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On the next Charlotte Talks, cell phones in classrooms. Designed to be addictive, they’re also distracting students and teachers. Should they be in classrooms? You decide, Thursday morning at 9.

Outgoing state Sen. Natasha Marcus represented Mecklenburg District 41 for three terms and shares her thoughts on that time and her concerns for the future.

After Hurricane Helene, we all witnessed what it was like when the municipal water supply in Asheville stopped working. Eventually, the water was turned back on, the boil water notice lifted, and no lead or other contaminants were found. Still, it will take years to fully recover. And there are other challenges facing drinking water statewide, including from private wells.

Household debt in this country is high — and getting higher. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, it increased by $150 billion in the third quarter of this year alone. There are those carrying a lot of debt from student loans to credit cards to car and personal loans, but personal finance author and Charlotte resident Bernadette Joy says there is a way out.

Congress squabbles over a stopgap bill as Helene aid hangs in the balance, Gov. Cooper makes his farewell address and Charlotte hires an interim attorney. Those stories and more on the Charlotte Talks local news roundup.

On the next Charlotte Talks, the efforts Charlotte has put into improving economic opportunity may be paying off. The bar was set by Raj Chetty’s study on economic mobility, and he explains the latest metrics.

A figure in conservative politics in North Carolina, he helped Ronald Reagan win the Republican presidential primary here in 1976, and worked closely with U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. But Helms’ legacy is tied to his support for racial segregation, and his “White Hands” TV ad is infamous in political history. In a new book, Wrenn gives an inside perspective into decades of conservative politics.

UNC-Chapel Hill professor and author Melissa Jacoby on how the bankruptcy system can take advantage of the poor and be used as a tool for those who have done wrong to skirt responsibility.

In 2024, North Carolina witnessed political scandals around Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. The state chose Democrat Josh Stein to be the next governor and Republican Donald Trump for president. Meanwhile, Democrats narrowly broke the GOP supermajority in the General Assembly, but a recent bill strips some high-ranking Democrats of power. A look back at 2024 politics in North Carolina — and what to expect in 2025.

A year after a shooting marred New Year's celebrations Uptown, how did the event fare this year? Meanwhile, the Queen City remembers Jimmy Carter and his impact on the Charlotte area. Plus, Josh Stein takes the oath of office. That and more on the first local news roundup of 2025.

Tillis announced his reelection intentions and he already has a challenger. How vulnerable is he? What would cause vulnerability? And, to what extent does President Trump play a role?

Freezing temperatures and snow in Charlotte, local transit officials learn more about the possible cost of the transit plan, and Trump's executive orders are felt in North Carolina.

Reparations for African Americans has long been a sticking point for a redress to this nation’s reckoning with both its historical wrongs and its contemporary consequences. Experts on the matter weigh in on the practicality and economics of reparations.

On the next Charlotte Talks, restoring confidence in our elections. It has been diminished in recent years mostly by false allegations of voter fraud. Now, the Commission on the Future of North Carolina Election is working to help voters feel confident when casting their vote and to have trust in the process. They studied the last election, and they shared their findings with us.

Recent statistics from the American Cancer Society reveal an increase in diagnoses of breast cancer among young women. We hear from two experts and a survivor about this trend, early detection, treatment and more.

Some of President Trump’s early executive orders have targeted transgender people. It’s both a rights issue and one that raises safety concerns. We look at the impact of what’s been done and what is likely to come for this community.

The 2020 shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man, while he was jogging in a Georgia neighborhood, reignited an outcry against racial injustice, and it also rippled through the running community. We examine what it means to "run while Black" — and the push to make running more accessible and welcoming.

On the Local News Roundup, the clock is ticking to get a transit plan passed, Fort Liberty returns to Fort Bragg, and the Hornets throw support behind bringing a WNBA team to town.

Nearly 20 years after the Charlotte Sting disbanded, the Queen City buzzes again with talk of women’s basketball. We discuss the latest developments and the potential for more women’s basketball coming to Charlotte.

Meet the three Charlotte semifinalists for this year’s James Beard Awards for individuals who excel in the culinary industry. They'll share how they contribute to national recognition of the city through food — and, this year, drinks.