WCNC Charlotte, this is flashpoint.
WCNC Charlotte, this is flashpoint.

Thanks for joining us here on what
Thanks for joining us here on what

is a special edition of Flashpoint.
is a special edition of Flashpoint.

I'm Ben Thompson.
I'm Ben Thompson.

This week we are looking back at the
This week we are looking back at the

Big year in politics from investigation
Big year in politics from investigation

into Charlotte City staff to a
into Charlotte City staff to a

historic election across the country.
historic election across the country.

Over the next 30 minutes,
Over the next 30 minutes,

we'll share with you some of the
we'll share with you some of the

news making moments from here on
news making moments from here on

Flashpoint and from the dedicated
Flashpoint and from the dedicated

reporting of our WCNC Charlotte team.
reporting of our WCNC Charlotte team.

First up this upcoming week,
First up this upcoming week,

senator elect Ted Budd will take office.
senator elect Ted Budd will take office.

We sat down with him.
We sat down with him.

Back in October,
Back in October,

as he was fighting to keep
as he was fighting to keep

North Carolina Senate seat red.
North Carolina Senate seat red.

What would your plan be to help?
What would your plan be to help?

Decrease inflation.
Decrease inflation.

While acknowledging this is not a
While acknowledging this is not a

US specific problem, the inflation
US specific problem, the inflation

is a worldwide problem right now.
is a worldwide problem right now.

So you have essentially
So you have essentially

two sides of the equation.
two sides of the equation.

You have the interest rate side,
You have the interest rate side,

which of course the Fed is
which of course the Fed is

going to chase that until they
going to chase that until they

slow down the economy enough.
slow down the economy enough.

But go back to the definition of what
But go back to the definition of what

inflation is from Milton Friedman.
inflation is from Milton Friedman.

Too much money chasing too few goods.
Too much money chasing too few goods.

And so the Fed's going to do what
And so the Fed's going to do what

they can on the interest rate
they can on the interest rate

side to slow down the demand.
side to slow down the demand.

But you have to fix the supply
But you have to fix the supply

side and that's energy.
side and that's energy.

A lot of that is the hostile
A lot of that is the hostile

environment that Joe Biden has created
environment that Joe Biden has created

towards American energy production,
towards American energy production,

including on day one killing
including on day one killing

the Keystone Pipeline.
the Keystone Pipeline.

Not only did that kill 10,000
Not only did that kill 10,000

jobs and more after that,
jobs and more after that,

it created a mismatch between the
it created a mismatch between the

supply that they have of energy in
supply that they have of energy in

Canada and our refining capacity in the US,
Canada and our refining capacity in the US,

which would have gone right
which would have gone right

out to people's gas tanks.
out to people's gas tanks.

It would have lowered the cost of fuel.
It would have lowered the cost of fuel.

It would have allowed groceries
It would have allowed groceries

to get to store cheaper.
to get to store cheaper.

It would allow farmers to plant less
It would allow farmers to plant less

expensively and get food to to to
expensively and get food to to to

market even less, less expensively.
market even less, less expensively.

So again,
So again,

we've got to get back to Pro Energy.
we've got to get back to Pro Energy.

We've got to allow people to get
We've got to allow people to get

back to work and not discourage work.
back to work and not discourage work.

And then again, you can't.
And then again, you can't.

Overrate regulate businesses
Overrate regulate businesses

like the Biden administration is
like the Biden administration is

doing because it makes it hard on
doing because it makes it hard on

the small businesses out there.
the small businesses out there.

Not so much as the big businesses,
Not so much as the big businesses,

but the small businesses that are
but the small businesses that are

just trying to make ends meet.
just trying to make ends meet.

As the congressman you Co sponsored
As the congressman you Co sponsored

a bill that would ban abortions
a bill that would ban abortions

nationwide after 15 weeks.
nationwide after 15 weeks.

I want to get some some clarity here.
I want to get some some clarity here.

What does your ideal abortion law look like?
What does your ideal abortion law look like?

