The WRAL Daily Download is an in-depth conversation about a single news story. WRAL covers news across North Carolina every day, but this podcast focuses on one story at a time, bringing context to each conversation. The in-depth, localized podcast takes you into the latest stories from Raleigh, Durham, and the entire Triangle region on North Carolina. This is community news aimed at keeping you informed about the more subtle stories that are happening around you. Hosted by WRAL News journalists, episodes post weekdays by 4:30am.
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 response — and what it means for 2024.
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 event.
Apex Police released new details Tuesday about the moments that led up to a shooting that killed two women and a dog. WRAL Reporter Aaron Thomas spoke with the suspect's former employer.
The FDA has recalled some applesauce pouches after finding they were tainted with lead. Dozens of children tested positive for elevated lead in their blood and the culprit – the cinnamon in these snacks. WRAL's 5 On Your Side team member, Pritchard Strong joins Ali Ingersoll to discuss how the experts discovered that link and their ties to North Carolina.
The next 11 months are going to be a political whirlwind in North Carolina. The primary elections are less than two months away, which will give us a clear view of the November elections in this swing state. In between, there will be a short legislative session, during which GOP lawmakers who control the General Assembly could look to advance their priorities. WRAL state government reporter Will Doran raises the curtain on the year ahead.
Guardrails on North Carolina highways are supposed to keep us safe but there's growing concerns they could be doing the opposite. WRAL Investigates' Sarah Krueger spoke to a man who's raising the issue and says lives are at stake.
Severe storms on January 9 caused flooding at the Camelot Village condos. Seven residents were evacuated and it's not the first time the community has seen this problem. WRAL Durham Reporter Monica Casey was there as residents rushed to save their belongings. She's also digging into why the problem has continued for more than 20 years.
The Carolina Panthers wrapped up the season going 2-15 - the worst record in the NFC South and league. While there wasn’t too much drama or excitement on the field, there was plenty of it off of there and inside the front office. WRAL's Chris Lea joins Ali Ingersoll to chat all things Panthers.
A WRAL Weather Alert Day has been issued as our team of meteorologists is forecasting a storm to move through with heavy rain, damaging winds, and possible power outages. WRAL's Kat Campbell joins Ali Ingersoll to discuss the forecast and how to prepare for severe weather.
North Carolina schools are grappling with how to comply with a controversial new law designed to expand information available to parents of public school students. It includes provisions that opponents say will out transgender students to their parents before they’re ready to tell them. Opponents and supporters of the law say school boards, principals and teachers have their own approaches to implementing the law. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains what that means for students and...
The demand for lithium is surging. It's the metal used to make everything from phones, to electric cars to pharmeceuticals. Now a Charlotte-based company is looking to extract it in our state. WRAL Climate Change Reporter Liz McLaughlin explains what she learned when she visited the mine.
Hundreds across the Triangle are sick with a rise in COVID-19, RSV and the Flu. North Carolina hospitals have already put stronger visitor restrictions in place. WRAL Health Reporter Grace Hayba explains the impact New Year's Eve celebrations could have on kids heading back to school and parents heading back to the office.
Chelsea Donovan lays out details of the sad story of a six year old girl being hit and killed by a driver police say was speeding down Walnut Street in Cary.
The new year brings a new edition of the WRAL Promise Tracker — our annual progress report for Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain offers updates on whether Cooper is making good on them heading into his last year in office before terming out. The governor faces obstacles — namely a Republican-controlled legislature — as he aims to achieve some of his most ambitious policy goals.
NC Capitol reporter Travis Fain looks ahead to the 2024 election cycle in North Carolina. He discusses top races, how the state could change from recent redistricting, and how the Presidential election could impact voter turnout and who becomes the state's next governor.
2023 brought its share of wild weather--a busy hurricane season in an unusual weather pattern, near-record heat and a tornado in December. WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell talks about what was behind this year's trends and walks through what we could see in 2024.
NC Capitol reporter Travis Fain takes a look back at the most impactful--and most intriguing--events in North Carolina politics in 2023.
If you love what you do for a living, it doesn’t feel like a job. Right? Well, this isn’t always the case. As we get older, and become more set in our ways, it’s easy to forget that much of our creative thinking processes grew out of our abilities as children to play and imagine new things. In this episode, we speak to B.J. Davis about her desire to spark these same creative processes in the workplace at any age.
Man-made tornadoes, beached sharks, Mount Rushmore and North Carolina legislators all have one thing in common: They were subjects of some of our most popular PolitiFact fact-checks of 2023. WRAL PolitiFact North Carolina reporter Paul Specht breaks down the year in misinformation and offers tips on spotting misleading ads and social media posts as we head into the 2024 election.
Mary Brown has an army behind her, an army of volunteers and people who donate their time and food to feed people in downtown Raleigh on Christmas day at City Market. She fills in the gaps when many organizations that help people yearround are closed. Mary's Christmas day event has become a tradition for many local families who spend their holiday in service instead of on the couch in front of a cozy fire. Hundreds of people who need a hot meal show up. In this episode, Mary explains her "why" a...
Downtown Raleigh is full of parking lots – but you never know when a plain-looking parking lot is hiding some amazing history. Did you know that there once was a castle on the former campus of Meredith College? In today’s episode, WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah and news production assistant Arri Woodhouse unlock the secrets of this mysterious place.
There’s a good chance it has happened to you. You’re driving down the highway and something flies off a truck and hits your windshield cracking it. Windshield repair companies say business is booming. As our population grows, so does traffic. The more cars on the road, the more chances there are for your windshield to get damaged. But who is at fault when this happens? 5 On Your Side’s Keely Arthur investigated one man’s fight to get a trucking company to pay for the damage to his windshield....
It's rare in the television news business for a station to be able to tap into the expertise of a reporter who has cultivated sources and instrinsic knowledge of a community for nearly thirty years. Amanda Lamb is just that reporter. She's leaving WRAL at the beginning of 2024 as one of the longest-serving reporters in the station's history. She's also an accomplished author, blogger, and podcaster. In this episode Debra Morgan interviews Amanda about her WRAL career, her thoughts on the future ...
Individual and small-group tutoring sessions are helping North Carolina students catch up after falling behind during the Covid-19 pandemic. But the federal funding that pays for the tutoring is nearly gone, and it won’t be coming back. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains how schools are working to keep the tutoring going.
For Jon Frey, recovery from his alcohol and drug addiction six years ago involved more than just a program, it involved a committment to overall health, a committment to fitness. Frey credits Healing Transitions, a program for men and women struggling with addiction, for getting him on the path to recovery. He credits his dedication to fitness for helping him stay there. Frey is the founder of the Oakwood 24, a 24-hour walk/run in Oakwood cemetery on December 22-23 which raises money for Healing...
For the past year, assessors have been evaluating 450,000 residental and commercial properties in Wake County to prepare for new property taxes in early 2024. The last evaluation in 2020 resulted in a 20% hike in taxes. They are likely to climb by an even higher percentage next year. WRAL Investigates reporter Matt Talhelm is covering this issue in multiple reports and joins us in this episode to explain how it all works.
