WPTF Morning News

Flight attendants for American Airlines could potentially go on strike right before Christmas. Aviation analyst Jay Ratliff discussed that story, and others, when he made his weekly appearance on the WPTF Morning Show.

More than a million North Carolinians will be driving somewhere this week for Thanksgiving. Tiffany Wright with AAA Carolinas discusses what days and times will be the busiest across the state, and shares some tips and advice before you hit the road.

The November 10th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

It's that time of the year, where college football and basketball overlap. The North Carolina Tar Heel men's basketball team is in action tonight, and the football team travels to Clemson on Saturday. Jones Angell, the radio voice of the Heels, previewed both games this morning with Rob Connett.

The new sports betting bill in North Carolina will help some of our local colleges and universities, especially the smaller ones. Dick Christy, the athletic director of UNC-Pembroke, talked about that and some other sports topics with Rob Connett.

An organization is giving back this holiday season to help some local military families. Crystal Carlson, with Support U.S. Armed Forces, joined the WPTF Morning Show to talk about "Lights of Gratitude," and how YOU can help.

The November 17th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

WPTF Morning show sits down with Dr. Monique Perry-Graves who is the executive director for Teach For America in North Carolina and tells us more about the challenges that teachers and schools are facing right now and how they are helping.

Brian Forrest, MD, President of Access Healthcare discusses the direct primary care model, COVID/flu/RVS, vaccinations, diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic.

Olympic medalist and American gymnast Shannon Miller talks about her battle with a rare form of ovarian cancer and her triumph over it to become a health and wellness advocate.

The November 16th edition of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

This time of the year is prone for "porch pirates" stealing those holiday gifts you order online and have delivered to your home. Tech expert Jennifer Jolly was on the WPTF Morning Show to dish out some ideas that will help you and your packages safe.

World AIDS Day is coming up on December 1. It's an opportunity for people to unite in the fight against HIV, remember those who died from the illness, and support people living with it. Dr. Kimberly Smith -- the head of Research and Development at ViiV Healthcare in Durham who has spent her entire medical career dedicated to HIV research -- joined the WPTF Morning Show to explain where we stand today with HIV and how medicine can play a role in ending the epidemic.

The November 15th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Rob, Harrison and Champ bring you the "other news" not necessarily making the biggest headlines -- including the fact that McDonald's is making its own line of Crocs.

A new study done by an organization called "Direct Relief" shows about half of us donate to charity, but a lot of us are hesitant to do so this time of the year -- during the holidays. The president and CEO from Direct Relief, Thomas Tighe, joined the WPTF Morning Show to discuss some possible reasons why we're not feeling as giving to end 2023.

Dominant Championship Wrestling returns to the Harrison Gym in Selma, North Carolina this Saturday night, November 18. Pro wrestlers AC Devine, Dynamite Jackson, Leah Night, and The Brute, along with DCW Broadcaster Aloysius Skipper Jenkins III, all joined us to preview the event -- and do a little trash talking.

The Fed, and it's battle with inflation, has been a headline all year long. So where do we stand, here in the middle of November? CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger joined the WPTF Morning Show to share her thoughts on the topic.

Denmark has started a new tax on air travel to encourage using sustainable fuel for air travel, but some people have an issue with this tax because of where the money is going. Jay Ratliff has all the details on that story, and other aviation news.

The November 13th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

The UNC football team has a big matchup Saturday night against rival Duke! Jones Angell, the radio voice of Carolina football, joins the show to preview the game.

The November 10th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Rob found random audio from online, and put the rest of the crew to the test to see if they can guess what they're hearing.

Have you heard about the LEGO exhibit in Raleigh? Hundreds of sculptures -- made of just LEGO bricks -- are on display, and they were all created by Nathan Sawaya. He stopped by the WPTF studios this morning to talk with us about the details of the exhibit.

Direct flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to the Bahamas are back, starting this Sunday! Folks from BahamasAir were in studio this morning, and shared details with Rob Connett.

The November 9th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Some of you might already be thinking about holiday shopping. Our tech guru Jennifer Jolly shared some good deals on Black Friday gift ideas this morning with Rob Connett.

Some cities like Durham and Angier might not necessarily be in Wake County, but still have a role in Wake County elections. Danner McCulloh from the Wake County Board of Elections explained how, when he joined Rob Connett on the WPTF Morning Show.

The November 8th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

North Carolina native Ryan Blaney won the NASCAR championship on Sunday. Adam Alexander from FOX Sports joined us to recap the 2023 season, and talk about some of the best storylines from this year.

The November 7th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Raleigh Durham International Airport has recently added new flights to France and Iceland. Aviation Analyst Jay Ratliff says this is good -- and rare -- for an airport like RDU.

It's that time of the year -- Healthcare open enrollment! What health insurance plan is the best option for you in 2024? CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger shared some tips and advice with us.

The November 6th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

The UNC football team is looking to end a 2-game losing streak on Saturday. The radio voice of the Tar Heels, Jones Angell, joined Rob Connett to preview their game against Campbell.

If you've lived in Raleigh your entire life, you know about The Rialto. The historic theater in Five Points is alive and thriving under new ownership. Hayes Permar -- a former WPTF employee --joined Rob Connett in the WPTF studio to talk about what the process has been like to keep the theater going, and some of the cool events they have coming up this month.

It was another cold morning around the Triangle, but CBS17 meteorologist Laura Smith says we will warm up this weekend. She joined the show to preview her forecast, and to share her thoughts on Daylight Saving Time.

On Saturday, The Garden Hut in Fuquay-Varina will be hosting their open house, for all things gardening. Nelsa Cox is with The Garden Hut, and she gave the details of what you can expect at their event, when she joined the WPTF Morning Show.

The November 3rd episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Rob Connett spoke with Jeff Bell who is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council, which has recently reported more than 2 billion in economic activity in the year of 2022. You learn more about the North Carolina Arts Council by visiting the website at https://www.ncarts.org/

Are you thinking about putting up holiday decorations today? Or is November 1 too early to have the Christmas tree up? The crew discussed that during the Roundtable.

Kristine Bellino sat down with John Luckett, the CEO of the Raleigh Rescue Mission, who talked about his path to leading the organization and what they do to help others in the Triangle.

The November 1st episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Tonight is Halloween, and we're sure you have your favorite candies and chocolates you're looking forward to. The WPTF Morning Crew discussed -- and debated -- their personal Top Five lists.

Our very own Tony Riggsbee has been out in Arizona the last couple of months for his other job, as PA announcer for the Arizona Fall League. But he got the chance to go to Game 3 of the World Series on Monday night. He was on the WPTF Morning Show with Rob Connett for a recap, and to discuss the significance of this year's matchup.

The Halloween episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.

Today is sad day for us here at WPTF, as former morning host Maury O'Dell passed away over the weekend. Our own Mike Raley, Tony Riggsbee, and Chip Winstead shared some thoughts, memories and stories about their former co-worker this morning with Rob Connett.

Last week, you may have heard that United Airlines is changing how they have passenger board their flights. Aviation analyst Jay Ratliff explained to Rob Connett on the WPTF Morning Show that it's simply not working.

The GDP numbers for the third quarter of 2023 were high -- 4.9 percent between July and September, showing that the economy was booming. CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger joined Rob Connett on the WPTF Morning Show to break down what caused the increase, and if it will last here in the final few months of the year.

The October 30th episode of Random History with Sidekick Harrison.