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On this week's episode of Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson sits down with mental health advocates about the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month, including Dr. Jaren Doby with Novant Health and Fonda Bryant. All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

Various medical and physician groups have come out against a new bill in Raleigh that would restrict abortion after 12 weeks into a pregnancy. The North Carolina Medical Society, the North Carolina Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, among other groups have voiced opposition to the "Care for Women, Child, and Families Act." "This bill is not medically sound. I think there's a lot of misinformation,' Dr. Beverly Gray, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University, said on WCNC's Flashpoint. Gray said her colleagues tried to convince lawmakers to keep the state's current 20-week restriction, without success. Despite the broad opposition in the medical community, some doctors support the new abortion restrictions. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/doctors-debate-north-carolinas-abortion-restrictions/275-f41fa42e-f16c-4c20-9958-84a75f47bd71

Democratic leaders say new abortion restrictions passed by the North Carolina General Assembly could energize their base going into the 2024 election. "I think that people need to understand the consequences of their local races," Drew Kromer, Chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, said. While Charlotte is heavily democratic, Kromer said democrats underperformed in recent elections. "Wake County in 2020, their turnout was 56%. And the statewide was 51%. And in Mecklenburg, we were down at 45%," Kromer said. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/democrats-abortion-restrictions-2024/275-271f2754-4511-49f9-a981-a7dec2602890

Justin Parmenter is a CMS teacher and public school advocate. He says the new "Choose Your School, Choose Your Future" bill in the General Assembly offers the wrong kind of choice. "When your choices have a negative impact on the education that others are receiving, it's not just about your own personal choice. And so I think this approach is depleting resources that we really need in our traditional public schools," Parmenter said on WCNC's Flashpoint.  On Wednesday, North Carolina Republicans celebrated what would be the largest expansion of the state's private school voucher program since it was created, saying all families should qualify for at least some money regardless of income. Senate Bill 406 would remove the program's current income caps, replacing them with a sliding scale that would let any family get a voucher, called an Opportunity Scholarship, of up to $3,246. READ MORE:   https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/teachers-new-voucher-bill-public-education/275-811942be-5a6e-4a37-9572-8b1bd1f6737d

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC's Ben Thompson talks with Sarah Hazel, chief sustainability officer for the city of Charlotte, on the city's strategic energy action plan. In 2018, the city of Charlotte adopted the plan with a goal to have all its fleet and facilities fueled by 100 percent zero-carbon sources by 2030. "When our city council adopted those goals, they knew that it was incredibly ambitious," Sarah Hazel, Charlotte's Chief Sustainability Officer, said on WCNC's Flashpoint.   Later, Ben talks to Kathie Dello, state climate office of North Carolina, who says we can see the impacts of climate change all around us. "We can break it down into just three easy things: hotter, wetter and more humid," Dello said.   READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/earth-day-charlotte-city-carbon-free-2030/275-5a742d42-09f3-4c16-9258-c6dfc637346b

Charlotte's Mayor says the city's troubled transit agency has turned a corner. "I believe that we are heading in the right direction,' Vi Lyles said on WCNC's Flashpoint. The transit agency has been beleaguered with problems recently, including changes in leadership, several minor derailments on the LYNX Blue Line, and staffing problems.  "In the past 130 days, we have invested so much talent in that organization that we're beginning to see the fruits of that investment," she said. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/charlotte-mayor-lyles-promises-progress-at-cats/275-55c75da8-8b6f-43c0-b4a0-39899ed1cad5

Republicans at the General Assembly are considering an abortion ban after 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to State Rep. Jason Saine, Chair of the NC House Republican Conference. "I think probably the number that we land on is somewhere around 12 weeks," Saine said on WCNC's Flashpoint. It's not clear what if any, exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother would be included in the bill.  READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/nc-republicans-abortion-ban-flashpoint/275-cf3d1b03-c24a-4b3e-878e-3f8a37500a8a

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson sits down with US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra about North Carolina's Medicaid expansion. North Carolina has 2.9 million enrollees in traditional Medicaid coverage. Advocates have estimated that expansion could help 600,000 adults.   "You've just given people peace of mind," Becerra said. "To all those people who today know that if their child all of a sudden becomes deathly ill and needs to go to a hospital, you don't have to worry anymore."  Later, Ben talks with North Carolina Treasurer Dale Folwell, the latest candidate to announce his run for NC governor in 2024. The Republican announced his gubernatorial campaign last week, making him the first republican to declare. "The governor of North Carolina is the CEO of the largest business in the state, in charge of employing the most people," he said.  READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/nc-treasurer-dale-folwell-campaign-governors-race/275-15afe859-8e33-43ee-bf29-a6dea2c80ce5

