WPTF Afternoon News

A jury has found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996. Jurors awarded her $5 million. Jurors rejected Carroll’s claim that she was raped, but found Trump liable for sexual abuse and for defaming Carroll after she made her allegations public. Nate Saunders with reaction now from CBS Legal Consultant Thane Rosenbaum.

Transgender girls in North Carolina would be prohibited from joining female sports teams in middle school, high school and college under legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House. Nate Saunders talks with former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who is now a spokesperson for the Independent Women's Forum and supports the bill.

A beer to promote nursing? Nate Saunders finds out more from Amber Rosado, brewer with Raleigh Brewing Company.

The road to the White House will go through Greensboro next month, as top Republican candidates will appear the State Republican Party's annual gathering. Nate Saunders finds out more from Michael Whatley, the state GOP chairman.

The search for answers continues after a mass shooting at a Texas shopping center near Dallas and multiple deaths are reported after man drove his SUV into a migrant camp. Nate Saunders talks with reporter Chris Fox.

We're now starting to learn more information about how Alder Marin-Sotelo escaped from a prison in Virginia. The man charged in the murder of Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd was captured in Mexico days after his daring escape. Nate Saunders spoke with former FBI agent Chris Swecker about how the escape happened.

North Carolina state legislators have sent Senate Bill 20 to Governor Roy Cooper's desk... in what appears to be a veto-proof measure further restricting abortion in the state. Jim Quick, the grassroots director at NC Faith and Freedom spoke with Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao about the bill.

President Joe Biden signed the CHIPS Act in August 2022 and North Carolina is starting to see some benefits of the money that has been made available. Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao talked with Nate Saunders about the implications.

The SelectUSA Investment Summit was held this past week in Washington DC. Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao was there and spoke with Nate Saunders about the significance of the event and how leaders are trying to bring more business to North Carolina.

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says after meeting with Blue Cross and Blue Shield officials he is still against a legislative bill to change their insurers business model.. He talked with Nate Saunders on the WPTF Afternoon News.

Lawmakers in the state House have passed a bill that would restrict abortions in North Carolina after 12 weeks. The approval came just one day after proposing it. Things got tense on the House floor, and above it. Spectators started yelling down at lawmakers shortly after they took the vote, chanting "Shame." The vote was along party lines, 71-46. Dr. Susan Bane is an OB-GYN and approves of the measure. She talked with Nate Saunders.

On-demand microtransit is an emerging service option for public transit agencies utilizing an on-demand transportation solution that is flexible and responsive to the real-time needs of transit riders. On-demand microtransit is similar to private on-demand services, rideshare allowing riders to book and pay for trips online, whether using personal computers or personal mobile devices connected to the internet. Ryan Brumfield of the NCDOT joined Nate Saunders to discuss microtransit.

What role do community colleges play in North Carolina? Should we be concerned by a new study that shows that most community college graduates don't go on to get a 4-year-degree within 6 years? Durham Tech President J.B. Buxton discussed the role of the community college system with Nate Saunders.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Drake Attorney General Josh Stein released his proposed public safety package on how he plans to improve public safety in North Carolina. Stein's proposal includes strategies for fighting against fraud, drugs, recruiting and retaining law enforcements, gun safety measures, sexual assault kits and overall general safety. Stein joined Nate Saunders and Scott Lassiter on Wednesday during the WPTF Afternoon News.

Police say a shooter opened fire inside an Atlanta medical building, killing one and injuring four others as authorities swarmed the city’s bustling midtown neighborhood in search of the 24-year-old suspect. Atlanta police said the shooting occurred inside a Northside Medical building on Wednesday. Scott Lassiter joined Nate Saunders on Wednesday during the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss the situation.

More reaction to the bill banning most abortions after 12 weeks in North Carolina. Nate Saunders talked with Tami Fitzgerald with the North Carolina Values Coalition.

National data shows just one in seven community college students gets a bachelor's within six years. One of the biggest culprits is credit loss: when students take classes that never count toward a degree. How is North Carolina dealing with the issue? Nate Saunders found out more from Wake Tech president Scott Rawls, who also once served as president of the State Community College system.

As there continues to be a push for clean energy, one local business is working to transition the country into the future. Nate Saunders found out more from Kelcy Pegler with FlexGen.

A man charged for the 2022 murder of Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd is still at large after escaping from a Virginia jail. Alden Alfonso Marin-Sotelo is one of two men who escaped from the Piedmont Regional Jail early Sunday morning. Lindsay LiCausi with Back the Blue talked to Nate Saunders on the WPTF Afternoon News.

First Republic Bank has become the second large regional bank with assets over $200 billion to fail in just a few weeks. Like Silicon Valley Bank, which was seized by the government on March 10, First Republic catered to a wealthy clientele, which helped it grow deposits rapidly but may have also contributed to its undoing. Duke University Economics Professor Connell Fullenkamp joined Nate Saunders to discuss the situation with First Republic Bank.

The Republican majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday threw out a previous ruling against gerrymandered voting maps and upheld a photo voter identification law that colleagues had struck down as racially biased. Bob Phillips with Common Cause said he was disappointed with the ruling. Phillips joined Nate Saunders on Monday.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has issued three rulings that will have major impacts on how the state conducts elections. The court restored a requirement that voters show an ID at the polls, it reversed a previous decision that struck down the legislature's latest round of redistricting, and it invalidated another ruling that would have allowed people with felony convictions to vote after completing their sentences. Bob Orr, a former associate justice on the state Supreme Court, joined Nate Saunders to discuss the decision.

The Republican-controlled North Carolina Supreme Court – reversing previous rulings that were handed down when the state Supreme Court leaned Democratic – said that North Carolina’s constitution gave state courts no role to play in policing partisan gerrymanders. The ruling is a victory for the GOP state legislature, which brought the case back to the state Supreme Court after Republicans flipped seats on the court in the midterms, giving them the majority. Mitch Kokai of the John Locke Foundation joined Nate Saunders on Monday.

After decades of service, Barry Porter is retiring as the CEO of the Red Cross' Eastern NC chapter. He spoke with Nate Saunders about his career and the work of the Red Cross across the world.

Two NC State University students committed suicide this week. Eleanor Lott, an NC State sophomore who serves on the Student Task Force, joined Nate Saunders to talk about how the school is reacting to the situation.

Mental health is back in the forefront after two NC State University students committed suicide within 24 hours this week. Nate Saunders and Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao talked about mental health and efforts being made to help those who need it.

Discussions about the US Presidential race are ramping up. Nate Saunders spoke with Morrisville Town Councilman Steve Rao about what the public thinks of the current candidates.

Olivia Dixon came to the US from Liberia at 21 years old to live the American Dream. After a long journey she has found herself in Raleigh and designs hats. She sat down with Nate Saunders and talked about her story and how you can buy your own one-of-a-kind hat. You can find her on instagram @oliviadixon59