WPTF Afternoon News

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis entered the race for the White House, albeit with clunky Twitter space rollout. For more perspective, Nate Saunders talked with N.C. State Political Science Professor Andy Taylor.

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 HadleyThe 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 HadleyTina 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 SaundersThere'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.

Photo Credit: Nate SaundersAn a recent poll by U.S. News and World Report, Raleigh & Durham were labeled as the 3rd best place to live in the country! Local political commentator and school principal Scott Lassiter and Nate Saunders discussed the new ranking.

Photo Credit: Nate SaundersWhat has to be done to keep Wake County schools safe? Nate Saunders and Connections Academy Principal Scott Lassiter talked through what is being done to keep local students safe.

Photo Credit: Nate SaundersNorth Carolina's legislature passed an override of the governor's veto of legislation further restricting abortion in the state. Nate Saunders and local political commentator Scott Lassiter talked about the new legislation.

Photo Credit: Francie AnglesMay 16 is national Drawing Day! WPTF's Kristine Bellino sat down with her sister Heather to discuss her love and passion of visual art.

Photo Credit: Richard Lykes There's growing interest in Kickboxing in the Triangle -- as Nate Saunders found out when he talked to Richard Lykes, owner of ILoveKickboxing.com

There's a difference in how large raises will be in the state budget currently being debated at the General Assembly. Nate Saunders spoke with Ardis Watkins of the State Employees Association of North Carolina about their concerns.

Photo Credit: Kristine Bellino New stats show many of us are keeping our cars longer... and who better to talk about keeping cars longer than our own Studebaker Sultan of Slugisity, Mike Davis, who chatted with Nate Saunders of the WPTF Afternoon News about aging cars. They also discussed a new national issue as AM radio is being left off of many new cars.

Tourism numbers in Wake County are on the upswing. Nate Saunders found out more with Dennis Edwards with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Photo credit: Charles HadleyTitle 42 was lifted as the national COVID health emergency ended on May 11. Morrisville Town Councilman and political analyst Steve Rao and Nate Saunders discussed the thousands of people seeking asylum and immigration at the southern boarder.

Photo credit: Charles HadleyDonald Trump made another news interview appearance last week. Morrisville Town Councilman and political analyst Steve Rao discussed the CNN interview with Nate Saunders.

Raleigh and Wake County continue to face challenges that many urban areas face... and one of them is homelessness. Wake County Commissioner Vickie Adamson joined Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao to discuss the new Homelessness Task Force for the county.

Photo credit: Charles HadleyThe technology industry is important in North Carolina. Steve Rao, Morrisville Town Councilman and political analyst, was there and talked with Nate Saunders about the state of tech jobs in the state.

In a rare event, some Red Wolves in the area have given birth to several pups! Ben Prater with Defenders of Wildlife spoke with Nate Saunders about the significance of the births.

As of today, the COVID-19 pandemic is over as a national emergency... but it won't totally go away. Dr. Adia Ross, Chief Medical Officer at Duke Regional Hospital, spoke with Nate Saunders and discussed the world's response to the pandemic and how we could learn from it.

It's getting to be travel season! Many North Carolinians are expected to take part this year and summer travel could be busy. Tiffany Wright, Director of Public Relations at AAA Carolinas, spoke with Nate Saunders about the action.

Consumer prices and inflation continue to rise... although not as much as they have been. As the country is still curious about the possibility of a recession, Mike Walden, Distinguished Professor and Economist at N.C. State University spoke with Nate Saunders about the economy.

Women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds who are at average risk for breast cancer should start getting regular mammograms at age 40, instead of treating it as an individual decision until they are 50, as previously recommended. That's according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Dr. Maggie Dinome of Duke University explained why the task force is making the recommendation with Nate Saunders.

Photo Credit: Ken Huth Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead is hitting the airwaves. Well, sort of. The sheriff’s office announced Tuesday that a monthly podcast called “Star Talk” will be the sheriff’s latest tool to engage with the community. It comes on the heels of a conversation series called “Sheriff Speaks” which was held throughout 2022 inside some of Durham’s public libraries. Sheriff Birkhead joined Nate Saunders to discuss the new venture with North Carolina Central.

Former congressman Mark Walker released a statement announcing a May 20th event in Kernersville. While it stops short of saying he's entering the race is does he will be announcing plans related to the election and adds that its is "essential for Republicans nominate a candidate who can withstand the scrutiny of a gubernatorial election." Western Carolina political science professor Chris Cooper joined Nate Saunders to discuss Walker's candidacy and whether the verdict against former President Trump in New York will impact his candidacy.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders Lee County now is without a superintendent of schools. Scott Lassiter and Nate Saunders talk about the profession and why there is such a high turnover rate.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders What is being done at Wake County Soil & Water Conservation District? Scott Lassiter and Nate Saunders discussed the work of a little known government department and looked at stories in the local news.

Snakes Alive! Nate Saunders talked with Talena Chavis with NC Snake Catcher about what to look out from when it comes to snakes.

Photo Credit: Nate Saunders The legendary Rialto Theatre, formerly Raleigh's oldest movie theatre prior to its closing last summer, is set to re-open later this Summer under new ownership. New owner Hayes Permar made the announcement on social media on Tuesday morning. Permar joined Nate Saunders in studio to discuss his new venture.

Prince Harry arrived at his father's coronation alone and he left alone. The disgruntled Duke of Sussex sat two rows behind his brother, Prince William, heir to the throne, in the pomp-filled ceremony Saturday at Westminster Abbey. The isolation was likely the result of quitting his royal duties and, thus, no longer ranking as a senior family member. Dr. Andy Taylor, a political science professor at N.C. State who is a native of England, discuss the ceremony on Saturday with Nate Saunders.