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson Mecklenburg County Commissioner Leigh Altman, who also sits on the Metropolitan Transit Commission about the ongoing CATS 'crisis' amid city leaders pushing for a billion-dollar transit plan. "If we don't find a way to ensure that CATS is a high-functioning, high-quality organization and go forward with these plans, we will lose billions of dollars in federal money," Altman said. Last week, the interim CATS C.E.O. outlined three derailments in the last year that were previously not disclosed to local leaders. Additionally, at Wednesday night's meeting, MTC members learned that CATS bridge inspections didn't happen in 2021, meaning inspections are two years past due. The last time they were inspected was in 2019.  Later, Ben talks with Gaston County State Rep. Donnie Loftis on a bill he sponsored in the NC House that would give NC schools more flexibility over their calendar. Loftis cosponsored a bill filed in the North Carolina House on Feb. 9 that would allow school districts to choose a start date as early as Aug. 10. It also forces districts to end the school year no later than the Friday closest to June 11.  "If education is a priority for the future of this state, and we need those bright and best young people to remain here in this state, I'm willing to give them any opportunity that would set them up for success," Loftis said. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/gaston-co-lawmaker-sponsors-bill-nc-schools-flexibility-calendar/275-f12bf53c-a94e-4486-b6a3-040e81cf7c17

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson talks with former North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue on how both political parties are failing to mentor young women in politics. "We haven't done a real good job across the state, Republicans or Democrats, of growing our bench," Former North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue said. Later, Ben talks with State Rep. Zack Hawkins about sports betting, Medicaid expansion and more. A bill filed last week in Raleigh legalizing online sports betting looks to have bipartisan support in General Assembly. "There's no reason for North Carolina to be sitting on the sidelines, especially in such a sports-rich state and a growing state," said bill sponsor Zach Hawkins, state representative from Durham. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/north-carolina-sports-betting-bill-looks-poised-for-passage/275-c21b3d8d-ca0d-45ff-abf1-7473e2140750

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson speaks with Ben talks with Charlotte Center City Partners' CEO Michael Smith, & SVP of Economic Development James Labar. Smith laid out his organization's plans for Uptown over the next ten years. He envisions a more "complete" neighborhood, focused on residential growth and tourist activity, in addition to the business presence Uptown is already known for. "Our goal is not to return to 2019. It's to become better. It's to become what we're supposed to be next," Smith said. Later, Ben talks with Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham, who said he's excited about the new changes coming to Uptown. "Over the next ten years, Uptown will look significantly different than it looks today. And I'm really excited about that," Charlotte City Councilman Malcolm Graham, said. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/post-pandemic-leaders-look-to-make-uptown-charlotte-a-more-complete-neighborhood/275-3a924baf-0f1d-4ed0-bc88-8ea987137475

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC's Ben Thompson talks with NC Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell and Iredell County Elections Director Susie Jordan about the status of election offices and equipment in North Carolina. Both agree the state could use more funding and resources. "So it's time to modernize. We didn't even have smartphones in 1998. So you can imagine that it looks more like Atari than it does any kind of modern technology," Bell said. The North Carolina Board of Elections is also undergoing significant turnover at county election offices. "We are growing at a rate of registered voters anywhere from 5-8%. We are over 136,000 registered voters. And so our greatest need right now is we are having difficulty finding polling locations within our precincts," Jordan said. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/we-need-to-modernize-north-carolina-elections-director-calls-for-new-funding-resources/275-9272a5c1-9f41-43d6-b725-8cba25cb75e2

Anderson Clayton, 25, is the newly-elected chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, and she's ready to shake things up. "Our party is ready for change. I think that we are ready to have a generational shift, honestly," Clayton said, on WCNC's Flashpoint. Clayton, a former chair of the Person County Democratic Party, believes the party has neglected rural voters. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/new-north-carolina-democratic-chair-anderson-clayton-makes-a-play-for-rural-voters/275-f586a9d3-0d6f-47f3-9580-e9f0ec025862

On this episode of Flashpoint, Ben Thompson chats with Percy Mack and CMS board member Summer Nunn about the district's search for a superintendent. Mack explains how his firm has already received interest in the position while Nunn explains what CMS is looking for as it attempts to hire another full-time superintendent. BWP & Associates, the consulting firm hired by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, will officially begin its search for the district's next superintendent on Monday.  "We've gotten a lot of interest already," Percy Mack of BWP & Associates, said. The firm will spend the next two months searching for qualified applicants. Ultimately, Mack said the group's goal is to cull the search down to a select few candidates.  FULL STORY: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/flashpoint-politics-charlotte-mecklenburg-schools-superintendent-search-consulting-firm-update/275-77046ba2-8537-498b-b6df-fa73f9278145 Next, Julia Kauffman has an update on a proposal to add even more tolls lanes to Interstate 77. These tolls would extend from Uptown Charlotte to the South Carolina state line as transportation leaders consider plans to improve traffic flow through Uptown. Finally, Jane Monreal shares the story of a Gaston County woman who wrote a check to her mechanic only for it to get get cashed a second time, months later.

