WRAL Daily Download

Conrad Shadel lives in Person County but answers 911 calls in the Pacific Northwest. He and his co-workers are allowed to do their jobs remotely, even from home. Here in our state, many agencies are struggling to fill emergency communicator positions. WRAL Investigates Sarah Krueger visited his dispatch center and examines whether this could be a solution.

Early Tuesday morning a cargo ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge near the Port of Baltimore causing the bridge to collapse. Six people are still missing and believed to have died. WRAL’s Eastern North Carolina reporter Heidi Kirk went to the Port of Wilmington to see if they’re being impacted by ships being diverted while journalist Brett Knese spoke with an expert on struc...

For the first time since Poe Hall closed in November after discovering PCBs were present, we are hearing from the university's leader. 5 on your side reporter Keely Arthur sat down with him for an exclusive interview. Hear part of it. 

An emerging threat to voters: fake images and video messages created with artificial intelligence. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains what North Carolina and federal officials are doing to keep AI-generated misinformation from tricking voters — and why state lawmakers don’t expect to address it with new laws.

A company says it can use artificial intelligence to find guns before they're brought through the schoolhouse doors using a common technology--surveillance cameras. WRAL Investigates Sarah Krueger breaks down what she learned from a demonstration.

When the first round of the NCAA tournament begins, the Triangle's three biggest names in college basketball will take the court. Duke, UNC and NC State are all a part of the dance. WRAL Sports Anchor Chris Lea breaks down how far they each could get.

The tenets of journalism are truth, accuracy and objectivity. In our role, we hold people, like elected officials, accountable. One way to do that is to fact check their statements. WRAL’s Politifact reporter Paul Specht joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about the process and importance of fact-checking, especially as we enter another election season.  

We're in the heart of tax season. WRAL's 5 On Your Side producer, Pritchard Strong, joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about what you need to know as you prepare to file. 

More than 100 Wake County Public School students are caught up in the accreditation and financial crises at Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh. Juniors and seniors in Wake's early college leadership academies take most of their classes at St. Aug, and some say the quality of the classes has deteriorated and that facilities aren’t being kept up. The county is now looking for soluti...

Five teens escaped Tuesday night, leaving their parents distraught and concerned and wondering how this could happen. WRAL's Heidi Kirk joins Ali Ingersoll to share what else she found through looking at records related to safety and staffing. 

In Season 3 of A Brief History of Triangle Sports , Brian Murphy from WRAL News and Tim Donnelly from 99.9 The Fan explore the history of sports betting in North Carolina. Mobile sports betting is legal today but getting to this point wasn’t easy. Brian and Tim cover the legislative twists and turns on the road to legal sports gambling and how NC’s  “ new normal” will...

Since 2018, at least 521 kids under 18 died from gun violence in our state. The latest WRAL Documentary, titled Unsafe, explores what is now the leading cause of death nationwide for people ages 1 through 19. Cristin Severance, who produced the documentary, joins Ali Ingersoll to share what she learned from her reporting. 

The election is eight months away and North Carolina is already shaping up to be a close one, according to a new WRAL News poll. The poll showed a number of key races in statistical ties. It also forecasted trouble for President Joe Biden. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran breaks down the results.   

On Tuesday, a relatively unknown homeschool mom who has called public schools “indoctrination centers” — and who has no experience as an educator or school administrator — managed to beat incumbent Catherine Truitt in the GOP primary for state superintendent. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains who she is and how she pulled off the upset.

Erick Hernandez-Mendez is accused of murdering his wife, Christina Matos, back in April of 2021. This week, prosecutors presented new evidence they believe ties him to her death. WRAL's Chelsea Donovan has been inside the courtroom. She breaks down the testimony so far as Hernandez-Mendez is set to take the stand.

The house always wins--or at least that's the saying about gambling. WRAL Investigates Producer Randall Kerr talked to experts about how oddsmakers end up on top and your chances of beating them.

There are dozens of gangs in Raleigh, according to an investigator who spoke with WRAL's Sarah Krueger. She talks with Ali Ingersoll to share what else she learned about gangs through this conversation. 

People across the country and state are heading to the polls today to cast ballots in primary elections. Several candidates recently stopped in North Carolina ahead of the primary. WRAL's NC Capitol reporter, Will Doran, joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about why they're focused on our state.

Beyond the presidential races, North Carolina Republicans and Democrats also have primaries for governor, Supreme Court, attorney general, superintendent of public education, secretary of agriculture and plenty of U.S. House races. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran breaks it all down.

Today, future bettors are opening mobile sports betting accounts for the first time in North Carolina. Wagering in the state begins on March 11. WRAL Sports Investigative Reporter Brian Murphy talks about two big steps toward launch day that happened this week.

There are reminders of slavery across North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast. Only in facing and truly examining this past can we embrace a diverse and inclusive community and try to prevent future atrocities. WRAL history reporter Heather Leah went to the places that remind us in a very tangible way that slavery thrived here and spoke to the experts about how it impacted our state’...

Tulips are popping up and trees are beginning to bud and bloom. It's a sure sign that spring is here in North Carolina. WRAL Meteorologist Kat Campbell joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about the shift in season and how to prepare for a time when we see the most severe weather. 

A year after the Canadian wildfires began, scientists are still talking about the devastating blazes that tore thorugh forests up north and they're concerned about where these fires could pop up in the future, including here in our state. WRAL's Climate Change reporter, Liz McLaughlin joins Ali Ingersoll to discuss the factors contributing to the heightened risk.

Republicans hoping to flip one of the nation’s longest-held Democratic congressional seats are trading a barrage of attacks about their past transgressions and electability — a primary battle that could affect the GOP’s chances in North Carolina’s lone toss-up congressional district. WRAL State Government Reporter Paul Specht explains.

New details continue to come out in the case of a crash that killed a UNC student. Ten people are facing charges in the January 21 crash. WRAL Investigates Sarah Krueger got new court documents that show a UNC football player charged was going more than 100 miles per hour before the crash.