Search results for

Need a good laugh? We look at the expanding and serious business of comedy, and how the Queen City is getting in on a booming industry.

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Jim Barger Jr., author of a new book called “Rivers and Dreams,” on former President Jimmy Carter’s life as a fisherman — and how he often used fishing to cast the lines of diplomacy.

24 undocumented immigrants arrested in ICE operation in Charlotte. The Huntersville Board of Commissioners approve expansion of Birkdale Village. Union County votes to ban "obscene" and "sexualized" events from county parks. UNC squeaks into the main NCAA men's basketball tournament bracket with a blowout win over San Diego State.

N.C. Sen. Thom Tillis continues to receive death threats. The state's unemployment rate rose in January. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library system will close all branches for five days in April to transition to a new software platform. Animal Care and Control reaches critical levels of overcrowding.

We speak with a journalist covering higher education to better understand the fast-moving, far-reaching changes at the Department of Education. We’ll also hear from two HBCU leaders at Johnson C. Smith University and Clinton College about how their campuses are doing as they face potential federal funding cuts.

Work begins on widening Highway 150 near Lake Norman. The U.S. Dept. of Transportation halts funding to help states build electric vehicle charging stations. Hundreds of protesters gather in uptown to demand an end to deportations and U.S. involvement in Gaza. CATS ridership increases 11% in 2024.

UNC Charlotte attains prestigious R-1 university status. N.C. joins several other states suing the Trump administration over the federal funding freeze. Flu cases reach the highest levels in 15 years. Truck maker Isuzu selects Greenville for its U.S. production base. Charlotte's construction boom is slowing down.

Several Charlotte City Council members are more than a year late in filing campaign finance reports. Albemarle Corp. announces results of its monitoring of the foul odor in Kings Mountain. The Charlotte Hornets are working with a group to bring a WNBA franchise to Charlotte. The decades-long Leandro school funding saga continues.

A shift in the the Lincoln-Catawba county line affects hundreds of properties. The Trump administration says the USDOT will award transportation grant money based, in part, on a county's marriage and birth rates. A new aerial survey shows over 800,000 acres of N.C. forest land damaged by Helene.

Activists assemble outside the Mallard Creek office of Sen. Thom Tillis to protest recent Trump administration actions. Immigration advocates are distributing red paper cards printed with with constitutional rights. Honeywell plans to separate its automation and aerospace arms. The NASCAR Hall of Fame inducts its 2025 class tonight.

Reported crimes at N.C. schools decreased in 2024. The ACLU files a First Amendment lawsuit against Cleveland County schools. Walmart is closing its regional office in Charlotte. Protesters ask Sen. Thom Tillis to stand against President Trump's recent actions. Lovin' Life Music Fest announces more headliners for this year's event.

On the next Charlotte Talks, the popularity of true crime stories and the ethics of reporting and consuming them.

The state House approves an additional $500 million for Helene recovery. Former Republican Rep. Dan Bishop faces questioning at his Senate confirmation hearing. Sen. Thom Tillis doubles down on his support for Ukraine. South Carolina has a record year in export sales. The Hornets set a new mark for NBA futility.

In 2024, North Carolina’s passenger trains experienced another bustling year and riding the train has become more popular than ever in the state. We explore what's behind the rising popularity of train travel in N.C. and plans for expanding the places you can go.

This week on SouthBound, host Tommy Tomlinson talks to Tennessee singer and mandolin player Sierra Hull. She’s got a new album, "A Tip Toe High Wire," coming out next week that continues her musical journey beyond her bluegrass roots.

Wayne Goodwin will step down as head of the N.C. Dept. of Motor Vehicles. The historic Wilmore School in South End has been sold and will be redeveloped. The NFL Scouting Combine is underway with the Panthers looking for defensive help. Critics accuse Atrium Health of double dipping on tax refunds.

A bill filed Monday in the N.C. General Assembly would allow Mecklenburg County voters to raise the sales tax by a penny to pay for a multibillion-dollar transportation plan. Cannabis advocates ask N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson for clarity on the state's enforcement of laws surrounding smokable hemp products. Matthews approves plans to build a Discovery Place Kids museum.

Duke Energy asks the EPA to roll back pollution regulations. Mecklenburg County officials say there's been a 200% rise in overdose deaths since 2019. Bank of America rolls back some of its DEI requirements. The Savannah Bananas baseball team adds a second Charlotte game this summer to due to overwhelming demand.

Charlotte members of the American Postal Workers Union protest the potential privatization of the U.S. Postal Service. The N.C. Forest Service issues a statewide ban on open burning. The former Cabarrus County manager sues the county after being fired in January.

Gov. Josh Stein signs a new Helene recovery funding bill. Mecklenburg County Commissioners gathered Wednesday for the State of the County address. Armed security guards will patrol uptown parks and nearby greenways this summer. The head of the Charlotte Sports Foundation is stepping down.