WRAL Newscasts
8AM News on WRAL - Tuesday, July 2, 2024
It's time for today's Lucky Land horoscope with Victoria Cash. Life's gotten mundane, so shake up the daily routine and be adventurous, with a trip to Lucky Land. You know what they say, your chance to win starts with a spin, so go to luckylandslots.com to play over a hundred social casino style games for free for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. Get Lucky today at luckylandslots.com. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void were prohibited by law 18 plus terms of condition supply. Live from WRL news headquarters in Raleigh, your number one source for local news. WRL news coverage you can cut off. Wow, it feels comfortable out there this morning. Our dew points weigh down at 58, which is unusual for it this time of year. I'll show you when it climbs to tropical and we could be back into some dangerous heat. Pedestrian safety is top of mind here in the Bull City. Federal funding will help improve crosswalks and bus stops just ahead a look at the efforts underway to make the streets safer. And if you thought the crowds at airports were busy now, buckle up. The record breaking travel we're expecting at RDU and across the country as airports record the busiest travel days ever. Happy Tuesday morning. Thanks for joining us here on WRL news and Fox 50. I'm Chris Lovingett. Let's get you today started with your weather forecast. We have Elizabeth Gardner taking a look at Apex this morning. Yeah, look at beautiful there. Lots of sunshine feeling great too. Our dew point is low, meaning that we don't have a lot of moisture in the atmosphere. So it feels nice and pleasant out there. It doesn't feel sticky for you as you head out the door. 58 is our dew point 69 as our temperature checking temperatures across the area still in the 50s and 60s here at eight o'clock, 67 in Southern Pines and Clinton 68 Rocky Mount and 59 in Roxborough. Checking our hour by hour forecast. We do climb into the upper 80s this afternoon, which will feel hot if you're just standing directly in the sun. But if you can find a shady spot with our lower dew point, that low humidity will still feel comfortable. It's a nice day to be outside if you can get there. Hurricane barrel is still a category five storm. We just got the 8 a.m. advisory in. It has winds at 165 moving northwest at 22 miles per hour. And now it is 625 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. It is likely to swing past Jamaica, potentially not making a direct landfall. But as a category three storm major hurricane as it moves past Jamaica, there is likely to be some damage there. It does weaken as it heads toward the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Coming up, I'll show you why it looks like it will be weaker as it arrives there. And I'll show you the potential for another system to develop, Brett. Thanks, Elizabeth. Let's take a look at traffic right now. 802 on your Tuesday morning, I'm Brett Neeson for Ken Smith and we do have a couple of crashes out there to tell you about. And we are starting to see that normal congestion volume as we are now in the eight o'clock hour. Some slowdowns on the Beltline. I 87 near Smithfield Road. That is an earlier crash and it looks like we've got some green back on the sensor. So it looks like it's in the clearing stages at this point, which is good news. But over on 1010 Road near US 1 interchange, there is a serious crash and we got lots of reds and yellows. And that's starting to really back up as you approach 1010 Road. Coming up in a few minutes, I might have an alternate route for you. Taking a look at some drive times on the Durham Freeway itself. We are starting to see some slowdowns out there, three minutes southbound, two minutes northbound. You are going to see those normal pockets that if you take the Durham Freeway in and out of Durham that you're used to normally. We've got our live look out there as well if we can get over to that camera right here at TW Alexander Drive. And that you see some of that traffic that is entering the downtown Durham area. We'll keep an eye on that and let you know if anything changes. All right, thanks, Brad. Hurricane barrel is potentially a catastrophic category five storm this morning. You can see right here in this video showing the damage from Grenada where the storm leveled 90% of the buildings on the island yesterday. It also did considerable damage to several of the other windward islands. It's expected to hit islands, including Haiti and the Dominican Republic later today. At least one person in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is dead as a result of this storm. Barrel is the earliest category five hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. The storm could eventually hit Mexico too. People in Cancun are getting some schools ready to use as shelters. Be ready for the big crowds and long lines at RDU where you're taking a live look this morning. The TSA says that airports are busier than they have ever been surpassing the numbers we saw even before the pandemic. WRL's Kelsey Coffee is at RDU this morning in Kelsey the 4th of July holiday. It is going to be so busy there at RDU. Chris, they're expecting for the airport to be packed and right now to out of the five parking areas here at RDU or full throughout the rest of the week. Right now we are in the central parking deck. So this is one of the lots that actually still has some spots left. But let's give you a look now in video from over Mother's Day weekend when RDU had a one day record. Nearly 59,000 people travel through RDU on Mother's Day and looking ahead now to the 4th of