WPTF Afternoon News

On Saturday, May 17, the Johnston County Museum will host a book-signing and one-day exhibition of pottery made near Smithfield from 1927 to 1942. Stephen Compton of Raleigh will bring a sampling of his vast collection of Herman Cole’s Smithfield Art Pottery. He will also sign copies of his book, North Carolina’s Hillside Pottery and Smithfield Art Pottery: The Pottery With Two Names, which is cur...

A federal judge has ruled in the election saga between Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin with a North Carolina Supreme Court seat on the line. U.S. District Judge Richard Myers has ordered that the State Board of Elections certify results that show Democrat Associate Justice Allison Riggs the winner over Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin — by just 734 votes. Myers, in a 68-page order, agre...

Country superstar Luke Combs and Charlotte radio legend "Chatty Hatty" are among the six artists set to be inducted into the 2025 North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. The announcement came Monday, with a formal ceremony scheduled for October 16, 2025, at the Mooresville Performing Arts Center. The event will feature live performances from the inductees and special guests. Ahead of the ceremony, a ne...

The Wake Forest Police Department is rallying community support for one of its own. Danielle Murray, wife of Sgt. Kevin Murray, has been diagnosed with stage II breast cancer. A longtime educator at East Wake Academy and mother of two, Danielle’s diagnosis has prompted an outpouring of support from colleagues, friends, and local residents. Sgt. Murray, a 7-year veteran of the Wake Forest Police De...

As summer approaches, bear sightings are on the rise across North Carolina, with reports coming in from both rural and urban areas. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission attributes the increase to seasonal movement patterns, as bears become more active in search of food. Commission biologist Greg Batts explained that a bear's age can be determined by examining its teeth—a key tool for u...

The Alzheimer’s Association has released a new report marking a grim milestone: for the first time, more than seven million Americans are living with the disease—an increase of four percent over the previous year. The report also highlights a proactive public mindset, with 79 percent of Americans saying they would want to know if they had Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear, and 92 percent expressi...

The Down East Bird Dawgs are preparing to start its inaugural season. Next Friday, the Bird Dawgs will start its maiden campaign in the independent Frontier League against the Ottawa Titans. They will play a venerable Grainger Stadium. It marks a new chapter for professional baseball in Kinston, which had played in the Carolina League for decades. The Bird Dawks will be the first team from North C...

Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, and Duke Raleigh Hospital, a campus of Duke University Hospital, have again received top scores for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent nonprofit organization led by the nation’s leading employers and private health care experts. The “A” scores for Leapfrog’s spring 2025 survey are part of the group’s Hospital Safety Grades Asses...

Three months into President Donald Trump’s second administration, Americans across the political spectrum say they’re concerned about a constitutional crisis, according to a new Elon University poll. The poll, released last week, showed two-thirds of respondents (67 percent) are very or somewhat concerned that the executive and judicial branches may reach a point where neither side will back down,...

The U.S. and Ukraine have signed an agreement that will give the U.S. access to Ukraine's vast critical mineral resources. The deal on reconstruction and investment comes after a weekslong press by President Donald Trump on Ukraine to compensate Washington for billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion. The deal comes as Trump has grown incre...

David Holt, President of the Consumer Energy Alliance discusses where energy prices are headed.

UNC football coach Bill Belichick has released a statement regarding his appearance on CBS Sunday Morning. During the interview, Belichick's 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, was seen on camera interrupting reporter Tony Dokoupil when he asked where he met Hudson. TMZ reported that Hudson repeatedly interfered in the interview and stormed off the set at one point. In the statement, Belichick...

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association is providing a clearer picture of what the new era of prep sports will look like when it begins next August. This week, the NCHSAA held meetings to sort out how the playoffs will be determined for the new eight classification system. Since 1960, sports in public schools across the state have had four classifications. There’s also changes about ho...

President Donald Trump has gotten worrisome news about how the U.S. economy is battening down for potential fallout from his tariffs. And the Republican president is trying to blame Democrat Joe Biden, who left office months ago. The government reported Wednesday the U.S. economy shrank at an annual rate of 0.3% during the first three months of the year. Behind the decline was a surge in imports a...

A Charlotte-based environmental nonprofit is suing the Trump administration after it canceled a funding grant to test air quality in northern Mecklenburg County. CleanAIRE NC was alerted in March that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Government Efficiency terminated its $500,000 grant as part of an effort to curb federal spending. The nonprofit was awarded the grant in 202...

Discovery Place is proud to announce the next chapter in its more than 77-year legacy with the unveiling of a new name for its reimagined nature museum: Charlotte Museum of Nature. Currently under construction on the site of the original Discovery Place Nature in the heart of Freedom Park, the new Charlotte Museum of Nature will join the Discovery Place nonprofit family of museums. Expected to ope...

North Carolina lawmakers are discussing a bill that would give death row inmates the option to choose between three execution methods: lethal injection, electrocution, or firing squad. Under the state's current law, death row inmates can only be executed via lethal injection. House Bill 270, if passed, would also make death by electrocution and firing squad available choices. The inmate would need...

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party has won Canada’s federal election, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s economy and sovereignty. The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservatives in Monday's contest. It isn’t clear yet if they will win an outright majority or will need to rely on one o...

According to NHTSA, distracted driving contributes to approximately 9% of fatal crashes, although researchers believe that number is higher. Despite texting bans in almost all 50 states, distraction remains a prevalent problem among drivers, especially younger generations. And yet smartphones themselves – a common form of distraction – may hold the key to curbing this risky behavior. There’s a new...

The opening 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term have proven to be among the most consequential and sweeping starts to a presidency since Franklin D. Roosevelt entered the White House. Trump’s actions have challenged the foundations of the New Deal, the Great Society, and even the Reagan-era Republican principles of free trade and strong international alliances. His administration has...

A university professor is reflecting on Pope Francis' bold efforts to bridge divides among Christians of different denominations. Steven Harmon, a professor of historical theology at Gardner-Webb University and a member of the Baptist World Alliance, had the opportunity to meet Pope Francis through his ecumenical work. Harmon recently published a column for Baptist News Global titled "Remembering...

A unique rescue operation in the Triangle is giving newborn, orphaned, and abandoned puppies a second chance at life. Blazin’ Trails Bottle Babies, in just its first year and a half, has saved nearly 200 fragile puppies with the help of specialized equipment and round-the-clock care. Many of these puppies arrive at the nursery with their eyes still closed and are small enough to fit in the palm of...

North Carolina strawberry farmers are saying crops this year turned out better than expected. Leading up to the season, farmers were worried about a spread of a fungal disease known as Neo-P. The North Carolina Strawberry Association first identified it in the state in 2022. This year, farmers told CBS 17 that they had to change plant suppliers in an effort to avoid the disease. David Pope, a stra...

As Arbor Day approaches on Friday, April 25, a new HPU Poll of North Carolina residents shows strong support for the environmental benefits of trees, even as awareness of Arbor Day itself and participation in related events remain limited. A majority of respondents value the environmental and aesthetic benefits trees provide. Seven in 10 North Carolinians said they value improved air quality “very...

A federal investigation of the contaminated building on North Carolina State's campus has been shut down. An update from Chancellor Randy Woodson posted Wednesday says the Health Hazard Evaluation of Poe Hall has been closed due to federal cuts. The building was closed when toxic chemicals called PCBs were discovered in the fall of 2023. Stephen Porter taught inside Poe Hall for years as a Profess...