Episodes
May 31, 2023
Chatham County family must rebuild home after corners cut on building process, inspection
Imagine finding out that your new home was so poorly constructed and has so many faults that the only thing you can do is tear it down and start over. This is exactly what happened to a Chatham County family. Come to find out...
May 30, 2023
Chapel Hill’s very own Stonehenge
Most of us have heard of Stonehenge in England, the mysterious pre-historic vertical stones in a circle that people around the world venture to see. But few people know that we have our very own Stonehenge in Chapel Hill--one...
May 29, 2023
A weakened Cooper at the bully pulpit
For most of his two terms in office, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has worked behind the scenes to bring his priorities to fruition. But in recent weeks, Cooper has resorted to aggressive tactics, using the bully pulpit to oppos...
May 26, 2023
North Carolina’s very own Shangri-La, paradise on earth
In 1968, at the age of 75, a tobacco farmer decided to build a miniature stone village with rocks he mined himself from his own property. What followed was a magical mini-town featuring 27 buildings complete with tiny inhabit...
May 25, 2023
Hurricanes create new risk for inland North Carolina communities due to climate change
When it comes to hurricanes, climate change has real consequences. Going forward, storms impacting North Carolina are likely to bring more rain, more wind, more flooding and stay longer. They are also likely to make their imp...
May 24, 2023
Big rate hike on the way for Duke Energy customers
If you’re a Duke Energy Progress or Duke Energy Carolinas customer, you can expect to see major rate hikes in the next three years. Rates are projected to increase by 19 percent in that period and could even double within six...
May 23, 2023
State retirement plan overpays and demands big money from payees for its mistake
In most cases, if you are overpaid by a business or an individual, the law says you only have to pay back three years of what you improperly received. This doesn’t apply, however, to the state retirement plan. When a retired ...
May 22, 2023
How parents can help kids read better
Thousands of North Carolina kids struggle with reading. Experts say it's because a lot of them have been taught bad habits. That's leading to changes in North Carolina classrooms. There are also things parents can do at home ...
May 19, 2023
The silent loss, WRAL’s Sarah Krueger speaks candidly about miscarriage
Every year about 500,000 women in the United States experience miscarriage, that’s ten to fifteen percent of all pregnancies, or one in four. Still, it’s often a silent loss—the woman suffers quietly, only sharing her pain wi...
May 18, 2023
Tar Heel Traveler hits milestone: 2500 episodes!
The Tar Heel Traveler, also known as reporter Scott Mason, has traveled thousands of miles, from the mountains to the coast of North Carolina. He’s interviewed thousands of people about the very things that make our state uni...
May 17, 2023
Electric cars are the wave of the future, but are we ready?
WRAL’s 5 on Your Side tested multiple electric vehicles to see how they drive, whether they are more efficient than gasoline-fueled cars, and whether there are enough charging stations to support them in North Carolina. Produ...
May 16, 2023
Businesses across North Carolina take a stand in the state’s abortion debate
North Carolina lawmakers are poised to potentially override the governor’s veto of a bill that would restrict abortion to twelve weeks. On the eve of the possible override which is expected to fall down party lines, several h...
May 15, 2023
Battle over NC state employee pay
North Carolaina's state government is having an extremely difficult time keeping employees and filling job vacancies, leading to a debate over pay increases for state workers. The battle enters its next phase as lawmakers beg...
May 12, 2023
Raleigh’s oldest movie theater is re-opening, the iconic Rialto Theater
In August of 2022, Raleigh’s iconic theater, its oldest theater, shut its doors. Almost everyone who is a Raleigh native has been to the Rialto on Glenwood Avenue in the Five Points neighborhood to catch a movie, a concert or...
May 11, 2023
A rare century plant is in bloom in the WRAL Azalea Garden
A rare century plant in the WRAL Azalea Garden has just begun blooming. According to legend, century plants bloom every hundred years. However, in reality, it’s lifespan is only 10-30 years. It blooms once, then dies. The sta...
May 10, 2023
NC lawmakers tackle major health care bills
Major changes in North Carolina’s health care landscape are moving through the General Assembly this legislative session. In addition to new abortion rules and Medicaid expansion, the state's largest insurer may get new freed...
May 9, 2023
A very personal conversation about sobriety with Hurricanes' commentator Tripp Tracy
Hurricanes’ commentator Tripp Tracy shares his struggles with alcoholism and his yearlong journey through his newfound sobriety. There was a dramatic moment of realization for him after he fell into deep despair in a hotel ro...
May 8, 2023
A battle over NC disabled care
Lawsuits from watchdog Disability Rights NC could force the state to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to help people with disabilities live at home. The push threatens existing group homes and workshops that employ peopl...
May 5, 2023
NC Lawmakers pass bill to restrict abortions
North Carolina lawmakers have approved a bill that would restrict abortion after twelve weeks. Some people say it doesn't go far enough. Others say it goes too far and could lead to a total ban on abortion in North Carolina. ...
May 5, 2023
Deadly food allergies on the rise, NC family loses child
A Fuquay-Varina family lost their 15-year-old daughter to an allergic peanut reaction. Doctors say food allergies in children have increased dramatically, more than fifty percent in the past two decades. 700,000 people are cu...
May 4, 2023
GOP pushes public cash for private education
Annual spending on private school vouchers would become one of North Carolina's biggest education expenditures under legislation making its way through both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly. WRAL Education Insi...
May 3, 2023
Suicides at North Carolina State University, family shares their grief
North Carolina State University has experienced seven deaths by suicide of students since the beginning of the school year. Police say two students took their own lives within 24 hours of one another last week. The community—...
May 2, 2023
Man accused of killing Wake deputy escapes from Virginia jail
Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo is accused along with his brother of shooting and killing Wake County Deputy Ned Byrd in August. Early Sunday morning, Marin-Sotelo escaped from a jail in Virginia. Another inmate from North Carolin...
May 1, 2023
NC’s high court hands voting rights wins to GOP
In a major win for Republicans, the North Carolina Supreme Court issued opinions Friday on a series of cases involving voter rights. They could have major ramifications on future elections in the state, and they could even af...