July we're expecting record breaking numbers. More than 5.7 million Americans are expected to fly this week. That's a 7% increase from last year, a record high according to AAA. We want to encourage our customers, try to get here two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international. That leaves you plenty of time to get through the ticket counters, get through the checkpoint itself and get to your gate. And remember most airlines board 40 minutes before the flight actually leaves. And if you want to give yourself a little bit of extra time before coming to RDU be sure to book your parking online right now. But there are still spots available here in the central lot, the premier lot and the express lot. But just remember that you have to book that parking 24 hours in advance. Kelsey Coffee, WRL News Live at RDU. A plan is in the works to make it safer for people to walk around Durham. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be in town today and he's going to take a look at how a federal grant will be used for this project. WRL's Laura the Bean explains we have seen a lot of crashes and crimes in that area where this project's happening. This funding would help improve pedestrian safety along bus routes that are high traffic or in high traffic areas like this one along Fayetteville Street. You know, there isn't enough lighting here, enough benches as well as signage to keep people safe. And this is what leaders aim to improve. Here's a look at the area of focus now on your screen, the Holloway Street Project, which is the city's busiest transit route. And it's also seen high crime and traffic fatalities. It starts at the eastern edge of downtown Durham. The goal is to help riders feel more comfortable and secure at the bus stop. They want to build new sidewalks, upgrade the bus stops, improve crosswalks, install new lighting, add bike racks and ADA approved ramps. The Transportation Secretary today will celebrate the recent announcement of the $12 million grant to improve 33 intersections in Durham. He will meet with some of the small business owners as well as community members that will be directly impacted by this investment. The construction for this project will begin in 2026 with the goal to be completed by 2027. Laura Levine, WRL news in Durham. President Joe Biden is condemning the Supreme Court's decision rule that presidents have absolute immunity for official acts while in office. Again, this ruling from yesterday, he issued a warning over what this could mean. If former President Donald Trump wins another term. Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide. They want to entrust the president once again, the presidency to Donald Trump. Now, knowing he'll be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases whenever he wants to do it. Landmark decision dramatically enhances the power of the presidency. The ruling also means that former President Trump can and likely will claim broad immunity and his pending federal election interference case. Back here locally, a mayor is now facing his fourth DWI arrest since he was first elected in 2018. Sharpsburg mayor Robert Williams was arrested yesterday afternoon in Rocky Mountain. Police say he was driving erratically on North Wesleyan Boulevard. He was charged with DWI, driving while license revoked, open container and concealing a handgun permit violation. Well, Williams was also charged with DWI in February and December. And he was even arrested for DWI the night he was elected in 2018. Sharpsburg's mayor Pro Tem has been in charge ever since town commissioners voted to strip Williams of his duties in January. Today, Raleigh's city council will meet and the plan is for them to consider the rezoning of more than 700 properties for the New Bern Avenue corridor of the bus rabbit transit, among other issues. That meeting is at 1 o'clock this afternoon and then a different session is planned for tonight at 7 p.m. Fire companies from across Moore County battled a large outside fire on Monday. The fire broke out on Parker Road in Eagle Springs. Authorities say dry conditions and a strong breeze helped the fire spread rapidly. The North Carolina Forestry Service also brought in equipment to help maintain the fire. There are no reports and many injuries or damages to any buildings. A bill that officially defines anti-Semitism is now law in North Carolina. Governor Roy Cooper signed that bill yesterday and critics worried the bill could impede First Amendment rights. It passed the state legislature almost unanimously. Governor Cooper said it's needed because of increasing cases of Jewish people being targeted. Supporters say a law like this could help with education and also with hate crime prosecutions. But again, others worry that it infringes on protesters otherwise free speech rights. You can learn more about this law on WRAL.com. UNC officials are weighing in on where they should build their next basketball area. By the end of the month, UNC will have the results of a study to replace the Dean Dome. The university is paying more than $217,000 for the work and a financial report, a final report that is for sites on campus and off. The report will address parking, traffic, transportation as well as cost, and revenue implications of each site. The Dean Dome was built in 1986. Coming up in tense moments on an airplane, when strong turbulence forced an emergency landing in Brazil, we are going to show you the damage to the plane's cabin after that turbulence injured dozens of people. Plus new details into an elaborate scheme connecting kidnappings, robberies and assaults to a single gang in the triangle. What a 