Advertise on podcast: WRAL Daily Download

WRAL Climate Change Reporter Liz McLaughlin shares the reason why you'll see higher heating costs this winter and what you can do to save money on your utility bills.

Wake Schools is discussing how much students should be using technology in the classroom. Dan Haggerty takes an in-depth look at specific programs and what other states are doing about screen time in schools.

After 9 days of testimony, the prosecution has rested its case in the UNC student murder trial. Miguel Salguero-Olivares is on trial for the murder of Faith Hedgepeth. She was found dead in her apartment in 2012 and he was arrested in 2021. WRAL's Monica Casey has been following this every step of the way. She walks us through the prosecution's case and what's next in the trial.

For this week's On the Record, WRAL state government reporter Will Doran and WRAL News+ anchor Grace Holland talk through this week's exclusive WRAL/WSOC Poll conducted by SurveyUSA and what we learned about the big races and big topics ahead of the midterm elections in November.

The exclusive WRAL/WSOC Poll conducted by SurveyUSA asked North Carolinians how they feel about several big talking points for Republican candidates. WRAL Politics reporter Paul Specht shares insight on their responses.

North Carolinians who are likely to vote in 2026 are mostly unsure or pessimistic about their personal finances, say that it’s gotten worse over the past two years, and blame President Donald Trump for it, a new WRAL/WSOC News Poll shows. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran breaks down the results of that poll.

Democrat Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley by a wide margin in the race to claim North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat as voters sour on President Donald Trump, a new WRAL News Poll shows. WRAL State Government Reporter Will Doran breaks down the results.

People in North Carolina are assessing damage after tornadoes touched down across the central part of the state. WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner and WRAL's Louis Fernandez look through the viewer video and reflect on what the data showed on Sunday. This is a developing story, for the latest information, check out WRAL.com.

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed a law suspending the state's gas tax on gasoline and diesel fuel. It's aimed at lowering prices that have remained elevated since President Donald Trump launched an attack on Iran earlier this year. WRAL State Government Reporter Paul Specht explains the measure.

The tragic loss of Zoe Welsh shook the Ravenscroft community, but the warning signs were there for decades. WRAL Documentary Investigator Cristin Severance joins the In Depth podcast to discuss her new documentary about the case, "Decades of Warning". We dissect the years of incidents and charges involving Ryan Camacho and the many warning signs that led up to Zoe Welsh's death.

New claims of burial mistakes at a Raleigh cemetery. Several weeks ago, we first told you about a cemetery mix-up at Montlawn Cemetery.  A family discovered a stranger in a plot they paid for. After that reporting, more viewers told WRAL the same thing happened to them. People who don’t know each other with overlapping facts. WRAL Investigates these latest claims. Alex Littlehales sat down with the other families who reached out and the frustrations they shared as we search for answers. He spoke through the reporting and what's next with WRAL's Louis Fernandez.

Artificial Intelligence is evolving at a breakneck pace, but industry leaders and governments are clashing over how we can keep it under control. WRAL'S Dan Haggerty and Ashley Rowe break down the chaotic landscape of AI regulation.

This Atlantic hurricane season has been pretty inactive so far. Does the quiet now lead to more noise down the road – in the winter? WRAL meteorologist Chris Michaels and Louis Fernandez talk through the numbers to see if there's any causation between the two. Plus, how El Nino could impact what we see this winter.

Social Security is a pillar of retirement for older people across the country. Because of a variety of factors, this government program will reach insolvency by 2032. New senators this cycle, including the one elected in North Carolina, will play a pivotal role in crafting solutions in the next six years. For this week's On the Record, WRAL state government reporter Will Doran and Louis Fernandez go over what insolvency means for current and future retirees and how it impacts the senate race ahead of Novembers midterm elections.

A Fayetteville father is upset his complaints to Social Services did not help remove his children from dangerous living conditions, even providing documented evidence of his son and daughter being severely injured while living in the home. WRAL's Chris Lovingood investigated the case and explains his reporting process.