WPTF Morning News

We continue to follow the ongoing state supreme court race - which remains the only outstanding race from the 2024 election as Judge Jefferson Griffin keeps challenging some 60,000 votes in his attempt to defeat Justice Allison Riggs. With Chris Edwards to discuss this and other topics of note is retired North Carolina State Supreme Court Justice, Bob Orr.

After being pushed back multiple times your time it ticking to get that RealID. This new star on your ID will allow you through TSA lines and into some government buildings. With Chris Edwards to talk more about the RealID and what you need to know is Daniel Velez TSA Spokesperson for the New England Region.

We are a little over a week away from the best week on the golf calendar, the Masters which returns to Augusta National Golf Course for that annual spring tradition. With Chris Edwards to talk more about the Tournament and to discuss his most recent book, The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National is Durham native Ward Clayton.

There continues to be more fallout after last weeks messaging issues surrounding war plans and potential tariffs this comes as President Trump made comments about wanting to run for a third term. With Chris Edwards to discuss all of this is CBS News Correspondent Aaron Navarro.

With the possibility of more tariffs on the horizon later this week, many industries are feeling the impacts of those tariffs, in particular those in the technology industry. With Chris Edwards to discuss the impacts these tariffs are having on a number of tech and manufacturing industries is Ed Brzytwa the Vice President of International Trade at the Consumer Technology Association.

Talks of abolishing the TSA, a Delta flight having to divert due to a military aircraft and other aviation news as Tony Riggsbee talks with Jay Ratliff.

This Memorial Day the Murph Challenge is taking place in Louisburg. The Murph challenge is a difficult physicals challenge aimed to help raise money for the Veteran Life Center. Tony Riggsbee gets a moment to speak with Lisa Rider and Cory Thorton who is helping put the event together.

The DMV is not without its problems and inefficiencies. Dave Boliek, the North Carolina State Auditor has made it a mission of his to take audit the DMV with the goal of improving not only wait times but also customer service. Dave Boliek meets with Tony Riggsbee to talk about what the office of the state auditor is planning in their audit of the DMV and plans moving forward with other active and planned audit as well as the plans for the board of elections.

State Senate leader Phil Berger has proposed senate bill 474 known as "The Dave Act" which means Division of Accountability, Value and Efficiency. The aim of this bill mirrors what The Department of Government Efficiency is trying to do at the federal level. Dave Boliek, the North Carolina State Auditor, will be in charge of this should the ill be passes and Tony Riggsbee has the chance to speak him about the bill and what we should expect coming from it.

Diversity equity and inclusion has been a hot topic over the past few years and a long battle for many. With the changing political climate many have been left wondering what is going to happen with DEI in the government. Tony Riggsbee talks with Ren Larson with the Assembly about the article she has been about how DEI has affected people in the federal and state government and what it means to get rid of DEI in these spaces.

On Tuesday lawmakers filed Senate Bill 516 which, according to the bill seeks to codify definitions of sex to include only male and female descriptions. This bill would also prevent people from changing their gender on their birth certificates or driver's licenses while also regulating which bathroom people are allowed to use in some state buildings. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on this bill is the 74th Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released its 2025 Report Card For America’s Infrastructure yesterday. Released every four years since 1998, this report is known as the premier source for evaluating infrastructure in the U.S. and calls attention to the challenges facing our nation’s bridges, airports, roads, dams, water pipes, levees, and more. With Chris Edwards to discuss this further is Tom Smith, Executive Director of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

A story out in the Assembly recently chronicles the journey of St. Augustine's in Raleigh and its fight to keep their accreditation which is a long history and how the school went from feeling they were on firm footing in 2018 to now facing all sorts of new challenges. With Chris Edwards in studio to discuss their reporting is Erin Gretzinger and Chloe Bohl.

FDA-approved GLP-1 medications are revolutionary in transforming the treatment of obesity. These innovative medications have supported patients in managing the symptoms of several chronic conditions, including obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, heart failure and chronic kidney disease—and ongoing studies suggest they have the potential to treat many other conditions, including substance use disorders. With Chris Edwards to talk more about this is Dr. Angela Fitch, current Past President of the Obesity Medicine Association

This month marks six month since Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina and left devastating impacts and while the recovery from the storm continues, wildfires are also threatening the region. With Chris Edwards to talk about those topics and other items of note from the General Assembly is Buncombe County Senator Julie Mayfield.

The Wildfires continue to burn and impact Western North Carolina this just months after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. With us now to talk more about the wildfires and the ongoing effort to fight these fires is CBS News Correspondent Jim Krasula.

