On the next Charlotte Talks, Donald Trump appears to be sharpening his sword. Earlier this month, the United States conducted a large-scale strike against Venezuela, capturing their president. Trump has threatened Iran and Cuba, and he’s said he’ll take Greenland one way or another. Plus, he’s spoken of plans to send our military to an American city — Minneapolis. No matter what you think about this, North Carolina stands to profit, and so does Charlotte.

On the next Charlotte Talks, a hero for our time. You’ll never guess — so I might as well tell you: Henry David Thoreau. Like us, Thoreau lived in a time of rapid technological and economic change, political division and a pandemic. He reassessed his priorities and decided to pare down to trade up. Local author Jen McGivney helps you Find Your Walden.

For the first time, North Carolina has more registered Republicans than Democrats. The meat continues to be in the middle with unaffiliated voters — the largest group of voters. We’re also witnessing more candidates change their party affiliation. How will all that, plus gerrymandered maps, impact the midterms in our state? We examine this changing landscape.

CMPD released crime statistics for last year. A petition to remove Mecklenburg County Sheriff Garry McFadden had its first court hearing. Charlotte City Council voted to give the new Metropolitan Transportation Authority $4.3 million in startup funds, as the measles virus was detected in local wastewater.

Since the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis last week, people in the Twin Cities and across the nation have taken to the streets to protest what they view as unnecessarily violent and un-American tactics by federal agents. Shocked by what they’re witnessing, protestors are calling for accountability. We look at who these ICE agents are, how they are recruited and trained, what they can and cannot do, and hear about your rights as well.

Congress is back in session for 2026, but as has been the case since January of last year, much of the action has been in the executive branch. Donald Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without notifying Congress in advance of the military extraction. Still, some in Congress are working on the release of the Epstein files, and another shutdown is looming at the end of the month. Here’s a look at what’s happening on Capitol Hill.

After a 137-year struggle, North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe has received full federal recognition. It fulfills one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises and opens new opportunities for the tribe. The Lumbee are now eligible to receive federal funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which could support education, health care and housing. We look at why the process took so long and what comes next.

We’re speaking with the three new faces on the Charlotte City Council. All ran on keeping communities safe, expanding affordable housing and improving transportation. Charlotte has been grappling with those issues for years — and now that Joi Mayo, J.D. Mazuera Arias and Kimberly Owens have started their terms, we’ll see how their priorities translate into action.

State Rep. Carla Cunningham and others file a petition to remove Sheriff Garry McFadden from office. He responds, calling the allegations false. Meanwhile, Gov. Josh Stein endorses Cunningham’s primary opponent, citing statements she made last year about immigrants. A Mint Hill teen is denied bail in an alleged plot and the Panthers are in the playoffs.

When Donald Trump returned to office, he took aim at scientific research and discontinued or disrupted funding, at one point cutting it to the lowest levels in decades. Our state has felt the impact and stands to lose billions of dollars. As the Trump administration refocuses its research priorities, we hear more about how North Carolina is navigating these shifts.