Episodes

There are many reasons domestic violence victims don’t report the crimes against them-fear of retaliation, fear of losing their children or their livelihood. In this episode, a powerful and candid conversation with a domestic violence victim from Cumberland County. She is speaking out in the hopes that her voice will give other victims the strength to do the same thing.

Cullen Browder came to WRAL in 1998. In his twenty-five years here he's blazed an incredible trail and become one of the market's most talented and recognizable journalists. Cullen has worn many hats at WRAL including anchor and investigative reporter. In this episode, Cullen sits down with me and has an intimate conversation about his most profound memories, the legacy he leaves behind, what he wants young journalists to know and what life after television news looks like for him and his family...

After the pandemic, many people continued to work remotely, or took on a hybrid schedule where they do some work from home and some in the office. In light of this shift, our WRAL Investigates team looked into how our state government is using or not using its office space, and how they’re pivoting to accommodate this new work-from-home culture. In this episode, WRAL Senior Producer Randal Kerr shares with us what they found.

As North Carolina lawmakers eye a drastic expansion in private school vouchers, a debate is re-emerging over the quality and accountabilty of the schools that could benfit from the effort. WRAL education reporter Emily Walkenhorst explains why the state is unique in what it requires - and doesn't require - of private schools that receive public money.

Juneteenth commemorates the official end of slavery on June 19, 1865. And while it’s only recently become a federal holiday recognized across the country, it has deeply personal roots for many and has been celebrated for years by members of the Black community. In this episode, WRAL’s Hidden History reporter explains what the first days of freedom looked like and shares how a generation of freed families built a life here in Raleigh. https://www.wral.com/amp/20331721/

A Fuquay-Varina mother of four is battling stage four breast cancer. Recently, her health insurance company refused to pay for a drug that her doctor told her was her best chance of survival. She is now being treated at a clinic in Arizona and paying for that treatment out of pocket. Reluctantly, Danielle McKean followed the lead of many others in need and created a GoFundMe campaign to try and offset the cost. WRAL anchor and reporter Julian Grace speaks to us about his interview with her in th...

A Wake Forest dad with a day-job shares his music at night from the corner of his children’s playroom on TikTok. He’s now grown his following to more than fifty-thousand people. What first started as a hobby has morphed into a passion. Luke Reynolds has created a very special personal relationship with his audience. WRAL anchor and reporter Grace Holland shares his inspirational story with us.

It’s like something out of a fairy tale, majestic castles right here in North Carolina. Many people don’t know that our state and the Triangle are home to stunning historic structures that evoke a magical feel. Some of them have even become popular event spaces that you can visit. In this episode, WRAL’s Hidden History reporter, Heather Leah, takes us on a special tour of North Carolina’s castles.

We hear it all the time when established residents in a community fight new development in their neighborhood-Not in my backyard. But what if the new development threatens to flood their backyard? This was the situation for one Raleigh neighborhood when stormwater runoff from a townhouse community under construction sent water right up to their doorways. WRAL’s 5 On Your Side investigated. In this episode, producer Pritchard Strong breaks it all down for us and explains why everyone needs to be ...

Former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron De Santis were in North Carolina last week making presidential pitches to the state's Republican convention in Greensboro. The event took on new import after federal charges against Trump were unsealed on Friday. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran provides on-the-ground analysis from the convention, with a look at what the candidates had to say about Trump's legal predicament.

First responders in our area attended a training in Garner to learn how they should respond to a train derailment, especially when hazardous materials are on board. In this episode, WRAL reporter Matt Talhelm tells us about the obstacles he faced in trying to understand what toxic chemicals are being transported through North Carolina on our 3000 miles of railways. He also delves into new legislation that could help better protect people who live in areas where trains derail.

Every year, 47,000 people die by suicide in the United States. Sharon O’Donnell lost her husband, Kevin, to death by suicide in April. Kevin had been in treatment for depression and had sought care at a local emergency room. Sharon believes that emergency rooms are woefully unprepared to deal with these crises and that big changes need to be made. She also believes there needs to be a clearer path for brain tissue research so that scientists can study the brains of people who die by suicide. In ...

Recent black bear sightings in Chapel Hill have people in the community wondering if bears are getting bolder, or if increasing development is pushing them out of their natural habitats into more populated areas. In this episode, we ask the the North Carolina Wildlife Commission Biologist Falyn Owens these questions and get tips on what to do if you have a close encounter with a bear. LINKS: https://www.wral.com/story/two-black-bears-spotted-in-past-two-days-in-chapel-hill/20894750/

Greg Gidding spent two decades in the U.S. Army. When he retired from his military service, he became an adjutant for North Carolina’s American Legion. Bogged down with his new duties, he enlisted the help of H&R Block to do his taxes only to find out in 2021 that he owed thousands of dollars because of a mistake they made in 2018. In this episode, 5 on Your Side’s Keely Arthur tells us how her team helped Gidding get the money to pay the IRS and offers tips to taxpayers and other veterans about...

The North Carolina Democratic party has struggled in the past year. Democrats lost every major statewide race in the 2022 midterm elections, including the battle for an open U.S. Senate seat and the races that determined control of the state's Supreme Court. And they lost Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto power a few months ago when a Democratic lawmaker defected to the GOP. WRAL State Government Reporter Paul Specht explains how the party is trying to maintain relevance ahead of the 2024 el...

It’s simply called The Soccer Tournament, or TST, but there’s nothing simple about this four-day event at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary which involves 32 teams from nine professional soccer clubs and six countries. TBT Enterprises, which launched another popular sports event, The Basketball Tournament, in 2014 is the architect of the event and is led by Jon Mugar. In today’s episode, Mugar talks soccer and tells fans what they can expect during this big soccer weekend in the Triangle.

Pride Month honors the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community and commemorates the violent Stonewall Riots that took place in New York City in June of 1969. Pride Month was officially designated by President Bill Clinton in 2000. Since that time, it has been celebrated in cities and towns across the country annually. In this episode, we meet a Raleigh business owner, Randy Sutton, who believes the movement has helped him thrive as a merchant and as a human being.

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 the inspector didn’t do his job and failed to note 30 plus violations. The family sued the builder and the county, but their struggle continues. 5 On Your Side Producer Pritchard Strong shares this cautionary tale with us.

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 of North Carolina’s seven wonders. Like the original Stonehenge, it’s also a sacred place where people can go to meditate and contemplate. In this episode, WRAL’s Hidden History Reporter Heather Leah shares with us who is behind this magical place and tells us about other s...

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 oppose GOP agenda and harangue moderate Republicans into siding with him, yielding little success, criticism from opponents and speculation about his future plans. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains.

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 inhabitants that you can see if you look closely. In this episode, WRAL’s Hidden History Reporter Heather Leah takes us to one of North Carolina’s seven wonders—Shangri-La, a magical place in Caswell County. She shares what’s behind it and how you too can experience the sacred beau...

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 impact further inland. In this episode, WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell and WRAL’s climate reporter, Liz McLaughlin, break down the risk for us and let us know what we can expect as we head into the 2023 hurricane season. LINKS: https://www.wral.com/story/nc-state-predicts-nor...

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 years. Duke tells the North Carolina Utilities Commission, which must approve the hikes, that they are needed to update the energy grid and continue providing reliable service. WRAL Investigates reporter Cullen Browder walks us through the potential changes and how it could...

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 Raleigh city worker found out he had been overpaid by the state retirement fund by $240,000 dollars, he was forced to declare bankruptcy and go back to work at 80-years-old. In this episode, 5 on Your Side’s Keely Arthur went straight to the North Carolina state treasurer to...