There is much to discuss when it comes to activity in and around Jones Street where the State Legislature continues its work which includes budget negations and other bills that both sides are trying to get passed. With Chris Edwards for an updated on all things State Government and even some national talk is David McLennen, Meredith College Political Science Professor.

We heard on Monday a story in the Atlantic where officials from the Trump Administration sent a message of war plans to the managing editor of the Atlantic. With us now to talk more about this and other topics of note is CBS New Correspondent Aaron Navarro.

Wake County’s health equity initiative, HealthLit4Wake, is bringing back its popular Ask the Doc: A Wake County Town Hall series for 2025, providing residents with direct access to medical experts and essential health information. With Chris Edwards to talk more about this program and the first event is Kate Broadwell who oversees planning for the program.

With the arrival of spring that means warmer weather, longer days, plants in full bloom and for many of us, allergies. But what are the things we need to know about the allergies and how can we manage those symptoms? With Chris Edwards to discuss this further is Dr. Patricia Lugar with Duke University.

There is much to discuss when it comes to triangle sports, from Duke advancing to the Sweet 16, Will Wade on his way to Raleigh to be the next head basketball coach at NC State and what is going on with the Hurricanes? Chris Edwards get the update on all this from Adam Gold, host of the Adam Gold Show heard weekdays on the North Carolina News Network.

United Airlines bans "rideable bags", a Jet from Southwest Airlines attempted to take off from a taxiway, and more as Chris Edwards has his weekly talk with Aviation Analyst Jay Ratliff

There is a lot of work going on in the office of the state treasurer where a number of topics are being tackled and with Chris Edwards studio to discuss the work they are doing is State Treasurer Brad Briner.

The real estate market has exploded since the pandemic and has frustrated many would-be home buyers. That coupled with inflation and home prices are roughly twice as high as they were five years ago. With Chris Edwards to discuss this further is CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger.

Lawmakers in Raleigh are working on a bipartisan bill that is designed to protect children from the impacts of vaping. This bill was introduced in both chambers and with Chris Edwards to discuss is one of the co-sponsors of the bill Wake County Senator Gale Adcock.

Not only is the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament underway already but the women's Tournament gets going this afternoon and Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State are all hosting first and second round games on their respective campuses. Overall eight teams from ACC made the big dance on the women's side with Chris Edwards to preview the tournament is Matt Krause the radio play-by-play broadcaster for North Carolina Women's Basketball on the Tar Heel Sports Network.

March Madness gets underway in Raleigh this afternoon where NC State and the Leonovo Center will host first and second round games of the NCAA Tournament. This event is also a popular one for folks who fill out their brackets and maybe drop a couple of dollars on the game. With Chris Edwards to talk about sports wagering on college basketball and in North Carolina as a whole is Kevin Hennessy, Vice President of Communications for Bet Fanatics.

Our friends at Braswell Family Farms are at it again with exciting new partnerships which includes a couple of community events coming up next month. With Chris Edwards in studio to talk more about these events and the delicious breakfast that they brought is Trey Braswell with Braswell Family Farms.

Earlier this week the federal government released tens of thousands of documents related to assassination of President John F. Kennedy but what do these documents tell us and is there a smoking gun to finally prove a conspiracy theory? With Chris Edwards to offer perspective is John Shaw Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University and author of JFK in the Senate - Pathway to the Presidency and Rising Star, Setting Sun which explores the transition of power from Dwight D. Eisenhower to John F. Kennedy.

It seems that NC State has found the man who will lead the men's basketball program following the dismissal of Kevin Keatts a little over a week ago as reports out yesterday suggest that Will Wade the current head coach at McNeese State and formerly the head man at LSU will be the leader of the Pack. With Chris Edwards to break all of this down is David Glenn of the North Carolina Sports Network.

The NCAA Tournament is making its return to the triangle with NC State and the Leonovo Center hosting the first and second round's of the men's tournament but that is not the only basketball in the Triangle this weekend - Duke, North Carolina and NC State will all host first and second round games of the women's tournament beginning Friday in Durham and Chapel Hill while NC State will host games beginning on Saturday. With Chris Edwards to talk more about the women's tournament is Kaila'Shea Menendez, Deputy Director of the Durham Sports Commission.

During a meeting on Wednesday, the Federal Reserve announced it was keeping benchmark interest rates unchanged as they expect the economy to grow more slowly this year and next compared to their forecast three months ago. With Chris Edwards to break this down is NC State Economics Professor Emeritus Dr. Mike Walden.

