WRAL Newscasts
Noon News on WRAL - Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Kerry, get ready for the exciting new go-carry downtown loop! Enjoy easy access to downtown destinations like downtown Kerry Park, Kerry Regional Library, the Kerry Theatre and more. The loop operates Thursday through Sunday every 25 minutes and it's free to ride. Driving downtown, park at the town hall parking deck and hop on the downtown loop. With the new go-carry app, you can effortlessly plan your trip and track your bus in real-time. The app is free to download and use. Visit go-carry.org to learn more and start your journey today. Now, breaking news from WRAL, coverage you can count on. Our big and exciting pattern change is getting closer and rain chances are on the rise. I'll let you know the three threats coming with this system coming up. Breaking news, a shake-up in the race for Raleigh Mayor. There's not one less candidate for the top office in the capital city. Michelle McConkie has gathered information in the WRAL live center. Also, Chapel Hill Police are investigating an early morning shooting. What we've learned about the victim and possible leads in the case. So, we are in for one more day of sweltering heat and at a level one risk for severe weather. Good afternoon to you. I'm Jeff Hogan. And I'm Renee Chiu. Thanks for joining us. Meteorologist Kat Campbell is in the WRAL's severe weather center with a look at how the storms could affect your evening commute. We got a lot to talk about today. A very active weather day across the area. Three threats to walking through. A heat advisory is in effect through eight o'clock. The heat index today between 105 and 110. So, another day of this heat is our last one though of the week. And then we've got the threat for storms. These storms would pop up throughout the afternoon. I think the best chance should come during the evening. A few of those storms could produce damaging winds and the flood risk is low, but that flooding risk is going to go up in the days ahead. The cold front isn't here yet. It arrives tomorrow, but with it getting closer, we're going to see a complex of storms develop to our west that tries to push in later this evening. So, I do think we'll see greater coverage of storms compared to what we saw yesterday. As we move ahead toward the evening commute five o'clock, we've got about a 40% chance of showers and storms. These are going to be scattered in nature, but anybody who does see a storm for the evening commute, expect it to be intense and strong wind gusts and very heavy rain are possible. And then late tonight, we'll still have some storms around possibly through about 10 o'clock. But I think once we get to 11 o'clock midnight, all that activity is going to be dying down for us. Tomorrow, we're up to an 80% chance of rain. I'll have a closer look at that coming up in about 15 minutes. And breaking right now in the WRIA Live Center, Corey Branch has dropped out of the race for Raleigh Mayor that leaves four people currently running, including former state treasurer, Janet Cowell. Branch has scheduled a news conference to happen tonight at 630 at the state community church, where he will discuss his reasons for dropping out. Of course, we will have coverage of this in our later newscasts. Police are still on scene at an apartment complex in Chapel Hill after a deadly shooting early this morning and happened on Ashley Forest Road around one o'clock. WRL's Monica Casey is there now on scene. And Monica, you spoke with Chapel Hill Police. What are they telling you? Yeah, Chapel Hill police say they are speaking with a person of interest, but no charges have been filed at this point. They have been focused on this area of the apartment complex, but they've now gone further and deeper into the complex here. You can see a Chapel Hill fire department truck down the road here. They are there because bullet traveled far in this area. I spoke with a man who tells me he heard about six gunshots last night around one in the morning. He says he stayed up until two or three watching police respond, but it wasn't until this morning he realized a bullet had come into his apartment leaving a hole in the wall. And I woke up this morning and went in my kitchen and I had a big bullet hole in my kitchen that came through. If I would have been up, fortunately I wasn't in the kitchen, I would have got hit. William Rankins tells me he's lived here for 17 years and this is usually a safe and quiet area with lots of families and older residents. You can see members of the fire department are up on a ladder next to that building getting the bullet out of the wall there. Now Chapel Hill police have not yet released the name of the victim in this case, but they do say this is believed to be an isolated incident. In Chapel Hill, Monica Casey, WRAL News. We're now halfway through the Republican National Convention and today the focus is on the VP at the RNC. Tonight the convention turns its attention to foreign affairs, including the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The party will also hear from Ohio Senator J.D. Vance for the first time since becoming the vice presidential nominee. Democratic funded polling shows Joe Biden is losing ground to former President Trump in 14 key states, including five that he flipped in 2020. You can find a full list of remaining events at the Republican National Convention by going to WRAL.com. The man who tried to assassinate former President Trump requested the day off work on Saturday, telling his boss he had something to do. Thomas Krex reportedly told his co-workers he'd be back at work on Sunday. As investigators pieced together the hours before the shooting, they determined that he was at the security