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Charlie Gaddy (Credit WRAL/Capitol Broadcasting)
Longtime WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy dies at 93
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Charlie Gaddy, one of North Carolina’s most recognizable broadcasters and a longtime anchor on WRAL-TV, has died at age 93. Before beginning his television career, Gaddy worked for a time at WPTF, the flagship station of the North Carolina News Network. In a 2024 interview marking WPTF’s 100th anniversary, he recalled the early days of local radio programming, including a show called Ask Your Neighbor.… Continue Reading
Help Design the QDR Playlist
One of the main reasons you listen to QDR is for the music, and we want to be sure we’re playing what you want to hear as often or as little as you want to hear it. You can help design the QDR playlist to give you the BEST listening experience, and you could win a…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Shila from Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Shila from Second Chance Pet Adoptions! Shila, a quiet middle-aged hound, is looking for a forever home, preferably with another dog and a fenced-in yard. She’s an independent gal who likes to chew on bones and play with toys, but at the end of the day, she also…… Continue Reading
Fursday: March 31, 2022
This week, we are highlighting our furbabies from this month that are still available at our Fursday Pet Partners! Beatrice from Second Chance Pet Adoptions Beatrice, a 5-year-old black and white pit mix. We rescued Beatrice from a county shelter after being absolutely dazzled by her pearly whites! She’s such a happy girl, whether she’s…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Rayo from APS of Durham
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Rayo from Animal Protection Society of Durham! “Good looking, check; affectionate check; sweet, double check! I’m a darling and good boy who’s a bit stressed here at the shelter. I’m sure to settle well in my new home. I’m a bit unsure meeting new friends, please go slow…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Merken from SPCA of Wake County
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Merken from SPCA of Wake County! Merken is everything you could ever want in a cat! He’s a staff favorite at the SPCA. This 4-year-old guy is a huge snuggle bug who loves curling up on your lap or putting his paws up on you to ask for…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Libby from Wake County Animal Center
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Libby from Wake County Animal Center! Are you looking for that one special dog that will cuddle with your family or play a game of frisbee in the backyard? A dog that is house trained and has great manners in your home? Well, look no further! Libby is…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Beatrice from Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Beatrice from Second Chance Pet Adoptions! Today we’re looking for a special listener for a special dog: Beatrice, a 5-year-old black and white pit mix. We rescued Beatrice from a county shelter after being absolutely dazzled by her pearly whites! She’s such a happy girl, whether she’s sitting…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Johnny Cash from APS of Durham
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Johnny Cash from Animal Protection Society of Durham! Visit Johnny Cash’s profile here! Prepare yourself for FUN! I’m a great and jolly guy ready to find the home and yard of my dreams! I’m a cheery guy who loves to have fun and play. I’m a bit jumpy…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Elicia from SPCA of Wake County
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Elicia from SPCA of Wake County! This happy little wiggle-butt is 9-month-old Elicia! Elicia is 32 lbs. and may grow to be around 40-50 lbs. Elicia is a lovable, snuggly, and playful puppy that was rescued by SPCA Wake after being found abandoned. But she doesn’t let it…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Katydid from Wake County Animal Center
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Katydid from Wake County Animal Center! Awesome dog alert!! Katydid is a four-year-old American Staffy mix. She loves hugs and cuddles and is a volunteer favorite. Her previous owner had great things to say about her – she’s crate training, potty trained, and is an all-around good girl.…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Nesquik from Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Nesquik from Second Chance Pet Adoptions! Meet Nesquik, this adorable 6 month old boy is looking for his forever home. Nesquik is a social butterfly and loves to be around people. He is the life of the party. Like all kittens Nesquik loves to play. You will almost…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Muse and Pauline from APS
Our Fursday Pets of the Week are Muse and Pauline from the Animal Protection Society of Durham! Muse and Pauline are a senior bonded pair with their adoption fees completely waived. Come by and meet them today! Visit Muse’s profile here! Visit Pauline’s profile here! APS of Durham2117 E. Club Blvd. | Durham, NC |…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Chloe from SPCA of Wake County
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Chloe from SPCA of Wake County! Nope that’s not a wolf — that’s a Chloe! This heart-meltingly sweet 3-year-old girl has been waiting for a home at SPCA Wake since June of 2021. She’s been patiently waiting to find her future family, and all the staff and volunteers at…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Rocko from Wake County Animal Center
