The Charlotte Post

05/25/2026

The city of Charlotte and American Airlines are giving each other a year to strike a long-term lease on Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The two sides agreed to continue negotiating a 10-year deal between the city and American after the current contract expires on June 30. The airport and airline agreed to use terms and conditions of the existing pact and will have no impact on customers or operations at the world’s sixth-busiest airport.

Sides agree to continue negotiations on a long-term deal on Charlotte Douglas International

05/22/2026

Watch: Sports Charlotte podcast, where topics include Kon Knueppel earning NBA All-Rookie First Team and Carolina Ascent taking on Sporting JAX in the Gainbridge Super League semifinals. Also have some thoughts on Charlotte FC ahead of the World Cup break.

05/22/2026

Davidson Community Players is bringing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s acclaimed musical “Evita” to the stage before its 2027 return to Broadway.

The play, scheduled for June 17–28 at the Duke Family Performance Hall, tells the story of Argentina’s controversial First Lady Eva Perón from humble beginnings to political powerhouse includes music by Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.

The rock opera, which includes hits like “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” and “Buenos Aires,” is directed by DCP Executive Director Steve Kaliski, “Evita” as Perón’s rise from poverty to the charismatic pinnacle of national culture in the mid-20th century.

Davidson Community Players stage production of hit musical June 17-28

05/22/2026

Ja’Moya Blue began her journey at Winston-Salem State University as a biology major with aspirations of attending medical school.

That changed after the North Mecklenburg High School graduate took Bao-Ahn Maddux’s elementary statistics class as a freshman.

Three years later, Blue earned a degree in mathematics and a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at Brown University, where she will join 2025 WSSU graduate Torre Lloyd in the fall.

In Maddux’s class, Blue found herself becoming increasingly interested in statistics. But aside from teaching, she wasn’t aware of the many career paths available in the math field.

“Professor Maddux really won me over,” Blue said. “She saw my potential and helped me shift my focus to math. I didn’t know where I could go in math. She broke down different types of career paths. She introduced me to biostatistics, where I could use biology and math. It’s the best of two worlds.”

Next stop for North Mecklenburg High graduate Ja'Moya Blue is Brown University

05/21/2026

This week, we honor Dr. Daniel Sanders — a visionary educator who rose from enslavement to become the first Black president of Biddle University (now Johnson C. Smith University) in 1891.

His leadership transformed the institution into a powerful hub for Black scholarship, community building, and generational opportunity. His story is a reminder that brilliance isn’t just about achievement — it’s about legacy, courage, and lifting others as you rise.

Black brilliance is not new. It’s continuous. It’s ours.

05/21/2026

Charlotte Hornets forward Kon Knueppel capped his first NBA season with a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.

Knueppel, the fourth overall pick in the 2025 draft, had an immediate impact, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game to finish second to Dallas’ Cooper Flagg in Rookie of the Year voting.

In addition to Knueppel and Flagg, V.J. Edgecomb (Philadelphia), Cedric Coward (Memphis) and Dylan Harper (San Antonio) were named to the first team.

Forward led the league in 3-point shots made with team record 273

05/21/2026

Charlotte’s decision to walk away from the I-77 South toll lane project could cost the city millions in state transportation funding.

North Carolina Transportation Secretary Daniel Johnson notified Mayor Vi Lyles in a May 15 letter that withdrawing support for the public-private initiative would prompt the state to remove Charlotte from the state’s long-term transportation plan, which could divert $600 million to other projects.

City Council voted 6-5 on May 11 to rescind support for private contractor to build toll lanes on I-77. As a result, Charlotte’s representative on the Charlotte Regional Transportation Planning Organization is required to oppose the plan.

NC transportation chief warns $600M would disappear

05/21/2026

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is running for re-election, but his profile is national.

Moore, the first Black chief executive in that state’s history, is often mentioned as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. As a result, he’s a hot commodity as a speaker, and spent a couple of days in Charlotte as commencement speaker at Johnson C. Smith University and campaign appearances with U.S. Senate candidate Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s former governor.

Moore, a former Army lieutenant and Bronze Star recipient as well as a Rhodes Scholar who is in his first term as governor, has not committed to running for president, but the question persists.

In an interview with The Post, Moore, 47, talked about campaigning for Cooper, mid-decade redistricting and voter suppression in the South as well as White House aspirations.

Sidesteps scuttlebutt on possible 2028 presidential run

05/21/2026

The labor market needs blue collar workers.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employer compensation costs rose 3.4% over the past year, reflecting increases in both wages and employee benefits, and a possible connection to cost of living increases.

As costs spike, younger workers are searching for careers that provide faster entry and stable income without college education. Nearly half of the U.S. population is middle class, which Pew Research classifies as household income ranging between $56,600-$169,800 in 2022. As rising costs reshape what financial stability looks like, more people are turning toward hands-on industries.

“A lot of these businesses need people… it’s everywhere,” said Christian Alexander Foster, 25, a line cook at Burton’s Grill in Charlotte as well as an auto mechanic and studying for certification as a welder. “It’s not hard to teach a guy how to cook pasta or time fries. I just walked in, had the interview, got paid $14 an hour, and started to learn.”

Even in a tech-driven society, blue collar trades are still necessary

05/17/2026

Join us on October 3, 2026 as we Celebrate and Uplift Excellence, honoring this year's Luminary Malcolm Coley and Educator Mary Towe at This Year’s Post Best Banquet.
https://thepostfoundation.org/2026PBBE

05/17/2026

Ray Wallace’s mission is to provide empower and support people without limbs.

He’s spent his life without a right leg, which inspired him to lead a normal life and help people living with similar challenges overcome them.

“I was born with a birth defect that left my femur shortened,” said Wallace, leader of the nonprofit Queen City Amputees. “I almost didn’t have one. My knee was practically connected to my hip when I was born, so before I was 3 [years old] I had a knee fusion, and I had my foot amputated so that I could fit into my prosthesis.”

Wallace said in a way, growing up without the leg helped because he didn’t know what he would done later in life without it like several individuals in the support group.

Ray Wallace embraces leadership with Queen City Amputees