screening area prior to the rally. He was turned around because his range finder attracted the attention of security. The device is used by target shooters to measure distances for long range shots. Newly released body cam video from police captures the moment five police officers open fire on a man killing him right near the Republican National Convention. The mayor of Milwaukee says the police were at a briefing nearby when they saw one of the men waving a knife and it turns out that man on the left had two knives. Officers ordered him to drop them. The man did not and then even lunged at the unarmed person in the street on the right. That's when officers shot him. And where some of the anger has come from because they were not local police officers but in my conversations with officers including local police officers, any officer, any officer in that same situation where they witness somebody who's going to cause death or serious bodily harm to somebody with a gun or in this case with a knife not just one knife but two knives would have taken the exact same action to preserve life. This happened about a mile from the convention and the shooting fueled anger from people who lived nearby there who questioned why out of state officers were in their neighborhood located like I said about a mile from that site. President Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail. The president delivered remarks on the opening day of the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas. Biden worked to shore up support among black voters. He also denounced former President Trump's policies. Biden promised voters he is all in to continue his campaign for re-election. Take a look at stocks this noon. You can see the Dow Jones Industrial Average has continued its strong rally this week up 208 points right now but Nasdaq that's a different story because they're in a 2% slide because huge sell-offs in big tech stocks leading the way is Nividia down over 200 points in that area and also down is the S&P 500 down over 60 points right now. You may have noticed extra delays during the morning commute through Raleigh. That's after a tractor trailer carrying various sauces overturned on I-440. W. R. S. Lorlevine explains how crews cleared the mess. You can now see the tractor trailer involved in this incident off to the shoulder. The truck you can see sustained some significant damage from this accident but here is what the real problem is. Thousands of pounds of marinade which spilled across the interstate were talking about steak sauce teriyaki sauce that this truck was carrying. Crews responded to the accident on a belt line just before two o'clock this morning. The tractor trailer was found flipped on its side down the embankment. DOT crews were requested to help with the cleanup. You can see the truck's spraying water on the road to help wash away some of the marinade. I'm told the truck was carrying more than 38,000 pounds of product. Crews were seen tossing the debris and remaining jugs of sauce in several dumpsters. It's a process that took several hours to complete. Meanwhile, Raleigh police blocked off Wade Avenue inbound lanes near the on ramp of I-440 East, causing a few traffic delays as the crews continued to work. And the good news to come from all of this though Raleigh Watch Commander tell us there are no injuries to report from this incident. The driver is okay. Laura Levine, WREL News in Raleigh. Two drivers are in the hospital with serious injuries after a crash between a FedEx tractor trailer and a car. I-85 in Orange County is back open after the tractor trailer overturned, creating backups. This happened between Hillsborough and Durham near US 70 just after 130 this morning. Video from the W-R-E-L breaking news tracker shows the truck toppled over in the median. No word on who was at fault. And happening right now in the W-R-E-L Live Center at 1130 this morning, the 76th Emmy award nominees were announced. Shoga on top's all Emmy nominees. They got 25 nominations and then the bear leads comedies with 23. They set a new record for series record also in the running for Outstanding Talk shows, The Daily Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Show is Stephen Colbert. Lead actor for limited series or movies included John Hamm for Fargo, Andrew Scott for Ripley, and lead actress in a limited series, Jody Foster for True Detective and Brie Larson for lessons in chemistry. They are among a huge list of nominees. The Emmys will air September 15th. Huge list of things I need to watch. Next at noon, Musk could be on the move. Why Elon Musk is threatening to relocate his ex and SpaceX headquarters out of California. Also a frantic race to rescue a teenager stuck in the sand on a San Diego beach. What it took to get her out. Plus, swimming the sand at 1230. What the mayor of Paris was trying to prove by taking a dip in the river ahead of the Olympics. Keep watching W-R-E-L News over the air channel 34 and Spectrum Channel 1257. Here's Megan with Parkway Sleep Centers. Our sleepless nights affecting your life. Parkway sleep health centers can help. We've treated sleep disorders in the Triangle and beyond for over 20 years. We offer sleep studies, office visits, CPAP machines, supplies and more. And our stream life process allows us to see you sooner and usually saves hundreds of dollars. And sleep problems. Live your best life. Experience the Parkway Sleep Difference. Visit parkwaysleep.com and start your journey to better sleep today. Parkway Sleep Health Centers. Sound sleep. Sound health. What's next? At Moss Adams, that question inspires us to help people and their businesses strategically define and claim their future. As one of America's leading accounting, consulting and wealth management