WRAL Daily Download

It’s considered non-lethal force, using a stun gun to subdue a suspect. Raleigh police officers used a Taser on a man outside a sweepstakes parlor this week and he died. The police department is investigating why this happened. WRAL’s Chelsea Donovan joins us with what she has learned.

A Wilson woman got bills for nearly 200-thousand dollars from Duke Health after her husband died of cancer. The family had medical insurance, but for some reason the bills were processed incorrectly by insurance providers. WRAL’s Five on Your Side worked on the case and finally got the family some relief. Reporter Keely Arthur joins us to explain what happened.

WRAL’s Julian Grace knows all too well about The Talk -- the conversation between Black parents and their children about how to act during encounters with police. Julian learns his father had a frightening experience with an officer, and that his grandfather developed a skillful way to deal with the police. The conversation sparks dialogue between Julian and his children, and he shares with them t...

In this special two-part series, WRAL’s Julian Grace explores racial profiling through his own encounters with police, and through conversations with his father and his four children. Julian serves as a guide through random pullovers, unfounded accusations and even frightening moments. Julian reflects on The Talk in his family, and how it has changed – and hasn’t changed –...

Right now it’s only legal to gamble on sports in North Carolina at 3 tribal casinos. This bill would make it legal to gamble from your phone, and there’s a good chance it passes this year.

After a record-high prices in 2022, real estate agents expect big changes in 2023. The cost to borrow money is going up putting sellers and buyers in a tough spot. Inventory is still low, and buyers are being pickier. As a result, fewer home sales are expected and many homeowners who might have moved are considering staying put. WRAL’s Matt Talhelm weighs in on the 2023 market in the Triangle. htt...

Ainzargul Totakhil risked his life to protect American troops in Afghanistan as a translator. The father of 7 came to the U.S. on a special visa seeking the American dream and recently became an American citizen. On the day before New Year’s Eve, he was murdered while driving for Uber. WRAL’s Sarah Krueger walks us through the case and the impact it’s having on the community. https://legacy.wral.c...

In the middle of the day in a popular shopping area in Durham two men were shot at on the sidewalk. The car crashed in front of the Aloft Hotel. It happened on Blackwell Street at the American Tobacco campus near the Durham Performing Arts Center and the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. WRAL’s Chelsea Donovan has been covering this developing story and joins us with what she’s learned so far. LINKS: ht...

It was a harmless mistake that could have had severe consequences. A woman purchased packages of “Lucky Mystical Dragon Flames,” crystals used to create colorful flames on a fire, thinking they were candy. The mistake sent her 9-year-old relative to the hospital and now his family is trying to prevent it from happening to someone else.

The North Carolina General Assembly gets back to work this week when the state House and Senate begin the long legislative session. Lawmakers left some key issues unfinished last year — issues ranging from Medicaid expansion to medical marijuana to sports betting. They’ll try again on those and other failed efforts, and focus on some new priorities. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain joins...

The new year brings a new edition of the WRAL Promise Tracker — the annual check-in to see whether North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is making good on promises he made on the campaign trail. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain breaks down progress the second-term Democratic governor is making on his biggest goals as he faces resistance in the Republican-controlled state legislature.

Fifty vultures were found dead in Fuquay-Varina near the town’s water tower. Some environmentalists believe they were poisoned. But state wildlife officials say they may be the victims of the avian flu. The dead birds are being tested. Meanwhile, the community is buzzing about the mysterious deaths. WRAL reporter Matt Talhelm walks us through his reporting on this story. LINKS: https://www.wral.co...

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field Monday night during a game in Cincinnati. In this episode, we speak with WRAL Sports Director Jason Jennings about his interview with North Carolina State University basketball coach Kevin Keatts who once witnessed a player from the opposing team collapse right in front of him. How and why does this happen? Can it be prevente...

North Carolina education officials are projecting a shortage of nearly every type of public-school teacher in the state. That could complicate state leaders’ goals to get students ready for college or the workforce — part of an agreement in the nearly 30-year-old education adequacy lawsuit. WRAL Education Reporter Emily Walkenhorst shares what she learned after speaking with educators who worry th...

WRAL PolitiFact North Carolina reporter Paul Specht in 2022 fact-checked officials at nearly every level of government, correcting claims about everything from inflation to the state’s redistricting process. In this episode, Specht reviews PolitiFact NC’s list of most-read articles from 2022, revealing how the fact checks came together and discussing what surprised him about the list.

WRAL’s Hidden History Reporter Heather Leah takes us on a journey to the past to look at North Carolina’s holiday traditions, some which still take place today. Others which are long gone, but still evoke magic when the stories are told again and again and passed down through generations. https://www.wral.com/then-and-now-scenes-of-fayetteville-street-at-christmas-through-the-decades/19393267/ htt...

Mcadenville almost disappeared during the Great Depression, but it was saved by a man who loved Christmas. And now, every year for more than sixty years, the town comes alive to celebrate the holiday and welcomes visitors from all over to view its magical transformation into a place worthy of a Hallmark holiday movie. In this episode, WRAL history writer Heather Leah takes us behind the scenes of...

You may have driven by them a hundred times—a lit tree dangling over Raleigh’s Beltline, or the tiny festive house in the former Christmas village on New Bern Avenue. WRAL’s Hidden History reporter, Heather Leah, shares the fascinating stories behind these holiday traditions with us in this episode. https://www.wral.com/solved-the-family-story-behind-raleigh-s-little-christmas-tree-hanging-over-th...

You may have seen the sign dated 1943 on a windy road in the Smoky Mountains. It’s just outside the Bryson City and reads “Welcome to the Road to Nowhere: A broken promise!” You can follow the road through a dark tunnel, but then it mysteriously ends in the side of a mountain. WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah breaks down the mystery for us in this episode. https://www.wral.com/road-to-n...

WRAL’s documentary “Aftermath: North Carolina hurricane victims left behind” has prompted a long-overdue conversation about helping people who lost their homes during storms years ago get relief. This week state lawmakers held a hearing to discuss the crisis. WRAL Investigative Reporter and Documentary Producer Cristin Severance joins us with this follow-up. https://www.wral.com/wral-documentary-a...

Most of us want to be better stewards of the planet we live on, but recycling rules can be confusing and can vary by municipality. WRAL reporter Travis Fain breaks it all down for us (pardon the pun) walking us through what can be recycled and what the rules are and tells us what happens to the stuff after it leaves our homes.

Another power substation attack, this one in South Carolina north of Columbia, is revealing just how vulnerable we are. This comes on the heels of the massive outage in Moore County where two substations were shot at and taken off-line. WRAL Investigative Data Journalist Ali Ingersoll joins us with the numbers on just how big of a problem this is now and could become. LINKS: https://www.wral.com/p...

North Carolina is no stranger to major storms, but did you know that thousands of people are still recovering from hurricanes that took place as long as 6 years ago? They were promised help from a state program that is aimed at getting low-income hurricane victims back into homes after their homes were destroyed. But many people are still waiting for help. It’s the subject of WRAL’s newest documen...

With the proliferation of online shopping, people looking to steal packages have more opportunities and are getting more brazen. It’s happening across the country, and it’s getting worse here in Raleigh as holiday shopping moves into high gear. Five on Your Side’s Keely Arthur joins us with how to protect your packages from porch pirates and what to do if you become a victim.

WRAL investigative data journalist Ali Ingersoll gives some alarming stats on police searches in North Carolina. According to the State Bureau of Investigation, Black drivers and passengers are disproportionally searched after being stopped by police. In most cases Black drivers don’t even make up the majority of the city’s population. Ingersoll also shares a discussion she had with a police chief...