WPTF Afternoon News

Lindsey Golden, Director, State Affairs Alzheimer’s Association

As North Carolina continues to see a growth in population, housing, especially affordable housing, is becoming more scarce. Some people just can’t keep up with the growing rent in the state, and some experts call it a crisis for working-class and lower-income households. Kings-Ridge is an affordable housing complex in Raleigh, housing 106 people, including 33 children. CASA, a nonprofit working on...

Duke Regional Hospital is ranked #1 in social responsibility by the Lown Institute in a 2025-2026 national ranking of acute care hospitals. This is the third consecutive year Duke Regional Hospital has received the top honor. Duke University Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke University Health System also made the ranking’s honor roll and received an “A” grade for social responsibility. The...

The State Senate has approved a plan to pay the commercial fishermen impacted by a proposed inland shrimp trawling ban. Supporters argue that a ban would allow other fish species to thrive in the Pamlico Sound, which would be a boon to recreational fishermen from across the state. Opponents say the trawling ban would destroy the shrimp business in the state. Monica Smith, co-owner of Miss Gina’s F...

Chris Amenechi of SeatCash joined Anthony Dehart to discuss the summer travel season, SeatCash was formed by airline, banking, and fintech (financial technology) professionals with the purpose of dispelling travel myths and informing consumers about -actual- travel costs, the best times to buy tickets, travel route strategies, and more. Their goal is to provide an innovative travel shopping and ma...

This Saturday marks a big step in the fight against food insecurity in southern Wake County. The Fuquay-Varina Growers Market will launch its role as a Summer Meals site, offering no-cost meals to children through USDA funding. It's also one of just nine markets nationwide participating in a program that doubles SNAP/EBT dollars, helping low-income families stretch their grocery budgets. Marge Mor...

North Carolina’s scorching summers send thousands of Wake County residents to pools, lakes, and rivers in search of relief. But with the fun comes risk — last summer alone, emergency crews responded to 45 water-related incidents across the county. To help reduce those numbers, Wake County has launched a new safety initiative called the Swim Smart campaign. Autumn Miller with Wake County Emergency...

Snake activity is on the rise across central North Carolina — and hospitals are feeling the bite. Emergency departments at WakeMed have reported a noticeable uptick in snake bite cases this month, including nine patients since June 1 and six in just a recent three-day span. If the trend holds, July could mirror last year’s spike in cases. Talena Chavis of Cary, the owner of NC Snake Catcher and a...

Travel across the Carolinas is expected to reach new heights this Independence Day. AAA projects that approximately 2.3 million North Carolinians will travel for the holiday — a jump of 79,000 from last year. Most will hit the road, with over two million people expected to drive, while others will take to the skies or use alternative transportation like buses, trains, or cruises. Tiffany Wright of...

Homelessness is on the rise in North Carolina, with a 19% increase reported statewide from 2023 to 2024, according to a new federal assessment. In response, the Raleigh Rescue Mission has launched a bold initiative: The Garden — a new $25 million campus designed to serve women and children experiencing homelessness. The facility is expected to increase the organization’s capacity five-fold, offeri...

Economic experts are warning that Americans may soon feel the financial strain from Saturday night’s military strikes on Iran. With oil markets already reacting, economists expect prices at the pump to rise in the coming weeks. But the ripple effects could extend much further—especially if vital shipping lanes like the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted. John Coleman, Economics Professor at Duke Unive...

Dasan Ahanu is the 2023 Piedmont Laureate for Poetry in NC and a playwright , educator and so much more. He joins us today to talk about Juneteenth and more.

The Federal Reserve left interest rates at their current levels as the central bank continued to assess the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs on the U.S. economy. NC State economist emeritus Dr. Mike Walden spoke with Jon Champion

Juneteenth marks more than 150 years after the last enslaved people were freed. Adrienne Nirdé, Director of the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission, discusses Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

With the heat index expected to rise above 100 degrees, Wake County will open temporary cooling stations to help residents stay cool. More about what you need to know about the heat as Bruce Ferrell talks with Autumn Miller, : Emergency Management Outreach, Training and Exercise Manager with Wake County Emergency Management.

New York Times bestselling author Martin Dugard joined Anthony DeHart on the WPTF Afternoon News to talk about his latest book, Taking Midway: Naval Warfare, Secret Codes, and the Battle That Turned the Tide of WWII. Dugard shares how the Battle of Midway became a defining moment in American military history, revealing the behind-the-scenes codebreaking that helped shift the course of the war. As...

Bestselling author and youth career expert Jennifer Kushell joined Anthony DeHart on the WPTF Afternoon News to talk about "Exploring Your Potential". Kushell discusses why preparing students for the future of work can’t wait until college, and how purpose, mental health, and career direction are deeply connected. As schools face growing pressure to equip students with real-world skills, this conv...

Award-winning strategist and entrepreneur LaWanna Bradford joined Anthony DeHart on the WPTF Afternoon News to talk about her R3 System—Refocus, Reframe, Reconnect—and how it’s helping people set healthy financial boundaries, even under pressure from family and friends. Bradford shares practical tools for navigating emotional triggers, building resilience, and creating a path forward for individua...

It is one of the largest single job announcements in state history. With local and regional leaders -- including Gov. Josh Stein and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger - on hand, aircraft maker Jet Zero announced plans for a $4.7 billion project that could bring more than 14,500 high-paying jobs near the Piedmont Triad International Airport. Stein says this is yet another chapter in the state's...

This year's Soccer Tournament set attendance records. The five-day event drew 51,730 fans to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The 3rd annual Soccer Tournament wound up with Bumpy Pitch FC winning the men's championship at the United States National Team repeating the women's tournament. This year’s event had the largest field in women’s history as well as notable owners like Pat McAfee and Hope Solo....

Thousands of Wake County kids are heading into summer break without a guaranteed hot breakfast and lunch, but Dillard Drive Magnet Elementary School is hoping to change that with the solution of hundreds of cereal boxes. Global Studies teacher Kristen Terry encouraged her students to start a school-wide effort to collect cereal boxes. They then lined up the collection for a toppling domino chain....

As the nation’s capital cleans up from the culmination of World Pride this past weekend, focus now shifts to a very different massive event — Saturday’s military parade to honor the 250th birthday of the Army and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump. Army officials have estimated around 200,000 attendees for the evening military parade, and Matt McCool, of the Secret Service’s Washington Fi...

June’s full moon, often referred to as the “strawberry moon,” was visible in North Carolina on Tuesday night. But you had to stay up late to see it. In fact, this year’s strawberry moon will sit the lowest in the sky in decades due to a phenomenon that causes the moon’s tilted orbit to be dragged around by the sun’s gravitational influence, according to EarthSky.org. Though the moon does appear a...

The Army will celebrate its 250th birthday in the Nation’s Capital this Saturday. Morhia Mote is the founder of Keep Being Resilient. As a Military Spouse, Gold Star Mother, and the proud granddaughter, daughter, sister, and mother of U.S. Army Soldiers, the milestone holds deep, generational meaning for Mote. She joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss this weekend’s celebration.

Protests are slated in downtown Raleigh in a demonstration against legislation that, according to the organizers, "unfairly target North Carolina's immigrant communities." Downtown protests have become a way for people to make their voices heard on a wide-range of issues, including the Israel-Gaza conflict. Speaking to the Raleigh City Council on Tuesday, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce said he an...