Stella Elder
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WFAE
Polls are open in the Carolinas. Here is what you need to know before you head to the ballot box.
CHARLOTTE TALKS WITH MIKE COLLINS
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A city of newcomers, but one with a history. The Queen City dates back to the mid-1700s. Named after the wife of King George III of England, Charlotte was just that — a small town, but over the years it has grown even as its principal industries have changed. Ashley Mahoney has traced those changes in her book, "Historic Maps of Charlotte: A History of the Queen City in Rare Maps", and we'll plot the course with her. -
McFarland PublishersLocal news is in crisis. Newsrooms have shrunk, newspapers have closed, and communities across the country are increasingly becoming news deserts. In his new book, “Why Local News: A Memoir and Plea for an Endangered Form of Journalism,” Rick Thames argues that strong, local journalism remains essential for informed communities and democracy.
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LOCAL NEWS
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The N.C. Democratic and Republican parties are reporting similar overall fundraising totals for state-level races this year, but there are big differences in how the money is being allocated for individual races. -
Libertarian Tom Bailey is running in North Carolina's 1st Congressional District for the second consecutive election. -
This fall, Beth Helfrich is fighting to retain a seat she flipped blue in 2024 from a former legislator who wants it back.John Rhodes held the seat Helfrich currently holds in the North Carolina House of Representatives for District 98 — covering Cornelius, Davidson, and Huntersville — in the early 2000s. Now he’s running on a platform of ultra-conservative values to try to win it back. -
More than 16,000 Hispanic voters cast ballots in Mecklenburg County during the early voting period, surpassing the total number of Hispanic voters who participated in the 2022 midterm elections. -
Charlotte’s new youth curfew takes effect Sunday as part of a 10-month pilot program. -
After clinching a playoff spot Wednesday, Charlotte FC kept its momentum going with a second consecutive 4-0 victory, defeating Orlando City at home Saturday night.
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Turnout for early voting was up more than 30% compared to the 2022 midterms. -
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Climate Leaders are a volunteer group working to raise climate awareness in the city. They’re taking aim at one of environmentalists’ biggest boogeymen: data centers. They hosted a data center-themed trivia night Tuesday evening at Patagonia Charlotte in South End.
NATION & WORLD
Get behind-the-scenes insight and analysis about what’s happening in local and statewide politics from political reporter Steve Harrison.
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