WRAL Daily Download

It's been a week since Pro-Palestinian protesters at UNC first put tents up on a campus quad. Since then, protests and rallies have come and gone on campus after clashes with police and administrators. Thursday, the University put up a 12-foot fence along the quad and closed the campus YMCA. WRAL Matt Talhelm and Chelsea Donovan explain how we got here.

There's a chance your future may include fewer flu shots. Researchers at Duke are trying to create a vaccine that could last for years, instead of having to get a new one each fall. WRAL Health Reporter Grace Hayba breaks down the two ways research groups are trying to get there.

Four officers were killed Monday while trying to serve a warrant at an east Charlotte home. A total of eight officers were shot, according to police. As news broke, WRAL News sent a team of reporters across the state. Eric Miller joins Ali Ingersoll to share the latest details. 

You might have seen these kits on Amazon or at Home Depot – tiny homes in a box. WRAL’s 5 On Your Side producer Pritchard Strong started looking into them to see if they’re worth buying. He joins Ali Ingersoll to talk about some of the hidden costs and interesting history of box homes in Raleigh.

North Carolina’s $500 million investment in NCInnovation — a GOP-backed group designed to help the state capitalize on discoveries in state universities — is drawing scrutiny from one of the state’s most powerful Republicans. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains the allegations — and why the group denied them.

There’s an ancient legend hidden among the historic buildings in the grassy knoll called McCorkle Place on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus. It’s a witness to history—the Davie Poplar tree, as it's known, has been there longer than the university. WRAL’s Hidden History reporter Heather Leah shared the legends and the romance behind this magnificent antique giant.

A UNC Health Physician and a pilot survived when a small plane when it crashed near the RDU runway Wednesday. As the investigation into what caused the crash began, so did headaches for travelers. WRAL Durham Reporter Monica Casey walks through what she saw while reporting near the tarmac.

The Carolina Hurricanes pulled off a miracle comeback in Game 2 of their first-round series against the New York Islanders. Why the win could boost the Hurricanes to another deep run in the playoffs. Carolina is the favorite to win the Stanley Cup.

History could repeat itself this political season, polling shows. North Carolina could once again vote for a Republican president while simultaneously putting a Democrat in the governor’s mansion. Ali Ingersoll talks with WRAL State Capitol reporter Brian Murphy about the poll. 

State lawmakers return to Raleigh this week to start the 2024 legislative session. They’re expected to make updates to the state budget, and they’ll have a $1 billion budget surplus to divvy up. But other hot-button issues could be on the agenda, too. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran breaks down the priorities for the Republican-led legislature in the months ahead.