Meet Rocko from The Wake County Animal Center! Rocko is a low-key senior that came to the shelter recently as a stray. Like most seniors, he appreciates a good soft padded bed and naps. Despite his age, he still enjoys going out for (slow) walks and loves a good treat. He is extremely sweet and…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Leo from Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Meet Leo from Second Chance Pet Adoptions, our Fursday pet of the week! Leo is an 11 year, 5-month-old calm kitty that is ready to give you the biggest hug! He loves his humans, and would be fine with other mellow cats, but would also thrive as the only kitty! He is currently on a…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Dora from Wake County Animal Center
Meet Dora from The Wake County Animal Center! Sweet and gentle is how the volunteers described Dora. She came to the Center as a stray so we don’t know her background. Dora does head butts for attention. She uses her litter tray so she is probably litter box trained. Dora is a small kitty with…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Buffy from Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Our Fursday Pet of the Week is Buffy! With eight years of practice in the fine art of friendship, Buffy is more than prepared to be your co-pilot in life! She prefers to fly solo in terms of other furry friends, but Buffy has plenty of personality to fill your heart alone. This gal loves…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Missy from APS of Durham
Meet Missy! “Hello there! I’m a sweet and friendly girl who loves gentle affection! I’m super happy to meet new people and also love to explore. I’m playful too, toss a ball or toy for me and see! I really enjoy gentle affection and might even crawl into your lap or lean into you for…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Jane from SPCA of Wake County
Meet Jane! This sweet, smushy girl was found as a stray in Harnett County, and now she’s looking for a family of her very own. Jane is 2 years old and weighs about 50 lbs. Unfortunately she is battling heartworms, but she is receiving a full course of treatment through SPCA Wake. Jane is playful,…… Continue Reading
Fursday: Howl-O-Ween Harvest Ball
This Fursday on QDR, we want to celebrate our pet partners for our 19th Howl-O-Ween Harvest Ball coming this Saturday at Lincoln Theater in Raleigh! Thank you SPCA of Wake County and APS of Durham! AND a huge thank you to our other Fursday sponsors, Second Chance Pet Adoptions and Wake County Animal Center!… Continue Reading
QDR Fursdays: Meet Tyson
Our QDR Fursday pet of the week is Tyson from the Wake County Animal Center! Hello there, thanks for stopping by to meet me. I’m Tyson and as you can see, I’m a handsome young man. I’ve been at the shelter for a while now and eager to find a family of my own. Being…… Continue Reading
QDR Fursdays: Meet Jade from Second Chance Pet Adoptions
Meet Jade from Second Chance Pet Adoptions!… Continue Reading
A fruit vendor pushes her cart on the Brooklyn Bridge during a heatwave on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Olga Fedorova)
Temperature in New York City reaches 100 degrees as eastern US swelters under extreme heat wave
NEW YORK (AP) — The temperature in New York City has reached 100 degrees as the eastern U.S. sweltered under an extreme heat wave. According to the National Weather Service, Kennedy International Airport recorded 100 degrees Fahrenheit at midday Tuesday. Large swaths of the country were broiling under a heat dome, worsened by a humid atmosphere that’s circling the East. After nearly 40 US cities broke record high marks Monday, the weather service expected dozens of records Tuesday when the heat dome should hit its peak.… Continue Reading
People try to stay cool in Manhattan on June 23, 2025, in New York City. Temperatures in New York reached the high 90s with a heat index of over 100 degrees as the first heat wave of the year moves through parts of the Midwest and East Coast. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Early-season heat dome brings highest temperatures in years to parts of Eastern US
NEW YORK (AP) — An intense and nearly historic weather pattern is cooking much of America in a dangerous heat dome this week with triple-digit heat that hasn’t been seen in some places in more than a decade. This heat wave is especially threatening because it’s hitting cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia with near-record temperatures and doing so early in the summer when people haven’t gotten their bodies adapted to the broiling conditions. Coming originally from the Pacific, a dome of high pressure is parking over the Eastern United States with hot air from the Southwest that already made an uncomfortable rest stop in the Midwest.… Continue Reading
The Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor showcases nearly a century of briny pickle tradition with immersive exhibits, historic design, and even a pickle bar. (Photo from Mount Olive Chamber of Commerce)
Mt. Olive Pickle to open new downtown store with a taste of history and southern charm
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Mt. Olive Pickle is opening a new downtown experience in its namesake town—one that goes beyond the jar. The Mt. Olive Pickle Parlor will showcase nearly a century of briny tradition with immersive exhibits, historic design, and even a pickle bar.
