WPTF Morning News

Earlier this week it was announced by the Centers for Disease Control that an outbreak of E. Coli was linked to McDonald's Quarter Pounders - most of the impacted states however are in the west and midwestern parts of the united states. This comes after Boars Head has been impacted by a deli meat listeria outbreak. With Chris Edwards to discuss all of this is Dr. Darin Detwiler, food safety advisor, author and a professor at Northeastern University.

We are less than two weeks from Election Day and the races up and down the ballot are entering their final push, that as early voting across North Carolina continues through November 2nd. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on this election cycle is former North Carolina Congressman Dr. David Price.

We are now less than two weeks until election day and those on the ballot are making their final pitches to voters in hoping to sway those last remaining undecided votes. As it relates to the Presidential Race, both campaigns have spent a considerable amount of time in North Carolina as our state promises to factor heavily into the final outcome of who wins the White House. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on the campaign is the Chairmen of the Republican National Committee Michael Whatley.

As we get into the fall months there are a number of family-friendly events going on throughout our local communities and in today's Talk of the Town segment. Chris Edwards highlights things going on in Garner with the town's Public Information Officer, Rick Mercier.

There is so many industries and business that have been impacted in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene that hit the region extremely hard. With Chris Edwards to discuss the impact from Hurricane Helene to both their business and their industry is David Butler, Owner of Sky Top Orchard.

Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley will be in Raleigh today as he continues his travel across the country where he is on a listening tour talking to those frontline employees to identify operational and policy changes that will improve customer service amidst the reality of a 50-year low in staffing. The Commissioner kind enough to join Chris Edwards for an interview.

Congress is scheduled to return to Washington after the November election but that has not slowed down the work that is being done on behalf of the people of North Carolina by the states congressional delegation where North Carolina 2nd District Congresswoman Deborah Ross has announced a number of items in recent days, the Congresswoman is kind enough to join Chris Edwards to discuss.

Early voting in North Carolina is off to a big start with more than one million people having already cast their vote in the first weekend of in-person early voting. With Chris Edwards to talk more specifically about early voting in Wake County is Olivia McCall the Director of the Wake County Board of Elections.

There is so many industries and business that have been impacted in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene that hit the region extremely hard. With Chris Edwards to discuss the impact from Hurricane Helene to both their business and their industry is Linda Proyer the Farm manager at Hilltop Apple Farm in Henderson County.

As we get into the fall months there are a number of family-friendly events going on throughout our local communities and in today's Talk of the Town segment with highlight things going on in Knightdale with the town's Community Relations Director, Rachel Morris.

With less than two weeks until election day, the races up and down the ballot continue to tighten that as early voting continues where over one million people reportedly voted in the first weekend of the in-person early voting period. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on this election season is Meredith College Political Science Professor David McLennan.

We continue to follow the recovery efforts in Western North Carolina following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in late September. As those in our state begin to put their lives back together, they face unimaginable challenges - with Chris Edwards to talk through some of those challenges is North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey.

Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina particularly hard and the cleanup and recovery continues as many who are brining aid and helping in the recovery are trying to traverse that terrain where many roads were totally washed away. With Chris Edwards to provide an update on the work they are doing is FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

We are just two weeks until election day and the race for the White House in full swing as both campaigns continue to set their sights on North Carolina which is once again proving to be a key battleground state. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on the race is North Carolina native and RNC Co-Chair, Lara Trump.Photo by Ivan Apfel/Getty Images

As we get into the fall months there are a number of family-friendly events going on throughout our local communities and in today's Talk of the Town segment with highlight things going on in Holly Springs with Mayor Sean Mayefskie.

We are two weeks until election day and while the races at the top of the ticket are getting a ton of attention there are other races on the ballot that will impact North Carolina including several races for the State House and State Senate, with Chris Edwards is state senator Lisa Grafstein.

The days, weeks, and months leading up to and following a presidential election can be a contentious time between friends, families, and even coworkers. Alarming new data reveals a significant number of U.S. workers are experiencing or witnessing the escalation of tensions, threats, and even violence due to political disagreements. A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) revealed these key findings including that 70% of U.S. workers report that they have experienced and/or witnessed people making threats to one another in their everyday lives due to differences in political opinions. With Chris Edwards now to break down this survey and talk about how to talk about politics in the office is Jim Link, the Chief Human Resource Officer at the Society of Human Resource Management.

Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina particularly hard and the cleanup and recovery continues as many who are brining aid and helping in the recovery are trying to traverse that terrain where many roads were totally washed away. With Chris Edwards now to update us on the road conditions and the work they are doing to get those roads back open is Jonathan Rand with the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

As we get into the fall months there are a number of family-friendly events going on throughout our local communities and in today's Talk of the Town segment with highlight things going on in Cary as Chris Edwards joins with the town's cultural arts manager, William Lewis.

A man flying Delta kicked off for threatening tee shirt, yet another almost mid air collisions and more, as Chris Edwards has his weekly visit with aviation analyst Jay Ratliff.

Just over two weeks until election day and while the races at the top of the ticket are getting a ton of attention there are other races on the ballot that will impact North Carolina including several races for the State House and State Senate, with Chris Edwards to discuss their campaign for State Senate in District 18 is Ashlee Adams.

Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally in Asheville today as the region continues to recovery from Hurricane Helene which devastated Western North Carolina just over three weeks ago. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on the rally and other topics of note is the former Lt. Governor of California Abel Maldonado.

Former President Donald Trump is set to hold a rally in Asheville today as the region continues to recovery from Hurricane Helene which devastated Western North Carolina just over three weeks ago. With Chris Edwards offer perspective on the rally and other topics of note is retired North Carolina Supreme Court Justice, Bob Orr.

There is a topic that we probably don't like to talk about but it is one of those necessary topics that can be uncomfortable but for the long term, needs to be had - estate planning. See not fun, but we break it all down today with CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger.

The work to help those impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina is ongoing with so many organizations coming to the aid of our friends in need. One of those service organizations that is working to help our friends is Samaritan's Purse and with Chris Edwards to discuss in depth the work they are doing in Western North Carolina is Sharon Daley, the Disaster Relief Manager for Samaritan's Purse.

Early voting got underway across North Carolina on Thursday and with just a couple of weeks until election day, there are several state-house races that will be on the ballot this year, one of those is in the southwest part of Wake County where incumbent Erin Pare is running for reelection. Rep. Pare joins Chris Edwards to discuss her candidacy.

Early voting got underway across North Carolina yesterday and will continue until just before Election Day, with us now to discuss early voting with NC Central student and DNC Delegate Devin Freeman.

There continues to be something for everyone at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh with so many events and another one is coming up next week, Friday, October 25 as the Museum hosts Adult Nights: Magic and Monsters. With Chris Edwards to tell us more about the event is Chris Smith Coordinator of Current Science Programs for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.

We continue to follow the impact of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina where the cleanup is just beginning after devastating flooding and other damage. With Chris Edwards is Buncombe County State Senator, Julie Mayfield.

A native North Carolinian and long-time political servant who served our state in the State House and Senate for nearly three decades is out with a new novel entitled Talmadge Farm which chronicles the story of families navigating the changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history. With Chris Edwards to discuss his book is the author, Leo Daughtry.

Western North Carolina continues the cleanup efforts following the devastation from Hurricane Helene last month and with Chris Edwards to talk about the recovery as well as other notable items of the day is North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein.

There are a number of items that are on the docket to discuss this morning as it relates to the ongoing recovery in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene to work being done closer to home Chris Edwards gets perspective on a number of topics from North Carolina 13th District Congressman, Wiley Nickel.

In Western North Carolina the recovery continues following the devastation from Hurricane Helene and the impacts are being felt by so many including our public school students and teachers who have had to deal with more missed time in the classroom and families try to put their lives back together. With Chris Edwards to talk about the response from an educational standpoint is the North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction, Catherine Truitt.

The North Carolina State Fair opens later today and there is so much to see at do as always as this year's fair which includes the Great Pumpkins, the Huge watermelons and so much more. With Chris Edwards to talk about the Pumpkins, the watermelons and her entries to those contests is Asheville native Susie Zuerner.

