Category Archives: WPTF News
Four astronauts await liftoff on humanity's first flight to the moon in half a century
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Four astronauts strapped into NASA's new moon rocket and awaited liftoff Wednesday on humanity's first lunar trip in more than half a cen...
Apr 01, 2026 Mission specialist Christina Koch (L) makes a heart with her hands as she walks out of the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building with pilot Victor Glover ahead of the launch of the Artemis II at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on April 01, 2026 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Justin Gainey wants his hiring to unite NC State's fanbase
By BOB SUTTON Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Justin Gainey vowed Wednesday to bring toughness and stability back to N.C. State after his alma mater suddenly had a coaching vacancy for the secon...
Apr 01, 2026 New N.C. State coach Justin Gainey answers questions following his introduction as the next men's basketball coach April 1, 2026, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Bob Sutton)
Chapel Hill Police remembers loss of K9
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WPTF) - One Triangle police department is remembering the loss of a police dog. In a press release, The Chapel Hill Police Department said K9 Mando died following a sudden illness w...
Apr 01, 2026 In a press release, The Chapel Hill Police Department said K9 Mando died following a sudden illness while off duty last week. (photo courtesy Chapel Hill Police)
SpaceX files initial paperwork to sell shares to the public and likely make Musk a trillionaire
By BERNARD CONDON and KEN SWEET AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) - Elon Musk's space exploration company has filed preliminary paperwork to sell shares to the public, according to two sources familia...
Apr 01, 2026 FILE - Elon Musk gives a tour to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and lawmakers of the control room before the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on November 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
North Carolina's electoral future may hinge on rural Black voters who feel ignored by Democrats
By BILL BARROW and MAYA SWEEDLER Associated Press NASHVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Ricky Brinkley has lived in rural North Carolina nearly all of his 65 years, and he likes it "out in the county," past the stre...
Apr 01, 2026 Commerce Street, in the small rural community of Powellsville, N.C., in the majority Black Bertie County, seen in this March 12, 2026, photo, leads to the one downtown stoplight in Powellsville, N.C. Towns like this in eastern North Carolina add up at election time, and rural Black voters especially are critical to election outcomes in the state. (AP Photo/Bill Barrow)
Stocks rally worldwide as oil prices ease on hopes for a possible end to the Iran war
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Stocks rushed higher worldwide, and oil prices eased Wednesday as hopes built that the war with Iran could end soon. That's even though some of the sign...
Apr 01, 2026 Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on March 31, 2026 in New York City. The Dow surged over 1000 points in trading on hopes that the conflict in Iran is winding down and that oil prices will begin to ease. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Coach John Andrzejek leaves Campbell basketball: 'The institution now has different priorities'
By MAURA CAREY AP Sports Writer John Andrzejek stepped down as Campbell's men's basketball coach on Wednesday, citing the school's shifted priorities in a post on social media. "Over the last 6 months...
Apr 01, 2026 FILE - Campbell head coach John Andrzejek watches the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Gonzaga, Dec. 17, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak, File)
Cooper leading Whatley in new poll
RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) - Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper is leading former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley by over a dozen points in the race for North Carolina's open U.S. Sen...
Apr 01, 2026 Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper, who is running for U.S. Senate, speaks to reporters after casting his ballot on the first day of in-person early voting in the state's primary election, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
Hershey says it will shift back to classic recipe for all Reese's products after criticism
By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Hershey said Wednesday it will use classic recipes for all Reese's products starting next year, a change that comes after the grandson of Reese's founder criticize...
Apr 01, 2026 FILE - These are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in Pittsburgh Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
A college instructor turns to typewriters to curb AI-written work and teach life lessons
By JOCELYN GECKER AP Education Writer The scene is right out of the 1950s with students pecking away at manual typewriters, the machines dinging at the end of each line. Once each semester, Grit Matth...
Apr 01, 2026 An antique typewriter (Getty Images)