CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – President Barack Obama is just months away from coming to Charlotte to accept a bid for a second run at President of the United States.

But on Tuesday, the president sat down with WBTV anchor Paul Cameron in an exclusive interview from the White House.

President Obama talked about the economy, foreclosures, unemployment, the Democratic National Convention and big banks.

"Well, you know, I think that the first thing to understand is that the financial system in the United States is critical for our overall economic health," President Barack Obama told WBTV's Paul Cameron.

GREENSBORO, NC (WBTV) - Something unexpected happened on the way to North Carolina's vote this May on banning same-sex marriage.

The constitutional amendment, if approved, would make North Carolina the last state in the Southeast to ban gay marriage.

Already the state defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

Supporters say it would help the state against legal challenges from same-sex couples who've been able to get married in other states.

Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue unexpectedly announced last Thursday that she won't seek re-election. That means more Democrats could turn out to the polls for the May 8 primary to pick a new candidate for governor.

Before that, mostly Republicans were expected to show up to pick their candidates for governor and president. They were expected to approve the ban.

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Gov. Bev Perdue talked about adding a new sales tax intended to fund education in North Carolina at a media event in Charlotte on Thursday.

Perdue spoke at the Microsoft Education Campus at 10:30 a.m.

She said a 3/4-penny sales tax could be added to directly fund education and keep students from lagging behind in subjects such as math, engineering and technology.

The new sales tax would only cost the average person an extra $10-15 a month, Perdue told WBTV.

In 2009, Perdue proposed a package of temporary increases that included a 1-cent sales tax hike. The legislature approved it, but the taxes expired in 2011.

When last year rolled around, though, Perdue wanted to keep the higher tax, but the Republican-controlled legislature overrode her.

Now Perdue is ready for another round.