firms, our collaborative approach creates solutions for your unique business needs. We leverage industry focus insights with the collective technical resources of our firm to elevate your performance. Uncover opportunity and move upward at MossAtoms.com. Elon Musk is threatening to move X and SpaceX aerospace headquarters from California to Texas. The decision follows the new law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom that prevents California schools from notifying parents if their children identify as transgender. Darshot Phillips has reaction to the decision. SpaceX has a one million square foot campus in Hawthorne. Founder Elon Musk announced on his social media platform X, he would be moving SpaceX out of Hawthorne and into Texas. I saw when they were building everything. It was pretty cool. I was here as a kid, so we were very excited. Adonis Crank grew up in Hawthorne and was disappointed with the news. It gave a lot of opportunity for kids. Probably didn't see stuff like that every day. They were able to just, you know, like I can do that. Musk's move motivated by Governor Gavin Newsom's bill banning schools from notifying parents of gender identity changes. He posted on X. This is the final straw because of this law and the many others that preceded it attacking both families and companies. SpaceX will now move its headquarters from Hawthorne, California to Starbase, Texas. Governor Newsom's press office fired back with a series of tweets, including one that reads. The last time Elon Musk moved a headquarter, Tesla ended up expanding in California. Musk's posts on X gave little detail on what a move would actually entail. Our request for a response from SpaceX went unanswered. I think that's the big question right now is what is the future of SpaceX in Hawthorne, beyond just moving the headquarters? Sean Hyatt, a business strategy professor at USC, says if C-suite executives leave and the factory remains, it won't have much of an economic impact, but he says he wouldn't be surprised if Musk packed up the whole operation and left to Texas. Given that Mr. Elon Musk already has assets in Texas, it makes sense that we would want to consolidate and move the rest of his businesses over there. This is Darshia Phillips reporting, and it's not the first time Musk has taken aim at policies which protect members of the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, he was criticized for making anti-trans statements on X, posting things like pronouns suck. Happening right now in the WRA Live Center, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding have caused major damage and even some deaths from New Hampshire all the way to Illinois. Flash flooding in Arkansas has led to evacuations and water rescues. After a new wave of storms there, look at this video here, as much as 11 inches of rain fell overnight into today in parts of Arkansas, numerous bridges are washed out, evacuations are taking place as significant rising water is inside of homes and businesses. A nursing home also had to be evacuated, and there was a swift water rescue involving a recreational vehicle as well. There have been impacts to infrastructure there, but no immediate reports of any injuries from that flooding in Arkansas. Michelle, thanks. Shark attacks have been dominating headlines this summer, and now Florida woman is expected to make a full recovery after she was attacked by an alligator. The woman went for a run on the 4th of July, then decided to take a dip in the river behind her yard. She says she was in shallow water, when out of the dark water appears a giant alligator head. The alligator bit her leg and she recalls punching it in the snout and eventually pulling herself onto a dock. The thought came to my mind. This is your last move. And the next his next is to roll you. And I just screamed and I pride as hard as I could. It worked. She had to have emergency surgery and spent three days in the hospital. A licensed trapper removed the alligator from the river and euthanized it. The gator, by the way, weighed more than 400 pounds and it measured 10 feet eight inches. That's a lucky escape. So is this. We have video of the frantic race to rescue a teenager who got stuck in a hole in the sand at a California beach. This happened shortly before 5 p.m. at a beach in San Diego where lifeguards say the 16 year old was about six to eight feet deep in that hole when it partially collapsed, making her unable to climb out after nearly 20 minutes of digging crews freed that girl. She was checked out and is expected to be okay. That's a rough trip to the beach for sure. Very much so. You know, Michelle and life center was talking about that flooding in Arkansas. That's the same system that will be headed to us here and Cat Campbell is tracking that and what it will bring for us at least it will get cooler temperatures out of it. We get 80s from it. That's the upside. The downside is we also have a lot of rain in the forecast. The severe weather threat, not as expansive as what other states have seen, but we do have a low in threat for severe storms and a lot of rain coming. 