WPTF Afternoon News

On Wednesday, the WakeEd Partnership will launch a community school supply drive at the Southeast Raleigh YMCA. They will collect school supplies at their Wake County locations to support the Tools For Schools Community Supply Drive. Keith Poston, the head of the WakeEd Partnership, discussed the drive with Nate Saunders.

The bill barring biological men from participating in women’s sports teams in the state’s K-12 public schools and universities has been vetoed by Roy Cooper. The measure now returns to the state Senate to start the process of overriding the veto. Megan Burke is a two-time national champion in track and field at UNC. She joined Nate Saunders to discuss why she supports the measure.

One of many things you can do at Dorthea Dix Park is to take your dog out for a walk. Currently, there are improvements being made to the Dog Park. Lauren Danforth with Raleigh Parks and Rec joined Nate Saunders to discuss the improvements being made.

Summertime is tick season. It can be dangerous for some North Carolinians and their pets. Dr. Ross Boyce, from the Division of Infectious Diseases at UNC-Chapel Hill, joined Nate Saunders to discuss proper precautions you can take.

Photo Credit: No Labels No Labels brands itself as an organization for the “politically homeless” — people who aren’t comfortable with either party. The North Carolina State Board of Elections acknowledged that No Labels has gathered 14,797 verified signatures. That’s more than enough to be recognized as a party in the 2024 election. Former Governor Pat McCrory joined Nate Saunders to discuss the...

The North Carolina African American Heritage Commission has selected Adrienne Nirdé as their next director. She talked with Nate Saunders about her career and the work of the African American Heritage Commission.

Legendary NC State Football Coach Dick Sheridan died on Thursday. Nate Saunders spoke with GoPack.com sportswriter Tim Peeler about Sheridan's legacy.

A new jobs report has been released and it looks promising for a county attempting to avoid recession. Nate Saunders talked with NC State Economist and Professor Mike Walden about the findings.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao discussed a variety of topics including DACA Dreamers, North Carolina legislation around transgender children, and a recent tragedy in Durham.

Scoop Soldiers is coming to Raleigh. Nate Saunders talked with EJ McCoy about what his company can do to clean up your yard.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Last week, the Supreme Court handed down several high-caliber decisions impacting affirmative action, student debt relief, and others. Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao and Nate Saunders talked about the historic developments.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Major League Cricket is coming to Morrisville! Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao talked about the emerging sport.

The Food and Drug Administration has given full approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, and Medicare said it would cover much of its high cost, laying the foundation for widespread use of a medication that can modestly slow cognitive decline in the early stages of the disease but also carries significant safety risks. Duke University Dr. Andy Liu, a neurologist at Duke University, joined Nate Sa...

In a display of their success at bringing businesses to the state, North Carolina received a Platinum Shovel Award for economic growth and job creation. To talk about the growth of the state, Nate Saunders sat down with Chief Executive Officer at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Christopher Chung.

Driven by increased demand, North Carolina by Train, North Carolina's passenger rail service, has announced additional trains and a new schedules between Raleigh and Charlote starting on Monday. The NC by Train improvements will include a mid-day departure from Raleigh. Jason Orthner, the Rail Division's director at the North Carolina Department of Transportation, joined Nate Saunders on Thursday.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Toyota has announced that they have made a breakthrough in solid state battery technology for electric vehicles. WPTF car guru Mike Davis and Nate Saunders discussed how this could make massive changes to the automotive industry.

Many Americans hit the roads for the July 4th holiday... and it looks like that trend will continue. Nate Saunders talked with CBS News Correspondent Jim Krasula about the return of the July 4 travel season.

We're hearing more now about the full containment of the Pulp Road fire in Brunswick County. Debbie Crane with the Nature Conservancy talked about that fire and how fire in general is used to manage forests.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino The Supreme Court wrapped up its year with a number of key rulings. Nate Saunders talked with political observer Michele Woodhouse about some of those rulings, starting with the one which struck down President Biden's loan forgiveness program.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders Nate Saunders talked with Lt. Lemuel Hubbard with the Raleigh Fire Department about fireworks safety and other advice on how to be safe this time of year.

Photo Credit: Regeneron While on vacation, Nate Saunders got a pretty nasty sunburn. Who better to talk to than Former Cincinnati Reds Catcher and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and leading board-certified dermatologist Dr. Maritza Perez. The three discussed sunburns, skin cancer, melanoma, and how to protect yourself.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Author Alex Khan just completed his first book called "The Dullahan." It's a horror novel that Khan hopes to see on the big screen someday. Khan joined Nate Saunders on Thursday.

Duke University Health System is teaming up with Durham Technical Community College to address the state's nursing shortage. Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton joined Nate Saunders to discuss the arrangement.

The Animal Protection Society of Durham announced they have reached full capacity. The shelter said they are one of several others across the state that are over capacity with large dogs and small kittens. Shafonda Allen of the Animal Shelter discussed the situation with Nate Saunders.

UNC Children's Hospital in Chapel Hill has been ranked among the nation's top children's hospitals, according to U.S. News and World Report's "Best Children's Hospital's" report. Locally, UNC Children's was ranked as the #2 children's hospital in North Carolina and #4 in the southeast region. Dr. Stephanie Davis joined Nate Saunders to discuss the rankings.