Charlotte

Hollywood ate my novel: Novelists reveal what it’s like to have their book turned into a movie

in Art, eBooks, News, Print Books

Literary adaptations rule this year's Oscar nominations. But, for an author, having a book transformed by movie magic isn't always pleasant. Five writers tell Charlotte Philby what it's like to see your creation 'brought to life'. THE DESCENDANTS Released 2011 KAUI HART HEMMINGS The Descendants was my first published novel. I wrote it aged 28, while living in San ...

Six Arrested Blocking Road in front of Duke Energy HQ During DNC

Six protesters were taken away in handcuffs earlier Thursday near the corporate headquarters for Duke Energy. They had locked arms and were sitting on top of a banner claiming that the energy company was harming the environment. Two dozen officers surr…

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Rep. John Lewis, Civil Rights Icon, on Re-Electing Obama and Fighting to Protect the Vote

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Among the speakers on the closing night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte on Thursday was the legendary civil rights activist and Georgia Rep. John Lewis. During the 1960s, Lewis was arrested more than 40 times and beaten almo…

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It’s Party Time: Corporations, Donors with Billions at Stake Fund Lavish Events at DNC

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The celebratory mood in Charlotte was on display Tuesday night as thousands of delegates kicked off the Democratic National Convention and millions watched on TV. But the political party continues beyond what the public sees on prime-time broadcasts or even inside the convention center. There are exclusive events underway that range from corporate-sponsored parties hosted by the powerful Democratic Governors Association to a Super-O-Rama party hosted by the the three top Democratic super PACs, where the recommended contribution starts at $25,000. We’re joined by the Sunlight Foundation’s Liz Bartolomeo, who has been keeping an eye on the hundreds of events reserved for big donors and powerful figures. [includes rush transcript]

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Undocumented Activists Arrested Outside DNC After Cross-Country Journey for Immigration Reform

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One of the first acts of civil disobedience at the Democratic National Convention took place Tuesday just outside the Time Warner Cable Center when a group of 10 undocumented activists rode into uptown Charlotte aboard the “No Papers, No Fear – Ride for Justice” bus and blocked traffic. The activists have been riding aboard the “UndocuBus” protesting the Obama administration’s immigration policies for the past six weeks. They took part in Tuesday’s protest knowing they could face deportation if arrested. Democracy Now! was there when the activists left the bus and marched to the site of the Democratic National Convention. We then spoke to Tania Unzueta, whose father, mother and sister were arrested during the action and possibly face deportation. [includes rush transcript]

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DNC Begins with Fair Pay Advocate Lilly Ledbetter, Mayor Julián Castro and First Lady Michelle Obama

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The 2012 Democratic National Convention kicked off in Charlotte on Tuesday with a heavy focus on President Obama’s achievements on issues ranging from healthcare and women’s rights to immigration and ending combat operations in Iraq. We hear excerpts of the speeches of three speakers: women’s equality leader Lilly Ledbetter, the namesake of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill President Obama signed into law; San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, the first-ever Latino to keynote the DNC; and first lady Michelle Obama. [includes rush transcript]

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Headlines for September 5, 2012

Protests in Yemen After U.S. Drone Strike Kills 13 Civilians, U.N. Envoy: Death Toll “Staggering” in Syria, UNICEF Warns Syria Could Mark “One of Biggest Humanitarian Emergencies in Decades”, 25 Killed in Afghan Suicide Bombing, Aid Agencies Warn of Global Food Price “Catastrophe”, DNC Kicks Off in Charlotte, Dems Call for Amendment to Overturn Citizens United, Romney: Dems “Shameful” for Excluding Jerusalem from Platform, Obama Tours Swing States Before DNC, Occupy Demonstrators Stage DNC Sit-In, Planned Parenthood Activists Rally at DNC, Planned Parenthood Seeks Reversal of Texas Ban, Colombia, Rebels to Begin Talks Next Month, Opposition, Human Rights Groups Condemn Bahraini Sentences, Massachusetts Ordered to Pay for Prisoner’s Sex Change, Hackers Claim FBI Storage of Millions of Apple IDs

