WPTF Morning News

The National Park Service makes up less than one-fifteenth of one percent of the federal budget and those parks generate billions of dollars for local economies and create thousands of jobs. Last year, 325 million visitors visited national parks last year alone. But this spring and summer, visitors who have planned and looked forward to national park trips could instead find reduced hours, longer...

There is much to discuss when it comes to congress. From keeping the Government open to the work that DOGE is doing, the potential elimination of the Department of Education and much more. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on all of this is North Carolina 2nd District Congresswomen Deborah Ross.

A story out recently in The Assembly chronicles a UNC-Chapel Hill Professor and his ongoing study of the fluoride in drinking water in one community in Eastern North Carolina. This study comes as the debate in our country continues over the benefits vs. the risks of the use in Fluoride in our water. With Chris Edwards to talk about this and her reporting is Sara Israelsen-Hartley from the Assembly...

On Wednesday night, Governor Josh Stein delivered his first State of the State address hitting on some of his campaign talking points while also discussing the importance of relief for Hurricane Helene victims along with a number of other topics. With Chris Edwards to offer thoughts on the address and other topics around the General Assembly is Wake County Representative Erin Pare.

Governor Josh Stein will deliver his State of the State address tonight, the first time since he was sworn in as the 76th Governor of our State. With us now to preview the speech and to discuss other topics of note from the General Assembly is Catawba College Political Science Professor, Dr. Michael Bitzer.

Today is National Girl Scouts Day which is celebrated on March 12 in honor of the founding of the Girl Scouts which is part of Girl Scout Week which is celebrated all week long. But outside of selling those delicious cookies, what are the other things the organization does, with Chris Edwards to chat about that and the organization as a whole is Lisa Jones CEO of the Girls Counts of North Carolina...

Today is National Plant a Flower Day, which is fitting given how beautiful the weather is, so if you are ready to spruce up your outdoor area with some fresh flowers but maybe don't know exactly what to plant, well you are in luck, we reached out to one of the best to get the answers. With Chris Edwards to give you all the answers is Phil Campbell with Campbell Road Nursery.

Governor Josh Stein will deliver his State of the State address tonight, the first time since he was sworn in as the 76th Governor of our State. With Chris Edwards to talk us through the process of writing and delivering the State of the State address is the 74th Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory.

There is much to discuss when it comes to Capitol Hill from funding the government, to possible tariffs, DOGE and many other topics - Chris Edwards get into all of those this morning with North Carolina Senator Ted Budd who joins us for his monthly visit.

After a explosive meeting in the Oval Office a couple weeks ago, it now appears that the United States and Ukraine are back at the negotiation table to try and work out both a mineral day as well as peace between Ukraine and Russia in their war that has been going on for over three years. With Chris Edwards to give us the latest on all of this is CBS News Military Analyst, Jeff McCausland.

In the new book, "Family Treasures Lost And Founds" journalist, author, and documentarian Karen A. Frenkel shares her journey and discoveries of digging up the truth about her parents survival stories. By scouring the Internet, plumbing real world sources, and visiting cities across Europe, Frenkel was able to honor her relatives and solve mysteries that seemed opaque her entire life. But there ar...

American Airline is saying that arriving on time isn't good enough, a Southwest flight delayed after a passenger undresses in the cabin, and more story's as Chris Edwards has his weekly conversation with Aviation Analyst Jay Ratliff.

NC State Athletics Director Boo Corrigan made a big announcement on Sunday morning announcing he was relieving Kevin Keatts of his duties as the head men's basketball coach for the school. This coming one day after the Wolfpack finished the season 12-19 overall, 5-15 in the ACC and did not qualify for the ACC Tournament, just one year after reaching the Final Four. With Chris Edwards to discuss th...

There have been a number of lawsuits involving the Trump Administration with reports out on Friday that over 100 lawsuits have been filed against the Administration since the inauguration. With Chris Edwards to discuss all of this is CBS News Legal Analyst, Thane Rosenbaum.

Last week's job report revealed that the economy added 151,000 new jobs, the unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent, and annual wages rose by 4 percent—outpacing the 3 percent inflation rate by a full percentage point. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger joins Chris Edwards to break it all down.

AI is increasingly being used to detect symptoms of various mental illnesses. Elliot Hill, the author of a study on how AI is aiding in mental illness detection, joins Jeff Hamlin to discuss the innovative ways AI is making a difference in mental health diagnosis and care.

Many people visited the Dorothea Dix Hospital Cemetery, despite the fact that little is known about those buried there. Amy Fix, Chair of the Historic Cemetery Advisory Board, joins Jeff Hamlin to discuss what we do know about the site and why it continues to draw visitors.

President Donald Trump has stated that he intends to abolish the Department of Education. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has clarified that this is not the case. Despite this, many people remain concerned about the potential impact if the department were to be eliminated. Jeff Hamlin speaks with Keith Poston, President of WakeEd Partnership, to gain local perspective on the...

Many Children go hungry every day and for a lot of those the only meal they get is at school. This week is national school Breakfast week and it is encouraged for all students to get to school early in order to try the school breakfast for those who never have. Jeff Hamlin is joined by Abby Emanuelson the Executive Director for the NC Alliance for Health about what they are doing in order to keep...

Now that we are into March, there is a hint of madness in the air and many other sporting events are heading back to Raleigh which has become a hot bead for sporting events over the last number of years and later this month, the Capitol City will host the opening rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. With Chris Edwards to discuss all of this is the Executive Director of the Greater Ralei...

For more than four decades, Rob Christensen wrote about North Carolina Politics in his column for the News & Observer and is out with a new book this week entailed: Southern News, Southern Politics. How a newspaper defined a state for a century which profiles the paper and its impact on our state. With Chris Edwards to discuss his work is Rob Christensen.

Several North Carolina State Representatives have introduced a bill to codify a challenged election rule for military personal and other Americans who are overseas voters. This bill comes as the North Carolina State Supreme Court race remains the only ongoing race from the 2024 elections as the challenger in the race, Judge Jefferson Griffin is challenging some 65,000 including some who are overse...

Later this week that annual tradition of flipping the clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time will occur as we all prepare to lose an hour of sleep on Sunday morning. But what are the impacts of that lost hour on our bodies and how can we deal with it? With Chris Edwards to discuss this and the importance of sleep as a whole is Dr. Aatif Husain, Division Chief of Epilepsy, Sleep and Neurophysiolog...

There is much to discuss as it relates to items and events going on in many of our communities across the Triangle and we wanted to talk with leaders of our cities to get the latest on the things that matter in their municipalities. In our Talk of the Town segment today we are heading to the Bull City where we talk all things Durham with the Mayor Leo Williams.

On Tuesday night, President Trump gave his first address to a joint session of congress since returning to the White House for a second term. The speech laid out the Presidents foreign and domestic agenda while touting the accomplishment of his administration in its first weeks. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on the address and touch on a number of other issues is North Carolina 13th Dist...