WPTF Afternoon News

Former President Donald Trump made a triumphant appearance at the Republican National Convention's opening night, sporting a bandage over his right ear following the recent assassination attempt. Delegates cheered wildly as Trump announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate. Mac McCorkle, a Duke University political science professor from the Sanford School of Public Policy, joined Jeff Hamlin...

Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, many questions remain. The shooter, Matthew Crooks, was alarmingly close, only 150 yards away. Clay Ausley, long-time owner of Gold and Guns, expressed his concerns over the breach in security. Ausley joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss the incident and the implications for future security measures.

Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, North Carolinians can expect heightened security measures during political visits and rallies in the 2024 elections. As a key battleground state, North Carolina often sees numerous visits from sitting presidents and their challengers. Wesley Fricks, who worked with the White House advance team during the George W. Bush administr...

With just over 100 days until a historic presidential election, University of North Carolina rising senior Sloan Duvall is dedicated to mobilizing college voters for November. Amidst intense debates surrounding President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, and questions about Biden’s candidacy at 81 years old, young voters hold the potential to significantly influence the outcome. Sloan D...

As the Republican National Convention kicks off in Wisconsin, the political landscape is charged with tension following an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. With Trump poised to become the GOP’s official nominee and Democrats grappling with President Joe Biden’s viability, this quadrennial event is pivotal. Dr. Nate French, Communications Director at Wake Forest University, j...

In this episode, we talk with Jess Rogers, a trailblazing female firefighter, about her efforts to inspire the next generation of girls in this male-dominated industry. Less than 10% of firefighters in the United States are female, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Jess Rogers and her female colleagues are working to change that. Recently, Rogers held a camp in Apex to educate...

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Federico, Director of Wake County Animal Services, joins Jeff Hamlin to discuss the rising cases of pets suffering from heat exhaustion after being left in hot cars. Dr. Federico explains how certain breeds, like bulldogs, pugs, and huskies, are more susceptible to heat. She offers essential tips on keeping your pets safe during hot weather and emphasizes the dangers...

Morrisville Town Councilman and political commentator Steve Rau and Wake County Commissioner Vicki Adamson. Commissioner Adamson, Chair of the Affordable Housing and Health and Human Services Committees joined Anthony DeHart on the WPTF Afternoon News to discusses the recently approved budget for Wake County. She highlights key initiatives including the addition of ambulances and patrol deputies,...

Mark Stolman, former mayor of Morrisville, and Steve Rao, Morrisville Town Councilman, join us to discuss Major League Cricket's impact in the United States and specifically in Morrisville, North Carolina. They talk about the history, growth, and future of cricket in the region, and hear exciting insights into how Morrisville has become a key location for international cricket events. Discover the...

Selby Sturzenegger, Director of Corporate Development & Infrastructure at Major League Cricket, joined Jeff Hamlin and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao on the WPTF Afternoon News to talk about Major League Cricket, which is holding matches in Morrisville, and the emergence of cricket in the United States.

President Joe Biden says the pressure on him to end his reelection campaign is coming from Democratic Party “elites,” the same kind of people who have doubted him throughout his long journey in public life. The voters, he says, will still have his back in the end. But a sampling of voters and Democratic activists in several key swing states paints a far more complicated picture in the aftermath of...

Certain state gun laws are associated with decreased suicide rates for children under age 18, but the laws have little influence on homicide rates, according to a study from Duke Health researchers examining the relationship between gun laws and child deaths. Since 2020, firearms rank as the leading cause of death among U.S. children ages 1-18, raising the need for research to help guide preventio...

Over the next three years, the new Heat Monitoring Center's goal will be to identify factors contributing to the risk of excessive urban heat in 30 historically disadvantaged communities. This initiative is part of the Durham Museum of Life and Science’s $2.3 million project. These virtual centers will collect data on extreme heat, enabling 30 low-income communities to develop effective heat manag...

