment to solving root causes, not just symptoms.

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Tune in here to this ​Friday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about the start of college football season and why tonight’s Duke’s Mayo Classic at Bank of America Stadium is a major step forward for UNC Charlotte. He recalls covering the sport since the late 1990s and explains how the expansion of playoffs and growth of programs have reshaped the game

Later, Jensen turned his focus to the horrific stabbing on the Lynx Blue Line that claimed the life of 23-year-old Irina Zarutska, a refugee from Ukraine who had come to Charlotte seeking safety. He detailed how the suspect, 34-year-old DeCarlos Brown Jr., was arrested, charged with murder, and denied bond at his first court appearance. Jensen highlighted emotional testimony from Zarutska’s uncle, who called her a “sweet angel” and pleaded with the judge to keep Brown in custody to protect others. Court records revealed Brown’s violent criminal history, while reports indicated he may undergo a competency evaluation.

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Tune in here to this ​Thursday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about the surge of attention his posts on X have been getting and the statement made by Charlotte’s Republican mayoral candidate about Mayor Vi Lyles on a recent murder.  Jensen highlights how the remarks on Tuesday by Mayor Vi Lyles, which he called one of the worst written statements he’s ever seen from a politician and seemed to excuse a murderer rather than honor the victim.

Jensen turned his focus to former Governor Roy Cooper, blasting his record on hurricane relief. He highlighted millions in federal recovery funds that Cooper sat on after storms and FEMA’s warnings about future aid. Jensen argued Cooper’s failures undercut his credibility on disaster response.

Jensen has an exclusive one-on-one interview with North Carolina State Representative David Willis to discuss the life, legacy, and impact of Union County veteran Sergeant Michael Verardo, who recently passed away at the age of 40. Verardo, critically injured by an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2014, defied the odds by surviving more than a decade and becoming a source of inspiration for countless veterans and families. Alongside his wife Sarah,

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Tune in here to this ​Wednesday edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks off the show by sharing a statement from The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police regarding the fatal stabbing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on the light rail on Friday, August 22. 

In a statement posted on Facebook, which Jensen references, the FOP recognizes that new leadership is needed in Charlotte. The statement goes on to call out Mayor Vi Lyles and Charlotte City Council member Edwin Peacock based on their responses to this tragic incident and on public transit in Charlotte. The FOP stated that Lyles only "coddled" the suspect, Decarlos Brown, and stated how the outcome of the situation was unfortunate in her statement. As for Peacock, the FOP wrote that his use of the tragedy to promote the transit sales tax was "disgusting".

To follow up this statement, Jensen does an interview with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fraternal Order of Police president Daniel Redford. In the interview, Redford addresses both the attention and importance that this tragic story on the light rail poses for the city of Charlotte and its residents. He also talks about the process for FOP to endorse City Council members who are running for office in November.

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Tune in here to this ​Tuesday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Jensen dives deep into what he calls a disturbing pattern of silence and deflection from Charlotte city officials — especially Mayor Vi Lyles, who took four days to issue a public statement. He slams the response as tone-deaf, highlighting how it focused more on the mental health of the suspect than on the innocent victim who lost her life. Jensen calls out the mayor’s deflection, the city’s transit safety failures, and the media’s national attention on the case — all while Charlotte leaders remain mostly silent. From broken communication to broken policy

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Tune in here to this ​Monday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about a tragic incident on Charlotte’s light rail and the growing concerns over public safety in the city. A 23-year-old Ukrainian woman, who had recently moved to Charlotte to escape the war in her home country, was fatally stabbed Friday night by a homeless repeat offender. Brett expresses outrage over the lack of safety on public transit and questions the city’s handling of crime, noting that although statistics suggest crime is down, residents don’t feel safer. Jensen also criticizes the light rail system for its lack of ticket enforcement and visible police presence.

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Tune in here to this ​Friday edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about local politics and the intensifying District 3 City Council race featuring candidate Joy Mayo, who’s challenging Tiawana Brown in the Democratic primary.

Jensen highlights his exclusive interview with candidate Joy Mayo, who is gaining traction as she challenges incumbent Tiawana Brown. Mayo discusses her experience as a CMS teacher and nonprofit leader, while calling for intentional investment in underserved areas like the Nations Ford corridor. She outlines a platform focused on public safety, small business support, and accountable leadership—emphasizing the need for transparency and rejecting the controversial city payout proposals.

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Tune in here to this ​Thursday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about early voting turnout and the passing of a Charlotte legend, Humpy Wheeler. With early voting starting uptown at the Hal Marshall Center, Brett predicts only 45 voters turned out Known as the “P.T. Barnum of Racing,” Wheeler passed away at the age of 86, surrounded by family and friends. Jensen reflects on Wheeler’s extraordinary impact on motorsports, highlighting his visionary leadership that helped transform Charlotte into a major racing and sports destination. From introducing night racing to revolutionizing fan engagement at NASCAR events, Wheeler’s innovations left a lasting legacy both in the sport and the region.

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Tune in here to this ​Wednesday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about the ongoing political upheaval in Cabarrus County and the controversial firing of County Manager Sean Newton. Jensen lays out the timeline of Newton’s dismissal, emphasizing that the move—voted 3-2 by the Board of Commissioners—should not have surprised anyone following local politics. He highlights Newton’s lack of government experience and ties to former county chair Chris Miesmer, suggesting those connections were the only reason for his initial hiring. Brett also addresses the backlash from Commissioner Laura Blackwell-Lindsey and the Cabarrus GOP, including GOP Chair Lanny Lancaster's alleged doxxing of a public official.

Later, Jensen has One-on-One interview with Cabarrus County Commissioner Kenny Wortman to get a firsthand account of the decision to fire County Manager Sean Newton with cause. Wortman firmly defends the move, calling out fellow Commissioner Laura Blackwell-Lindsey for what he sees as hypocrisy, pointing to her role in the abrupt dismissal of other longtime county employees just months prior. When questioned about the lack of a vote for current Chair Jeff Jones, Wortman counters with examples of past appointments.

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