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This image combines 678 separate images taken by NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in just over seven hours of observing time. Combining many images in this way clearly reveals otherwise faint or invisible details, such as the clouds of gas and dust that comprise the Trifid nebula (top right) and the Lagoon nebula, which are several thousand light-years away from Earth. (Credit: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory)
The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe
NEW YORK (AP) — The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, unveiled vibrant images Monday of colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Department of Energy, the observatory will survey the southern sky for the next 10 years. The observatory hopes to track 20 billion galaxies and discover new asteroids and other celestial objects. The effort is named after astronomer Vera Rubin, who offered the first tantalizing evidence of a mysterious force called dark matter.… Continue Reading
New Orleans Pecan Pralines
New Orleans Pecan Pralines New Orleans Pecan Pralines Recipe from Kenneth Temple Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes + 1 hour Serving size: 9 servings Ingredients Directions… Continue Reading
Photo of BAD COMPANY and Mick RALPHS; Mick Ralphs performing on stage (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
Mick Ralphs, founding member of Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, dies at 81
Mick Ralphs, the singer, songwriter, guitarist and founding member of the classic British rock bands Bad Company and Mott the Hoople, has died. A statement posted to the band’s official website Monday announced Ralphs’ death at age 81. Ralphs had a stroke days after his final performance with Bad Company in 2016, and had been bedridden ever since. Ralphs is set to become a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bad Company in November. He wrote Bad Company’s classic hit “Can’t Get Enough” and co-wrote “Feel Like Makin’ Love” with singer Paul Rodgers.… Continue Reading
Digital billboards display a message thanking US President Donald Trump for his administration's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on June 22, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Israel was hit with a fresh wave of aerial attacks by Iran after the US entered the war overnight and bombed several locations in Iran. (Photo by Erik Marmor/Getty Images)
Trump announces a ceasefire in Iran-Israel war; Iran to halt its fire if Israel stops its strikes
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says that Israel and Iran have agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire” soon after Iran launched a limited missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. Iran said that as long as Israel stopped its attacks early Tuesday morning, it would halt theirs. Israel did not immediately acknowledge any ceasefire but there were no Israeli strikes reported after 4 a.m. local time. Heavy Israeli strikes continued in Tehran and other cities until shortly before that time. Israel in other conflicts has stepped up its strikes just before ceasefires took effect.… Continue Reading
Analysts warn baby boomers’ retirement pushes social security toward crisis
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) – As baby boomers retire in record numbers, Social Security is facing an impending financial shortfall. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger urges Americans to pressure Congress for reform before automatic benefit cuts arrive by 2033.