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No Papers, No Fear: Busload of Undocumented Immigrants Defy Risks to Bring Message to DNC

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A busload of more than 40 undocumented immigrants and their supporters, known as the UndocuBus, has arrived in Charlotte after traveling more than 2,000 miles, through 11 states, to deliver a message to President Barack Obama and the Democrats under the slogan of “No Papers, No Fear.” In many of the 15 cities they visited on their way to Charlotte, they engaged in civil disobedience to protest their criminalization by state and federal immigration laws. We’re joined by two of the riders, Leticia Ramirez and Rosi Carrasco. [includes rush transcript]

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Why Did the Dems Choose Charlotte? Examining Obama’s Close Ties to Utility Giant Duke Energy

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Duke Energy, the nation’s largest utility, has played a major role in bringing the Democratic National Convention to Charlotte, North Carolina. Duke has a lot riding on future policies governing coal, nuclear energy and climate change, regardless of who wins November’s election. The company has partly been successful in fighting off federal regulations thanks to its ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, reportedly sponsoring ALEC’s meetings and bankrolling its attacks on clean energy legislation. We discuss Duke Energy’s growing political influence with Monica Embrey, the North Carolina organizer for Greenpeace USA; and Beth Henry, a local activist in Charlotte raising awareness about Duke Energy and its ties to the Democratic National Convention. [includes rush transcript]

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Diverse Causes Join Forces in Charlotte to Kick Off Week of Protests at DNC

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On Sunday, ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, more than 1,000 people gathered for a March on Wall Street South. Before the march kicked off, speakers from organizations around the country gathered in Charlotte’s Frazier Park. We hear some of their voices. [includes rush transcript]

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Bright Lights of Charlotte’s DNC Cast Shadow Over City’s Poor and Marginalized

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In the shadow of the world headquarters of Bank of America and the media frenzy surrounding the Democratic National Convention, we look at a side of Charlotte you will not see this week in the network coverage — the city’s poor. We’re joined by Charlotte Observer reporter Fred Clasen-Kelly, who has written on poverty, homelessness and race relations in the city. [includes rush transcript]

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Baldemar Velásquez Draws on Years of Farm Worker Organizing to Continue Struggle in Anti-Union South

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Baldemar Velásquez, founder and president of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee of the AFL-CIO, has been organizing migrant workers since he worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. An Ohio delegate at the Democratic National Convention, Velásquez has been working to organize migrant farm workers in North Carolina — more than 90 percent of whom are undocumented. On Monday, Velásquez was part of a Southern Workers Assembly here in Charlotte that brought together farm laborers along with others who work in the manufacturing and service industries. Their challenge is significant: The South is the least unionized region in the United States, and union density in North Carolina is just 2 percent. [includes rush transcript]

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Ahead of Charlotte DNC, Hundreds Protest Corporate Giants in "March on Wall Street South"

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The Democratic National Convention opens today in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing more than 35,000 delegates, journalists and activists to the nation’s second-largest financial hub. On Sunday, a coalition of groups organized the first large protest of the DNC. More than 1,000 people rallied in what was described as a March on Wall Street South. Stops on the march included Bank of America’s global headquarters and the home of Duke Energy, one of the nation’s largest utility companies and an operator of coal-fired and nuclear power plants. [includes rush transcript]

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News Round-Up from Eco-Rebellion World Wide

Wow! Its been a wild week, and we’ve gotten a bit behind on the news as several EF! Newswire contributors were tied up in Tampa at the RNC protests. But it looks like that blue moon may have gotten some people pretty riled up! Here’s a comp…

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L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa & GOP Latino Leader Mario Lopez on Immigration Reform in 2012 Race

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The new Republican platform has adopted Mitt Romney’s call for the so-called self-deportation of undocumented immigrants. Democracy Now! senior producer Mike Burke talks immigration reform with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa during a stop at the Republican National Convention. Villaraigosa is the chair of next week’s Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. We also hear from Mario Lopez, president of the Hispanic Leadership Fund and former member of the Republican National Committee’s Hispanic Advisory Board. [includes rush transcript]

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