WCNC Charlotte Flashpoint

On this week's episode of FlashPoint on WCNC Charlotte, Ben Thompson is joined by former Charlotte mayor Anthony Foxx, who talks about what he's been up to lately, why he's backing Joe Biden in November's presidential election and if he'll ever return to politics. North Carolina voters are on track to set a record when it comes to absentee ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ben is joined by the man responsible for making sure it goes smoothly, elections director for Mecklenburg County, Michael Dickerson, who breaks down the absentee ballot process and how election workers are preparing for an influx of voting by mail. During his interview, Dickerson also talks about the importance of poll workers and keeping them safe during the election. 

Join the conversation on social media! Follow Flashpoint on Twitter @FlashpointWCNC and tell us who you'd like to see on the show! Flashpoint airs every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. ET on WCNC Charlotte. 

The Republican National Convention is in the rearview mirror and the race to the White House is on! Ben Thompson is joined by North Carolina State Rep. Chaz Beasley and former Vice-Chairman of the NCGOP, Wayne King to discuss the RNC and they each make the case for their party's candidate in November's election. In Segment Two, Ben is joined by Dr. Micahel Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College, who offers his analysis of the RNC, Trump's acceptance speech and an update on absentee ballots in North Carolina. In our third segment, WCNC Charlotte reporter Hunter Saenz discusses his experience covering the RNC in Charlotte and his exclusive access as part of the president's motorcade in Charlotte and at a speaking engagement outside Asheville, North Carolina. FlashPoint is where power and politics collide, airing every Sunday at 11 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte!

It's finally here. The 2020 Republican National Convention has rolled into Charlotte and the 2020 presidential election is on! On this week's show, Ben Thompson is joined by Charlotte City Council members Larken Egleston and Tariq Bokhari to discuss the RNC and what it will look like compared to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee. Then, Egleston and Bokhari discuss multiple ethics complaints against Charlotte City Council members, including Bokhari himself. 

In our third segment, Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer analyzes the DNC, breaks down what it's like to teach during a pandemic and updates the influx of absentee ballot requests in North Carolina. Bitzer's analysis really drives home the point on how the Postal Service controversy could help swing the election in many states. 

As North Carolina prepares for the 2020 election, the state has received well over 100,000 requests for mail-in ballots. That is five times where we were this same time in 2016. To discuss the tremendous increase across North Carolina, we're joined by Catawba College political science professor Dr. Michael Bitzer. Bitzer digs into the data and tells Ben Thompson why the 2020 election could be determined by the U.S. Postal Service. Plus, Ben is joined by former Charlotte City Council Member LaWana Mayfield and former North Carolina Rep. Charles Jeter. Mayfield and Jeter discuss absentee voting and if Democrats are a little too cocky after early polls show a "blue wave" heading for the Tar Heel State. White House officials remain split on whether President Trump will actually be in Charlotte for the Republican National Convention. Ben tells us he's not convinced Trump will arrive in the Queen City. What about the panelists? 

We're just a couple of weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Charlotte. And as changes seem to be made on a daily basis, we're still learning what the toned-down convention might look like in the Queen City. Ben Thompson is joined by Republican strategist Larry Sheehan, as well as Democrat strategist Douglas Wilson to discuss it. Plus, we're talking about the methods schools are using to prepare students, teachers and their families for an upcoming year unlike anything we've ever seen due to COVID-19. And the U.S. Census Bureau announced it will stop collecting field data one month earlier than anticipated. What kind of lasting impact could this have on marginalized communities and what could be done differently to increase participating in the Census?

As protests against racial injustice continue across America, there are louder calls to "defund the police." On this episode, Ben Thompson is joined by Charlotte City Councilman Braxton Winston to discuss the semantics and meaning behind defunding the police. Winston shares his thoughts on the movement, how police tactics should be changed and if defunding police is really "reform." Winston also explains why people in the Charlotte community who have been impacted by violent crime need to lend their credibility to those calling for change. 

Ben is also joined by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police spokesman Rob Tufano to discuss how Charlotte's law enforcement division will fight violent crime in the future. Tufano also pleads for the community to join officers in helping stop violent crime in their neighborhoods as Charlotte is on pace for more homicides than 2019's tragic mark. 

Coronavirus continues to be the biggest headline nationwide and in the Carolinas. While the numbers aren't great for North Carolina, they're better than some of our neighbors, including North Carolina. Ben Thompson is joined by Ashley Smith of Reopen NC, the group pushing for Gov. Roy Cooper to be impeached and have businesses across the state back open. Smith explains why her group believes Cooper should be pushed out and why it's not worth shutting down the state's economy in the name of safety. Ben is also joined by State Rep. Chaz Beasley and former Union County Republican Chair Dan Barry to discuss the inconsistencies in the state's reopening plan. Plus, we discuss what led to the RNC leaving Charlotte for Florida and how state leaders should tackle back to school plans or if they should leave it up to individual districts. 

FlashPoint airs every Sunday at 11 a.m. on WCNC Charlotte. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has been going for nearly six months. Ben Thompson is joined by Congresswoman Alma Adams, who says the federal government's response to COVID-19 was insufficient. Adams also discusses what could be done to help people in North Carolina and nationwide recover. During her interview, Adams talks about protests for social justice during the pandemic and what law enforcement and police can do to safely protect communities, plus we touch on the renaming of military bases named after Confederate generals, including Fort Bragg in North Carolina. We're also joined by Charlotte leaders Tariq Scott Bokhari and Larken Eggleston to break down Mecklenburg County's response to coronavirus and if the right steps have been taking during the pandemic. And our panel discusses how much responsibility lies with state leaders, including Governor Roy Cooper, on the balance of safely reopening the state when it came to the now-gone Republican National Convention.