WRAL Daily Download

North Carolina law enforcement agencies are now authorized to place cameras alongside state-maintained roads to track who is driving and where, due to a provision tucked into the new state budget that essentially enables a permanent, statewide surveillance program. Automatic license plate readers, or ALPRs, record the license plates of every vehicle driving by as well as the make, model and color of their vehicles. Then, using artificial intelligence, they cross-reference that information with various law enforcement databases. Hits might come back for stolen cars, criminal suspects, missing people or other reasons.

WRAL state government reporter Will Doran and Louis Fernandez talk through what we know.

Some law enforcement officers resign whiel facing criminal charges, then go on to work for another department. WRAL's Megan Cloherty explains where the hiring process can break down, why some smaller towns end up hiring officers with troubling histories and what's being done to close the gaps.

Starting July 1, loan service providers started the process of reaching out to borrowers to start their 90-day deadline to switch from the SAVE repayment plan. But not everyone's deadline to switch will be the same. Enterprise Reporter Destinee Patterson speaks with Ashley Rowe about what borrowers need to know. 

Christina Serafino thought she had food poisoning when she woke up feeling sick on Father’s Day. Three weeks later, the Wake County woman learned she was battling Cyclospora, a microscopic parasite that can cause weeks of severe gastrointestinal illness. WRAL's Grace Hayba talked to her about that experience.

If it feels like this summer has been especially brutal, you're not imagining it. While the lack of rainfall is an obvious part of North Carolina's ongoing drought, there's another side effect that many people don't realize. Drought conditions can make hot weather even hotter.

WRAL meteorologist Kat Campbell and Grace Holland explain.

Major healthcare changes are coming for hundreds of thousands of state employees, retirees and family members. Starting next year, State Health Plan premiums will go up, and a new provider system could change what members pay for care. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran explains the changes with WRAL News+ Anchor Elizabeth Holmes.

Recent storms have brought some relief to parts of North Carolina, but the state’s drought continues to worsen. Central North Carolina, the Triad and the coast still need 16 to 20 inches of rain over an extended period to see meaningful improvement. WRAL meteorologist Grant Skinner and WRAL anchor Ken Smith talk through the drought conditions and why we may not see relief until the fall.

Could your zip code be a high-target area for scams? Our 5 On Your Side team compiled data around the Triangle to see which areas are getting scammed the most and what the top scams are.

FEMA committed more than $11 million to North Carolina for Tropical Storm Chantal relief efforts but less than half of those funds have been distributed so far. Orange County, which had the most damage from the storm--is still waiting for its share of federal help. WRAL Investigates Destinee Patterson explains what federal data reveals about the wait for funding.