WRAL Daily Download

In this episode, of the WRAL Daily Download, WRAL photojournalist Josie Zimmer shares her interview with domestic violence survivor Drea Kelly. The actress, choreographer, and mother is the ex-wife of disgraced Grammy award winning artist R. Kelly. In September, R. Kelly was convicted of child pornography and sex abuse charges. Zimmer reveals her conversation with Drea Kelly and how Kelly is supporting Domestic Violence Awareness month with her story.

WRAL State Government Reporter Paul Specht discusses how candidates in North Carolina are altering images of opponents in political ads — and what some lawmakers want to do about it. He also discusses his role as the North Carolina correspondent for PolitiFact, a national nonprofit fact-checking organization. And he offers advice on what voters can do to identify misleading information distributed by candidates and the groups supporting them

The NC State Fair has returned to Raleigh and, as he has for 30 years, WRAL Photojournalist Chad Flowers is covering it. Chad walks through his favorite foods, favorite people and favorite memories, including the dumbest thing he’s ever seen anyone do at the fair.

In this episode of the WRAL Daily Download, WRAL anchor/reporter Chris Lovingood shares information he’s learned in the Hedingham mass shooting. The shooting spree left five people dead and two people injured in the Raleigh neighborhood. During today’s discussion Chris shares the communication he’s had with the alleged shooter’s parents.

We speak with 5 On Your Side Producer Pritchard Strong about his team’s ongoing coverage of Pink Energy. The company which is based in North Carolina sold customers expensive solar systems for their homes that did not work according to 5 On Your Side’s research. The company blames a faulty part from a third-party vendor. They recently closed their doors leaving customers with expensive contracts in limbo. We break it down for you.

For four years North Carolina has had a divided government: A Republican legislature and a Democratic governor vetoing, in his words, “their worst impulses.” Now voters have a choice: Stick with the status quo or give Republicans the reins of lawmaking. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain discusses the GOP’s prospects on Election Day, the party’s policy goals for the years ahead, and what it means for Democrats.

“And that’s when I knew my worst nightmare was happening.” When tragedy strikes, our first glimpse of it often comes from a police scanner. A helicopter gets re-routed, news crews drive toward uncertainty and it’s coordinated by WRAL’s assignment desk. In this episode of the Daily Download, Assignment Editor Mary Alice Bell walks you through the controlled chaos background behind major breaking news.

Seven North Carolina universities are paying an outside company to monitor students’ social media accounts. Is this spying? In this WRAL Daily Download Julian Grace talks with WRAL investigative reporter Cullen Browder. The two discuss the primary function of the tracking data, how universities are using it, and the growing opposition against it. The discussion also explores if this form of tracking can disrupt violent plots from happening on campus.

In the first two years of the pandemic more soldiers from Fort Bragg died by suicide and from drug overdoses than in training or combat. WRAL Investigates producer Randall Kerr researched and produced a report on this topic along with reporter Cullen Browder. In this episode, Randall joins Amanda Lamb to talk about why this is happening and about possible solutions to prevent these deaths in the future.

https://www.wral.com/from-2020-2021-suicides-drugs-kill-fort-bragg-soldiers-at-higher-rate-than-combat-training-and-training-deaths/20510635/​

Two people have been killed and several others injured in two separate shootings at an apartment complex that is less than a mile from the UNC Chapel Hill campus in recent weeks. One of the victims was 19 years old. At the same time, there have been reports of aggressive behavior and people making threats to students, shoppers and workers on Franklin Street. WRAL’s Sarah Krueger covers Orange County and joins us to talk about what in the world is going on in Chapel Hill.​

https://www.wral.com/half-of-people-shot-in-chapel-hill-are-shot-within-a-mile-of-unc-campus/20494619/

https://www.wral.com/19-year-old-killed-in-shooting-at-chapel-hill-apartment-complex/20433452/

https://www.wral.com/i-ve-had-people-threaten-to-kill-me-franklin-street-becoming-a-scary-place-for-students-employees/20450950/