WPTF Afternoon News

He's a Wake Forest resident and an East Carolina graduate. Now, Luke Reynolds is known as the Tik Tok Dad. He's spreading his music from coast-to-coast. Luke performed and spoke with Jeff Hamlin on Friday.

A UNC System Board of Governors committee this week will consider giving the system president and the board the power to prevent universities from changing athletic conferences, according to a meeting agenda. David Glenn from the North Carolina Sports Network joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how serious of a move this is.

Jeff Hamlin talked with Debra Clark-Jones, Associate Vice President for Community Health about a new partnership with Duke, Durham Public Schools and Durham Tech to direct students into health careers

Cold snaps – the number of consecutive days below average temperatures – are become shorter in recent years. Jeff Hamlin talked with Dr. Jack Scheff, an assistant professor in the department of Geography and Earth Sciences at UNC-Charlotte.

Jeff Hamlin talked with Patrick Gannon with the State Board of Elections about this year’s primaries.

The jobs of people who produce Sports Illustrated were in limbo after the company that paid to maintain the iconic brand’s print and digital products told staff that its license was revoked. Jeff Hamlin talked with UNC-Chapel Hill professor Tim Crouthers, who has written or magazine, about the publications role in the digital age

The use of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy has declined in recent years, but the use of cannabis by expecting mothers has increased. A new study by Duke Health found prenatal cannabis use was associated with an increase of tumors of the central nervous system. Duke Associate Professor Dr. Kyle Walsh discussed the student with Jeff Hamlin on Thursday.

There are plenty of questions regarding retirement. There are also solutions about keeping your money safe. Financial adviser Arianna Lavallee from Frank Del Palazzo and Associates joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss her book "The Safe Money Book."

A partnership between Duke Health, Durham Technical Community College and Durham Public Schools has been awarded a transformative $29.5 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies to establish an early college for high school students interested in pursuing health care careers upon graduation. Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton joined Jeff Hamlin on Wednesday to discuss the new program.

Durham mayor Leonardo Williams is in Washington, D.C. for a conference of mayors. It comes after he's been on the job for barely a month. Williams joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss his priorities in his new role after spending so much of his life in Durham.

With the season’s most frigid temperatures on the way, AAA reminds homeowners and renters that preparing for inclement weather is essential to avoiding wintertime repairs. AAA Carolinas Tiffany Wright joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how homeowners can prepare to keep their houses warm.

Staying warm is the Number 1 thing on many people’s minds this week, with temperatures plummeting into the teens and single digits with even colder wind chills now through Sunday night. It is keeping HVAC companies busy with heating system going out. Derrick Bowen of Newcomb and Company joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how busy they are this week.

Voting rights advocates reflected on the legacy that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr left behind when it comes to voting. On Monday, celebrations are happening amid ongoing voter litigation in North Carolina in response to the state's recently redrawn congressional maps. North Carolina Central law professor Irving Joyner joined Jeff Hamlin on Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump scored the first victory of the 2024 presidential primary season Monday with a sweeping and broad-based win in the Iowa Republican caucuses. Judge Bob Orr joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the aftermath of the Iowa Caucus.

The University of North Carolina ice hockey team has played as a club squad for years. But could that be changing? UNC will build a new arena in Carraway Village, only about five miles away from campus. Could that lead to UNC become North Carolina's first Division I ice hockey program? UNC Ice Hockey President Greg Morey and administrator Richard Gurlitz joined Jeff Hamlin on Tuesday.

UNC sophomore came from behind in dramatic fashion to win on Jeopardy. It was Rotimi Kukoyi second time on Jeopardy. He was invited back to participate in a second chance tournament with other near winners. Kukoyi joined Jeff Hamlin on Thursday.

The Chinese Lantern Festival will end a couple days early this season due to weather damage from Tuesday's storms. The festival was supposed to end on Sunday, but festival organizers decided it best to close for the season on Thursday. William Lewis, Cary's Cultural Arts Manager, joined Jeff Hamlin on Thursday.

The final Republican presidential debate before the Iowa caucus featured plenty of barbs between Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. Meanwhile, Donald Trump was on Fox News, a network that the former president has frequently criticized in recent years. Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the la...

More than 23,000 people are enrolled in degree programs at Wake Tech Community College for spring 2024, a record. The school announced the start of the spring classes showed more than 10 percent more students than a year ago. Wake Tech President Scott Ralls joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the record enrollment.

The cleanup continues after the powerful storms on Tuesday. Three schools in Durham, including Southern Durham High School, were closed on Wednesday because there was no power. Now, there's concern about another possible severe storm on Friday. Duke Energy spokesman Jeff Brooks talked with Jeff Hamlin about the storm cleanup and what's ahead.

Last night was the final Republican presidential debate before the Iowa Caucus....and once again Donald Trump was nowhere to be found. But former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has been climbing in the polls. Political analyst Michelle Woodhouse joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the state of the race for the Republican nomination.

The nation’s employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American labor market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates. N.C. State professor emeritus Mike Walden discussed the report with Jeff Hamlin.

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik referred to people arrested in the January 6th insurrection attempt as "hostages" during an appearance on Meet the Press on Sunday. Was it her attempt to jump to the front of the line to become Donald Trump's running mate? N.C. State political science professor Andy Taylor talked with Jeff Hamlin after Stefanik's chances.

The benefits of doing cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack might seem obvious, but studies have provided surprisingly underwhelming findings. Now an analysis from Duke Health offers definitive evidence for heart attack patients or those who have had procedures to clear blockages: Cardiac rehab saves lives and keeps people out of the hospital -- no matter their age, sex, or race. Brian Dusch...

Duke Energy crews on Monday are preparing for strong, damaging winds on Tuesday. The Triangle will be under a Level 2 risk on Tuesday, when severe storms are likely to begin in at around 6 or 7 PM. Jeff Brooks of Duke Energy talked with Jeff Hamlin on Monday.