WPTF Afternoon News

North and South Carolinians should be prepared for a bug boom over the next few months, according to the National Pest Management Association. The NPMA Bug Barometer shows a warm, wet spring will boost activity for a variety of pests.

The Federal Reserve kept its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and Chair Jerome Powell highlighted the increasingly uncertain outlook for the U.S. economy and inflation in the wake of the Iran war, suggesting the Fed could stand pat for an extended period. Connel Fullenkamp, Duke University Professor of Economics, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest economic outlook.

Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people worldwide, yet the illness is hardest to catch at the very beginning, when new treatments may work best. In a new study, Duke Health researchers show that a quick, outpatient nasal swab can pick up early biological changes linked to Alzheimer’s, even before thinking and memory problems appear. Vincent D’Anniballe, the lead researcher in the study, dis...

We’ve long had your back, now it’s our turn. That is how the famously transactional U.S. President Donald Trump is framing his demands that allies help him with the Iran war. He wants to call in IOUs for decades of U.S. security guarantees. The string of refusals indicates that his stock of European goodwill is low. Jeff McCausland, CBS News Military consultant, joined Bruce Ferrell to discuss the...

Duke University and the Duke University Health System are committing to a $203 million investment over three years across the Triangle. It's called the HomeGrown initiative. Duke developed the initiative with community input from Durham and Wake County residents, community organizations and business owners and Duke employees. Syretta Hill, Senior Director for Economic Mobility at Duke University,...

Phil Berger, the powerful NC Senate leader, trails challenger Sam Page in the GOP primary for Berger’s seat. Berger wanted state officials to pay special attention to certain ballots in an effort to close a 23-vote gap. They declined. Patrick Sebastian, Post Election Advisor for Sam Page, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the decision by the elections board.

A music studio in 1976, Where an up-and-coming rock band recording a new album finds itself suddenly on the cusp of superstardom. Featuring original music by former Arcade Fire member Will Butler, "Stereophonic", the most Tony Award-winning Show of 2024. The most Tony Award-nominated Play of all time is coming to the DPAC tonight through Sunday. Gayle Hurd talks to Lauren Wilmore who plays Holly a...

The National League of Cities will host over 2,500 mayors, councilmembers and local officials from across the country for its annual Congressional City Conference this week. Jeanne Milliken Bonds, a former Mayor of Knightdale who served as a UNC-Chapel Hill Business School professor, joined Jeff Hamlin to talk about the conference.

With St. Patrick’s Day celebrations underway, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to celebrate responsibly as the statewide “Booze It & Lose It” campaign began Monday. It will continue through Sunday. Lindsay Poe with the N.C. Department of Transportation joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the campaign.

Democrats have high hopes for North Carolina in the November midterms, but a new poll offers a reality check. The poll, released Monday by Public Policy Polling, has Roy Cooper leading Michael Whatley by just three percentage points in the race for U.S. Senate. It’s Whatley’s best poll since the beginning of the campaign. Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest...

Senate leader Phil Berger has asked for a recount in the Republican primary for the District 26 seat. Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page currently leads Berger by 23 votes. Recounts in North Carolina rarely flip elections. Berger would need to gain a net of 24 ballots. That hasn't happened in recent history. Bryan Anderson, an Assembly NC Reporter who has followed the race since last year, joined...

Duke Energy says the company is urging central North Carolina residents to prepare for the risk of “tornadic activity.” Jeff Brooks of Duke Energy joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss what North Carolina saw on Monday

A tornado watch issued for central North Carolina impacted flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. It brought the highest risk for severe weather in the Raleigh-Durham area since March 2021. Stephanie Hawco of Raleigh-Durham International Airport joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how RDU was impacted.

For the first time since March of 2021, central North Carolina was under a Level 4 risk out of 5 for severe thunderstorms on Monday. A Level 4 risk is an indication of potentially widespread severe weather. Phil Badgett of the National Weather Service in Raleigh joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss what the area experienced.

Families often travel hours to Durham for specialized pediatric care at Duke Children’s Hospital. When treatment requires frequent visits or extended stays, parents often find themselves balancing the stress of a child’s diagnosis with the challenge of finding a stable place to live nearby. That need inspired the creation of Harper’s Home , a nonprofit working to provide housing for families trave...

From food and fitness to childcare and home services, franchise businesses represent hundreds of industries that touch people’s daily lives. Franchises represent more than 8 million jobs and contribute over $900 billion to the economy. Matt Haller, International Franchise Association President, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how fast franchises have grown in North Carolina.

It’s been a week since the primary and the most noteworthy race in North Carolina is still undecided. Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page maintains a narrow lead over Senate President Phil Berger. Carlton Huffman is an independent conservative and GOP strategist. He joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss primary day.

It’s been a strange weather week across central North Carolina. On Tuesday and Wednesday, there were record-setting highs at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Yet the high temperatures dropped roughly 25 degrees over the course of one day on Thursday. And there was even snow reported in Person County. CBS-17 Meteorologist Wes Hohenstein joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the strange pattern

Durham school employees are calling for higher pay and improved working conditions ahead of a key school board vote on next year's budget. The Durham Association of Educators held a rally on Thursday. Angel Parkstone, the President of the Durham Association of Educators, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss their requests.

In November, things weren’t looking good for the Duke women’s basketball team. They were 3-5 coming off of lopsided losses to South Carolina and UCLA. Now, the Blue Devils are ACC Tournament champions again. The Blue Devils defeated Louisville in Duluth, Georgia to take the ACC Championship on Sunday. Chris Edwards is the Duke women’s play-by-play man. He joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the Blue Dev...

The Town of Cary has extended the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival, ensuring the popular annual tradition will continue at Koka Booth Amphitheatre through the 2033-2034 season. Janie Curtis, the General Manager of the Koka Booth Amphitheatre, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how important the event has been to Cary.

When it comes to the war with Iran, President Donald Trump has cycled from calls for “unconditional surrender” to sounding amenable to an end state in which Iran trades one hard-line ayatollah for another. The shifting comments from the Republican president and his top aides have added to the precariousness of the 12-day-old conflict that's affecting the Middle East and causing economic tremors ar...

The Black Farmers Hub is known for natural and healthy products. Mona Lisa and Demetrius Hunter have brick-and-mortar location in Raleigh for 5 years, but recently they took their business on the road. Hunter and Lisa joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the Black Farmers Hub.

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson sharply criticized the Justice Department's proposed settlement with Live Nation and Ticketmaster, calling it "a bad deal" that fails to address what he described as an unlawful monopoly over the live events industry. Jackson joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the DOT ruling.

Gas prices have seen a dramatic increase in the last week. Some economists warn this could translate to you paying not only more at the pump, but also at places like the grocery store. N.C. State Economics Professor Emeritus Mike Walden discussed the higher prices, at and away from the pump, with Jeff Hamlin.