WCNC Charlotte Flashpoint

Ted Budd win NC’s open seat in the US Senate, Jeff Jackson wins US House District 14. Here's a closer look at key races in the Carolinas

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompsons talks with Scott Huffmon, a Winthrop University professor, and Susan Roberts, a Davidson College professor. They're warning that the country's current political polarization will only get worse after Tuesday's midterm election.

"I think we are in a pendulum swing right now. I think it may get worse before it gets better. But there's always the hope that the pendulum will swing back," Huffmon said.

In recent years, US politics have turned to vitriolic, partisan, and even violent rhetoric. Experts say there's a lack of trust in our basic institutions.

"I think there's been a steady decline in trust in government," Roberts said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/may-get-worse-before-it-gets-better-experts-warn-political-polarization-will-deepen-after-election/275-8f4625ac-96dc-4094-815d-7293de91a6e1

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC's Jane Monreal talks all things 14th Congressional District with candidates Democratic state Senator Jeff Jackson and Republican businessman Pat Harrigan. Both candidates are veterans who served in Afghanistan, and they discuss their reasons to run for office.

Harrigan says his reasons for going into politics stem from having a family.

The former Green Beret said, "My wife and I have two little girls. And we're very concerned about what kind of America they're going to get to grow up with, and what kind of opportunity they're going to have in their lives."

A state legislator for eight years, Jackson said work needs to be done at both the national and state levels but started his campaign locally.

"I said I'm going to knock on one thousand doors personally over summer. It was Republican. Independent," Jackson said. "It was just a wonderful education about what folks actually want and are talking about. Housing comes up a lot. Water and sewer come up a lot. So the idea is, independent of how people feel about national politics, also have a real local agenda."

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/elections/candidates-for-new-nc-14th-congressional-district-discuss-why-they-believe-they-deserve-to-win/275-d983ba28-562e-4051-93d3-554c385a6291

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson is joined by Republican Congressman Ted Budd and former North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. Both candidates are running to replace Richard Burr (R) in the U.S. Senate.

In the interview with Budd, Thompson asked the senate candidate what his ideal abortion law would look like in light of Budd's co-sponsorship of a bill that would ban abortions after 15 weeks. Budd hinted that he does not support abortion in cases of rape or incest. Budd called the Democrats' proposed Women's Health Protection Act "the most radical abortion bill in history," before saying he felt abortion rights should be a state's issue. 

In Beasley's interview, Beasley called codifying Roe v. Wade "reasonable."

"The question is: Who makes the decision? Is it a woman and her physician or is it politicians up in Washington?" Beasley asked rhetorically. "Congressman [Ted] Budd has to understand that, in an exam room with a woman and her doctor, there is no place for him for that decision to be made."

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/ted-budd-abortion-exceptions-for-the-life-of-the-mother/275-10a98ec1-f567-44c0-829a-237836bf4774

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte Ben Thompson talks to Catawba College politics professor Michael Bitzer about trends emerge from absentee-by-mail voting. As of October 9, 55% of requested absentee ballots were from women and 38% were from men. 

"Women are making up substantial majorities of these early ballots," Bitzer said.

Overall, absentee voting is outpacing the 2018 midterms, but behind the 2020 general election, which happened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/north-carolina-women-outpacing-men-in-voting-by-mail/275-dc16555b-8bb7-4051-87f3-6f6474c64bda

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC's Ben Thompsons talks to Lariza Garzon, director of North Carolina operations for the Hispanic Federation. For several months, the Hispanic Federation has been working to register Hispanic voters in North Carolina, ahead of November's midterm election. Garzon estimates there are 400,000 Latinos in North Carolina who are eligible to vote, but only 60% are registered. 

"We've been going to places where the community frequents, like supermarkets, the Hispanic festivals, churches, universities, places like that, to tell people about the elections to register them to vote," Lariza Garzon, director of North Carolina operations, said.

Later, Ben sits down with Stefanía Arteaga, co-executive director of the Carolina Migrant Network. The organization aims to provide legal representation to immigrants. Arteaga co-founded the Network because she saw a growing immigrant and migrant population in Charlotte, but with very few free or affordable legal services.

"We have not had any sort of nonprofit that provides resources for individuals who are in deportation proceedings," Arteaga said.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/north-carolina-grassroots-group-providing-legal-representation-to-immigrants/275-bf530377-4d04-4213-8227-fd0bf0484045

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson speaks to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department's Lt. Joan Gallant on how the department is addressing mental health-related calls in Charlotte.

In 2019, CMPD launched a Community Policing Crisis Response Team. The team was created to respond to 911 calls that involve mental health issues, that aren't necessarily criminal matters.

"Police services include any host of things, not just answering a call that is regarding a crime. We're the helpers," CMPD Lt Joan Gallant said. "That crisis can be anything. It can be mental health, substance abuse, homelessness, situational."

Later, Ben talks to Anne Geissinger, program coordinator for North Carolina's suicide prevention program. Recently, the NC Department of Health and Human Services released a new action plan to address suicide. The action plan includes coordination among state agencies, increasing community awareness, and identifying at-risk communities.  

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/north-carolina-rolls-out-suicide-prevention-action-plan/275-c515d600-167d-416d-9413-08bcbae1c930

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC's Ben Thompson talks to CRVA CEO Tom Murray about the lasting impact of the Presidents Cup on Charlotte. More than most other recent events, the Presidents Cup is bringing more attention to Charlotte as a world-class travel destination, Murray tells WCNC.

It comes as Charlotte is emerging as a post-pandemic destination for leisure travel, after years of being a city famous for business travel.

"The leisure side of the recovery happened first and quite frankly, happened stronger than we even expected," Murray said.

Murray said business travel is rebounding but hasn't returned to pre-pandemic levels. Charlotte has a long history of attracting convention travel as well. 

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/presidents-cup-charlotte-north-carolina-is-attracting-more-leisure-travelers/275-993ba2e5-1f5f-4b88-858a-1379f4637d75

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson talks to CATS CEO John Lewis on the transit system's challenges and its long-term plan. Amid union negotiations this summer, CATS struggled with staffing shortages that lead to service delays and subsequent schedule changes for riders.  According to CATS, the private contractor that manages the agency's operations has reached a tentative deal with its union.

Amid the recent problems, Charlotte leaders are looking to expand transit and transportation options. In 2020, the Charlotte Moves task force, whose members were appointed by the mayor, released a sweeping $13.5B transit and transportation plan. It included plans for an east-west silver light rail line, commuter rail to north Mecklenburg County, greenways and more.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/cats-ceo-addresses-challenges-long-term-transit-plan-charlotte-flashpoint/275-2927ee79-a79d-404e-9741-ad6386ed58c4