92 degrees outside right now, even though we have a lot of clouds in the area, the sun sets at 830 tonight. It's one of our last 830 sunsets. Enjoy it while you can. The grass looking a little better there in Dix Park after last Friday's rain. Remember the flood risk we were under last Friday? That is the same flood risk we're going to be under tomorrow. So tomorrow, heavy rain, we're talking an 80% chance for rain. Friday, the rain chances may be higher in our southern county. So we've tapered that chance back a bit to about 50% and a 70% chance again on Saturday. Those eighties are right around the corner. I want to walk you through rainfall totals. This is from now just through nine o'clock tomorrow night. And I mean, just in that short span of time, we're talking anywhere from half an inch to an inch and a half of rain. These are totals around the Raleigh area. This should be a healthy dose of rain for many of us tomorrow. The flood risk, it's not uniform across our area. The risk is a little lower in our western counties and from the Triangle Sand Hills all the way to the coast that threat is more scattered. Not everybody's going to see flash flooding, but we are likely to see some flood advisories and perhaps a couple of flash flood warnings issued tomorrow. All thanks to this front that is on the way, this front is going to be getting stuck over North Carolina by tomorrow afternoon. So let's take a look at future casts. I'm starting this evening. So five o'clock, we do have scattered storms around about a 40% chance during the evening commute. That threat will continue through about 10 o'clock. Any storms that develop could have a heavy rain, but the flooding risk a bit lower today. And we have the potential for strong damage and wind gusts. Tomorrow, we have a lot more storms that are going to fire up. I would say there's a small chance for rain tomorrow morning. This version of future casts not showing it. But as we get toward 10, 11 o'clock notice, we see a few storms develop. So they could develop a little earlier in the day and then look at how they grow and coverage three o'clock. Pretty good chance of storms, but it's as we get towards six, seven, eight o'clock tomorrow night that we expect to see the most widespread thunderstorms. The front is right overhead. We've got ample moisture for this front to ring out and a lot of that rain is going to fall at once. So that brings about our flooding risk to moderate risk tomorrow or an elevated threat. The risk right between low and moderate on Friday and then over the weekend, we have a low in threat for some flash flooding as well. Well, let's take a look at today's W. Mariel Weather Roger picture. This is of a thunderstorm anvil sent in by William Friedrich last night and will send some of the storms in the distance. If you look at the sky and you see a cloud that looks like this, that's a sign that there is a thunderstorm in the distance. Always a good idea. If you were out and about during that, when you see that, open up the W. Mariel weather app so you can check in on the dual Doppler 5000 radar. Looking ahead, we just got to get through today, folks. Then we get a break from the heat 90 tomorrow. So until those storms pop up tomorrow, it's still pretty hot after that. Here come the 80s. I'm looking forward to it. It was a great decade and a great, you know, streak of temperatures. We'll take it. Good music. AG EMS equipment could be putting lives at risk. That's a warning from an EMS chief in our area. Today up for Eric Miller looks into the risks associated with the equipment in question and the costs associated with replacements. And at 530, potentially harmful ingredients found in baby lotions. Five on their side shows you the brands to avoid and which are safer options for your little one. But still have this new deciphering nutrition labels. How do you know what to look for? A registered dietitian shares why some ingredients may be more important to some people than others. Also, when you just boot your computer today, imagine waiting for 10 minutes to start your computer. It's instantaneous sometimes within seconds. A 10 minute computer boot up? That's something Gen Z will never understand why some buyers can't wait to get their hands on this piece of technology. Kari, get ready for the exciting new GoKari Downtown Loop. Enjoy easy access to downtown destinations like downtown Kari Park, Kari Regional Library, the Kari Theater and more. The loop operates Thursday through Sunday every 25 minutes and it's free to ride. Driving downtown? Park at the town hall parking deck and hop on the downtown loop. With the new GoKari app, you can effortlessly plan your trip and track your bus in real time. The app is free to download and use. Visit GoKari.org to learn more and start your journey today. Are you ready to buy or sell your home? The Jim Allen Group is a nationally recognized and award-winning real estate team in the Triangle, dedicated to providing exceptional service to meet your needs. With the latest insights and expert market knowledge, they'll make your home buying and selling journey as smooth as possible. Don't wait. Head over to JimAllen.com and start your next move today. That's JimAllen.com. The Jim Allen Group, your partner in real estate. Today's last day for Amazon's Prime Day sales and people are making the most of the deals, but Prime Day can be dangerous for warehouse workers. A new congressional report suggests that workers are more than twice as likely to be injured while working during the two-day event. Amazon's total injury rate during Prime Day in 2019 was just under 45 injuries per 100 workers. That's including the injuries the company did not report to OSHA. Amazon says a report from the Senate committee fails to address its progress in reducing injuries. Two luxury brands are the target of two separate investigations by Italian authorities. The brands are accused of misleading consumers and of illegal labor practices. The investigation of major designers marks a widening of efforts to crack down on labor trafficking and unfair labor practices. The companies are cooperating with authorities and say no allegations have no merit. The first generation Apple desktop computer that once belonged to Steve Jobs is hitting the auction block in New York. The computer was taken from his desk after he left the company in 1976. It's