WRAL Daily Download

With a major race this weekend in Chapel Hill, the Daily Download tackles running culture. What makes someone wake up at 3:30 a.m. to run 17 miles? We find out with WRAL runner in residence (and investigative data reporter) Ali Ingersoll, MC for this weekend's Tar Heel 10 Miler.

Did you know if you're a woman in North Carolina you are likely to pay more for car insurance than a man? A recent study shows that women pay more than men, even women with clean driving records and no other logical factors that could increase their rates. There's even a law in North Carolina that prohibits this, so why is it not working? WRAL's 5 On Your Side reporter Keely Arthur investigated this topic. In this episode, she shares what she learned and has tips on how women can be smart consumers when it comes to car insurance.

Wake County parents,students and staff see pros and cons in later school start times for middle and high schools and earlier start start times for elementary schools. Later start times could be better for academic performance, but extracurricular activities and bus schedules could be negatively affected. WRAL Education Insider Emily Walkenhorst explains the Wake County Public School System's ongoing debate over bell schedules. 

North Carolina lawmakers passed a law that increases penalties for protesters and broadens arrest powers for police during protests. The American Civil Liberties Union claims the legislation is unconstitutional and could lead to the arrests of peaceful protesters. The ACLU has filed a federal lawsuit against the state in response to the new law. In this episode, WRAL state government reporter Will Doran explains the lawsuit and how it could impact the new law.

North Carolina’s shelters have the second highest kill rate in the country. In 2022, 14,000 animals were euthanized. The main reason is that the number of animals being taken in, more than 120,000 last year, far outpaces the resources of the shelters. WRAL multiplatform producer Delaney Eyermann shares her investigation of this issue and possible solutions.

A 27-year-old customer has died at WakeMed after being stabbed, according to witnesses, by the owner of a downtown Raleigh convenience store last week. As of this recording, Raleigh Police have not charged anyone. Witnesses told WRAL the clerk who also owns the store accused Mark Garrity of shoplifting. He left the store and collapsed on the street where a witness gave him CPR. The victim’s mother spoke to WRAL reporter Keenan Willard. In this episode, he shares what she had to say and brings us up to date on the investigation.

Republican lawmakers filed half a dozen bills last week dealing with transgender youth. Two would ban transgender girls from playing on girl sports teams, basing eligibility on what a student’s birth certificate says. Others limit hormone therapy and medical procedures. All of them draw North Carolina further into a culture war raging across the country.

North Carolina Republicans scored big last week when Democratic Rep. Tricia Cotham decided to change parties. Her bombshell decision gives Republicans a veto-proof majority in the chamber, making it easier for them to write their agenda into the law books. Cotham vows to hold onto some of the beliefs that got her elected to a deep-blue district in the Charlotte suburbs. That has political observers wondering: Will she flip on any hot-button issues? WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran discusses her campaign promises on abortion, guns and schools — and whether they might change.

The Paycheck Protection Program funneled billions of dollars to companies in need during the pandemic to allow them to pay their rent, keep their lights on and keep workers on the payroll even when their doors were shut. But now, US Attorney of the Eastern District of North Carolina Mike Easley says the money didn’t all end up in the right hands. In this episode, WRAL Investigates Senior Producer Randall Kerr tells us about the investigation into PPP fraud and the effort to get the money back.

Many of us use Raleigh-Durham International Airport to travel to see friends and family, but did you know there was an airport in our area before RDU? The Raleigh Municipal Airport operated from 1929 to 1973. Famous pilots, including Amelia Earhart, landed there. And there was a romantic nature to early air travel that defined the facility. Development has obscured most of the remnants of the airport, but WRAL’s Hidden History reporter, Heather Leah, reveals what is still there, and shares the stories behind aviation in Raleigh.