WPTF Afternoon News

Photo Credit: Jim Haberman A team of specialists and students led by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor Jodi Magness has uncovered a spectacular mosaic panel in the late Roman synagogue at Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in Israel’s Lower Galilee. Dr. Jodi Magness of UNC-Chapel Hill led the excavation. She joined Nate Saunders to discuss the discovery.

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 status of the No Labels party in North Carolina.

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 Saunders to discuss the impact the Alzheimer's drug could have.

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 BellinoAuthor 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.

The Raleigh Police officers who were involved in the arrest of a man who died will not face criminal charges. Darryl Williams died in police custody in January outside of a sweepstakes parlor in Raleigh. Kerwin Pittman, a local community activist, discussed the ruling with Nate Saunders on Wednesday.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders Officials are considering upgrading Capital Boulevard in Raleigh to a freeway. This would have massive implications for both drivers and businesses who line the side of the road. Nate Saunders and WPTF traffic reporter Jason Rogers talked through the situation.

The Veterans Life Center produce resources to help veterans in day-to-day life. John Turner from the center joined Nate Saunders on Tuesday.

House Speaker Tim Moore made his first public remarks in response to a lawsuit accusing him of using his power to continue a sexual relationship with a state employee. Scott Lassiter, an assistant principal at Connections Academy Middle School and a former Apex Town Council member, filed the suit against Moore for Alienation of Affection. Nate Saunders discussed the situation with Western Carolina University Political Science Professor Chris Cooper.

Duke University will now provide free tuition for families in North Carolina and South Carolina with incomes below $150,000. The policy will go into effect this fall. Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, talked about the new policy with Nate Saunders.

While tech developers have flocked to the Tar Heel state over the last few years, layoffs, including a 4% workforce cuts at Raleigh’s Red Hat have caused concern for some. Andrea Fleming with the NC Tech Association joined Nate Saunders to discuss the drop.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders With 89 vendors selling retro and modern games, collectors and individual sellers, the Raleigh Retro Gamers Summer Expo was slated to be one of the biggest pop-up markets in Raleigh this summer. Jeff Thomas, the Director of Raleigh Retro Gamers, joined Nate Saunders to discuss the event.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Electric vehicle maker Rivian has announced it has agreed to adopt Tesla's charging standard, giving Rivian customers access to the biggest U.S. charging network and adding momentum to Tesla's bid to set the industry standard. Mike Davis joined Nate Saunders to discuss the move.

Trial by Fire. Dominant Championship Wrestling presents AC Devine, Leah Night, and others in Selma on August 12 at the Richard B. Harrison Gym. Nate Saunders spoke with AC Devine and Leah Night about the event and the wrestling career.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders Officially, summer arrives Wednesday. Nate Saunders talked with Nick Petro from the National Weather Service about summer weather patterns.

Today is Juneteenth -- which is now a federal holiday. But many may still not know its significance. To find our more, Nate Saunders talked with Harold Mallette of Community Education and Outreach.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino Plans are moving ahead for Apple's RTP Campus. To talk about the latest developments, Nate Saunders spoke with Morrisville town council member Steve Rao.

Photo Credit: Durham Public Schools Providing meals for kids. Nate Saunders talked with Jim Keaten, director of school nutrition services at Durham Public Schools, about their summer feeding program.

Across the country, tens of millions of people live within a mile radius of rail routes. As we brace for the hustle and bustle of summer, it's important to remind people about the seriousness of rail safety and what to do to avoid mishaps. This National Safety Month, John Fleps, Vice President of Safety & Environment at Norfolk Southern, discussed the top rail safety tips with Nate Saunders.

Hurricane Season is upon us... but many people do not know how to best prepare for if they ever have to evacuate their home. Nate Saunders and Direct Relief President & CEO Thomas Tighe talked about some of the things most forgotten when evacuation orders are placed.

It's national fudge day! To celebrate, Jeff Hamlin chatted with Kesha Dozier of The Chocolate Boutique.

Photo Credit: LINQ K-12 school districts in North Carolina are bracing for the end of ESSER funding. ESSER is a federal program under the CARES act, designed to help elementary and secondary schools navigate the impacts of COVID, and it will soon expire. To discuss how this could impact our area, Nate Saunders spoke with Amanda Meyers, Director at Wilmington based LINQ.

A drug combination that shows little overall survival benefit in white men with advanced prostate cancer has a far greater effect in Black men with the disease, according to interim results from a study led by the Duke Cancer Institute. Nate Saunders talked with Dr. Daniel George, professor in the departments of Medicine and Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine.

If you are into going to yard sales, head out to Highway 301 Saturday. It's the annual 301 Endless Yard Sale which continues in parts of Johnston, Halifax, Wilson, Nash, and Harnett counties. Donna Bailey Taylor with the Johnston County Visitors Bureau spoke with Nate Saunders about the events.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders Raleigh Retro Gamers is holding a Summer Expo Pop-Up Market at Moore Square in Downtown Raleigh Saturday. To find out more, Nate Saunders talked with the Gamers' Jeff Thomas.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino On the WPTF Afternoon News, former Republican Congressional candidate Michele Woodhouse and Nate Saunders spoke about how the GOP Governor's race is shaping up.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino On the WPTF Afternoon News, Nate Saunders talked with former Republican Congressional candidate Michele Woodhouse about the drama during last weekend's NC GOP Convention.

Sports betting, abortion, and political races... Nate Saunders and Elon Poll director Jason Husser discussed the findings from their latest poll.

The Federal Reserve has applied the "skip" button to interest rate hikes, but say there may more in the future. Other countries central banks are moving ahead with interest rate increases. To find out more, Nate Saunders talked with N.C. State Economics Professor Emertius Mike Walden.