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Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on June 23, 2025 in New York City. Stocks opened slightly up as the market reacts to the U.S. striking three nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend, raising fears of an increase in oil prices. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Stocks rally and oil tumbles as Wall Street hopes for a limited retaliation after US strikes on Iran
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are flip-flopping, and the U.S. stock market is drifting higher following the United States’ bunker-busting entry into Israel’s war with Iran. Oil jumped as much as 4% shortly after trading began on Sunday night, but it quickly pared all of the gain by Monday morning. The S&P 500 rose 0.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 156 points and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. Markets calmed amid hopes that Iran will not retaliate in a way that disrupts the global flow of crude, which would hurt economies worldwide but also its own. Treasury yields eased in the bond market.… Continue Reading
President Trump’s proposed “big beautiful bill” is raising alarms in the renewable energy sector, with provisions that could repeal key solar and storage tax credits. Industry experts warn the move may slow clean energy progress nationwide and hit states like North Carolina—ranked fifth in solar usage—especially hard. Abigail Ross Hopper, President of the Solar Energy Industries Association, says the rollback could cost the state thousands of jobs and shutter local solar manufacturing facilities. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Solar advocates say Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” could undercut the industry and threaten jobs in North Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — President Trump’s “big beautiful bill” is casting a shadow over the future of solar energy, with proposed changes that could significantly reduce federal support for clean energy projects. The sweeping legislation, which shifts priority back to traditional energy sources, includes efforts to repeal solar and storage tax credits—sparking concerns across the…… Continue Reading
(AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin)
Who will have the 2025 song of the summer? We offer some predictions
NEW YORK (AP) — What makes a great song of the summer? Is it an up-tempo pop banger? Something with an earworm chorus? Does it need to feature the words “summer” or “sunshine” or “California”? The Associated Press views the song of the summer as the one that takes over those warm months between June and August. And in 2025, there are a number of contenders. Those include Bad Bunny’s “NUEVAYoL,” Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild,” KATSEYE’s “Gnarly,” Drake’s “Nokia,” Addison Rae’s “Fame Is a Gun” and the viral track “Boots on the Ground” by 803Fresh.… Continue Reading
PineCone Playlist: June 22nd, 2025
Artist Song Title Album Title Record Label Alison Krauss & Union Station Cluck Old Hen Every time you say goodbye Rounder Don Rigsby Mary Jane, won’t you be mine Kentucky Troubadour Charlie Sizemore Alison’s Band Heartache looking for a home Dailey & Vincent Don’t you call my name Kody Norris Waitress,…… Continue Reading
Sean Combs attends the 'Killing Them Softly' Premiere during 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 22, 2012 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Jury sees more sex videos as prosecutors wind down case against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury has watched nearly 20 minutes of recordings of marathon sex events that prosecutors and defense lawyers have both cited as important to the outcome of the sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. The recordings shown to the jury Monday by prosecutors roughly doubled the time the jury has spent viewing the explicit footage of two of Combs’ former girlfriends sexually involved with male sex workers while Combs filmed the encounters. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges. Prosecutors expect to rest by Tuesday. After a defense presentation, closing arguments are expected to occur Thursday.… Continue Reading
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 22, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Iran launches missile attacks on US bases in Qatar and Iraq
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran said its missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the United States on its nuclear sites this weekend, signaling Iran’s likely desire to de-escalate. Iran made the announcement Monday night in a statement from its Supreme National Security Council after the attack, which Qatar said caused no injuries. Iran also said it targeted the base because it was outside of populated areas.… Continue Reading
RDU Airport Takeoff Airplane Silhouette (Shutterstock)
5 taken to North Carolina hospital after flight from Miami hits turbulence, airline says
MORRISVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Officials say five people were taken to a North Carolina hospital after a flight from Miami hit turbulence. Raleigh-Durham International Airport says fire and rescue crews responded after the flight arrived around 11:30 p.m. Sunday and brought five people to the hospital. American Airlines says the fasten seat belt sign was on when Flight 1286 from Miami International Airport encountered unexpected turbulence. The airline says three flight attendants and two passengers were hospitalized for further evaluation and have since been released.… Continue Reading