WPTF Afternoon News

From the Outer Banks to the Blue Ridge, North Carolinians have always known that the best conversations happen around a shared table. This Sunday, more than 100 breweries and retailers across the state are inviting their communities to pull up a chair for NC Pint Day — now in its third year as one of the state’s favorite local traditions. Lisa Parker, Executive Director of the North Carolina Craft...

From festivals to sporting events, the Bull City is welcoming a record number of visitors. According to new data released by Discover Durham, 13.5 million people visited Durham County in 2025, which is an increase of more than two percent compared to the year before. Susan Amey, Discover Durham President and CEO, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest figures.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbors. The two countries have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948. CBS News Military Analyst Jeff McCausland joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest developments in Iran

WKRP in Cincinnati is making a comeback, thanks to someone in North Carolina. For fans of the TV show, it is not returning, but the call letters "WKRP" are real and have been used by a Raleigh-based nonprofit for about a decade. The nonprofit has even honored one of the show's most iconic moments. Now, the owner of the call letters WKRP is selling them to a station in Cincinnati. D.P. McIntire is...

Less than a week after the death of former Miss North Carolina 2024 Carrie Everett, family, friends and mentors of the 22-year-old remembered her as a bright, joyful presence. Dr. Donna Corbett guided Everett through her pageant career while she lived in North Carolina. Corbett joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss her memories of Everett.

North Carolina has hired NBA championship-winning coach Michael Malone to lead the Tar Heels’ basketball program. Malone acknowledged at his introductory news conference on Tuesday that he's an outsider, having not played or coached for the Tar Heels. Brett Friedlander is a writer for Straight Up Sports.net and joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the hiring

Two complete dinosaur fossils found in Hell Creek Montana in 2006 are bringing students to North Carolina for paleontology research. Visitors at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences can see the specimens in the SECU Dino Lab in Durham. Chris Smith, coordinator of Current Science Programs at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the program.

As part of the upcoming America 250 commemoration, the Council of State is bringing its meetings beyond Raleigh to historically significant communities across North Carolina. State Labor Commissioner Luke Farley joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss his travels beyond Raleigh and his message.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly pushed back deadlines for Iran to cut a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz. But his latest deadline for Tuesday came with his most perilous threat yet. Trump wrote on Truth Social that “a whole civilization will die tonight." The Republican president initially set a deadline for March 23 but postponed it several times, now suggesting Tuesday at 8 p.m. Bruce Jen...

Heather Bosch CBS News discusses the latest on the war in Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued an expletive-filled threat to escalate strikes on Iran if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. It follows the U.S. rescue of an aviator whose plane was downed by Iran. Trump on Sunday promised strikes on Iran’s power plants and bridges. Mac McCorkle, from the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, joined Jeff Hamlin to discu...

ESPN reports that former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone will be the new head coach of the North Carolina men's basketball team. Malone led Denver to its only World Championship in franchise history in 2023 and won 510 games as head coach. Malone's daughter plays on UNC's volleyball team. He has never been a head coach at the college level. He has been an assistant at Providence and Oakla...

Iran shooting down two American military jets marks an exceedingly rare assault for the U.S. that hasn't happened in more than 20 years. It shows the Islamic Republic has a continued ability to hit back despite President Donald Trump asserting the country has been “completely decimated.” Josh McConkey, who lives in Wake County, is a former Medical Director for Air Force Pararescue. McConkey joined...

Wake County Public Schools have decided to demolish the current Ligon Middle School and build a new one on the site of its athletic fields. Ligon Magnet Middle School was built in 1953 and was Raleigh’s only Black high school at that time. The school desegregated in 1973. Kashi Bazemore is a former assistant principal at Ligon Middle School. Kashi Bazemore joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss her opposit...

The North Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday threw out the multi-billion dollar plan to improve North Carolina’s public schools in the long-running lawsuit known as Leandro. The 111-page ruling invalidates most of the last decade’s worth of work in the case. Tamika Walker Kelly, the President of the North Carolina Association of Educators, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss her feelings about the rulin...

Four months after a fire broke out in an HVAC unit on the roof of the Raleigh Convention Center, repair work is continuing as the facility moves closer to a full recovery. Kerry Painter, Executive Director of the Raleigh Convention Center, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the state of the center after the fire.

Support for congressional and legislative Republicans is softening among North Carolina voters ahead of this year’s midterm elections, according to a new poll from Elon University, Jason Husser, the Director of the Elon Poll and a political science professor, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest survey.

With the arrival of spring, comes the arrival of the ruby-throated hummingbird to North Carolina. These tiny, feathered friends are making their way northward into the United States after wintering in Central America. Gary Stephenson, a Chief Meteorologist for Spectrum News One, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss caring for hummingbirds this spring.

Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, humanity's first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA's push toward a landing in two years. One of them is Mission Specialist Christina Koch, a N.C. State University Alum. Bill Harwood, CBS News Space Reporter, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the launch of Artemas II.

The hiring of Justin Gainey as the new head men's college basketball coach at N.C. State has fans and students excited. Gainey returns to Raleigh after playing for the Wolfpack from 1996-to-2000. He has had stops as an assistant coach at Tennessee, Appalachian State, Marquette, Santa Clara and Arizona. Tim Peeler, an N.C. State University historian, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss Gainey’s hiring.

The Garden Gateway project at Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, N.C. will open to the public on Wednesday, April 8, marking the completion of a major redesign that will transform the Duke Gardens experience. The renovations started in February 2025. Kavanah Anderson, Duke Garden’s Director of Learning and Community Engagement, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the new additions.

The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program is launching its statewide “Speed a Little. Lose a Lot” campaign to remind drivers that speeding comes with serious, and often deadly, consequences. The program will continue through Sunday. Mark Ezzell, the Director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss “Speed a Little, Lose a Lot.”

The Wilson Warbirds are set for its first opening day on March 14. The Warbirds are new to Wilson after moving from Zebulon, where they were known as the Carolina Mudcats for 34 years. Chris Edwards, a former reporter and host at WPTF, is the Media Relations Director for the Warbirds. He joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss a new chapter in North Carolina’s Minor League Baseball history.

The Jewish holiday of Passover commemorates the Exodus from slavery in Ancient Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. The celebration of freedom is marked by traditions such as removing leavened foods from the home and eating matzah. Rabbi Mendi Wilschanski of Chabad of Raleigh joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how the local community is observing the holiday.

Former Governor Roy Cooper is ahead of former RNC Chair Michael Whatley by 14 points, according to a new survey from Catawba College. The results suggest Cooper has expanded his advantage in the race for the state’s open Senate seat. Political science professor Michael Bitzer joined Jeff Hamlin to break down the findings.