WRAL Specialists
Experts providing in-depth analysis and insights
Latest stories
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NC education leaders look to recalculate key school-performance metric
School systems often tout how many of their schools met or exceeded expectations for test-score improvement. But the state is exploring changing it.
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100+ texts: Former GOP leader told election official how to vote during contentious public hearing
During the board’s discussions, the GOP leader at times texted the election official specific instructions such as “just say no” and “interrupt her” and “just vote no.”
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North Carolina secures $455 million PFAS settlement, plus $135 million cleanup reserve
North Carolina has secured $455 million in payments from Chemours, DuPont and Corteva over PFAS pollution, along with a separate $135 million reserve intended to protect future drinking water and cleanup work.
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FBI now publicly identifies, tracks AI used in crimes. North Carolinians have lost millions
The addition of whether crimes are "AI related" signals a notable addition in the agency's internet crime methodology, which agency leaders say speaks to the rising threat of artificial intelligence against consumers.
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Is secrecy fueling the backlash against data centers?
As data center opposition grows across North Carolina, secret negotiations and non-disclosure agreements are raising questions about how much residents know before projects and public hearings reach critical stages.
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NC auditor: It might be time to change the math as lottery sales soar, money to schools doesn't
The North Carolina Education Lottery has for years not met its goal of giving out at least 38% of proceeds to public education, which mostly includes K-12 schools, according to a state audit. A state statute indicates that at least 50% should go toward paying out winnings, the auditor said.
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Mail-in voting has begun in NC. Here’s what to know for the 2026 midterms
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to vote by mail in North Carolina this year. Learn more about how to request a ballot, send it back in and track its progress to ensure it’s counted.
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NC program trains doulas as maternity care deserts grow
As maternity care becomes harder to access in parts of rural North Carolina, NCCU is training community-based doulas to help expecting mothers navigate pregnancy and childbirth.
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School fire inspection reports reveal hundreds of violations, some taking years to fix
Although students in Wake County public schools are back in the classroom, many of their school buildings are still not up to state fire code, according to documents obtained by WRAL Investigates.
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Look it up: See how your NC school performed on state tests in 2026
More North Carolina students are testing proficiently across all subject areas, new data from the NC Department of Public Instruction shows.
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‘Raising expectations.’ Wake students’ proficiency rates rise again, new testing data shows
Two-thirds to three-quarters of Wake County Public School System students are testing proficiently on their end-of-grade and end-of-course exams, the data from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction shows.
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‘More opportunity’: Former leaders reflect on merger of Wake, Raleigh schools 50 years later
The decision to merge county and city schools set up what is now known as the Wake County Public School System, the biggest district in the state and one of the biggest in the nation.
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Ask the Meteorologist: What do the different flood risk levels mean?
When we receive a lot of heavy rain in a short period of time, flash flooding can occur. The Weather Prediction Center releases risk levels for this flooding, so let's break down what they are and what they mean.
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Where does the Meta settlement money go? | In Depth Mailbag
The In Depth team answers viewer questions about the Meta settlement, guns in schools and school bus safety on the highway.
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Over 400 Raleigh officers have access to surveillance cameras. How many are active staff?
Raleigh Police Department has more than 700 sworn law enforcement officers right now. The most recent audit, dated August 5, 2026, shows 416 of them are listed as "active" Flock users. WRAL Investigates compared police staffing and Flock data accessibility to other agencies.
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Federal officials travel to Raleigh to see life-saving crash tech. Will they mandate it?
While families point to a simple solution they believe will reduce deaths when a smaller vehicle gets trapped under a tractor-trailer, industry cost concerns and Congressional inaction have so far meant it won't be required.
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With limited AI policies, teachers take different approaches in the classroom
North Carolina teachers are taking varying approaches to artificial intelligence in classrooms, as school boards adopt limited policies for addressing the tool.
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Ask the Meteorologist: What's made this summer one of the most humid so far?
It's been the eighth most humid summer on record in Raleigh, and part of it has to do with ocean influence.
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Wake schools set to update policies on equity, book challenges after state budget
Wake County school system leaders are preparing to trim down their policies to comply with new state laws, including eliminating policies that outlined an intention to better connect with businesses with minority owners and set goals for signing contracts with them.
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‘We deserve to be kids.’ NC schools are improving safety, but do students think it’s working?
North Carolina leaders are ramping up school safety measures. Crime is down, but students have more complicated feelings.
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WRAL analysis: Inspections find HVAC concerns at 1 in 3 Wake schools
The Wake County Public School System’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning issues extend beyond extreme weather days. Some issues were observed on days that had mild weather, in addition to the days that had more extreme temperatures.
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Wake schools has more than 98% of teaching positions filled
The district has more vacancies than it did last year in instructional assistants, most of those in special education.
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'We should face questions': WRAL Investigates Rocky Mount leaders attending conference at resort
Several Rocky Mount city staff members and council members are attending a power utility conference at a four-star Virginia resort as the city faces financial strain and rising utility bills. WRAL Investigates how city officials are defending the trip.
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Why one NC school district is taking the laptops away and turning to old tech: paper and pencils
School districts have already been cracking down on cellphones. Now education leaders are setting their sights on a new target: the laptops they issue to students.
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As another week of heat settles in, Duke Energy rate hike heads back before regulators
Another stretch of 90-degree temperatures is driving up cooling costs as Duke Energy defends its proposed rate hike before state regulators.
