News Archives - WPTF-AM

Stock market today: Wall Street edges higher as financial markets steady themselves

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting near their record levels. The S&P 500 was basically flat in midday trading Wednesday, a day after sliding from its record on worries about a possible widening of the fighting in the Middle East. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 21 points, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% higher. Oil prices rose again as the world waits to see how Israel will respond to Tuesday’s missile attack from Iran, but they pared their gains as the morning progressed. Treasury yields rose after an encouraging update on hiring by private U.S. employers.… Continue Reading

‘I always looked up and knew my place was in the stars’: UNC senior goes to space

Moments before takeoff, soon-to-be astronaut Karsen Kitchen sat atop what she called a “breathing dragon.” One minute. The six passengers watched the clock count down. 30 seconds. The rocket rumbled, inhaled and exhaled, ready to launch the crew 2,238 miles per hour into space. 10 seconds. Only the Kármán line, the boundary separating Earth’s atmosphere and outer space, stood between Kitchen and history. At 21, she would become the youngest woman to travel to space.… Continue Reading

Rescue efforts continue in western NC

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Search and rescue operations are ongoing in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. Governor Roy Cooper announced Saturday that more than 200 individuals had been rescued from floodwaters. “This is a historic and catastrophic storm for Western North Carolina, and I’m grateful to first responders working right now to save lives and evacuate residents,” Cooper said.… Continue Reading

BugFest infests downtown Raleigh

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences hosted its annual BugFest in downtown Raleigh on Saturday. The event featured exhibits, hands-on activities, and education on the world of insects. This year’s focus was on the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. There were butterfly encounter tents, as well as education stations where the public could talk to real-world entomologists. Butterflies and moths might have been the stars of the show, but bugs of all kinds were represented. One of the most popular events was the Roachingham 500, a cockroach race.… Continue Reading

Small plane makes emergency landing on highway, then is hit by a vehicle

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say one person was injured when a vehicle hit a small plane that had made an emergency landing on a highway near an airport. Greensboro police say Piedmont Triad International Airport communications received a distress call around 8 p.m. Wednesday from a small, single-engine plane experiencing mechanical failure. Police say the plane made an emergency landing on westbound Interstate 840. After it stopped, a passenger vehicle hit the plane. One of the two people on the plane was taken to a hospital with a minor injury.… Continue Reading

Children’s book to blame for fire inside car, North Carolina officials say

BURKE COUNTY, N.C. (AP) — Authorities in Burke County, North Carolina, say a children’s book is to blame for a fire inside a vehicle. The George Hildebran Fire & Rescue Department says a “button battery” on a children’s book is what cause the fire Sunday inside the car. No one was inside the vehicle when the car seat caught fire. Officials told local news outlets they suspect one of the books in the car had a lithium battery.… Continue Reading

Eric Trump discusses his father’s presidential campaign, endorses Robinson for governor

RALEIGH (WPTF) — Eric Trump, the son of former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, downplayed recent indictments filed by special prosecutor Jack Smith. In an interview with the WPTF morning show, Trump told host Chris Edwards he wasn’t surprised by the filings, which he argued was part of a broader effort to stop his father’s campaign. Eric Trump also said he and his father are strongly endorsing Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s bid for Governor.… Continue Reading

Having a family is expensive. Here’s what Harris and Trump have said about easing costs

WASHINGTON (AP) — Families are looking for relief from the high cost of caring for children. On this topic, the Democratic and Republican tickets for president have one main commonality: Both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have supported a higher child tax credit. As one of her first campaign policy announcements, Harris said she would work to expand that tax credit to as much as $3,600 per child, and $6,000 in a baby’s first year. Trump has declined to say how he would make caregiving more affordable this time around. But Congress expanded the child tax credit when he was president, and his running mate supports doing it again.… Continue Reading

Supreme Court rebuffs Biden administration plea to restore multibillion-dollar student debt plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is keeping on hold the latest multibillion-dollar student debt relief plan from the Biden administration, while multiple lawsuits make their way through lower courts. The justices on Wednesday rejected an administration request to put most of it back into effect. It was blocked by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In an unsigned order, the court said it expects the appeals court to issue a fuller decision on the plan “with appropriate dispatch.” … Continue Reading

Dix Park launches statewide call for new artist residency

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — The Dix Park Conservancy, in collaboration with Raleigh Arts and supported by the Carlyle Adams Foundation, has launched an open call for its inaugural Artist in Residence program. This new initiative aims to attract artists or artist teams from across North Carolina, particularly those with an interest in environmental art, land art, and sustainable practices. The year-long Artist in Residence program will provide selected artists with a budget of $80,000, which includes a $2,000 monthly stipend, as well as funds for artwork fabrication and community event supplies.… Continue Reading