Well,
Well,

if the Democrats are going to do
if the Democrats are going to do

something as extreme as the so-called
something as extreme as the so-called

Women's Health Protection Act,
Women's Health Protection Act,

and don't be deceived by the name of that.
and don't be deceived by the name of that.

That's the most radical abortion.
That's the most radical abortion.

Bill in history.
Bill in history.

So if they're gonna do something federal,
So if they're gonna do something federal,

I'm gonna counter that federally,
I'm gonna counter that federally,

such as the bill that you're referring to.
such as the bill that you're referring to.

But I'd much rather it be like what
But I'd much rather it be like what

the Supreme Court said that it needs
the Supreme Court said that it needs

to go back to the states in the
to go back to the states in the

exceptions for life of mother rape.
exceptions for life of mother rape.

I've always looked.
I've always looked.

I'm pro-life and I have been long
I'm pro-life and I have been long

before politics and I've always
before politics and I've always

been about supporting life,
been about supporting life,

including the life of the mother
including the life of the mother

exception for rape about the
exception for rape about the

life of the mother
life of the mother

made a lot of news with that interview.
made a lot of news with that interview.

Ted Budd is not the only one
Ted Budd is not the only one

heading to Washington this week.
heading to Washington this week.

Charlotte congressman alma.
Charlotte congressman alma.

Times returning to the House for
Times returning to the House for

her fifth term back in June,
her fifth term back in June,

we spoke to the congresswoman about one
we spoke to the congresswoman about one

of the biggest stories of this past year.
of the biggest stories of this past year.

At the time, the US Supreme Court
At the time, the US Supreme Court

had just overturned Roe V Wade.
had just overturned Roe V Wade.

She shared with us her thoughts
She shared with us her thoughts

on what it means for the country.
on what it means for the country.

How? How comfortable,
How? How comfortable,

how confident are you that abortion
how confident are you that abortion

will remain legal in North Carolina?
will remain legal in North Carolina?

Well, I'm, I, I I just believe that the
Well, I'm, I, I I just believe that the

women are going to stand up people,
women are going to stand up people,

men and women. So I mean I, you know,
men and women. So I mean I, you know,

a lot of it's going to depend on,
a lot of it's going to depend on,

I guess who's in the legislature.
I guess who's in the legislature.

That's always the case.
That's always the case.

You know, I tell folks you don't change
You know, I tell folks you don't change

policy until you change policymakers,
policy until you change policymakers,

change their minds or, you know,
change their minds or, you know,

we have another way of changing them.
we have another way of changing them.

But I'm hoping that we will be
But I'm hoping that we will be

able to appeal to our state and
able to appeal to our state and

that it will still remain legal.
that it will still remain legal.

But you know,
But you know,

but I think if people continue to speak out.
but I think if people continue to speak out.

And speak up that we get folks prepared for
And speak up that we get folks prepared for

this fight because it is going to be one.
this fight because it is going to be one.

Hopefully we'll be able to maintain
Hopefully we'll be able to maintain

it. What's this mean for maternal health?
it. What's this mean for maternal health?

You've come on this show talking about
You've come on this show talking about

maternal health for for four years.
maternal health for for four years.

What changed in the last week?
What changed in the last week?

Well, that means that black and brown women
Well, that means that black and brown women

are those who will be impacted the hardest.
are those who will be impacted the hardest.

I I believe those who live in rural areas,
I I believe those who live in rural areas,

those who have lower incomes and
those who have lower incomes and

can't afford to cross state lines
can't afford to cross state lines

to care young people, LGBTQ people,
to care young people, LGBTQ people,

and and women in abusive relationships.
and and women in abusive relationships.

But we know that we already
But we know that we already

have concerns about.
have concerns about.

Black women and the fact that that
Black women and the fact that that

we're dying at higher rates in
we're dying at higher rates in

terms of giving birth etcetera,
terms of giving birth etcetera,

this is going to exacerbate problems.
this is going to exacerbate problems.

So I'm concerned about that as well.
So I'm concerned about that as well.

You know if you if you have the funds
You know if you if you have the funds

if you can travel and and that kind
if you can travel and and that kind

of thing but you don't have to worry.
of thing but you don't have to worry.

