Charlotte Talks With Mike Collins

The earth is warming and so are the oceans, resulting in shifts in feeding and migratory patterns. Sharks are part of this. At the top of the food chain, their health can tell us a lot about the well-being of the larger ecosystem. Scientists are working to understand sharks and they share what they know about the impact of climate change on sharks, their behavior, and their role in the environment.

Activist Rev. William Barber comes out against the transit plan, a District 3 City Council candidate drops out of the race, concerns over immigration enforcement highlight the last CMS board meeting before the start of school, and Charlotte Pride returns for its 25th year, though with diminished corporate support.

We sit down with superintendents of Iredell-Statesville, Cabarrus County and Union County schools for back-to-school season. These three districts face their own changes and challenges this year. We’ll discuss everything from budgets and funding to student safety and closing the learning gap.

Housing has been a challenge in Charlotte with the city struggling to balance growth and affordability. Historian Tom Hanchett explains in his new book how policymakers and advocates have wrestled with this issue for decades. Hanchett joins us to discuss the history of housing policy in the region and how Charlotte can do better.

Historically Black colleges and universities have played a vital role in educating generations of students. But today, enrollment among Black males at HBCUs is at its lowest level since the mid-1970s. Studies indicate that when Black men disengage from HBCUs and higher education, the consequences are far-reaching. We examine the impact, why this is happening, what schools are doing to combat it and more.

Charlotte Pride celebrates its 25th anniversary as an organization this weekend. The marquee event is the largest festival and parade in Charlotte and this year it’s moving to First Ward Park in uptown. Another major change includes anti-DEI backlash that has made corporate sponsorship a challenge.

Mecklenburg County commissioners vote on whether to increase the county-wide sales tax by 1 cent to fund the transit plan. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signs the mini budget, albeit reluctantly. Nancy Mace throws her hat in the ring for South Carolina governor. Plus, the Panthers open preseason play.

Eighty years ago, the United States dropped a weapon unlike anything ever seen before on Japan. In his new book, "The Devil Reached Toward the Sky," author Garrett Graff writes about the development of the atomic bomb from those directly involved. Graff joins us to discuss what was going on inside the brain of those who created the first atomic weapon and what today's leaders can learn from that moment in history.

Congress may be in recess, but the news from Washington hasn't stopped. We talk to Washington correspondents covering it all from the handling of the Epstein files and a redistricting arms race to the start of attack ads in the U.S. Senate race and more.

Blumenthal Arts is showing a production of “Immediate Family,” a play billed as “'Modern Family'” meets 'Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.'” Led by the direction of two-time Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad, noted for her role as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” and written by Paul Oakley Stovall, a Tony Award-winning actor and playwright who also worked in the Obama White House.

On the next Charlotte Talks, a conversation with Nick Walker, the new director of Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation Department.

Formal announcements are made in the race for N.C. Senate, Republicans override several of Gov. Stein’s vetoes with the help of local Democrats, and the National Transportation Safety Board investigates an accident on Interstate 485 that left six dead.

So far this year, there have been 35 traffic-related deaths in Charlotte, including four cyclists and eight pedestrians. This has happened despite the city's Vision Zero plan to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2030. We explore what’s behind this rise in traffic-related deaths, its relationship to road design and what is and isn’t being done to make our streets safe.

The North Carolina Board of Elections is moving forward with plans to update information on thousands of voters. Some of their registrations don’t comply with the law and now, many of those already-registered voters will have to fix their information. We tell you how to know if you’re among them and discuss the politics of this issue.

We look at the separate but connected impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on food assistance and health care access now that the bill has passed. For Medicaid, new eligibility restrictions and administrative requirements could affect thousands. For SNAP, work-reporting rules and imposed time limits could impact access to food aid for individuals and low-income families.

Not only has Crawford made significant contributions to the national success of this homegrown band, he's also hosting a new podcast. It's called “American History Hotline,” and he talks with some of the best historians about everything from the American Revolution to rock 'n' roll feuds.

The city of Charlotte has hired an outside attorney to investigate allegations of unethical conduct on the City Council made earlier this year. Charlotte Civil Rights icon and a member of the legal team that ended racial segregation in education, James Ferguson, has died. The latest on North Carolina's Senate race and the Charlotte Hornets win the NBA's Summer League.

On the next Charlotte Talks, we explore some of the work of photographer Annie Leibovitz, on display at the Mint Museum, and a unique exhibit at the Bechtler that uses sound to experience various visual works.

Mosquitoes — these tiny blood suckers can be annoying and drive you away from enjoying the outdoors. But they can also be dangerous. More than 900 cases of tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses were reported statewide last year, including West Nile Virus. As we head into the peak of mosquito season here, we look at how to protect yourself and what may happen as the climate continues to warm.

The impact of federal funding cuts to public radio and television — what it means for news, children’s programming, and how stations are working to limit the damage.