As we get into the fall months there are a number of family-friendly events going on throughout our local communities and in today's Talk of the Town segment with highlight things going on in Clayton with the Town's Director for Cultural Arts, Steven Langston.

On Tuesday, Lt. Governor Mark Robinson and his attorney Jesse Binnall announced a defamation lawsuit against CNN in which they are seeking $50 million in damages after a story recently that alleges the Lt. Governor made explicit and racist comments on a pornographic message board. With Chris Edwards to offer perspective on this story is John Drescher, Contributing Editor for The Assembly.

In Today's Talk of the Town Segment we highlight a community event coming up this Saturday in Wake Forest where organizers are hoping to pull the veterans of Wake Forest together to support veteran-owned small businesses and reunite over shared experiences. With Chris Edwards in studio to talk about the event is US Navy Veteran and event organizer Katie Glynn.

We continue to follow the recovery and clean-up following Hurricane Helene which devastated several states but hit Western North Carolina very hard. With Chris Edwards now to talk through the recovery efforts, the work they are doing and what the prospect looks like moving forward is FEMA External Affairs Officer John Mills.

There are so many impacts that have been felt in Western North Carolina associated with the Hurricane Helene and as the cleanup continues we wanted to highlight some of the impacts to the region and when life might begin to get back to normal. With Chris Edwards to discuss where they stand after the storm is Naaman Horn, Public Information Officer for the External Affairs for the the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The recovery effort surrounding Hurricane Helene continues where folks in Western North Carolina continue to work through the impacts felt by Hurricane Helene and many in North Carolina have done their part to help in that rescue and recovery effort. With Chris Edwards in studio to talk about the work he did for those in Western North Carolina is State Treasurer Dale Folwell.

With less than three weeks until election day, the race for the White House is entering its final push where both sides continue to make their case to be the next leader of our country. With us now to offer perspective is Trump Campaign surrogate Monica Crowley.

October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month, something that just by mentioning it brings fear and panic to the parents of many newborns across the country. With Chris Edwards to discuss SIDS and ways to help prevent this dreaded disease is Duke University Doctor, Dr. Andrew Landstrom.

We are less than a month away from election day and there are a number of important races both at the federal, state and local levels that will be decided this November, there is one group that is on the ballot who is not getting a ton of attention in their very important race and that is the role of judges, in particular the State Court of Appeals and State Supreme Court. With Chris Edwards to talk about the race for these judgeships is Michael Hewlett who wrote extensively on this topic for the Assembly.

On Thursday the North Carolina State Fair gets underway at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh and runs through October 27. With us now to preview the this years fair is Heather Overton, Assistant Press Director for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.

Sunday kicked off vet tech appreciation week all over the country. As they are an often overlooked and under appreciated the medical field we have with Chris Edwards to shed some light on how we can give back and show love for those who keep our furry friends safe, Samantha Hennessey, Practice Manager of Kittrell Animal Hospital.

It's been about two weeks since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina and now communities in our Mountains are still picking up the pieces and will be for sometime. That devastation has brought in so many people who want to help those with the recovery effort, one of those people who are in town to help is Retired New York Police Lt. Steve Hauck who joins Chris Edwards in studio.

On Wednesday the General Assembly returned to Jones Street and passed a $273 million relief bill for Helene recovery. With Chris Edwards to discuss this package is State Senator Kevin Corbin who represents Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania Counties.

As the weather starts to turn cooler, we start to think about those fall festivals and events. We want to continue to do our part to highlight the great things that are going on in our local communities and with that thought in mind, in today's Talk of the Town Segment we highlight the big night coming up tomorrow in Garner as Chris Edwards visit with Sergeant Pena from the Garner Police Department.

As the weather starts to turn cooler, we start to think about those fall festivals and events. We want to continue to do our part to highlight the great things that are going on in our local communities and with that thought in mind, in today's Talk of the Town Segment we highlight the events coming up in Wake Forest this fall with Mayor Vivian Jones who joins Chris Edwards.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are back in action this Saturday as they welcome Georgia Tech to Kenan Stadium with kick-off slated for noon. Our coverage on WPTF begins at 10:00 and with Chris Edwards to preview the contest is the Voice of the Tar Heels, Jones Angell.