WPTF Afternoon News

Your bones could be getting weaker right now—and you might not know it until it's too late.

What if the everyday habits you barely think about are putting your long-term health at risk?

Jon Champion talks with Kyle Zagrodzky, author of The Bone Betrayal: How Modern Life Dismantled the Human Skeleton and What Science Says We Can Do About It. Drawing on more than 400 peer-reviewed studies, Kyle challenges what we think we know about our skeletons and reveals why bone health deserves far more attention.

Major League Baseball is proposing major changes for the 2029 season. The regular season would be paired down to 154 games, but the Divisional Championship Series would expand to a best-of-seven. Plus, in the wildcard series, the divisional winner would get to choose its opponent. In the divisional series, the top-seed in each league would choose which wildcard winner to play in the divisional series. WPTF’s Tony Riggsbee, also the public address announcer for the Durham Bulls, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the potential changes.

The N.C. State Fair will continue its tradition of offering special themed days in 2026. The days bring special programs, events and discounted or free admission to the fair, which runs Oct. 15-25 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Kent Ylverton, the Director of the North Carolina State Fair, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the themed days.

Isaias is surging toward the U.S. Gulf Coast as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. Governors in Florida and Alabama declared a state of emergency for dozens of counties. Isaias is forecast to intensify rapidly and bring strong winds and a life-threatening storm surge to the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi. Wes Hohenstein, chief meteorologist for CBS17, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest with the storm.

The North Carolina General Assembly during its one-day special session Wednesday passed a bill to pause the state gas tax for six weeks. The vote was nearly unanimous, with one House Democrat voting no. Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy(dot)com joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how much of an impact the gas tax pause will have.

A new High Point University Poll finds that most North Carolina adults are aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Nearly three-quarters said they were aware of the observance. Dr. Lorrie Davis-Dick, Assistant Professor at High Point University, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the survey.

Tropical Storm Isaias has formed in the southern Gulf, and it is likely to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. The storm is expected to bring rain to North Carolina. Gary Stephenson, a meteorologist for Spectrum News One, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss Isaias.

It’s been three years since October 7, 2023 in Israel. It has a significant meaning for members of the Chabad of Raleigh. Rabbi Mendy Wilschanski joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss his memories of three years ago and the time since.

After a handful of stressful years that upended ministry-as-usual, the health of United Methodist pastors in North Carolina is improving, according to recent Duke research. Burnout among these pastors is declining, and the emergence of popular weight-loss drugs and the end of a tumultuous time in the life of the Methodist church are likely reasons. David Eagle, Research Director of the Clergy Health Collaborative, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the study.

New business creations in North Carolina for the 3rd Quarter of 2026 exceeded last year’s record-breaking 3rd Quarter, continuing to set the pace for a record-setting year in business creations. Filings for business creations from January 1st through the end of September topped 157,000 – an increase of almost 20,000 from the previous record-setting year of 2021. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall joined Jeff Hamlin joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the latest numbers.