Charlotte Talks on WFAE

Cyndy Etler was a bad girl. A drinker and drug user. A lost cause. At least that's how her mother thought of her even though Cyndy had only drunk alcohol once and tried pot three times. Abuse forced her to run away and her mother's response was to send Cyndy to a "tough love" facility for troubled teens. The program was called Straight Inc. and its practices have been the subject of lawsuits, documentaries and a great deal of controversy. The program is closed now but those who created it have spawned other programs that continue today.

Young voters came out in record numbers in 2008 to elect Barack Obama as President. Four years later, a poll from Pew Research Center this summer says Americans under the age of 30 are less engaged in the upcoming election and in politics in general than they were in 2008. Are the parties and politicians listening to this particular voter group? Do young people feel like they are being heard?

Part One: Stalking Jon Stewart
The DNC is almost upon us and vendors are gearing up all over the region to serve the thousands of convention attendees expected to arrive. But what about small businesses that dot the areas near uptown? Many say they don’t know how to gain the attention of visitors so one business owner came up with a novel idea. Her personal mission? "To get Jon Stewart to FABO Café for a cup of coffee while he is in Charlotte filming his show during the DNC."  We’ll hear her story. 
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