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson sits down with Congressman Jeff Jackson, where Jackson admits his opinion on the recent Chinese spy balloon shifted after speaking to members of the U.S. military. "I started in a place of skepticism about the timeline for their decision-making and ended in a place of confidence that they handle this in the best possible way," Jackson said on WCNC's Flashpoint.   Later, Ben talks to Charlotte Mayor Pro Tem Braxton Winston and his push for Charlotte's stalled $13.5B transportation plan. "I have high confidence that we will get there because at the at the end of the day, the Charlotte region is the economic lungs of this state," Braxton Winston said on WCNC's Flashpoint.   READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/charlotte-mayor-pro-tem-pushes-compromise-on-transit/275-2cf8cf79-b7dc-49ad-bdee-073e27511df1

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson spoke to several city leaders about the transportation plan going forward and some of the skepticism lawmakers have toward the plan. "I think we have work to do to modify the plan in order to bring in the partners we need regionally and also to cooperate with the General Assembly on the referendum authorization that we need," Ed Driggs, city councilman, said. The city's $13.5 billion transportation plan relies on a one-cent sales tax referendum, which first requires approval of the Republican-led General Assembly in Raleigh. Driggs said he's "skeptical" a referendum could be put before voters by this November, the goal of many city leaders. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/charlotte-city-council-transportation-chair-skeptical-transit-plan-will-get-approved-this-year/275-285edd19-de6b-44da-8144-6a9fe72a2a9f

On this week's episode of Flashpoint, we're joined by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis! The North Carolina Republican has an extended conversation with Ben Thompson about the discovery of classified documents at the home of President Joe Biden, as well as documents found at the homes of former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence. Tillis faulted the White House's lack of oversight across multiple administrations and says the entire process must be evaluated and improved to ensure this doesn't happen again when it comes to the nation's secrets. FULL STORY: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/thom-tillis-documents-white-house-biden-pence-trump-flaspoint-politics/275-1b895d5b-fdb6-431f-8b03-6a0f9bf28339 Next, Julia Kauffman has details on crime data from Charlotte-Mecklenburg police. Stopping violent crime remains a major point of emphasis for CMPD as law enforcement officials updated Charlotte city leaders on recruitment efforts to fill hundreds of positions on the force. FULL STORY: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/local/charlotte-city-council-year-end-report-cmpd/275-6de5ca08-1b21-45f2-9e8d-1f4b1232f46c Finally, Ben takes a look at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools legislative agenda as the search for a new superintendent continues for the district. Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.  SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || Google Podcasts  All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

This week on Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson sits down with Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham on the upcoming annual Point-In-Time Count, where volunteers will take to the streets to help understand the size and scope of the homeless population here in Mecklenburg County. "It's very helpful to gain this information so we can really identify and allocate resources from the county and nonprofits in the city as well," Cotham said. Later, Ben talks with Charlotte city councilman Malcolm Graham, who highlights the importance of affordable housing in a continuously-growing city. "We're really, really growing. 121 individuals every day moved to the city of Charlotte, all looking for affordable housing," Malcolm Graham, city councilman, said.  READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/mecklenburg-county-prepares-for-annual-homeless-count/275-88130d59-3df4-4548-9848-35263aee4a27

On this week's episode of Flashpoint, WCNC Charlotte's Ben Thompson sits down with Congresswoman Alma Adams to discuss the divided U.S. House. Rep. Adams strikes an optimistic tone, stating she believes there is room for agreement. "The Republicans are just barely in the majority, and we're barely in the minority," Adams said on WCNC Charlotte's Flashpoint. "That gives us an opportunity to come together and focus on those things that not only the citizens care about." Adams expects some bipartisan agreement on issues surrounding the environment, housing, and transportation. READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/flashpoint/rep-alma-adams-charlotte-congresswoman-sees-agreement-divided-house/275-2a57151c-7ed0-4c36-92a7-a345ea523e2e

This week on Flashpoint, we take a look back at some of our best moments of 2022.