WRAL Daily Download

Demand for real estate in fast-growing North Carolina is pushing up prices of homes and apartments. So state lawmakers are proposing a series of bills that would loosen building regulations in an effort to speed supply, and possibly push down prices. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran breaks down the bills, who's behind them and whether they have a chance of becoming law. 

North Carolina's General Assembly is on the cusp of legalizing mobile sports gambling, letting people bet on just about any sport, from their phones, 24 hours a day. Other states have done the same, boosting gambling across the country. Some worry it's too much of an addicting thing. WRAL's Brian Murphy takes a hard look at gambling addiction.

The fentanyl crisis affects families across North Carolina, taking a record number of lives in the state. It's a crisis that impacts everyone, even the man behind the lens of WRAL's latest documentary, Crisis Next Door. Investigative documentary reporter and producer Cristin Severance talks with WRAL photojournalist Jay Jennings about his work on this documentary, and his deep personal connection to one of the families interviewed. 

North Carolina lawmakers are working up a new state budget. And mixed in with the raises for teachers and state employees: A major partisan policy fight over climate change, abortion and public schools. WRAL's state government team breaks down the new proposed budget, and how it's being used for leverage.

It’s never been more of a concern. This week’s deadly school shooting in Nashville has people across the country heartbroken and wondering how we can make schools safe from these tragic events. In this episode, WRAL’s investigative producer Randall Kerr tells us about new technology that allows school staff to barricade doors and prevent shooters from getting into classrooms.

North Carolina Republicans have scrapped the state's long-lived pistol permit requirement, aided by the absence of several Democrats, which gave Republicans the numbers they needed to overturn Governor Roy Cooper's veto for the first time since Republicans lost their veto-proof super majorities in the 2018 elections. In this episode, WRAL’s state government reporter Travis Fain explains what this means for gun purchasers and owners, and how it is shaped by the political landscape of our state.

Did you know that if your car is a make and model that is more likely to be stolen that you might not be able to get car insurance? You can blame it on a TikTok challenge that shows people how to hotwire certain types of cars. And even if you can get car insurance, it’s likely that your rates keep increasing. In this episode, WRAL’s Five on Your Side Producer Pritchard Strong explains why this is happening, and what you can do to keep your rates down.

A man is dead after investigators say he fired multiple shots in a six-block area of Southeast Raleigh, some of them at cars near Ligon Middle School. Police say he fired five shots at officers. Two officers returned fire. He was transported to the hospital where he died. It all started just before 7:00 this morning in the 700 block of Cumberland Street near Rock Quarry Road. WRAL reporter Chelsea Donovan was at the scene and has the latest from a press conference with Raleigh’s Police Chief Estella Patterson.

https://www.wral.com/man-shot-at-police-passing-cars-near-raleigh-middle-school-monday-morning/20782364/

Advanced practice registered nurses have long sought to undo a North Carolina law that requires a doctor to sign off on their work. They say it often amounts to supervision on paper alone, which doctors charge tens of thousands of dollars a year to provide. Doctors say it’s necessary for patient safety. Despite widespread support for change in the North Carolina General Assembly, nothing has moved forward. WRAL State Government Reporter Travis Fain explains why.

It’s called “swatting.” Criminals make prank phone calls to 911 centers using masking technology, with the intention of sending an emergency response team to another person’s address. WRAL’s investigative reporter Cullen Browder explains what happened to one Fayetteville family after one of these calls led police to storm their home with guns drawn in the middle of the night.