WPTF Morning News

Over the weekend, there were three separate plane crashes across the country, including one at an air show in Wisconsin. Aviation Analyst Jay Ratliff joined the WPTF Morning Show today to discuss the details.

After a week full of temperatures in the upper 90s, and heat indices near 110 degrees, we're finally cooling off around the Triangle this week. CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith went through the details of the forecast, which also includes a chance of storms.

Saturday is National Chicken Wing Day, and the WPTF Morning Show celebrated a little early, by having Matt Ensero in-studio. He's the president of "Wing It On," which is a restaurant franchise that just celebrated its first full year in Fuquay-Varina.

Saturday is National Chicken Wing Day, and the WPTF Morning Show celebrated a little early, by having Matt Ensero in-studio. He's the president of "Wing It On," which is a restaurant franchise that just celebrated its first full year in Fuquay-Varina.

In today's ROUNDTABLE segment, we decided to fill out a "Mad Libs" prompt one blank at a time throughout the show -- then act out the final results. (We think Sidekick Harrison makes a great princess.)

The weekend is finally here, but unfortunately it comes with a heat warning. The heat index is back into the tipple digits. CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith tells us how we can prepare and cope with this heat over the weekend.

There is a new scam going around that is targeting our veterans, regarding the PACT Act. Troy Broussard, the Senior Advisor of AARP Veterans and Military Families Initiative, joined Rob Connett to talk about how the scam works, and the red flags to look for.

Another hot, steamy day is expected in the Triangle. CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith made her daily appearance on the show to talk about some great reminders for you if you have a pet in this extreme heat.

The WPTF Morning Show team went on the road to Crabtree Valley Mall to visit ROBOPARK! The team go the chance to spend time with some amazing people and some amazing robots, and lean about new and upcoming technology. Here is our conversation with Ken.

The WPTF Morning Show team went on the road to Crabtree Valley Mall to visit ROBOPARK! The team go the chance to spend time with some amazing people and some amazing robots, and lean about new and upcoming technology. Here is their conversation with Michael, a teenager who worked at the event.

The WPTF Morning Show team went on the road to Crabtree Valley Mall to visit ROBOPARK! The team go the chance to spend time with some amazing people and some amazing robots, and lean about new and upcoming technology. Here is Champ's conversation with RoboChris.

The WPTF Morning Show team went on the road to Crabtree Valley Mall to visit ROBOPARK! The team go the chance to spend time with some amazing people and some amazing robots, and lean about new and upcoming technology. Here is our conversation with Alejandro, talking about how he can make music using fruits.

The WPTF Morning Show team went on the road to Crabtree Valley Mall to visit ROBOPARK! The team go the chance to spend time with some amazing people and some amazing robots, and lean about new and upcoming technology. Here is our conversation with Sasha the director of ROBOPARK

Ron Howrigan has worked in the healthcare industry for more than 30 years, and is now the CEO of a consulting firm that works with hospitals. He's also the author of a book called, "CLEAR: Reforming Healthcare to Save the U.S. Economy." He joined Rob Connett to share his thoughts on what needs to be done to fix how healthcare works in our country.

Ron Howrigan has worked in the healthcare industry for more than 30 years, and is now the CEO of a consulting firm that works with hospitals. He's also the author of a book called, "CLEAR: Reforming Healthcare to Save the U.S. Economy." He joined Rob Connett to share his thoughts on what needs to be done to fix how healthcare works in our country.

Popularity in girls soccer is on the rise, including here in the Triangle. As the chief marketing and development officer for NCFC Youth, Katharine Eberhardt is seeing it first hand. She joined the WPTF Morning Show to talk about the current state of the sport.

The North Carolina watermelon industry has a lot more going on then what you would think. Gracy Peterson is the official North Carolina Watermelon Queen. She tells us how she got that title and what the duties the crown has.

Hot! Hot! Hot! Heat index is back up to the triple digits. This is the hottest part of the year so hopefully it should be going back down to a more comfortable temperature in the upcoming weeks, but for right now Laura Smith has the details.

If you were the boss of your company, what rules would you implement to change the average work experience? That was today's topic on the WPTF Morning Show roundtable.

It is the hottest part of the year and it shows. CBS17's Laura smith joins us, as always, to give us an update on the weather and what you should be prepared for coming up this week.

The NC Pet Expo is coming up in on August 5-6 at the state fairgrounds, hosted by WPTF and the rest of the Curtis Media Group stations. Lisa Hobbs, from the CMG digital marketing department, stopped by the studio to give us all the details of this year's event.

Rob spent a few minutes on today's show to break down the differences between women and men, and bachelorette parties compared to bachelor parties.

Can the giant lottery jackpots that we've recently seen teach us a financial lesson or two? CBS Business Expert Jill Schlesinger says yes. She went through them with Rob Connett on the WPTF Morning Show.

Another major airline has reached a deal with its pilots. What does that mean for you and what you pay for an airline ticket? Rob Connett talked about that, and other topics, with aviation analyst Jay Ratliff today on the WPTF Morning Show.