from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's collection, a former Microsoft computer scientist says before the revolutionary Apple One computers used to be the size of a room and a very basic piece of machinery. As a computer scientist, this is my era's da Vinci, because da Vinci only had a limited number of paintings. There is only one of these. There is no other comparable to this, period. So the computer is expected to sell for between 500,000 and 800,000 dollars. Bidding begins online at the end of August and a live auction will be held September 10th. Today is World Emoji Day. There's little dispute that emojis are an important part of our daily text threads, right? A recent text in quiz by CNN found Gen Z is more likely than others to use a skull emoji to convey laughter. I've never used the skull emoji, but oh, I love the emoji with the face with the tears of joy. I use that one all the time. And it remains the most popular choice across generations to convey laughter. Nearly 200,000 people have completed the non-scientific quiz so far. Up next at noon, Senator JD Vance speaks tonight at the RNC for the first time as the vice presidential nominee. We'll preview the focus of that much anticipated speech. Also coming up, the mayor of Paris, leading by example, takes a dip in the river Seine. What she says about this historic moment and the plans for the river after the Olympics. First, here's a look at the winning lottery numbers. What's next? At Moss Adams, that question inspires us to help people and their businesses strategically define and claim their future. As one of America's leading accounting, consulting and wealth management firms, our collaborative approach creates solutions for your unique business needs. We leverage industry focus insights with the collective technical resources of our firm to elevate your performance, uncover opportunity, and move upward at MossAtoms.com. The big moment at the Republican National Convention tonight is expected to be the address by Donald Trump's newly minted running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance. Vance has served in the Senate for less than two years. His record and background offer clues to both what a second Trump administration would do and what the future of the Republican Party might look like. Tomorrow night, former President Trump is expected to deliver a charge acceptance speech as he takes the stage at the convention. Former New Jersey governor and one-time presidential candidate Chris Christie is urging former President Donald Trump to tone down the rhetoric that has led to political violence. In a New York Times op-ed, Christie wrote, "Trump has the opportunity to reign in some of the worst rhetorical impulses of the Republican Party." He also pointed out that Trump's vice presidential pick, Senator JD Vance, has used rhetoric that demonizes Democrats. While Trump and President Biden have both called for unity in the aftermath of the assassination attempt, Christie has said that's not enough. Meanwhile, Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani says he has no regrets about defaming to Georgia election workers. Back in December, Giuliani was ordered to pay $158 million to the election workers for falsely accusing them of rigging the 2020 election. Giuliani also falsely claimed the election workers had their legal bills paid for by President Biden. The mother and daughter were represented pro bono by a prominent law firm and an advocacy group. As Republicans gather for the third day of their national convention in Milwaukee, Democrats in Raleigh gather to warm voters about a document they say sketches out the blueprint for a potential second presidential term for former President Donald Trump. WRL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie is outside the state Democratic Party headquarters with what they say that is likely to look like. Laura. For a project 2025 is a 900-plus page document drafted by the Heritage Foundation with the input of more than 200 former Trump advisors and officials. It lays out a massive overhaul of the federal government. The document calls for the elimination of the federal Department of Education, the outlawing of a drug used for medication abortion nationwide, and cuts to Social Security and other benefits programs. It also calls for the removal of most workers and federal agencies to be replaced with administration loyalists. The Democrats say this will be the blueprint for Trump's return to the White House. Trump has been working to distance himself from the document saying on social media a week ago I have not seen it have no idea who is in charge of it and had nothing to do with it. I asked Democratic Party chair to Clayton Anderson Clayton rather to respond to that. The 12 of the advisors that sit with Trump right now on his presidential campaign have co-authored this or have co-authored project 2025. I don't think you can run for something run from something that the majority of the people around you support and have supported. A state Republican leaders are also distancing themselves from the plan which has drawn considerable scrutiny and the press. The only second term agenda we are focused on is the 2024 platform and agenda 47 which is a pro-America agenda as opposed to the Democrats' failures. N C G O P his spokesman Matt Mercer told me this morning. This is not the first time the Heritage Foundation has made recommendations to an incoming president. They did something similar in 1981 when Ronald Reagan was elected. According to the Heritage Foundation's president, more than 60 percent of those recommendations were adopted as official government policy. Laura Leslie, WRL News live in Raleigh. The search for UNC's next chancellor will move forward