Friday, June 12, 2020
Tensions have lessened at Charlotte protests. A block of Tryon Street in uptown became a work of art. The governor pledged to review police policies throughout the state, and the RNC is eyeing Jacksonville, Florida, for its big night.
The Charlotte protests after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis entered a second week. This week, incidents between protesters and Charlotte-Mecklenburg decreased, and the protests were more peaceful as the talk has turned to police reform and resolutions made by Charlotte City Council. Area artists turned one Charlotte street into a new mural.
Gov. Roy Cooper has also pledged to address racial inequities in the state, creating a task force that will review police policies and the North Carolina justice system.
Here in Charlotte, City Council voted on resolutions to take away funding for police tear gas, and Chief Putney says CMPD will change the way it disperses crowds.
There were reports this week that part of the Republican National Convention may move from Charlotte to Jacksonville, Florida. The mayor there has been courting the RNC for weeks. However, the Republican National Committee says those reports are premature and that other cities are still being considered. The RNC did announce, however, that the attendance for the RNC in Charlotte will be 336 delegates.
A judge has ruled against gym owners in North Carolina who sued Cooper in an effort to reopen their businesses during Phase 2 of North Carolina’s reopening plan. We’ll talk about that and give a full update on the coronavirus in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina.
We'll dive into those stories and much more on the local news roundup on Charlotte Talks.
Correction: During today’s show, Mike Collins said that Juneteenth was a commemoration of the Tulsa massacre (in reference to Trump’s up-coming rally there on June 19). Juneteenth is a Freedom Day celebration that grew in Texas when the slaves were not told of the April end of the Civil War and their freedom until June 19, 1865, when Federal troops finally landed in Galveston to enforce the end of the war.
Guests:
Nick Ochsner, WBTV’s chief investigative reporter
Katie Peralta, senior editor for Charlotte Agenda
Jonathan Lowe, anchor/reporter for Spectrum News
Steve Harrison, WFAE’s political reporter
