Episodes
Aug. 28, 2025
EPA data shows more "forever chemicals" are showing up in NC drinking water
New EPA data shows PFAS, short for per-and polyfluroalkyl, is showing up in 200 more drinking systems nationwide, including in Durham and Fayetteville. Those chemicals, known as "forever chemicals" because of how hard they ar...
Aug. 27, 2025
"One Big Beautiful Bill" will likely bring changes to free or reduced-price school meals in NC
Changes to federal benefit programs will likely mean a loss in free school meals for some students, advocates warn. The "One Big Beautiful Bill," signed into law by President Donald Trump in July, tightens eligibility for the...
Aug. 26, 2025
Genentech becomes the latest biotech company to invest in Holly Springs
Biotechnology company Genentech broke ground on its first east coast facility on Monday. It plans to hire 420 people in Holly Springs as it works on developing obesity drugs. WRAL's Shaun Gallagher explains what the company's...
Aug. 25, 2025
NC officials scramble to keep defendant tracking system running
The North Carolina Criminal Justice Information Network is scrambling to find permanent funding for a program that tracks defendants in domestic violence cases across the state. The group’s ankle monitors are being used in 12...
Aug. 22, 2025
Belichick at UNC, Duke's transfer QB among Triangle's top college football storylines
WRAL's Mark Bergin and Pat Welter discuss the top storylines for UNC, Duke and NC State before the start of the 2025 college football season. The top storylines include: Will the Bill Belichick experiment work at UNC? Duke QB...
Aug. 22, 2025
5 On Your Side: How do educators in NC plan to use AI in the classroom?
Artificial Intelligence – what most people now refer to as “A-I” – is a powerful tool that could help students learn. But it’s also raising new concerns about cheating and bias, and educators are being forced to rethink how t...
Aug. 21, 2025
Protecting Ocracoke Island and the only road in and out of it
Right now, Hurricane Erin is churning offshore, pushing waves over dunes and spilling water across some roads. That’s not unusual along N.C. Highway 12 in the Outer Banks. But a new collaborative study finds that some of the ...
Aug. 20, 2025
How to get a refund if a hurricane ruins your vacation plans
Hurricane Erin is not projected to make landfall on the North Carolina coast, but that doesn't mean we won't feel its impact. Hurricane season in general tends to line up with some of the busiest times of the year for the bea...
Aug. 19, 2025
Hurricane Erin prompts evacuation orders, rip current warnings from hundreds of miles offshore
Hurricane Erin is not expected to make landfall but it is still having serious effects on the North Carolina coast. The Outer Banks are expected to see the most impacts from the storm's wind and rain. WRAL's Shaun Gallegher e...
Aug. 18, 2025
Your favorite ACC team can make more money if you watch them on TV. Will it make them perform better?
College football season kicks off soon. And if your team is in the ACC, you can make them more money, just by watching them on TV. Those behind the move say its not just a way to help make teams more money, but also make them...
Aug. 15, 2025
Wake County schools hope to expand therapy resources despite losing federal grant
Wake County school leaders hope to expand student access to therapy to all campuses by the end of the upcoming school year, desptite the district losing most of a $14.1 million federal grant to do so earlier this year. Accord...
Aug. 14, 2025
What hundreds of dollars spent at a Smoothie King can tell teach us about data breaches
A Garner teen is facing charges after allegedly using someone else's Smoothie King account to order nearly $600 of food items. Authorities say the account was compromised during a 2023 data breach, impacting thousands of cust...
Aug. 13, 2025
What's next for the Heritage Square development in Durham
Heritage Square is a 10-acre former shopping center in Durham, located in the middle of the historic Hayti community. Sterling Bay, a real estate development group, purchased the site in the summer of 2022 with plans to devel...
Aug. 12, 2025
How Wake County students want to modernize their school's HVAC systems
Wake County Public School System has a $200 million dollar maintenance backlog affecting heating and cooling its classrooms. Students have been pushing for new HVAC technology but the district says it's not ready for that kin...
Aug. 11, 2025
How Wake's school system is trying to improve special education
The Wake County Public School System is taking a deep look at how it serves students with disabilities. District leaders are evaluating how to better utilize staff and tweak processes to improve special education services, an...
Aug. 8, 2025
Fact check: How many Congressional seats would Democrats lose if noncitizens are excluded from the Census?
North Carolina State Representative John Blust, a Guilford County Republican, said Democrats have 24 more seats in the U.S. House than they would if noncitizens were not counted in the U.S. Census. And now, President Trump is...
Aug. 7, 2025
Why Person County road repairs from Chantal could take months to complete
More than two dozen roads are still damaged or washed out in North Carolina two months after Chantal's floodwaters. Most of those are in Person County. WRAL's Eric Miller takes a look at how it's impacting people who live the...
Aug. 6, 2025
Cases of a rare flesh-eating bacteria are slowly rising off the NC coast
Vibrio Vulnificus is a flesh-eating bacterium that can cause serious illness and lead to sepsis, shock, and large blisters that destroy tissue. Infections are rare, but can be fatal, and the North Carolina coast is seeing an ...
Aug. 5, 2025
WRAL Investigates the cost of a gunshot
More than 3,500 people become gun violence victims in our state every year. Survivors have their lives totally altered by their injuries in physical, emotional and financial ways. WRAL's Willie Daniely tells the story of one ...
Aug. 4, 2025
How a North Carolina woman’s case over menstrual pain could help others
A federal judge in Raleigh ruled that endometriosis can qualify as a disability for legal protections. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains how the decision could help women who suffer from the condition receive...
Aug. 1, 2025
RNC Chair Michael Whatley officially launches U.S. Senate campaign in North Carolina
Thursday, Michael Whatley, Republican National Committee Chair and longtime ally of President Trump, launched his campaign to seek his party's nomination for the U.S. Senate Seat. We explore his background, his platform, and ...
July 31, 2025
A new bill could make getting and renewing an NC driver's license easier
The North Carolina House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to pass House Bill 245, which would allow North Carolinians to renew their driver’s licenses online more frequently and ease a law requiring new drivers to docume...
July 30, 2025
NC lawmakers override vetoes and reach deal on 'mini budget'
On Tuesday, republicans in the General Assembly found enough democratic support to override some of Governor Josh Stein's vetoes. They also reached a deal on a 'mini budget' plan to fund some basic state functions. WRAL's Lau...
July 29, 2025
The illness linked to cannabis and THC landing more people in the hospital
Doctors in the Triangle report seeing more patients reporting persistant nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dehydration. Many are being diagnosed with cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. WRAL health reporter Grace Hayba talke...