today. The search committee will meet in Chapel Hill this afternoon. UNC is looking for a permanent replacement for Kevin Gusquitz who left for Michigan State in January. Lee Roberts is the chancellor for now. The board of governors and system president Peter Hans will make the final call. The committee's goal is to name a new chancellor by the end of the year. Year-round teachers in Durham Public Schools return to work today. A day-long kickoff to the school year is taking place at Northern High School. Earlier, they heard from the new Superintendent Nicholas King and they're participating in professional development sessions. DPS students on the year-round calendar will start Monday. And discriminating against hairstyles will not be allowed in Wake County Schools. The school board changed its dress code policy for students and staff. The change means students won't be punished for wearing their hair in braids, twists, or other natural or cultural styles. It's something for which black students and families have been advocating. New Title IX regulations have been adopted into Wake County School policies regarding sex-based discrimination. The school board approved several language changes last night. They include clarifying that Title IX complaints don't have to be written down. You can read more about the debate over the changing Title IX landscape at the education section of WRL.com. The countouts getting real. We're just nine days away from the start of the Paris Summer Olympics. And France is looking to showcase the country's natural and cultural landmarks, including the river said eight days away, just under nine days. It will be the venue for the triathlon and marathon swimming events. But there have been some concerns about pollution levels. Today, the mayor of Paris took a dip in the river to show it is safe for swimming. It's very, very cool to be here. And it was a dream. And now it's real. And after the gas, we will have a swimming pool in the river for all the people, for the parishion people, and for the tourists also. The government has spent more than one and a half billion dollars to clean up the river to suitable levels for swimming. The mayor of Paris hopes that by dipping in the waters, that diminishes any fears of pollution. And when it comes to uniforms for the Paris Olympics, fans say Team Mongolia takes the gold. The uniforms incorporate the colors of the Mongolian flag, as well as the national symbol found on the country's banner. Many have taken to social media about this praising the striking designs and intricately embroidered vest dresses and accessories that will be worn during the opening ceremony. One fan wrote, "It looks like they are taking people's souls in the competition." Nutrition labels on food packages can be hard to decipher. How to maximize your understanding so that the information can help you with healthier eating. Plus, one state is making driverless cars a public transportation option, why it says they can especially help passengers with disabilities. We appreciate you watching! Remember, you can watch WRAL News live anytime on WRAL.com or the WRAL app right on your swimming device. What's next? At Moss Adams, that question inspires us to help people and their businesses strategically define and claim their future. As one of America's leading accounting consulting and wealth management firms, our collaborative approach creates solutions for your unique business needs. We leverage industry-focused insights with the collective technical resources of our firm to elevate your performance, uncover opportunity, and move upward at MossAtoms.com. How dangerous is it to unwrap a burger at 40 miles per hour? More so than you think. In a little over two seconds, your car can travel slightly more than 117 feet, which is the same length as 20 bicycles. Anything that distracts you while driving is dangerous. That's why driving while texting can be deadly too. So put it down, it can wait. Don't drive distracted, shifting to safe. A message from the Colorado Department of Transportation. It's a live look right now at the D-Bab. Durham Bulls Athletic Park just waiting for a game right there under the sunshine and watching WRAL News available on Hulu and the WRAL app on TV or streaming device. Two regulatory agencies are cracking down on illegal sales of copycat food products containing Delta 8 THC. The FDA and the FTC issued warnings to five companies that produce Delta 8 THC edibles. Substance is a psychoactive cannabinoid that is made from the same plant type as marijuana and hemp. Regulators are concerned about the product packaging because it looks very similar to popular foods like food loop cereal and chips ohoy cookies. Companies have 15 working days to respond to the concerns. Ever take a look at the nutrition facts on food packages, it can be tough to understand what it all means. People are going to look for different things on that nutrition label. For example, someone with diabetes may pay special attention to the added sugars and total carbohydrates or someone doing keto may be more focused on the fat content. Overall, it's important to set parameters so you don't get overwhelmed. As you become more proficient in it and you have a better idea of certain brands and certain stores, it's going to be a little bit easier but in the very beginning, it does take a little bit of time and takes a little bit of investigation to kind of exactly know what you're looking for. Also, look at the serving size and how much that is. It's important to look at both sides of packaged food because what's advertised on the front may not include everything that's actually inside. When in doubt, talk with a dietician who can create a specific plan for your needs. After nearly 35 years, Las