Episodes

Foodborne illness outbreaks have some shoppers eyeing hydroponic lettuce, but is is safer? WRAL Climate Change reporter Liz McLaughlin spoke with farmers and shoppers who are making the change.

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch returned to her alma mater, NC State, this week for the first time since her trip to the moon. WRAL Meteorologists Elizabeth Gardner and Aimee Wilmoth were there for the event and shares there favorite parts of the visit.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch visited North Carolina State University, her alma mater, on Monday for a "welcome home"-style event. Koch, who became the first woman to leave low Earth orbit and the first woman to travel to and around the moon, spoke at a sold-out event in her honor titled "Around the Moon and Pack Again" on NC State's Centennial Campus. On today's episode of the WRAL Daily Download, we reflect on the Artemis II mission involving Koch. From the archive: Four astronauts--includ...

Critics of early-voting plans adopted this year by North Carolina Republicans are accusing GOP leaders of discrimination, alleging that they’re eliminating sites and days preferred by Black voters. The allegations framed tense debate among state and local elections officials during a meeting Thursday. The 2026 midterm elections will be the first major general election since Republicans took control of the state’s election administration. In all 100 North Carolina counties, as well as at the sta...

Wake County public schools have been experiencing issues with their HVAC in a third of schools. WRAL Investigates dove into other records and found that many schools are struggling with widespread infrastructure issues from air conditioning to bathrooms, forcing teachers and PTAs to cover the cost. WRAL’s Destinee Patterson and Emily Walkenhorst have more.

WRAL News brought together law enforcement and community leaders on Wednesday for an open discussion about youth violence, what’s driving it and what we can do as a community to break the cycle. Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce and Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe were among the group we brought together for a one-hour discussion. Here’s the first half of that conversation. For the entire hour, head to the WRAL YouTube page.

Several Rocky Mount city staff members and council members are attending a power utility conference at a four-star Virginia resort as the city faces financial strain and rising utility bills. WRAL reporter Alex Littlehales spoke with Rocky Mount's Energy Resources Director, Bradley Walters, who acknowledged the optics of the situation at the conference's opening day.

The college football season is just around the corner. WRAL Sports anchors Pat Welter and Chris Lea explain how NC State, UNC and Duke's seasons are looking.

Election results across the country are showing positive signs for Democrats. Since President Donald Trump started his second term, special elections to fill vacant Congressional seats have yielded tepid Republican turnout. Democrats have flipped more than two dozen GOP-held legislative seats. And in North Carolina, Democrats last year won almost every single municipal seat up for election in Wake County. That raises the question: Can the Democrats harness that momentum to gain control of at le...

Durham has a new top cop. Stephanie Mardis will be the city's new police chief, starting in early September. She's focused on reducing violence, improving staffing, and building trust. WRAL's Monica Casey spoke with Mardis in a one-on-one interview.

A 4-year-old Johnston County boy is dead, and his family believes Child Protective Services should have done more to protect him. WRAL reviewed records to learn what happened to Jack Gibson. His mother, Amber Gibson, is now facing child abuse and drug charges. Although family members say caseworkers visited her home at least four times earlier this year, Gibson's three children were not removed until July 1. WRAL’s Megan Cloherty and Rennee Chou talk through what we know.

Lynn Council died Sunday at 93 years old. Council survived an attempted hanging by two Wake County deputies who were trying to corece a confession from him. Council survived the ordeal, but kept the emotional and physical scars of the experience. He shared his story with WRAL's Gerald Owens in 2019. Seven years later, Gerald reflects on Council's passing.

Wake County teachers earn less on average than their peers in comparable southeastern metropolitan areas, a WRAL News data analysis shows. That’s despite a recent state budget that drastically boosted early career teacher pay and provided more modest pay increases for more experienced teachers. WRAL’s Destinee Patterson and Emily Walkenhorst talk through the salary gap and how this impacts your kids. Here’s their conversation.

North Carolina Republicans plan to replace U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards on the ballot as soon as next week following the incumbent’s decision Wednesday to end his reelection campaign, party leaders said Wednesday. Edwards on Wednesday withdrew from the race for his 11th Congressional District seat — an announcement that came two days after the U.S. House Ethics Committee recommended he be sanctioned after releasing a report that alleged he harassed two aides. WRAL state government reporter Paul Spe...

Scott Mason introduces us to a family rescuing their ancestral home in Wilson County. He also visits the Ol' Moose store in Edgecombe County.

NC lawmakers agree that legal hemp products have been too widely available. But they can't agree on how to limit them, leaving gummies, beverages and other edibles easy to purchase for all ages. WRAL State Capitol Reporters Will Doran and Carolina Yaffa break down the debate.

The number of new Cyclospora infections is going down in North Carolina. The state has seen more than 800 cases so far this year. WRAL health reporter Grace Hayba talks through where things are trending and what experts say you need to know about the current state of cyclospora.

5 On Your Side's Keely Arthur speaks with WRAL News+ Anchor Elizabeth Holmes about how you can save up to $300 on back-to-school necessities for college students, plus secret student discounts and what's worth getting second-hand.

University of North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi was placed on administrative leave on Monday morning. Now an investigation is underway due to "concerns behind allegations" that led to Lombardi being put on leave. We've heard this week from university leaders, including chancellor Lee Roberts and athletics director Steve Newmark. In this week's edition of On the Record, WRAL sports investigative reporter Brian Murphy sits down with Louis Fernandez to discuss what we've lea...

From famine to feast: July saw record-setting rain, but did it do enough for our state-wide drought? WRAL Meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner and News+ Anchor Elizabeth Holmes talk about the recent drought monitor findings.

50 years ago, one Triangle company changed how the world uses data. WRAL presents a special look at SAS's impact on the Triangle and beyond. Cristin Severance spoke exclusively with co-founder Dr. Jim Goodnight.

Elizabeth "Liz" Waddell from Cary was reported missing last week while vacationing in Grenada. Police said she was not seen returning from the water after going for a swim near her rental. WRAL's Shaun Gallegher breaks down the timeline investigators are piecing together from surveillance video.

UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid leave, the University announced on Monday morning. What does this mean for the program going into head coach Bill Belichick's second year? WRAL Sports Investigative reporter Brian Murphy talks through the situation.

Half of North Carolina’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives owns stocks, and some are potentially making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on those trades, a review of public records shows. This review comes as the US House of Representatives passes a bill that would ban the future purchasing of stocks, but there’s a lot more to this potential new law than a headline would tell you. WRAL State government reporter Will Doran talks through where NC representatives stand and wh...