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.”