An active sports year in Charlotte continues this summer. On Wednesday night, a sellout crowd is expected at Bank of America Stadium for the Copa Americas Tournament when Uruguay faces Colombia. Another huge crowd will gather on Saturday night for the 3rd place match in the Copa America Tournament. Recently, Charlotte sports organizers announced a special exhibition tennis match at the Spectrum Ce...

Since the start of 2024, at least seven restaurants have closed their doors in Wake County. Restaurant owners attribute these closures to changes in customer habits and other significant factors. Steve Allen, Professor of Economics at N.C. State University, explains that some businesses are still struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and there's been a sharp decrease in restaurant worke...

For eight weekends a year, Tony Avent opens his botanical haven to the public. Rain lilies, giant ferns, showstopping titan arums, and trilliums so rare they have yet to be named decorate Juniper Level Botanic Garden in rural south Raleigh. This private garden boasts 27,000 plant varieties, many unique to Avent's 28-acre property. Tony Avent joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to talk ab...

Drug-related deaths in the United States have increased over the last few years, with over 100,000 people dying from drug-involved overdoses in 2022. The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that fentanyl is a major contributor, with close to 80,000 overdose deaths. Morgan Coyner, the Executive Vice President of Addiction Professionals of North Carolina, joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoo...

Democrats on Capitol Hill are meeting privately behind closed doors at an extraordinary moment for President Joe Biden’s candidacy. Tensions are running high over whether he should remain as the party’s nominee. House Democrats met early Tuesday at party headquarters - no cellphones, no leaks — just what party leaders billed as a “family” discussion. But one Democrat in the room said the mood was...

A 100-million-year-old dinosaur was unearthed by North Carolina scientists who compare the bizarre new species to a "burrowing deer." The new dinosaur, Fona herzogae, lived 99 million years ago in what is now Utah. At that time, the area was a large floodplain ecosystem sandwiched between the shores of a massive inland ocean to the east and active volcanoes and mountains to the west. Haviv Avraham...

The Durham Performing Arts Center recently completed its 2023-2024 season, which was a record-breaking year for attendance, sellouts, and number of performances. DPAC welcomed 626,071 guests to 260 performances from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, making this DPAC’s biggest season ever. It was a year that brought everyone from Clint Black to Godsmack to Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson to DPAC. Josette Rot...

The Supreme Court recently ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, extending the delay in the Washington criminal case against Donald Trump on charges he plotted to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss and all but ending prospects the former president could be tried before the November election. In a 6-3 vote, the court’s conservative majority,...

Tropical Storm Beryl was unleashing heavy rains and powerful winds along the Texas coast, knocking out power to more than 2 million homes and businesses and flooding streets with fast-rising waters. Two people were killed when trees fell on their homes. First responders raced Monday to rescue stranded residents. There are dozens of American Red Cross volunteers from North Carolina who are headed t...

Officials are urging swimmers to stay vigilant after a series of shark bites occurred over the Fourth of July holiday. Several individuals were bitten by sharks in separate incidents at beaches in Texas and Florida. Last year, there were 36 unprovoked shark bites in the U.S. North Carolina is among the top states for shark bite reports. UNC shark expert Joel Fodrie says that shark bites tend to pe...

President Biden recently unveiled new executive actions aimed at providing relief to long-term undocumented immigrants, allowing noncitizen spouses of U.S. citizens to apply for legal residency without leaving the country. However, Apex resident Fedora Castlelino highlights the limitations for documented Dreamers like herself who remain unaffected by these measures. Join Jeff Hamlin as he talks wi...

President Joe Biden in a letter to congressional Democrats is standing firm against calls for him to drop his candidacy after his dismal debate performance. Biden wrote in a two-page letter Monday “the question of how to move forward has been well-aired for over a week now. And it’s time for it to end.” Biden stresses the party has “one job,” which is to defeat presumptive Republican presidential...