WPTF Afternoon News

Taking place in Clemmons on September 20th and 21st, Tour to Tanglewood has a route for everyone and brings together cyclists of all levels, all of whom are united by one mission: to cure MS while empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives. This year, their goal is to raise over $730,000 to support research, programming, and advocacy for nearly 1 million people living with multiple...

The Trump administration announced Friday that it will release the remaining portion of nearly $7 billion in federal education funding that had been under review. Last week, $1.3 billion was released for after-school programs, and now the rest of the funds are being made available. The decision ends weeks of uncertainty for schools nationwide. Keith Poston, Executive Director of the WakeEd Partner...

Former Governor Roy Cooper has officially launched his campaign for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat, announcing his bid on X. Undefeated in statewide elections, Cooper is seen as the early Democratic frontrunner. Fellow Democrat Wiley Nickel is expected to suspend his campaign and endorse Cooper later this week. Catawba College Political Science Professor Michael Bitzer joined Jeff Hamlin t...

President Trump issued an executive order last week titled “Saving College Sports,” targeting recent changes in how college athletes earn money. Since a 2021 Supreme Court ruling allowed players to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), the college sports landscape has changed dramatically. The order aims to impose new regulations on NIL deals and how athletes are compensated. Former N...

Hulk Hogan, who headlined eight of the first nine WrestleManias and led to World Wrestling Entertainment expanding nationally, has died. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was the biggest drawing attraction in pro wrestling history. He won six WWE Championships. After leaving WWE in 1993, Hogan joined Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling, which became the biggest company in the world f...

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper will soon launch his Senate campaign. That is according to Axios and The New York Times among other sources. Multiple media outlets are reporting that Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley will run for Senate in North Carolina and will have the blessing of President Donald Trump after his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, opted not to seek the sea...

The North Carolina Museum of Art will present an exhibition called “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” starting on September 20. Featuring more than 120 objects from collections across the world, this exhibition showcases the titular biblical story’s impact on the visual and popular culture of 17th-century Holland through paintings, prints, drawings, decorative art and ceremonial objects,...

U.S. traffic fatalities fell in 2024 for the third straight year, four years after traffic fatalities surged in 2020 and 2021 as the nation grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the modest decrease in traffic fatalities over the past three years, traffic fatalities in 2024 remained significantly higher than a decade ago. Carolyn Bonifas Kelly, a spokesperson for natio...

It’s been one of the most humid summers in central North Carolina history. Exactly two months from Tuesday, fall will officially begin. ExploreFall is a website created by Evan Fisher. It aims to forecast fall foliage, while also pointing readers to resources for fall getaways. ExploreFall has released its first outlook for the peak fall colors. Fisher joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss what to expect...

The City of Raleigh is a hot spot for recent college graduates, according to a new study. Payroll company, ADP, looked at the wages of about 140,000 in their 20s in cities across the country and how long it takes them to land new jobs. Raleigh ranked number one for the second year in a row. Kyle Touchstone, Director at Raleigh Economic Development, discussed why Raleigh is so attractive to new gra...

There's a new effort -- on wheels -- to get potentially life-saving care to people battling addiction. Dr. Eric Morse, the founder of Morse Clinics, which provides opioid addiction treatment and medication across the Triangle, has recently launched a mobile clinic aimed at improving access to those services, with a second mobile clinic in the works. People who have dealt with the throes of addicti...

Through a suite of statewide workforce programs, the North Carolina Community College System is helping industry leaders like Wolfspeed, JetZero and Toyota meet aggressive hiring goals while fueling transformative regional growth. With 58 colleges serving all 100 counties, NCCCS is the state’s largest and most agile workforce development network. John Loyack, the Vice President of Economic Develop...

The cancellation of the Last Show with Stephen Colbert continues a shifting tide away from network television. Revenue across networks has dried up and Generation Y moves towards streaming and podcasts for their entertainment. Is Colbert’s departure the beginning of the end for late night television as a whole? UNC Journalism professor Charlie Tuggle joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the future of a m...

Dacia Toll, Co-CEO of CourseMojo, talks with Jon Champion about AI in education, some common misconceptions, and how it all works.

GalaxyCon, the four-day celebration of pop culture, is back in Raleigh this weekend at the Raleigh Convention Center. Running Thursday through Sunday, the event draws thousands of fans and brings an estimated $9 million economic boost to the city each year. New this time is Street Fest , a free outdoor addition happening Saturday and Sunday on Fayetteville Street, featuring live music, cosplay wre...

Brianna Kennedy, a former educator with seven years of classroom experience, understands the challenges teachers face—especially when it comes to affording basic classroom supplies. She recalls how her own community, including her church, rallied around her to help prepare for each school year. A recent survey by Coupon Birds highlights the ongoing issue: 93% of teachers spend their own money on c...

The entertainment world is still buzzing after CBS announced it will cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert next May—bringing an end not just to Colbert’s run, but to the entire Late Show franchise, which began in 1993. Despite Colbert consistently leading late-night ratings, CBS cited financial pressures as the key reason for the decision. The surprise move has sparked broader questions about...

In the aftermath of Tropical Depression Chantal, the Diaper Bank of North Carolina is ramping up relief efforts to support families hit hardest by the storm. Based in Hillsborough, the nonprofit has already distributed over 126,000 diapers and hygiene products to families in need. But with demand still rising, they’re calling on more volunteers to help keep up. Michelle Schaefer, CEO of the Diaper...

The Triangle’s housing boom is drawing national attention. A new ranking from Construction Coverage places the Raleigh-Cary area at the top among large metro regions for new home construction. Despite recent layoffs in some industries, Raleigh real estate broker John Wood says the job market remains strong — a key driver behind the surge in building. Wood joined Jeff Hamlin to talk about what’s fu...

Duke Health has pioneered a world’s-first technique that could expand by up to 20% the donor pool for pediatric heart transplants in the U.S. -- offering new hope to families on the waitlist. The New England Journal of Medicine published a study about overcoming barriers to heart donation after circulatory death in infants. Dr. Joseph Turek, the Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Duke Health, joined Je...

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is celebrating strides made during the last three years with the 988 suicide hotline, and a spokesperson said more resources are being added so people can get instant care at any time of the day. Data showed that between June 2024 and May of this year, more than 11,000 calls, texts, or chats were placed every month. Kelly Crosbie, the Divi...

Governor Josh Stein has declared a State of Emergency for areas impacted by Tropical Depression Chantal. That covers 13 counties, including Chatham, Orange, Durham, Moore, Lee, Person and Wake Counties. It comes as businesses in Chapel Hill are uniting to help others. Organizer Sheryl Waddell says they were contacted by other business owners in the area. Waddell described the service they’re provi...

A Rougemont man and his wife were forced to evacuate their home on the night of Tropical Storm Chantal last week. Paul Wilkerson’s home came off its foundation, but he is still alive after briefly being trapped inside his vehicle from the building water. Wilkerson had to use a gun just to escape his car and swim his way to higher ground. Wilkerson described how he and his wife were able to survive...

President Donald Trump’s strategy has been to downplay the uproar over the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case as his supporters demand the Justice Department release much-hyped records in the investigation. Trump claimed Tuesday without citing evidence there are credibility issues with the unreleased documents. Speaking to reporters, he also called the case “pretty boring” and said he didn't und...

More job cuts are coming to Research Triangle Park. Lenovo officials have confirmed they are laying off 3% of its U.S. workforce, including an unspecified number of employees at its campus in Morrisville. Also this week, the National Institutes of Health confirmed that RTP employees are part of their latest round of layoffs. Economists say the Lenovo layoffs are not indicative of a larger issue at...