Vegas bids farewell to the mirage. How locals and visitors are remembering the iconic venue. This year's Hydrangea Blooms are having a banner year. Coming up, what a master gardener says, allowed the buds to survive, thrive, and run wild. Breaking news, the designer can give you the kitchen of your dreams. I'm Dana Merrill, the owner of the designer in North Raleigh. I am true Merrill. I am the project manager. The designer is a lovely kitchen bath and closet remodeling company. We do pretty much any of the utility spaces in your house. If you want to store things in your cabinets, if you want to work on things on your countertops, if you want to have a floor that can get wet or muddy, we're the place to help you fix your home up. We are the designer in North Raleigh, located at 3030 Wake Forest Road in the Holly Park Plaza. We would love to see you or visit our website at thedesigner.com. I chose William Peacet University because of the small class sizes. I feel that you get more one-on-one time with teachers. With class sizes like about 16 per teacher, you can really get that one-on-one help a lot of students need. A 12-to-one student to faculty ratio is just one of the many reasons students choose William Peacet University. Extra attention starts day one for career planning with their Career Services Center. Find out all they have to offer at peace.edu. Happening right now in the WRGL Live Center, a crash in Wake Forest on Burlington Mills Road is causing us some major delays right now. These are pictures from the crash. This is happening along Burlington Mills Road near Knight Heron Drive. You can see two Honda vehicles appear to be in the grass area off the side of the road. No injuries have been reported and ambulance is on scene as well as a fire truck and you can see the long line of cars behind that fire truck. An alternate route to use motorists are being told to avoid that area so an alternate route to use would be for a one or Lewisburg Road. Autonomous vehicles will soon be hitting the road in parts of Minnesota along with giving the public an additional way to get around the vehicles will also be designed to help those who need extra assistance. Public Transportation Agency is partnering with a Michigan based company for a three year five million dollar deal. The plan calls for five autonomous wheelchair accessible vans to join the public transportation fleet. Rides will be available on demand through the existing transit app or by phone. One of the things that we really want to make sure is to be as inclusive as possible for people with disabilities or seniors who need a little bit of extra assistance. They are autonomous while no one is technically driving there will be an operator in the van at least to start. Transit leaders say the deal will fill a labor shortage while also meeting the needs of the community. This year's hydrangea blooms are lighting up front yards all over New England. Some say this is the first time they have even really seen significant blooming ever on their plants. NBC's Emily Aket explains what's behind this banner here in hydrangea heaven. With their heavenly hues of blues and pinks hydrangeas are a summer staple along the eastern seaboard and this year the unmistakable mophead flowers are blooming and booming and an abundance not seen in years from Connecticut to New Jersey to Massachusetts. Blue in the front and pink in the back. Pamela Vasquez and her team tend to the Chatham Barzins 5000 hydrangea plants. She says the explosion of colorful clusters is weather dependent. We had a really mild winter so our buds were protected and then it was a very rainy wet spring which definitely helped the ground so we knew it was going to be a show. In Boston the temperature dropped to 14 degrees last winter the year before negative 10. You can see the difference in the summers that followed. While many vacationers flocked to Cape Cod for its shoreline and marine life officials here say this sea of color is now drawing crowds of its own like never before. Had to stop because they just they take your breath away they're they're beautiful. Is it worth the trip? Absolutely nothing says Cape Cod like hydrangeas by the sea. It just evokes that feeling. With the curtain soon closing on this summer's hydrangea show so many already dreaming of the next. There's never enough hydrangeas for this property. I hope every year is as fabulous as this year. Emily Ikeda, NBC News, Chatham, Massachusetts. They truly are gorgeous. We have hydrangea bushes in the front yard and on the side much smaller ones and they bloomed in May and now they just look like burnt popcorn. Oh yeah dried up shriveled up. They look like they're multiplying in some of those shots right down. Maybe the heat is making them wilt. Can't candles in the WRS center right now with a look at the risk? Yes and you know we have had an exceptionally hot summer. We had those early blooms and then it just was so dry that it limited the hydrangeas this season. It's my mom's favorite flower so my dad was going out with the hose every day to try to keep him going this year. The limelight ones still seem to be in bloom when I'm driving around though. The major heat is backing off though. Good news. Today we have major heat in the forecast. Another heat advisory today. We've got a moderate heat risk tomorrow. We're still going to heat up before the rain and storms arrive but they're going to be widespread when they get here and then the heat risk really backs off for the weekend. So good news to look forward to. 91 is our normal high this time of year. We're going to be at 90 for the high tomorrow. Then mid 80s Friday and Saturday. Over the weekend we warm back up into the upper 80s by Sunday. But these are below normal temperatures with 91 or normal high this time of year. That's why you see the temperature anomaly map turning blue. It doesn't mean we're going to get chilly by any means but we get some relief in sight thanks to that cold front and look at the temperatures behind the front. 