Author name: Mary Curtis

Sacrificing democracy to belong to a shrinking ‘club’

It was a scene both disturbing and expected: former President Donald Trump embracing one of the insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with the intention of overthrowing the results of the 2020 election. Micki Larson-Olson was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of resisting police as they tried to clear the […]

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America’s Rich History of Gun Control: How “originalist” arguments against gun control distort actual history.

When the Supreme Court struck down New York’s concealed carry law last year, it set a precedent that gun control laws should be judged against “historical tradition.” But judged against actual American history, it’s the on-going repeal of gun control laws that’s an anomaly. Guest: Robert J Spitzer, professor emeritus at SUNY Cortland, author of

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Local News Roundup: CMS continues superintendent search as Gaston County’s superintendent resigns; Tricia Cotham sponsors private school voucher bill; NC legislature bill on trans athletes and more

On the next Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup… The search for a new CMS superintendent continues, as the board receives candidate bios, and over in Gaston County, the superintendent resigns. Plus, potential boundary changes in the southern part of the CMS district are cause for concern among many parents and students. We’ll bring you up

Local News Roundup: CMS continues superintendent search as Gaston County’s superintendent resigns; Tricia Cotham sponsors private school voucher bill; NC legislature bill on trans athletes and more Read More »

Will Democrats raise the volume on expressing what they believe in?

Does this mean Democrats don’t have to be afraid anymore? You know what I mean. Though Democratic politicians and the party itself stand for certain values and policies, sometimes, when they promote and defend them in the public square, well, they do it in a whisper. This is despite the popularity of many of these

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Dianne Feinstein’s Last Stand: Can the Democrats afford to let the California senator finish her term?

The 89-year-old Dianne Feinstein has stated she plans to retire at the end of her term, but her health-related absences have stymied the Democrats’ ability to confirm judges—one of the few things the party can actually do in a divided government. Guest: Joe Garofoli, senior political writer at the San Francisco Chronicle, covering national and

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Dominion Takes Fox News to Court: Can Dominion prove “actual malice”?

The defamation trial between Dominion Voting Systems and Fox News starts this week. Though Dominion uncovered a trove of texts and emails from people at Fox News who knew calling the 2020 election stolen was a lie, proving “defamation” is a high bar in the United States. Can Dominion win the case? And even if

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Equal Time: How Black women, America’s invisible ‘saviors,’ can rewrite the narrative

With Black women rising to prominence in politics, the arts and every field in between, it could be said that it is their moment in history. But dig deeper and the picture is far more nuanced. When expectations are high and mothers still counsel daughters to “work twice as hard” to succeed, what is the

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Tennessee’s House Divided: Days of public protest, open shouting from the Rotunda, and expulsions that broke on color lines

The Tennessee House, which has a Republican supermajority, voted last week on motions to expel three Democratic members for “disorderly behavior” after they led protest chants from the floor of the chamber. Two Black lawmakers, Rep. Justin Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson—both in their late 20s and new to the House this session—were ousted. The

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Clarence Thomas’s Friends in High Places: Who is Harlan Crow and why is he the justice’s vacation benefactor?

A ProPublica investigation revealed that Justice Clarence Thomas has been gifted luxury vacations by Republican donor and billionaire Harlan Crow. For over two decades, Justice Thomas has taken private jets, gone on yachts and stayed at private resorts alongside powerful Republican donors, all funded by Crow. For the most part, Justice Thomas did not disclose

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