WPTF Afternoon News

Pastor Jay Augustine joined Anthony DeHart on the WPTF Afternoon News to talk about the upcoming Community Prayer Summit taking place at St. Joseph AME Church

When personal computers were first invented, only a small group of people who understood programming languages could use them. Today, anyone can look up the local weather, play their favorite song or even generate code with just few keystrokes. This shift has fundamentally changed how humans interact with technology, making powerful computational tools accessible to everyone. Now, advancements in...

U.S. stocks are surrendering a chunk of their historic gains from the day before as President Donald Trump’s trade war continues to confuse and threaten the economy, even if its temperature has cooled a bit. The S&P 500 fell 3.6% Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,135 points, and the Nasdaq composite sank 4.3%. Losses for stocks accelerated after the White House clarified tha...

Former Congressman Wiley Nickel has wasted no time getting back into the political realm. Nickel was first elected to the House in 2022 but chose not to run for reelection. Former Governor Roy Cooper has been mentioned by many as a possible candidate in the 2026 Senate race. Nickel will challenge North Carolina Senior Senator Thom Tillis, who is up for re-election next year. The timing of Nickel’s...

UNC student leaders are still working to learn more about the next steps after six international students had their visas revoked by the Trump administration. The names of those international students are still being protected for privacy reasons, but student leaders say they're learning more about how the university learned about the visa situation, and now they're focused on what happens next. S...

U.S. stocks soared to one of their best days in history on a euphoric Wall Street after President Donald Trump said he would back off on most of his tariffs temporarily. The S&P 500 soared 9.5% Wednesday, though it's still below where it was when Trump announced his sweeping set of tariffs last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average flew nearly 3,000 points higher, and the Nasdaq composite jum...

Less than two weeks away from the start of strawberry harvest season, Raleigh farmers are doing everything they can to protect their bottom line from a spring freeze. At Page Farms, located at 6100 Mount Herman Road, green berries in the strawberry fields are begging to turn red. Co-owner Justin Page was preparing for the overnight cold snap late Tuesday by installing an overhead frost irrigation...

On Tuesday, HB 805, a bill aimed at ending exploitations in the pornography industry, was filed in the NC house. The "Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors Act” requires that pornography websites verify that people on their websites are at least 18 years old and have consented, in writing, to be there. The bill makes a way for those who have been exploited by pornography websites to have...

The 2024-2025 flu season has been active and deadly in North Carolina. On Wednesday, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) said its latest data showed more than 500 flu-related deaths statewide. The agency said this is the highest number of flu deaths reported since 2009 and since it started collecting data. Last year, 319 deaths were recorded. Erica Wilson, Medical D...

Three state House Republicans are looking to enact further restrictions on abortion in a move that would lead to a near-total ban of the procedure in North Carolina. House Bill 804, titled Human Life Protection Act of 2025, would ban abortion outside of a spontaneous abortion, to remove an ectopic pregnancy, or save or preserve the health of an unborn child or mother. Jillian Riley, a spokesperson...

On Monday, Governor Josh Stein announced his Advisory Council on Student Safety and Well-Being, co-chaired by Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch, Deputy Secretary William "Billy" Lassiter of the Department of Public Safety, and 2024 North Carolina Teacher of the Year Heather Smith. Governor Stein's advisory council will work across state agencies and with both state and local leaders to propose...

Local businesses, like bars, are bracing for the impact that the tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration could have on them. Zack Medford, a brewer based in Raleigh, says the aluminum that's in the cans of beers they serve comes from Canada. He says the tariffs couldn't come at a worse time. Medford is the owner of Tapyard Bar. He expects 25% foreign aluminum tariffs to impact prices, as well....

The holiday of Passover begins at sundown on Saturday. Passover celebrates the Exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Ancient Egypt some 3,300 years ago. The holiday of freedom is marked by the Jewish people removing learned items, such as bread, from their homes and eating matzah. There is a highly-ritualistic dinner on the first two nights of Passover called the Seder when the story of Exod...

Wake County is asking for the community’s help in developing a long-term strategy for managing one of its most vital resources — water. From April 2 through May 5, residents, businesses, farmers, and organizations are invited to participate in a survey that will shape the County’s One Water Plan. The goal is to better understand how people use water, what concerns they have, and what strategies mi...

U.S. markets took a hit Monday after President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to imposing tariffs — a move that rattled investors and stoked fears of a global economic slowdown. The S&P 500 dropped 1.7%, the Nasdaq fell 1.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 860 points, at one point plunging as much as 1,700 before briefly rebounding on rumors of a potential pause in tariffs....

A major decision from the North Carolina Court of Appeals could upend the results of the 2024 Supreme Court race. In a 2-1 ruling, judges ordered a recount and verification process for nearly 60,000 ballots — a move that could disqualify votes from those who fail to verify their identity within 15 days. The outcome could swing the razor-thin race in favor of Republican Jefferson Griffin, who trail...

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have recently suggested that the billionaire entrepreneur's time in the administration might be running out. Musk says he could be done with his work at the Department of Government Efficiency in the near future. Trump has told reporters that Musk will go back to running his companies and that DOGE “will end” at some point. All of that talk came before Musk fac...

President Donald Trump has announced far-reaching new tariffs on nearly all U.S. trading partners — including a 34% tax on imports from China and 20% on the European Union, among others. Trump placed the elevated tariff rates on dozens of nations that run meaningful trade surpluses with the United States, while imposing a 10% baseline tax on imports from all countries. The president used aggressiv...

New numbers from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provide insight into teacher turnover in the state. It shows almost 1 in 10 teachers left their job between March 2023 and March 2024. NCDPI presented its State of the Teaching Profession report, which looks at attrition rates, at Wednesday’s State Board of Education meeting. The report shows a teacher turnover rate of 9.9% for 2...

A former North Carolina men’s basketball player is making sure local dogs are riding in comfort. Baden Jaxen needed only a few months to get Pup Park Shuttle off the ground. Jaxen was scrolling through social media in October when he saw a video from Canada showing a shuttle-based dog-sitting service where pets were picked up on a bus. In less than two months, Jaxen got the school bus in top shape...

Tania Moore, broker/owner of regional real estate company ERA Live Moore, received the “Moved By Her Power” award for her leadership excellence and dedication to her community. The award was presented to Tania by What Moves Her® , the advocacy organization designed to empower women in the real estate industry by enhancing their leadership skills and achieve their professional development goals. Sh...

This weekend, thousands of people will flock to downtown Durham for the 27th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. This year, the documentaries occupying those coveted evening slots are Prime Minister on opening night and SALLY on closing night—two very different films, both about the complicated lives of brilliant women. Prime Minister, from directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe, picks...

President Trump is set to unveil his reciprocal tariffs against other countries. However, some economists have questioned the move, expressing concern it would lead to price increases for consumers. Businesses across the Triangle are doing what they can to mitigate the effects. Alex White is the General Manager of Cooper's Furniture in Cary, which has been around for 96 years. White says they stoc...

In a few days, tens of thousands of people from all over will pack Dix Park in Raleigh for the fifth and final Dreamville Festival. More than 75 vendors will set up shop at the event. The majority of them are from North Carolina. Favor Desserts of Durham is one of many businesses from the central region that will call Dix Park home this weekend. Keijuane Hester is the owner of Favor Desserts in Du...

Doctors call it a triumph of American medicine: People are living into adulthood with conditions that were once considered impossible to recover from, but some adults are having a hard time finding the care they need. A new clinic at Duke University Hospital aims to change that. Many spina bifida patients are also treated in children’s hospitals, which leaves them few options as adults. Dr. John W...