WPTF Afternoon News

Photo Credit: Charles HadleyIt's Memorial Day weekend and Nate Saunders discussed the importance of the holiday with Morrisville Town Council member Steve Rao.

Photo Credit: Charles Hadley The debate continues over increasing funding for charter schools. Nate Saunders discussed the topic with Morrisville Town Council member Steve Rao.

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that Sciencix, headquartered in North Carolina, has been named the 2023 Small Business Exporter of the Year. To find out more, Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao talked with Allen Thomas with the SBA.

Photo Credit: Charles Hadley Tina Turner, pickleball, and small business. Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao sat down to talk about several local issues.

The youth hockey scene in Raleigh is thriving! That's according to Michael Baxter, the senior vice president at American Sports Entertainment Centers. He spoke to Nate Saunders about how the area has grown into a hockey town.

Photo Credit: Nate SaundersOne topic that keeps resurfacing in the Raleigh community is "missing middle." It has to do with land use in neighborhoods. Nate Saunders discussed it with Soil and Water Commissioner Scott Lassiter.

Photo Credit: Nate SaundersRon DeSantis is set to announce his presidential candidacy via Twitter. Nate Saunders and local political analyst Scott Lassiter discussed how the GOP is officially shaping up.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders There's been a rash of safety incidents at area schools in recent days. Nate Saunders talked with regular guest Scott Lassiter, an assistant principal in the Wake County schools, about how such incidents are handled.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to launch his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday. The 44-year-old Republican governor plans to announce his decision in an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Chris Cooper, a Western Carolina University political science professor talked with Nate Saunders about this development.

How do you know if you are living as well as you can... especially when you're a young adult getting into the real world? Author Kevin Kelly has a new book called Excellent Advice For Living, and it's useful for all people. He discussed his book with Nate Saunders.

A legendary chef in Raleigh passed away. The Angus Barn's Walter Royal died on Monday. Kitty Kinnin, from our sister station WBBB, knew Walter and shared her thoughts and memories with Nate Saunders.

The North Carolina Gubernatorial race and the US Presidential race are both taking shape with more candidates announcing that they are running. Nate Saunders spoke with former Congressional Candidate and political analyst Michele Woodhouse about how the races are shaping up.

A new proposal from the NOAA is aimed at protecting whales... but opponents say it's not very practical for people who have boats off the coast of North Carolina. Jeff Angers, President of the Center for Sportfishing Policy spoke with Nate Saunders about the implications of the proposal.

Nate Saunders sat down with a local Floorman, George Outlaw from Father and Son Flooring to discuss the industry.

Mark Walker has announced that he is running for Governor of North Carolina. Tom Campbell from NC Spin spoke with Nate Saunders about how the NC Governor's race is shaping up with another Republican running.

Is there an influx of cars being recalled across the country? Patrick Olson from CARFAX spoke with Nate Saunders about recent recalls, how to know if your car has one, and what to do if your vehicle has been recalled.

Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao sat down to discuss recent Supreme Court rulings about social media, North Carolina's new laws about abortion, and gun violence.

Disney says "no" to expanding in Florida, and the promise of peril of artificial intelligence... Those topics were discussed by Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao.

A Raleigh company is developing a new drug to deal with low testosterone -- or low T.. Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao talked with Shalin Shah, CEO of Marius Pharmaceuticals.

For the first time the economic impact of North Carolina’s agriculture and agribusiness industry has topped $100 billion. Zane Hedgecock, chief of state for the State Agriculture commissioner provided details to Nate Saunders, Mike Davis and Steve Rao.

Is there hope for a universal flu vaccine? Dr. Emmanuel "Chip" Walter, chief medical officer and director of the Duke Vaccine and Trials Unit, talked about the research with Nate Saunders.

The American Cancer Society "Relay for Life" fundraiser takes place Saturday at Halifax Mall in Raleigh. Nate Saunders finds out more from the society's Ashley Wickline.

The COVID emergency may be gone, but the virus will still hang around. Dr. Rachael Lee, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infections Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham spoke with Nate Saunders about the current state of COVID and what it will look like for us moving forward.

We're getting into the time of the year when people get back outside... and with that comes the risk for sunburn and skin cancer. Meenal Kheterpal, a dermatologist with Duke Health, joined Nate Saunders to talk about the risks of skin cancer and how to stay safe.

Photo Credit: Nate SaundersSome students in Durham have proposed building mental health days into the school calendar... and the movement is catching on. Nate Saunders and Connections Academy Principal Scott Lassiter discussed the idea.