Episodes
June 11, 2025
State law changes possible after WRAL Investigates farm parties
WRAL has been investigating huge farm parties for more than a month. State lawmakers say they're now looking at changing the state's agritourism law to close a loophole that allows them. WRAL Investigates Sarah Krueger explai...
June 10, 2025
NC GOP Chairman Jason Simmons faced stiff competition for reelection. Here’s why
North Carolina Republicans reelected Jason Simmons as party chairman Saturday. He’ll be responsible for raising funds and organizing get-out-the-vote efforts for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. WRAL State Gov...
June 9, 2025
Johnston County family goes viral with surprise after hospital stay
Brittni Evans recorded her older son's reaction to seeing his younger brother back home after nearly two months in the hospital. The video has since reached hundreds of thousands of people on social media. WRAL's Carly Haynes...
June 6, 2025
WRAL Investigates looks into cell phone policies at local high schools
North Carolina lawmakers and school boards want to restrict cell phones in schools -- and there’s robust debate over how to do it. WRAL found that not all school policies are keeping kids off of their phones. WRAL Education I...
June 5, 2025
Governor Stein announces a new council to explore legalizing THC products for adults in North Carolina
In an exclusive interview with WRAL's Lena Tillett, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein called for statewide regulations to legalize THC-intoxicating products and announced the creation of a new state advisory council to explo...
June 4, 2025
How the new NC DMV commissioner plans to fix problems at offices across the state
Long wait times, lack of staff, and inefficiency -- these are ongoing problems at the North Carolina DMV. WRAL's Shaun Gallagher shares how the new NC DMV commissioner plans to fix it.
June 3, 2025
What’s next for the Carolina Hurricanes?
The Carolina Hurricanes postseason run ended in the Eastern Conference Final, leading to questions about whether the franchise has the talent and the playing style to win the Stanley Cup. WRAL’s Brian Murphy and Pat Welter br...
June 2, 2025
A toll road in North Raleigh? Why lawmakers are trying to stop it
Northern Wake County leaders want to use tolls to pay for the widening of a stretch of U.S. 1 between Raleigh and Wake Forest. But state lawmakers are trying to shut down that plan, saying they’re trying to protect commuters ...
May 30, 2025
Local research into postpartum depression and the experience for both men and women
Doctors say more research is needed on perinatal depression -- that's the updated way to refer to postpartum depression. Just like there’s a stigma around talking about women experiencing this, there’s new research into men e...
May 29, 2025
Why Durham County jail safety issues led Sheriff Birkhead to as for more money
Durham County's sheriff says his detention center is understaffed and aging as inmate assaults become more frequent. He took those concerns to county leaders who will allocate more funds to address some of the problems. WRAL'...
May 28, 2025
Rocky Mount Police warns parents after toddler shoots self with teenage uncle's gun
A two-year-old is in critical condition after shooting themselves with an unsecured gun that belonged to their 17-year-old uncle. Officers say the teen had two guns--one of which was reported stolen 50 miles away. WRAL's Aaro...
May 27, 2025
Campbell family remembered a year after their deaths in Garner Memorial Day crash
It's been a year since Tyler, Susan and Miles Campbell were killed in a crash on U.S. 70 in Garner. A man charged with drinking and speeding behind the wheel still has not stood trial. WRAL's Carly Haynes talked to Tyler Camp...
May 26, 2025
How UNC System cuts and tuition hikes could help GOP lawmakers reduce taxes
Republicans in the North Carolina legislature want to free up more than $100 million a year in state funding from higher education through tuition hikes and cost cutting. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains why...
May 23, 2025
New 911 calls shed light on a dangerous and chaotic farm party in Orange County
New 911 calls are revealing the dangerous situation at a party earlier this month in Orange County. WRAL has done numerous stories on this growing issue of “farm parties," including a 2,000 person party that resulted in charg...
May 22, 2025
Wake County DA decides not to charge to NC State Troopers in handling of fatal crash
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced that two state troopers will not face charges for their handling of a fatal crash in Raleigh last year. Freeman said the evidence in the case would not support a successf...
May 21, 2025
Why do trains keep hitting people and cars in Durham?
On Monday, the latest crash between a car and a train happened in Durham. It's one of at least 19 similar crashes in the Bull City over the last 25 years. WRAL Durham Reporter Monica Casey explains why it keeps happening and ...
May 20, 2025
Mike Pence parts ways with Trump on tariff policy in Raleigh
Former Vice President spoke about tariffs and free trade at a round table discussion in Raleigh Monday. He drew a contrast with his economic vision compared to President Trump's in his second term. WRAL's Shaun Gallagher talk...
May 19, 2025
How Trump’s immigration policies could impact college athletes
The Trump administration has threatened to revoke some student visas, pushed to revoke visas from certain countries and worked to implement a travel ban. All could impact international collegiate athletes. WRAL Sports Investi...
May 16, 2025
The investigation into unlicensed massage therapists at local shopping malls
A new statewide effort to protect you when you get a massage. On this episode of the WRAL Daily Download, WRAL Investigates takes you undercover as investigators catch massage businesses in malls operating without a license.
May 15, 2025
EPA Scales Back PFAS Protections, Drawing Backlash in North Carolina
On Wednesday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it is rolling back part of a rule meant to limit the toxic 'forever chemicals' in your drinking water. WRAL's Liz McLaughlin explains the change.
May 14, 2025
Bill Belichick talks to WRAL for the first time about UNC football
Bill Belichick talked to WRAL in his first interview with local media this week. He talked to WRAL's Brian Murphy about the burst of attention on the UNC football prgram, why he opted to get back into the game and his expecta...
May 13, 2025
How the Jefferson Griffin case could affect NC voters in the future
Republican Jefferson Griffin lost his effort to overturn the results of a 2024 race for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court. But North Carolina voters will feel the effects of the case for years to come because Griffin...
May 12, 2025
WRAL obtains emails that show UNC's Cunningham got death threats after NCAA bracket was set
University of North Carolina Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham's email inbox was full of angry West Virginia University fans in the days after Selection Sunday. Cunningham, also the chairman of the selection committee for t...
May 9, 2025
Parks remain closed for a second summer in Durham as lead testing continues
For the second summer in a row, kids in Durham will not be able to enjoy some of the city's biggest parks. It comes 2.5 years after Duke researchers discovered "alarmingly high" levels of lead in the soil there. WRAL Investig...