York City. The nation's second largest financial institution by assets,Bank of America, calls the city home. The city was also the former corporate home of Wachovia until its purchase by Wells Fargo in 2008; Charlotte became the headquarters for East Coast Operations of Wells Fargo. Both Wachovia and Bank of America have been major conduits for drug money-laundering.

Charlotte/Douglas International Airport is the 8th busiest airport in the U.S. and ninth busiest in the world as measured by traffic.

Many veins of gold were found in the area throughout the 19th and early 20th century, leading to the 1837 founding of the Charlotte Mint. North Carolina led the nation in gold production until the California Gold Rush of 1848. The city's first boom came after the Civil War, as acotton processing center and a railroad hub.

Charlotte's eastbound Central Avenue corridor is known for its international population, including East Europeans, Greeks, Middle-Easterners, and Hispanics. The large area known as Southeast Charlotte is home to many golf communities, luxury developments, mega-churches, the Jewish community center, and private schools. Charlotte has the largest Jewish population in the Carolinas. Shalom Park, in south Charlotte, is the hub of the Jewish community.

A mere four hour drive from Charlotte, Andrew Adler, the publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times wrote a piece this past January describing a scenario whereby Israel's U.S. based Mossad agents might assassinate "a president deemed unfriendly to Israel." He adds "...don't you think that this almost unfathomable idea has been discussed in Israel's most inner circles?"

"You are Prime Minister Benjamin