WPTF Afternoon News
by WPTF 98.5 FM & 680 AM
Find out what the latest news is in the afternoon with stories from around the Triangle, and the world, that matter to you.
Podcast episodes
Reggie Sanders Owner of Lil’ Reggie Cookies in Raleigh 4-18-2024
For Raleigh teen Reggie Sanders, business has been booming. Sanders is the owner of Lil’ Reggie Cookies in Raleigh. This now-18-year-old has had an LLC since he was 15 thanks to his parents, and also secured a commercial kitchen to prepare his products. Right now, his cookie stand is set up on Glenwood Ave. and Willard Place in downtown Raleigh. Sanders joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how he started his own business so early.
Jekisha Elliott, Owner of Jendayi Doula Services in Durham 4-17-2024
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy related cause than white women. This week is Black Maternal Health Week, which is recognized every year from April 11 to 17. It’s a way to raise awareness about that inequity and improve Black maternal health in the future. Jekisha Elliott is the owner of Jendayi Doula Services in Durham, which incorporates yoga and stretching into her clients’ services. Elliott joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss Jendayi Doula Services.
Dr. Erica Pettigrew, Medical Director of the Orange County Health Department 4-17-2024
The CDC reports measles cases in 18 states across the country, and some doctors believe it’s only a matter of time before the illness appears in North Carolina. Now, the Orange County Health Department is preparing doctors to identify and treat an illness most of them have never seen. These days, many doctors have only seen measles in textbooks. Dr. Erica Pettigrew, the Medical Director of the Orange County Health Department, joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss why people should be on the lookout for measles this spring.
Rabbi Mendy Wilschanski 4-17-2024
The holiday of Passover celebrates the Exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Ancient Egypt some 3,330 years ago. The Exodus was preceded by ten plagues inflicted on Egypt after Pharaoh refused Moses’ demand to set his people free. When the Jews finally left Egypt, they did so in a hurry and their bread did not have time to rise. In commemoration of that, Jews don’t eat any leavened products and instead eat Matzah, a cracker-like bread that is made within eighteen minutes — the time it takes for bread to rise. Rabbi Mendy Wilschanski, a Raleigh rabbi, joined Bruce Ferrell on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss this year’s local Passover celebration.
Dr. Jeffrey Martinson Professor of International Politics at Meredith College 4-16-2024
The Pentagon has confirmed that units from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro were among the jets that helped shoot down dozens of Iranian missiles launched towards Israel in an attack over the weekend. Local international political experts said a broader conflict in the region could have major implications for North Carolina-based troops. Dr. Jeffrey Martinson, a professor of International Politics at Meredith College, joined Jeff Hamlin on the WPTF Afternoon News to discuss what a potential escalation of the war what look like for North Carolina troops.