Episodes
April 27, 2023
Hidden in plain sight, miniature redwood forests in the Triangle
Downtown Cary is the last place you’d expect to find a miniature redwood forest – but tucked away behind town hall is a secret world of dawn redwoods with fluted trunks, and rippling roots, a striking red sight against a hill...
April 25, 2023
Is it too soon to go "carless" in North Carolina?
Faster bus service is coming to Raleigh. Regional rail is in the planning phases. Public transit is making a post-pandemic rebound, but can you get around in North Carolina without a car like many people do in urban area thro...
April 24, 2023
Will GOP voters promote Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson?
North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson entry into the 2024 gubernatorial race launches what is expected to be a closely watched GOP primary battle. The big question Robinson’s opponents — and some of his supporters — will ask:...
April 21, 2023
Former WRAL anchor David Crabtree inducted into NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame
When former WRAL anchor David Crabtree retired in 2022, he could have actually retired. But his commitment to service won out, and he became the interim CEO of PBS North Carolina — that position is now permanent. Today, Crabt...
April 20, 2023
30th annual run in Durham benefits brain tumor research at Duke
Since 1993, runners and walkers have been taking to the streets in Durham as part of the Angels Among Us 5K & Walk of HOPE to benefit brain tumor research at Duke’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. According to the Na...
April 19, 2023
The Tar Heel 10 Miler and that runner's high
With a major race this weekend in Chapel Hill, the Daily Download tackles running culture. What makes someone wake up at 3:30 a.m. to run 17 miles? We find out with WRAL runner in residence (and investigative data reporter) A...
April 18, 2023
Women pay more for car insurance in North Carolina
Did you know if you're a woman in North Carolina you are likely to pay more for car insurance than a man? A recent study shows that women pay more than men, even women with clean driving records and no other logical factors t...
April 17, 2023
Do Wake’s schools start too early?
Wake County parents,students and staff see pros and cons in later school start times for middle and high schools and earlier start start times for elementary schools. Later start times could be better for academic performance...
April 14, 2023
ACLU files federal lawsuit regarding NC anti-rioting law
North Carolina lawmakers passed a law that increases penalties for protesters and broadens arrest powers for police during protests. The American Civil Liberties Union claims the legislation is unconstitutional and could lead...
April 13, 2023
North Carolina animal shelters have 2nd highest kill rate in country
North Carolina’s shelters have the second highest kill rate in the country. In 2022, 14,000 animals were euthanized. The main reason is that the number of animals being taken in, more than 120,000 last year, far outpaces the ...
April 12, 2023
Man stabbed in downtown Raleigh store dies, family wants answers
A 27-year-old customer has died at WakeMed after being stabbed, according to witnesses, by the owner of a downtown Raleigh convenience store last week. As of this recording, Raleigh Police have not charged anyone. Witnesses t...
April 11, 2023
Transgender bills come to the NC legislature
Republican lawmakers filed half a dozen bills last week dealing with transgender youth. Two would ban transgender girls from playing on girl sports teams, basing eligibility on what a student’s birth certificate says. Others ...
April 10, 2023
A Democrat defects: NC GOP’s newest supermajority
North Carolina Republicans scored big last week when Democratic Rep. Tricia Cotham decided to change parties. Her bombshell decision gives Republicans a veto-proof majority in the chamber, making it easier for them to write t...
April 7, 2023
Federal task force takes on Paycheck Protection Program fraud in North Carolina
The Paycheck Protection Program funneled billions of dollars to companies in need during the pandemic to allow them to pay their rent, keep their lights on and keep workers on the payroll even when their doors were shut. But ...
April 6, 2023
Raleigh’s first airport still has a hidden footprint in the city
Many of us use Raleigh-Durham International Airport to travel to see friends and family, but did you know there was an airport in our area before RDU? The Raleigh Municipal Airport operated from 1929 to 1973. Famous pilots, i...
April 5, 2023
Can builder bills lower NC housing costs?
Demand for real estate in fast-growing North Carolina is pushing up prices of homes and apartments. So state lawmakers are proposing a series of bills that would loosen building regulations in an effort to speed supply, and p...
April 4, 2023
Gambling addiction in the spotlight as NC mulls legalization
North Carolina's General Assembly is on the cusp of legalizing mobile sports gambling, letting people bet on just about any sport, from their phones, 24 hours a day. Other states have done the same, boosting gambling across t...
April 3, 2023
WRAL photojournalist tells his own story of loss due to the fentanyl crisis
The fentanyl crisis affects families across North Carolina, taking a record number of lives in the state. It's a crisis that impacts everyone, even the man behind the lens of WRAL's latest documentary, Crisis Next Door. I nve...
April 3, 2023
New rules and $30 billion: NC's new state budget
North Carolina lawmakers are working up a new state budget. And mixed in with the raises for teachers and state employees: A major partisan policy fight over climate change, abortion and public schools. WRAL's state governmen...
March 31, 2023
Active shooter deterrent for North Carolina schools
It’s never been more of a concern. This week’s deadly school shooting in Nashville has people across the country heartbroken and wondering how we can make schools safe from these tragic events. In this episode, WRAL’s investi...
March 30, 2023
North Carolina ends longtime pistol permit requirement
North Carolina Republicans have scrapped the state's long-lived pistol permit requirement, aided by the absence of several Democrats, which gave Republicans the numbers they needed to overturn Governor Roy Cooper's veto for t...
March 29, 2023
Drivers are paying more for car insurance, tips to reduce rates
Did you know that if your car is a make and model that is more likely to be stolen that you might not be able to get car insurance? You can blame it on a TikTok challenge that shows people how to hotwire certain types of cars...
March 28, 2023
Police kill man who fired shots at them near Raleigh middle school
A man is dead after investigators say he fired multiple shots in a six-block area of Southeast Raleigh, some of them at cars near Ligon Middle School. Police say he fired five shots at officers. Two officers returned fire. He...
March 27, 2023
NC advanced practice registered nurses seek more authority against political headwinds
Advanced practice registered nurses have long sought to undo a North Carolina law that requires a doctor to sign off on their work. They say it often amounts to supervision on paper alone, which doctors charge tens of thousan...