Julie Rose

The new $77 million engineering and energy building on UNC Charlotte’s campus hasn’t even had a formal grand opening ceremony, and already it’s fueling the local energy work force. 

Johan Enslin underscored that point as  he gave Governor Bev Perdue of the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center – or “EPIC” - which he directs.  It's a four-story collection of laboratories bathed in natural light on the edge of UNC Charlotte’s campus.

One of the labs features a replica of the nerve center at Duke Energy.

Wednesday night the Metropolitan Transit Commission is scheduled to approve a compromise to its new policy allowing alcohol ads on Charlotte buses. The initial decision brought strong criticism from some members of city council and prompted the commission to take a second look.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory had his time before the Charlotte Rotary Club on Tuesday. Democrat Walter Dalton got a polite, but cool reception from the group last month. For McCrory, the welcome was filled with anecdotes and inside jokes.

It was just “Mayor Pat” to this overflowing room of local business leaders. Clearly on his home court, McCrory played into that. Former councilman Edwin Peacock surprised McCrory with a clip from an old home movie showing the former mayor as a fresh-faced 21 year old refereeing a high school basketball game in Charlotte.

Half the Charlotte City Council, the mayor and a couple of Mecklenburg County Commissioners are headed to New York City Monday for the Charlotte Chamber’s Inter City visit.

The Charlotte Chamber’s annual trip to another city is typically a rite of spring. But back in May, airplane problems made most participants miss their flight for a scheduled visit to London.

“New York was our second choice,” says Charlotte Chamber President Bob Morgan. So that’s where he’s headed Tuesday with about 100 local business leaders and public officials.

The Charlotte host committee of the DNC has revealed it came up $12.5 million short of its fundraising goal for the convention and was forced to tap a line of credit guaranteed by Duke Energy. 

WFAE's Julie Rose has been pouring through documents filed with the Federal Election Commission late last night and joins All Things Considered Host Mark Rumsey to share some analysis.

Charlotte officials say this gift from the Federal Transit Administration is the single largest federal grant the city's ever received: $580 million.

FTA Administrator Peter Rogoff traveled from D.C. to bring news of what city leaders have expected for several months now.

That hasn't always been the case, though.

"This project was on life support back in 2009," says Mayor Anthony Foxx.