80 degrees in Chicago right now 81 in Cleveland. Once the front gets here we're going to tap into some of those 80s as well. Not the 70s that Minneapolis has. Check out Zebulant from the historic town hall. The grass here looks spectacular. It's a beautiful day out there and look at the flags blowing in the wind. We at least have a little bit of a breeze to contend with the heat today. It's been feeling a little bit better. 104 the current heat index at RDU. 100 is what it feels like in southern Pines. 104 in Clinton. 102 in South Hill. It's a hot one out there. No storms have fired up in our area just yet. That will happen later this afternoon and into the evening. It's about a 40% chance of some scattered thunderstorms by the time we get to the evening commute at five o'clock. So hopefully you can see one of those storms and head out for a dog walk right after the rain clears. That's going to be your best bet today. Temperatures stay in the mid 80s at eight o'clock and then late tonight we are still right around 80 even at midnight. It's going to be a hot one. If you are headed out for a dog walk please try to keep them in the grass. Quick in and out the pavement temperatures between 120 and 125 in our viewing area and a reminder especially after a couple of stories that we had last week never ever ever leave your children or your pets inside your car. The outside temperature when it's 90 degrees and keep in mind we're going to be even hotter than that today for many of us is 109 after just 10 minutes 124 after 30 minutes. This is stifling and deadly heat for anyone or any pets to be left in a car. Over the next seven days the heat backs off in a pretty significant way for July in North Carolina. We've got 90 for the high tomorrow some 80s on the horizon. I will say our low temperatures don't dip too much. We're going to be back in the lower 70s so it stays pretty humid out there but look at our rain chances some decent chances on the way an 80% chance tomorrow 50% chance Friday and 70% chance on Saturday. With the Maraki ride there I can't thank you. You could say one winning rapper's music is out of this world. How Missy Elliott described NASA's decision to transmit one of her songs into space. First here's a look at the winning mega millions numbers. We have five 35 42 58 and 66. The mega ball is 22. The mega player is two. Here's Megan with Parkway Sleep Centers. Our sleepless nights affecting your life. Parkway Sleep Health Centers can help. We've treated sleep disorders in the triangle and beyond for over 20 years. 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Officers were called and found a man who had been shot. He was taken to a hospital where he later died. Police are speaking with a person of interest in this case. We're working to find out what caused a tractor trailer to crash on the belt line in Raleigh this morning that resulted in steak sauce all over the road. The truck was transporting jugs and bottles of steak marinade. It beared off and overturned near the Wade Avenue exit around 145 this morning. The driver is okay. Crews work to clean up the sticky mess. Raleigh City Council member Corey Branch is no longer running for mayor. Janet Cal Paul Fitz Eugene Myrig James Shaughnessy are all still in the race. In April, Mary Ann Baldwin announced she would not seek a third term as mayor. Her term expires in December. The filing period to succeed Baldwin closes this Friday at noon. The Mirage Hotel fully shuts down in just a few hours marking the end of a nearly 35 year run. The iconic volcano erupted outside the hotel last night for the final time. In 2021, Hard Rock Las Vegas announced it was purchasing the venue. The hotel is being shut down in removing the notable volcano to make room for the guitar shaped building symbolizing the new brand. The 22 story property is slated to be demolished later this year and it will be replaced with the baseball stadium, the home of the relocated Oakland days. A 74 year old man from Massachusetts is proof you're only as old as you feel. Paul Topham set a new record for his age and weight class in powerlifting. Now he's setting his sights on the world championship in November. Nick named Papa Smurf for his white beard. Topham is definitely not your average senior citizen. He's got to strive to do better. He always got to strive to get stronger. And the only way he's going to do that is persistence. This is because I'm 74. It doesn't mean I have to think I'm old. Yeah, despite being in his mid 70s, Topham is a regular at his YMCA and is only partially retired from his tree cutting business. For years, Missy Elliott has dabbled in other worldly costumes and themes for her music videos. So it's only fitting that NASA gave her a special honor. NASA says it transmitted Missy Elliott's song, "The Rain," "Supa Dupa Fly," to Venus, via radio antennas. And it took nearly 14 minutes for the song to travel about 158 million miles. Elliott posted to social media saying, "The sky is not the limit. It is just the beginning," well said. In her 2024 tour called "Out of this World," Elliott can be seen donning chrome, instead of costumes, echoing themes of 80s space movies. A pet of the day is a beautiful tortoise shell from Cat Angel's NC. Miss Callie in a relaxed sweetheart that'll happily greet you at the door every day you come home. She enjoys playing with a small chaser toys, loves to get chin scratches, hoping to find a quiet home. 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