But so many people don't have
But so many people don't have

that and won't have it and so it's
that and won't have it and so it's

going to impact them.
going to impact them.

These women probably at greater.
These women probably at greater.

Degrees and others.
Degrees and others.

Again, the Congress went back
Again, the Congress went back

in June of this past year.
in June of this past year.

Well, this weekend,
Well, this weekend,

another interim Superintendent
another interim Superintendent

getting ready to take charge of
getting ready to take charge of

CMS after yet again another big
CMS after yet again another big

shake up throughout this year.
shake up throughout this year.

You might remember back in April,
You might remember back in April,

the school board fired Ernest Winston
the school board fired Ernest Winston

and chose former Hugh Hattabaugh
and chose former Hugh Hattabaugh

as a temporary replacement.
as a temporary replacement.

As WCNC Charlotte Shmarya Morrison explains,
As WCNC Charlotte Shmarya Morrison explains,

now it's time for another
now it's time for another

temporary leader to take over,
temporary leader to take over,

and this time it's Crystal Hill.
and this time it's Crystal Hill.

Hill will start in her role as
Hill will start in her role as

interim Superintendent on January 1st.
interim Superintendent on January 1st.

I've always been laser focused on doing
I've always been laser focused on doing

my very best and whatever role I was
my very best and whatever role I was

in and that's what I plan to do today
in and that's what I plan to do today

as I was named interim Superintendent.
as I was named interim Superintendent.

There was a lot of work that
There was a lot of work that

needs to be done. He'll replace
needs to be done. He'll replace

his current interim Superintendent,
his current interim Superintendent,

Hugh Hattabaugh.
Hugh Hattabaugh.

He's stepping down at the end of the
He's stepping down at the end of the

month to take care of his sick father.
month to take care of his sick father.

He was supposed to serve
He was supposed to serve

through June of next year.
through June of next year.

Hill has worked closely with Hattabaugh
Hill has worked closely with Hattabaugh

and was hired under his tenure.
and was hired under his tenure.

She's been working really side
She's been working really side

by side with Doctor Hattabaugh
by side with Doctor Hattabaugh

to take the board's goals and
to take the board's goals and

guardrails and really operationalize
guardrails and really operationalize

them throughout the district.
them throughout the district.

Before coming to CMS,
Before coming to CMS,

Hill was at Cabarrus County Schools,
Hill was at Cabarrus County Schools,

where she was the assistant Superintendent
where she was the assistant Superintendent

of curriculum and instruction.
of curriculum and instruction.

And when you look at her academic
And when you look at her academic

background and her resume,
background and her resume,

she's, you know,
she's, you know,

she brings a really strong skill set.
she brings a really strong skill set.

But most importantly,
But most importantly,

what she's shown us in her work is.
what she's shown us in her work is.

Is has just been a tremendous
Is has just been a tremendous

ability to take the vision and
ability to take the vision and

the values that we've put out
the values that we've put out

there and carry them from the
there and carry them from the

boardroom to the classroom,
boardroom to the classroom,

hill says. Like Hattabaugh,
hill says. Like Hattabaugh,

her job is to make the time between now
her job is to make the time between now

and hiring a Superintendent smoother.
and hiring a Superintendent smoother.

There are so much work that needs to be done.
There are so much work that needs to be done.

We'll be recommending our budget.
We'll be recommending our budget.

There's a bond referendum.
There's a bond referendum.

The comprehensive student Assignment
The comprehensive student Assignment

Hills contract will run through June 30th.
Hills contract will run through June 30th.

She'll be paid about $21,000.
She'll be paid about $21,000.

Each month, the district says it's still
Each month, the district says it's still

working to find a permanent Superintendent.
working to find a permanent Superintendent.

Shmarya Morrison, WCNC, Charlotte.
Shmarya Morrison, WCNC, Charlotte.

The election is proving big
The election is proving big

for North Carolina Republicans,
for North Carolina Republicans,

state leaders now planning
state leaders now planning

their 2023 agenda.
their 2023 agenda.

That's coming up next,
That's coming up next,

right here on Flashpoint.
right here on Flashpoint.