WPTF Afternoon News

Duke Health researchers have discovered that many of the most popular disposable e-cigarettes contain neotame, a highly potent and unregulated artificial sweetener. Neotame is up to 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar and is commonly found in e-cigarettes featuring fruity, candy, and mint flavors—products often marketed toward young or first-time users. Clinical studies have shown that such swee...

The White House is planning to send a $9.4 billion rescissions package to Congress next Tuesday, giving lawmakers the opportunity to codify some of the potential cuts identified by DOGE, according to an administration official. The proposed cuts would trim $1.1 billion from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance, from both USAID and the African Development Fo...

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. The Alzheimer’s Association of Eastern North Carolina chapter is encouraging North Carolinians to take charge of their brain health. Today, there are more than 7 million people age 65 and older in the United States living with Alzheimer’s, including more than 210,000 in North Carolina. Two-thirds of Americans have at least one major potential risk f...

A required yearly or seasonal COVID-19 vaccine is now a thing of the past for most Americans. The Food and Drug Administration is shifting from the one-size-fits-all model to making it available to seniors and those most at risk for illnesses. This new strategy allows people 65 years and older access to seasonal novel coronavirus vaccines. What does this new guidance mean for the general populatio...

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced the release of Congressionally mandated Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments to cover grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events in 2023 and 2024. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency is leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program data to streamline payment calculations and expedite relief. The announcement comes...

When Raleigh city council members meet Monday to begin mulling over the FY26 proposed budget, one group of first responders will be closely watching what's included. The Raleigh Professional Fire Fighters Association is calling on leaders to include separation allowance for firefighters. It's a financial benefit for eligible people leaving the department until they reach the age of 62 and become e...

In early June half of WakeMed Soccer park in Cary will be filled with fans from all over the globe and players competing to win $1 million. Over the past two summers, The Soccer Tournament has drawn more than 70,000 fans for the competition and it is expected to welcome its largest crowds yet in 2025. This year the women's has doubled now there are 16 teams which doubles the amount of games to be...

As the U.S. government raises tariffs on imported goods, a troubling consequence looms large: an increase in tariff fraud by importers intentionally deceiving U.S. Customs to evade paying the higher tariffs. North Carolina promises to be a major battleground in the fight against tariff fraud, with ports like Wilmington and Morehead City on the front lines. This rise in fraudulent activities not on...

Wildlife agencies in all 11 southeastern states where American alligators live, including the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, have launched GatorWise, an outreach initiative that provides information to the public on avoiding human-alligator conflicts and living responsibly with alligators. North Carolina is the northern-most region of the American alligator’s range in the U.S. Allig...

The 2025 hurricane season begins on June 1, serving as a timely reminder for North Carolina residents to remain vigilant when making home repairs due to storm damage. The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors urges homeowners to verify contractor credentials and be aware of unlicensed individuals offering repair services in the aftermath of severe weather events. Ryan Cody, the Ex...

With students graduating this time of year many of them will buy a class ring, rings that resemble hard work and determination. Values one woman possessed after she found a class ring from 1938. Her goal in mind was to return the ring to its owner. Lori Rhew, a native of Bahama, North Carolina, was at a Starbucks in Wilmington earlier this month. It was a trip she would never forget. In the parkin...

Last week, researchers armed with GPS-enabled plastic bottles took aim at Marsh Creek in Raleigh, hoping to illuminate how everyday litter in the capital city winds up polluting North Carolina’s rivers, sounds and, eventually, the Atlantic Ocean. Twenty bottles, each fitted with a tracker and a scannable QR code, were dropped into the water off Stony Brook Drive. The high-tech launch is part of a...

CBS journalist Scott Pelley launched into a fierce condemnation of President Donald Trump during a university commencement speech. The news anchor rebuked the Trump administration for attempting to root out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring policies from federal agencies, while speaking at Wake Forest University .. Jeff Hamlin talked with Wake Forest University communications professor...

North Carolina Highway Patrol said the two troopers investigated for mishandling their response in a fatal crash will remain on desk duty. Last week, Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced she wouldn’t charge the troopers criminally, saying the evidence would not support a successful prosecution after Trooper Garrett Macario gave false statements about his involvement in the chase....

Most North Carolinians want utilities to stop billing them for power plants that do not yet exist, a new statewide survey shows. A poll by Conservatives for Clean Energy, a Raleigh nonprofit that promotes clean power and utility competition, found that 85% of likely North Carolina voters oppose “construction work in progress” or CWIP. The practice lets Duke Energy add financing costs for new plant...

The NOAA’s 2025 hurricane prediction is above-normal activity in the Atlantic this year. The outlook for 2025 goes from June 1 to November 30, predicts a 30% chance of a near-normal season, a 60% chance of an above-normal season, and a 10% chance of a below-normal season. The agency is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 total named storms. Of those, 6-10 are forecast to become hurricanes, including 3...

A suspect in a homicide was shot and killed in the Durham Police Department headquarters. 19-year-old Joshua Farmer grabbed an officer's gun and fired the fatal shot himself. Investigators were wrapping up an interview with Farmer when he went for the gun, according to a Durham Police news release. There are precautions that police must follow when interviewing a suspect with their guns within rea...

As warmer months bring more outdoor activity across North Carolina, experts are warning residents to watch out for a lesser-known but potentially dangerous insect: the Asian needle ant. The insect is often overshadowed by the more familiar red imported fire ant, but experts are raising awareness of the growing impact of the Asian needle ant and its serious sting risk—particularly for those with al...

Graduating college is an exciting time, finally getting to close the textbook. Although, if you have student loans, you’ll soon have to open a different book — your checkbook. Wake Technical Community College offers various resources for their students, including their Care Center. There they can find aid like wellness services, laptop help, a food pantry and coaches to help them with their study...

The reaction to Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred lifting the suspension of Pete Rose and Joe Jackson continues to come in. Rose and Jackson were banned from baseball for decades. Rose, who died last year, is now eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame after being banned from the sport since 1988. Jackson was banned, along with seven of his teammates, after conspiring to throw the 19...

A new facility in Durham is giving kids an option to experience fun with other children and taken them away from screens. Hyper Kidz officially opened in Durham last week. They’re offering a 13,000 square foot facility for kids of all ages. When you pay admission, it covers play for the entire day. They also have birthday party rooms. There's also a room tucked away in the back. Matthew and Mekayl...

One of Raleigh's most iconic cultural events returns this fall with the new 2025 Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival. It will take place October 3rd and 4th. The free two-day festival builds on the city's success as a destination for bluegrass, Americana, gospel and folk music to downtown. The revived "Raleigh Wide Open" name is a nod to the city's past while embracing its future, signaling an era of...

A state reentry program started last year is helping people who used to be incarcerated secure jobs on transportation work crews and get identification cards to access housing and healthcare more easily. The N.C. Department of Transportation Transitional Work Pilot program seeks to make reentry easier for the people who are released from North Carolina prisons each year. The program also expanded...

A discussion about veterans and their care was held in Fayetteville on Tuesday. Panelists discussed the evolving role of veterans as defenders of democracy and a last line of defense against authoritarianism. Veterans on the panel discussed how recent changes under the Trump Administration are impacting benefits and care. Scott Peoples, a retired 82nd Airbourne Captain, joined Jeff Hamlin to discu...

The wealth of information provided by our senses that allows our brain to navigate the world around us is remarkable. Touch, smell, hearing, and a strong sense of balance are crucial to making it through what to us seem like easy environments such as a relaxing hike on a weekend morning. Robots, in contrast, have long relied solely on visual information such as cameras or lidar to move through the...