Category Archives: WPTF News

Duke freshman Kon Knueppel to take the 1-and-done route to the NBA draft

Duke freshman Kon Knueppel to take the 1-and-done route to the NBA draft

Duke’s Kon Knueppel is heading to the NBA after one college season. The 6-foot-7, 217-pound wing announced his decision Wednesday after a season that included him being named MVP of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. He also helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four. Knueppel averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as the team’s No. 2 scorer behind Associated Press national player of the year Cooper Flagg. Knueppel is the first member of Duke’s touted freshman class to go pro. He’s widely projected to be a lottery pick.… Continue Reading

NC health officials relaunch ‘Fight the Bite’ campaign as tick and mosquito season begins

NC health officials relaunch ‘Fight the Bite’ campaign as tick and mosquito season begins

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – With spring in full swing and summer right around the corner, public health officials are reminding North Carolinians to be cautious about ticks and mosquitos. In 2024 alone, the state has already reported more than 900 cases of illnesses tied to these pesky biters. To help curb the spread, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human services is relaunching its “Fight the Bite” campaign to raise awareness and promote prevention. April has been declared by the governor as “tick and mosquito” awareness month. If you start to feel symptoms after being bit by a tick or mosquito you should make an appointment with a healthcare professional.… Continue Reading

Millions tune in for 24-hour live coverage of Sweden’s epic moose migration

Millions tune in for 24-hour live coverage of Sweden’s epic moose migration

Swedish slow TV hit “The Great Moose Migration” has become a phenomenon. The livestream began airing Tuesday, a week ahead of schedule. National broadcaster SVT shows the annual migration 24 hours a day for 20 days. Not much happens for hours at a time, and fans say that’s the beauty of it. The production hit 9 million viewers last year. Remote cameras capture dozens of moose as they swim across a river toward summer grazing pastures. An expert and fan calls the show “gripping because nothing catastrophic is happening.” Even the production crew says their stress eases.… Continue Reading

US judge presses Trump administration on its refusal to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia

US judge presses Trump administration on its refusal to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A federal judge says she will order sworn testimony by Trump administration officials to determine if they complied with her orders to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. He was mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison last month. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to return him. But the administration has so far refused. It claims he’s in the MS-13 gang. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys deny the allegations and say he was never charged with a crime. The president of El Salvador also said he would not return Abrego Garcia, likening it to smuggling “a terrorist into the United States.”… Continue Reading

North Carolina judges weigh GOP law shifting election board control away from Democratic governor

North Carolina judges weigh GOP law shifting election board control away from Democratic governor

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina trial judges will soon rule if legislative Republicans’ latest method to attempt to wrest control of the State Board of Elections from a Democratic governor is lawful. A three-judge panel listened to arguments Monday in a lawsuit filed by Gov. Josh Stein against GOP lawmakers. A law approved last year and taking effect soon would give board appointments to the state auditor. Republican Dave Boliek is now the auditor. The legislature has sought to erode or eliminate a governor’s authority to appoint the board for nearly a decade. At least four laws have been blocked and a constitutional amendment was defeated. Any ruling will assuredly be appealed.… Continue Reading

NC Attorney General settles with major landlord over AI-powered rent fixing

NC Attorney General settles with major landlord over AI-powered rent fixing

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced a settlement with a major landlord accused of illegally fixing rent prices using cutting-edge technology. Landlords were using RealPage, a property management software provider known for AI-powered solutions and services that has allegedly exploited landlords’ competitively sensitive information creating a pricing algorithm that inflated rent prices and violated antitrust laws. A settlement was reached with Cortland Management LLC, where they agreed to spot using sensitive data from its competitors. … Continue Reading

Autism rates in US rise again to 1 in 31 kids, CDC says

Autism rates in US rise again to 1 in 31 kids, CDC says

ATLANTA (AP) — Newly released federal statistics show an estimated 1 in 31 U.S. children have autism, marking another jump in a long string of increases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the numbers on Tuesday. Its data was from 14 states and Puerto Rico in 2022. The previous estimate in 2020 was 1 in 36. Boys continue to be diagnosed more than girls, and the highest rates are among children who are Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian/Alaska Native and Black. The CDC’s estimate is considered the most rigorous and the gold standard.… Continue Reading

Proposed bill could remove thousands of books from NC public schools

Proposed bill could remove thousands of books from NC public schools

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – Lawmakers in Raleigh are rolling out a bill that could affect what students can read in school. The bill will require the removal of books from public schools that contain material that is “harmful to minors” including material that “depicts or describes sexual activity.” State Rep. Neal Jackson (R-Moore, Randolph) says the bill is about protecting children from accessing inappropriate material based on their age.… Continue Reading

A look at the universities with federal funding targeted by the Trump administration

A look at the universities with federal funding targeted by the Trump administration

Harvard University has joined the growing list of institutions targeted by the Trump administration for federal funding cuts. Seven universities have been faced with cuts so far. Six of them are Ivy League schools. The Trump administration has increasingly used funding cuts as a tool to influence campus policies to comply with his political agenda. Most universities were targeted due to allegations of antisemitism on campuses after a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year. Trump’s strategy was mostly successful at Columbia University after the institution agreed to several of the administration’s demands.… Continue Reading

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