March is Women’s History Month, and while massive strides have been made for women in the workplace, discrepancies persist. 47% of the U.S. workforce is comprised of women. However, according to a 2024 Equal Pay Day report from SHRM, 74% of HR professionals agree women face discrimination in the labor market. With Chris Edwards to discuss this further is Tamla Oates-Forney, CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management Linkage company.

It has been a little over a year since sports betting became legal in North Carolina and last week it was announced that more than $6 Billion in real money was wagered and almost $500 million more were given out in free or promotional bets. Chris Edwards wanted to dive deeper into all of this as Raleigh prepares to host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament with one of the people who helped to introduce the sports wagering bill in the first place, Durham County Representative Zack Hawkins.

New reports out say that North Carolinians could be paying for homeowners insurance in the coming years. That is in large part because of the risk of wildfires and other natural disasters. With Chris Edwards to discuss this further is North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.

Some good news for those lovers of our state parks in Western North Carolina. Earlier this week South Mountains State Park in Burke County has partially reopened after being closed since last fall due to damage caused by Hurricane Helene. With Chris Edwards to talk more about this and other topics of note around our state parks is Brian Strong, Director of the North Carolina State Parks.

Since taking office in January, the North Carolina Attorney General has been tackling a number of items including some scams that have been going around recently. With Chris Edwards to discuss some of the work his office has been doing is North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson.

The NCAA Tournament officially gets underway with the First Four Games being played in Dayton, Ohio but in just a couple of days March Madness will return to our backyard as NC State will host the first and second rounds of the Men's Tournament at the Lenovo Center - this comes as Duke, NC State and North Carolina will all host the first and second rounds of the women's tournament as well. With Chris Edwards to discuss all the great things around college basketball on Tobacco Road is Scott Dupree, Executive Director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

On Friday just hours before the Government was set to shutdown lawmakers on Capitol Hill, primarily in the Senate voted to keep the lights on across the federal government by passing a republican led house bill that funds the government for another six months. With Chris Edwards to discuss this and other topics of note is North Carolina 9th District Congressman Richard Hudson.

Later today, President Trump will participate in a conversation with Russian President Putin to discuss a truce in the war between Russia and Ukraine this comes as Israel has launched a deadly wave of airstrikes across Gaza ending the ceasefire between the two. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on all of this is CBS News Military Analyst Jeff McCausland.

Did you know that one of North Carolina's favorite original drinks has its own festival? Coming up in May the Cheerwine Festival returns to Salisbury to celebrate this North Carolina tradition and with Chris Edwards to talk about the festival its history and all the greatness about Cheerwine is Joy Harper, Vice President of Marketing for the Cheerwine.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is set as the field of 68 was announced on Sunday Night and the ACC gets four teams into the big dance with no real surprise Duke will be a #1 Seed while Clemson and Louisville also make the field and surprisingly to some, North Carolina was the last team into the Tournament, they will play Tuesday night in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio. With Chris Edwards to break down the NCAA Tournament and to discuss other topics of note is David Glenn with the North Carolina Sports Network.

A video has gone viral of a man punching someone at the gate, Air India remind people not to flush clothes down the toilet, and airlines might be reducing capacity this summer. All these story's and more as Chris Edwards has his weekly conversation with Jay Ratliff.

After a week filled with the talk of tariffs, the rollercoaster of the stock market and even some talk of the R word, we are glad to have CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger with Chris Edwards to break it all down for us.

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program launched the St. Patrick’s Day “Booze It & Lose It” enforcement campaign earlier this week in an effort to help keep impaired drivers off the road. Now through March 17, motorists can expect an increase in the number of saturation patrols and driver checkpoints by law enforcement across the state. With Chris Edwards to talk more about the program and other topics of note is Mark Ezzell, Director of the Governor's Highway Safety Program.

A new story out in The Assembly profiles the new Senate Minority Leader Sydney Batch who was elected prior to this session taking over for longtime leader and former House Speaker Dan Blue. With Chris Edwards to talk more about the story and his reporting is Jeffrey Billman from the Assembly.

Following the deadly shooting at the Headingham Neighborhood, members of a North Carolina House Committee approved to move a bill ahead that would support family members of fallen first responders. The Gabe Torres Act honors the life of the Raleigh Police Officer who was one of five people killed in the mass shooting in October of 2022 in the Headingham Neighborhood. With Chris Edwards in studio to discuss this bill more in depth is Wake County Representative Sarah Crawford.

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 lines, and closed campgrounds and facilities. With Chris Edwards to discuss all of this further is Jeff Hunter, Southern Appalachian Director, at National Parks Conservation Association.

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.