Episodes

The UNC Institute of Marine Sciences has been tracking sharks for decades! Our team got in on the action. WRAL Investigates Senior Producer Randall Kerr shares his experience in Morehead City.

Immigration and border security are top issues for voters in the upcoming election. And some Republicans say the Biden administration’s policies have essentially turned North Carolina into a border state. WRAL PolitiFact reporter Paul Specht reviewed state records to check claims on how immigration is impacting crime, schools, and the state’s social safety net.

A tragic school shooting in Georgia this week killed four people, including two students and two teachers. It gets you thinking, how do schools in our area keep students safe? WRAL's Heidi Kirk provides perspective from Nash County, where the school board is renegotiating its agreement between local law enforcement and school resource officers.

Companies like Shein and Temu can avoid customs inspections if what's being shipped costs less than $800 and is sent directly to the consumer. It's called the De Minimus Threshold, a loophole which lawmakers say allows foreign companies to exploit American policy. WRAL's Chris Lovingood shares why this is dangerous to consumers and the bipartisan effort to protect them.

Fayetteville mother Avantae Deven is awaiting trial, accused of murdering her two adopted children. In a recording revealed Only On WRAL, a family member confesses to helping dismember one of the children's bodies. WRAL's Chris Lovingood explains how he got that recording and what it tells us about the case. WARNING: The details of this episode may be disturbing to some listeners.

Men and women seen riding in the motorcycle escorts and holding the flag lines during veteran and service member funerals belong to a volunteer group called the Patriot Guard. Many are veterans themselves dedicated to helping military families grieve with honor. WRAL's Grace Holland introduces you to two local leaders in the organization for whom service and remembrance are virtues.

For months, former President Donald Trump was leading the presidential race in North Carolina. But in recent weeks, he’s lost ground. Part of it has to do with Kamala Harris entering the race and energizing Democrats. But some Republicans say GOP gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson could be weighing down Trump. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains why.

We finally heard from the new CEO of Holly Hill Hospital, the Raleigh mental health facility at the center of multiple WRAL investigations. It comes just days after Holly Hill announced a new collaboration with the Raleigh Police Department. WRAL Enterprise Executive Producer Ashley Talley shares what we learned during an unexpected interview with Leigh Holson.

It's been one year since Zijie Yan's death on UNC-Chapel Hill's campus. Students and faculty gathered as the bell tower chimed in his honor on Wednesday. WRAL's Monica Casey was there for the ceremony.

Over the years, several Bull City United employees have been charged with gun and drug offenses. Now, another employee faces an Accessory After the Fact to Murder Charge. WRAL's Sarah Krueger explains how we got here.

A Greensboro high school junior is the nation's top quarterback prospect and he's suing the state over its name, image and likeness prohibitions. Faison Brandon and his mother filed suit in Wake County that calls for the state Board of Education's NIL rules to be thrown out. WRAL Investigative Sports Reporter Brian Murphy explains the policy and the lawsuit.

Monday is the first day of school for most public school students across the state. Wake County Public Schools students are an exception and they will start school Tuesday. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains the biggest back-to-school stories our team has been following.

New numbers from Durham Police this week show more young people are committing crimes. In the first six months of this year, there have been 289 juvenile offenses. The number of people shot in Durham is also up by more than 43%. WRAL's Durham Reporter Monica Casey breaks down the data.

The Ackland Art Museum is the first art museum in the state to offer Enchroma glasses which make colors more vibrant for people with color blindness. On Wednesday, six local people with color blindness tried the glasses for themselves. WRAL's Grace Holland explains what it was like when they put them on for the first time.

Teachers and health officials say vaping is a growing problem among students and districts are trying new ways to stop it. A new grant is available to help North Carolina Schools do just that. WRAL's Heidi Kirk explains the unique detection systems and prevention strategies happening in our schools.

A week ago, a man serving a life sentence escaped custody at a Hillsborough hospital. Ramone Alston was convicted in a 2015 shooting that killed a one-year-old little girl in Chapel Hill. It took three days for investigators to capture him and when they did, they also arrested a suspected accomplice named Jacobia Crisp. WRAL's Monica Casey was there for Crisp's first court appearance Monday.

Industrial battery manufacturer Natron Energy is planning a high-tech plant that could bring up to 1,062 jobs to the Rocky Mount area. The $1.4 billion facility would also be one of the biggest eastern North Carolina economic development deals in recent years. WRAL's Heidi Kirk shares more about the California-based company and how it could help locals who have experienced employment setbacks.

St. Augustine's University is pushing back it's fall semester by two weeks in part as it finalizes funding to pay staff and student refunds. WRAL News has been reporting about missing pay for employees, incorrect student balances and lawsuits for money owed. WRAL Destinee Patterson explains where the Historically Black College's finances stand heading into a new school year.

The Republican candidate to lead North Carolina's public schools is pushing back against accusations she called for a military coup on January 6. The comments that surfaced this week caught national attention and her democratic opponent has criticized her ability to serve as the Superintendent of Public Instruction. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst breaks down the race and interviews with each candidate.

Three people died in North Carolina as Tropical Storm Debby brought tremendous amounts of rain and 10 tornadoes. One of those deaths came from an EF-3 tornado in Wilson County. WRAL Meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth talks about what it was like to survey the damage in the WRAL Storm Tracker.

For months, Republican political operatives largely ignored the presidential race in North Carolina. But then Kamala Harris took Democratic nomination and gained ground in the Tar Heel State. Now Republican Donald Trump is buying up ads in North Carolina. So too are moderate Republicans who are trying to keep Trump out of office. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains why, and what it says about this battleground state.

From Tropical Storm Debby to multiple confirmed tornadoes, severe weather is at the forefront this week on WRAL. On this episode, we hear from both WRAL's Chelsea Donovan and Shaun Gallagher. Chelsea shares the extensive tornado damage at Springfield Middle School in Wilson County. Shaun reports the water rescue of three children in Raleigh.

Tropical Storm Debby is making its presence known across the Carolinas this week, especially on the coast. WRAL's Grace Holland shares what she has seen and who she has heard from in Ocean Isle Beach.

Tropical Storm Debby is crawling up the East Coast toward the Triangle. WRAL Meteorologist Brian Shrader gives an update on the storm and lays out the essentials for a proper extreme weather prep kit. He also offers tips on how to protect your home, your valuables, your pets and yourself.