WRAL Daily Download

Early voting is underway across the state and the North Carolina primary is less than two weeks away. WRAL’s NC Capitol bureau chief, Laura Leslie sits down with Ali Ingersoll to share everything you need to know to get ready to hit the polls.

St. Augustine's University's interim president is preparing for an appeals hearing regarding the school's accreditation. WRAL's Matt Talhelm untangles how the HBCU wound up in this situation, joining Ali Ingersoll to share what we know and the many unknowns that remain.  

Sickouts by school employees in Durham are the latest effort by government employees to push for better pay. The effort is now drawing the attention of state lawmakers, inviting discussion of whether to ban sickouts by government workers in the future. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains.

In this week's deep dive into local Black History, we look at how young people fought for equal treatment at movie theaters. WRAL's Lora Lavigne walks us through protests at the Carolina Theatre in Durham that would pave the way for change across the country.

The district's interim superintendent and school board chair talked about how they can regain order in DPS as conflict over a pay issue continues. WRAL's Monica Casey was inside that press conference and explains what we can expect for a special meeting planned Thursday.

A community is in mourning following the sudden death of a deputy. Chelsea Donovan joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about the tribute.

Possibly thousands of cars are driving around North Carolina with outdated inspections. The number is unkown because many police agencies have changed policies so officers cannot use this regulatory violation as the sole reason they're pulling over someone. WRAL Investigates producer Randell Kerr talks with Ali Ingersoll about what they found and why it’s difficult to track this info.  

North Carolina students have gained back about four months of the learning they lost during pandemic school closures, new data shows. The turnaround follows intensive tutoring efforts and hundreds of new hires, but it’s in jeopardy as billions of federal dollars for those efforts are set to dry up. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst discusses the turnaround and what’s next for pr...

Just inside the beltline sits the historic Method neighborhood, founded by free Black men after the Civil War. The community's story and character are being preserved by people who grew up there. WRAL's Julian Grace explores how neighbors are making sure its past and present is remembered in the future.

As school districts grapple with school safety, many are turning away from metal detectors in favor of weapons detectors. They use more sophisticated sensors and artificial intelligence. WRAL Investigates Senior Producer Randall Kerr put those weapons to the test.

Durham leaders are preparing to meet for a special board meeting to discuss personnel and legal matters. The meeting is coming after days of protests which closed several schools around the county. Durham reporter Monica Casey's joins Ali Ingersoll to share what to expect from the meeting. 

Two months after a NC state building closed down due to the presence of toxic chemicals, WRAL's Keely Arthur learned more than 40 people who worked in Poe Hall or were students attending classes there have been diagnosed with cancer. And despite people working there calling for an investigation, the university requested that the federal government doesn’t continue forward with that. Ali Inge...

PNC arena is getting a major facelift and the entire area around the arena will look different too. Not only does that mean more businesses, venues and people – but it’ll be generating significantly more money, too. Ali Ingersoll talks with WRAL Investigative Sports Journalist Brian Murphy about the economic impact related to the renovation and expansion. 

Many North Carolinians outside of Warren County may not have heard of  Soul   City . Back in the early 1970's, it was one of 14 so-called new towns started under a federally funded program. As we kick off Black History Month, WRAL's Ken Smith explains how the dream of Soul   City still exists.

Hundreds of Durham Public Schools teachers called out sick Wednesday, and spent the day rallying for better pay and a solution to their staffing crisis. It closed 12 schools in the district causing schedule challenges for parents. WRAL's Monica Casey and Eric Miller explains two sides of the contentious issue and why they're standing together.

The Paris Olympics are less than six months away. North Carolina athletes could be representing Team USA across several sports including track and field, triathlon and swimming.  WRAL sports Louis Fernandez recently had a chance to talk with swimming stand out, Claire Curzan and joins Ali Ingersoll to chat about the games. 

Temu is an online store that sells everything from clothing to electronics, kitchenware and artwork. The company is being accused of  selling stolen designs – and the Better Business Bureau put out an alert about  it . One local woman says she is a victim of this. Pritchard Strong joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about what 5 On Your Side found when they started looking deeper into the...

Concerns about student safety are rising, and that’s leading to changes at North Carolina schools. Soon, every public school in the state will be required to have a threat assessment team tasked with investigating and reporting tips about concerning behavior such as threats of violence, bullying or self-harm. School officials say the teams can save lives. But they come at a time when school...

Complaints are piling up at local governments and even the State Attorney General's Office about one towing company. A key complaint is a surcharge the company is charging if you pay with a credit card rather than cash. WRAL Investigates Sarah Kruger explains why its legal.

Search warrants first reported by WRAL show a large number of weapons and ammunition seized from the shed where police arrested the suspect in a Raleigh mass shooting. WRAL's Chelsea Donovan broke this story and explains what it reveals about the night Austin Thompson was captured.

About seven weeks ago, North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion program rolled out. Thousands of people have signed up since then. WRAL's NC Capitol Bureau Chief, Laura Leslie, joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about how its going. 

Local jails are using high-tech screening machines which is alerting officers to contraband. These are different than your usual metal detectors as they can identify not only weapons but also drugs. Ali Ingersoll talks with WRAL's Sarah Krueger about how the technology works and why so many other jails want to get it.  

A stone fireplace in the tree line catches many driver's eye along US-64 between Raleigh and Knightdale. WRAL Hidden History producer Heather Leah investigated it's origins. She and WRAL News Plus Anchor Grace Holland met a local historian who walked them through its nearly century long past. 

President Biden made his seventh visit to North Carolina since taking office on Thursday. He was here to tout his administration's investment in infrastructure and economic development. The visit comes as the 2024 presidential campaign takes shape — and as Republicans hold Biden responsible for inflation. WRAL News reporter Brian Murphy breaks down Biden’s comments and the GOP’s...

Last year raleigh police responded to 15 calls for human trafficking – the most since before the pandemic, according to police call data. The state consistently ranks among the highest for cases prosecuted. As January marks Human Trafficking Awareness month, WRAL's Julian Grace recently emceeded a conference on the subject. He joins Ali Ingersoll to share information and stories from the eve...