WRAL Daily Download

Rabbis from across the country and from North Carolina are in Israel to providing healing and comfort to the victims of the attack by Hamas and their families. One of these rabbis, Rabbi Eric Solomon of Beth Meyer Synagogue in Raleigh, spoke to me after his first full day in Israel from his hotel room about the heartbreaking things he has already experienced.

More than half a million North Carolina taxpayers were overtaxed by the state this year. This is related to a major glitch in the department of revenue’s tax system. The number of people getting incorrect bills is climbing daily. WRAL’s 5 On Your Side team investigated the situation. In this episode, Producer Pritchard Strong joins us with what they learned.

The words “nuclear power” have the ability to make a lot of us fearful. In the Triangle, Shearon Harris comes to mind. The cooling tower is located in southwestern Wake County on 5400 acres. The 36-year-old plant can power one million homes. But big nuclear power plants may soon be a thing of the past. In this episode, WRAL Investigates’ Senior Producer Randall Kerr explains what the future of nuclear power in our area looks like.

A decision by Toyota to build an electric vehicle battery plant has had a cascading effect on the state's economy. Under Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, the state has spent billions of dollars on tax-payer funded incentives, luring clean energy manufacturing jobs to the state. WRAL state government reporter Will Doran shares what he learned about those inverstments after speaking with Cooper and economists. 

5 On Your Side recently did a story about a fake hotel listing on Expedia that duped both the customers and the business that was located at the actual address—a law firm. As a follow-up, they decided to create their own fake hotel listing to see what would happen. Would the vetting process that the online platform has in place actually work this time? In this episode, reporter Keely Arthur joins us with what transpired

Pets are family. When we lose a pet the grief can be overwhelming. What if there was a place you could go to remember and pay tribute to your beloved pet, a place where people who understand what you're going through gather together? There is such a place. It's called the Rainbow Bridge. In this episode, WRAL's Hidden History reporter Heather Leah shares the story behind the bridge, her very personal connection this sacred place and how she turned her grief into hope.

Okay, so most of us are familiar with home-sharing apps like Airbnb and VRBO, but have you heard of a pool-sharing app? Yes, I said pool. It was only a matter of time before everything could be shared. “Swimply” rents private backyard pools. But one county’s health department in North Carolina is threatening to shut the site down saying the rentals don’t comply with the state’s rules regarding public pools. In this episode, 5 On Your Side producer Pritchard Strong fills us in on what all the fuss is about.

It’s a little bit like hurricane season. Meteorologists now have the science and the technology to help them predict what our winter weather might look like this year. It’s a big deal for companies who want to make sure their employees can get to work and for parents who get anxious that school will be canceled. In this episode, WRAL meteorologist and weather department executive producer Aimee Wilmoth joins us with a sneak peek at what we can expect.

Overcrowding is forcing thousands of Wake County families to move to new schools every year - the result of a population that is outpacing the county's ability to build schools. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains how the county determines who moves here, how the county determines who moves where, how this year's reassignment plan will affect families and students, and what families can do if they don't want to be moved. 

For a year, WRAL’s 5 On Your Side team has been studying ways to help you navigate the headaches of waiting in line at the DMV. People have been complaining to WRAL for years that there are few appointments, and the lines seem endless. Reporter Keely Arthur asked North Carolina’s DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin what the secret is to breezing through the unwelcoming experience. In this episode, she shares what she learned.