By the end of this week, high temperatures here in the Triangle will be in the upper 90s, with heat indices close to 110. That can get dangerous if you don't take care of yourself while outdoors. Dr. Dan Park from UNC Health dropped by the WPTF Morning Show to discuss the importance of drinking water and giving yourself plenty of breaks if you're working outside.

CBS17 Meteorologist Laura Smith says it's going to get very hot by the end of this week. She went through some of the details of her forecast, including feel-like temperatures close to 110 degrees!

Angelee and Sean Osbourne are the owners of "9.19 Island Cuisine," a Jamaican restaurant in Wake Forest. They joined the studio to talk about how they started in 2018, what it was like to operate during the pandemic, and what they're cooking up for you and others in the Triangle.

Angelee and Sean Osbourne are the owners of "9-19 Island Cuisine," a Jamaican restaurant in Wake Forest. They joined the studio to talk about how they started in 2018, what it was like to operate during the pandemic, and what they're cooking up for you and others in the Triangle.

A new report says nearly half of all small-business owners use their personal credit cards to help fund their company. Is that a smart idea? Rob Connett asked small business expert Ray Keating for his thoughts.

Another hot day, followed by a beautiful weekend. Laura Smith from CBS 17 tells you all you need to know about the weather and what to expect this weekend. She also tells us a little but about her vacation habits.

Staying safe in the sun is something that we all need to know about, especially lately with this heat. Dr. Shweta Shukla from UNC Health is here to give us tips and advice, from the type of sunscreen to use, to the signs of heat stroke.

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein wants all AGs around the country to have more power when it comes to holding airline companies accountable. That was one of a few topics he discussed this morning with Rob Connett.

Wednesday's EF-3 tornado left some significant damage in Nash and Edgecombe counties, and Nick Petro with the National Weather Service got a first-hand look. He talked with Rob Connett on the WPTF Morning Show about just how rare the weather event was for North Carolina, and why you should always be prepared, even if there is "only" a "Level 1" risk of severe weather in the forecast.

CBS 17 Meteorologist Lance Blocker explains how Wednesday afternoon's EF-3 tornado in Nash County came together so quickly, and just how rare the event was for North Carolina.

How well does the morning crew know "Barbie"? Rob put Harrison, Champ, Jeff, and Mike up to the test in a little "True or False" about the doll.

CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith is back to talk about another hot day in the Triangle, with heat indices in the triple digits. And it's not letting up any time soon.

Marcus Manning, Executive Director of the Durham Sports Commission, discusses the addition of two board members, and what the organization is working on to expand coverage of youth sports in the Durham and surrounding areas.

Christian Madsbjerg, author of "LOOK: how to pay Attention in a Distracted World" talks about the science of observation and how hyper-reflection can help pole enhance their success by becoming better connected. He discusses his nine lessons for observation, the importance of paying attention, philosophy, and the ethics of observation. Podcast Cover Photo Courtesy: Penguin Random House (July 2023)

The smoky, hazy skies are back today. CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith explains why, and what it means to be under a "Code Orange" air quality alert day.

US Army and Air Forces veteran Ryan Burgos, appointed Employment Director of Disabled American Veterans in 2023, discusses National Hire a Veteran Day and the underemployment of veterans in the United States. Burgos provides an overview of veteran underemployment, mentoring programs, and spousal transition.

Rob's Mom and Dad are here in studio and bring the morning crew a little taste of the Hoosier lifestyle with some sugar cream pie.

CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith gives an update on the hazy skies from the Canadian wildfires, and when the next time we can expect a chance of rain and thunderstorms. She also gives us her "good news" of the day.

Dominant Champion Wrestling is back again hosting an event called "Trial by Fire" in Selma, North Carolina, coming up in August. AC Devine, Dynamite Jackson and TIM tell you everything you need to know about this event.

Last week, we got the news that inflation has slowed down a little bit. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger was on the WPTF Morning Show to discuss some of the factors that have recently gone into that.

Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory is leading the potential creation of a third-option party for the 2024 presidential election. He talked about the "No Labels" party with Rob Connett.

Weather played a huge role in flight delays and cancellations across many parts of the country on Sunday. And if you're flying out of RDU today, you might want to double check your flight status, depending on where you're heading. Aviation analyst Jay Ratliff talked about that this morning with Rob Connett.

CBS 17 Meteorologist Laura Smith talks about this morning's thunderstorms, and the threat of more rain and storms this weekend in the Triangle.

Dr. Danielle Wikoff of ToxStrategies discusses the World Health Organization's (WHO) report released on Thursday Night, about the safety of the artificial sweetener and food additive aspartame. Wikoff is on the Science Advisory Council for the Evidence-Based Toxicology Collaboration (EBTC) and co-author of the World Heath Organization's systematic review framework.

Smith Raynor from North Carolina State Parks talks about the awarding of $1.6 Million in grants from the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to communities in North Carolina for trail projects across the state.

The Savannah Bananas have become the "Harlem Globetrotters" of baseball, bringing wacky rules and a new level of entertainment to the diamond. And they're bringing their world tour to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park this weekend. Rob Connett got to talk to one of their players, North Carolina native Eric Jones.