Julie Rose

Bank of America shareholders gathered for their annual meeting in Uptown Charlotte Wednesday morning.

Four years after the financial crisis, these meetings have settled into a familiar routine:  a few dozen protesters wave signs outside while activist investors control the microphone inside.  Today was no different, but the meeting did have a different atmosphere.

For the second largest bank in the country, this annual meeting sure got off on a folksy foot.

Most of the Charlotte City Council's debate and deliberations about spending tax dollars on a renovation of Panthers' Stadium happened behind closed doors. That's pretty common when a city is hashing out economic incentives.  But this case stands out because the Panthers were given unprecedented access to the council's process.

New city manager Ron Carlee makes his first big mark on Charlotte Monday night when he presents his 2014 budget and capital investment plan – or CIP - to city council.  But speaking at WFAE's recent public conversation, Carlee made clear this budget won't really be his own.

"I came in on the city council's last (bugdet) workshop, which meant that four days later the budget goes into production," explained Carlee. "So there's not going to be much of my stamp on this CIP – it will be very similar to what has been out there previously."

The Charlotte airport made $185,000 recycling trash from travelers and fast food restaurants in the terminal during the last six months. 

That's a fraction of the nearly $2 million it cost to set up the new onsite recycling facility, but Aviation Director Jerry Orr expects the program to break even within five years. He adds that sorting and selling recyclable paper, plastic and aluminum isn't the only financial perk of the program.