In Washington today the U.S. Senate again took up the volatile issue of a so-called "public option" in the health care reform bill. In Charlotte, business leaders decided it was time to take a stand, too. WFAE's Julie Rose reports:

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce waded into the arena of angry rhetoric over health care long ago with ads that say "Let's stop the new health care tax. Tell Congress to keep their hands to themselves and out of your pockets."

Beginning Thursday, no visitors under 18 will be allowed inside the majority of Charlotte area hospitals. Officials at Carolinas Healthcare System and Presbyterian HealthCare say the new policy is an attempt to stop the spread of swine flu. WFAE's Julie Rose has more:

Life Lessons Learned on the Hudson
We'll meet one of the many Charlotteans who was on board Flight 1549 out of New York on January 14th when it made an emergency landing in the Hudson River. Clay Presley, a Charlotte businessman, learned a lot of lessons on that cold winter afternoon that can be applied to our lives and even to business. We'll talk about his experience and his new outlook.
GuestClay Presley - President and CEO of Carolina Pad, passenger on Flight 1549
Beth Mchugh - Business woman, passenger on Flight 1549

There's a constant need for outside help at high-poverty schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg district. For various reasons, it's been a struggle to get parents to volunteer their time. But at one school in northeast Charlotte, a loyal volunteer has been a fixture for more than two decades. WFAE's Simone Orendain has this profile of Julian Underwood, the volunteer extraordinaire at Briarwood Elementary.
Long before school starts at 8:30, Julian Underwood's trim, six-foot frame stands sentinel at the front doors of Briarwood Elementary.

About half of North and South Carolina residents prefer smaller changes to the nation's health care system rather than a public health insurance option.

That's according to the annual Carolinas Poll conducted last week.

Greg Collard reports.

Most people support change to the health care system. The question is how much change.

The differences fell largely along racial and gender lines.

Whites are less likely to support big change; African-Americans and women are more likely to favor a public health insurance option.