50-page indictment reveals about the so-called "shoot to kill" gang. It's a nice morning out there. Our dew point temperatures are nice and mild. We do see much warmer temperatures once we get to the 4th of July holiday and through the weekend. We'll take a look at what it will feel like and the latest on Hurricane Barrel coming up. It is Ryan here and I have a question for you. What do you do when you win? Like are you a fist-pumper? A woohoo! A hand clap or a high-fiver? If you want to hone in on those winning moves, check out Chumba Casino. Choose from hundreds of social casino-style games for your chance to redeem serious cash prizes. There are new game releases weekly plus free daily bonuses, so don't wait. Start having the most fun ever at ChumbaCasino.com. Sponsored by Chumba Casino, no purchase necessary, VGW Group. Avoid where prohibited by law, 18-plus terms and conditions apply. We start off with a look at the tropics. We have a historic Hurricane Barrel with the first Category 5 storm to form this early in the season. Yesterday it was the first Category 4 storm to form this early in the season. It moved across the Leeward Islands directly over Grenada, but definitely affected a lot of those islands with very strong winds and a lot of heavy rain. It's likely to graze some of these larger islands of the Caribbean, especially Jamaica. It's like it will come right past that. The center of circulation may not make landfall in Jamaica, but a lot of those rain bands will produce heavy rain and some wind damage for folks there. Right now it is 625 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, moving northwest at 22, and the wind speed hasn't changed either 165 for those wind speeds. It's still likely to move west and approach the Yucatan Peninsula by the time we get to Thursday night or Friday, so it's moving along fairly quickly. And it will weaken. It's going to run into some wind shear. What's that means is winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere that are blowing the top off the storm, causing it to weaken. So we will see that. The big question is, where is it going to make landfall? Right now if you just take the Hurricane forecast path literally, it looks like it would make landfall potentially in Mexico. But it also looks like it's possible that we would end up seeing that pushing a little bit farther to the west. So this high pressure system that's sitting over the southeast is driving this. You can see the winds rotating clockwise there, so it's pushing that storm through the Caribbean. It's definitely going to keep it south of North Carolina, but eventually it might help to spin it a little bit farther to the north if that high slides eastward. Take a look at the model plots and you can see some of those turn it right before it makes landfall in Mexico and it makes landfall in Texas. So we'll see how that ends up playing out. Interestingly enough, this system yesterday had a 70% chance of developing, and that's dropped to around 30. We'll take a look at the model plots though, and it does look like it could, if it did develop, affect more the larger islands of the Caribbean and make a turn to the east of the United States. We'll watch that one closely of course. It's nice and bright out there this morning. Chapel Hill courtesy of top of the Hill restaurant, Goldsboro looking pretty fayetteville as well. They're at our newsroom. We're looking at comfortable conditions now, but getting very hot again by Thursday for the 4th of July. Heat index will be above 100 starting on Thursday through the weekend, and storms return starting Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Forecast time for 4th of July, 98. That is going to be hot. One of the hottest that we've seen, 101 is the hottest 4th of July we have on record. 30% chance of rain Friday, 50 on Saturday, just a very small chance for thunderstorms on Thursday. So I think the fireworks should be just fine. The heat stays with us, and that chance of thunderstorms too into the weekend. Coming up, we'll talk about specific heat indices through the weekend, right? Let's take a look at traffic right now at 816 here on your Tuesday morning. We have a couple of things to talk about, including the Syria Scratch. It's on 1010 Road. Right near Lufkin Road, we did just get confirmation from the Apex Police Department that there is part of that road closed right now at Lufkin Road on 1010. So we're working to learn a little bit more information. Two cars involved trying to find out exactly if anybody has been injured and how long that's going to be out there. Thinking a wider look, this is Kildare Farm Road. If you want to use Kildare Farm to try on road to get over to US 1, that might be your best alternate route, especially with that partial road closure at this point. I-87 at Smithfield Road. That is our live look there, and you see some cars flowing in both directions looking pretty good on I-87 right now in the Beltline, also looking good this morning, Chris. Thank you, Brad. Prosecutors have elaborated more about the investigation into the so-called "shoot to kill" game that led to federal charges. WRL investigates first broke the story a week ago, and indictment WRL obtained connects kidnapping, robberies, and assaults to a gang with a deadly history in the triangle. US Attorney Michael Easley spoke with WRL about this, and he shares more details about the elaborate scheme and the six people indicted in this case. In this case, in particular, alleged in the indictment and the criminal filings suggest that the defendants use a GPS tracking device to further advance their crimes. The indictment claims the gang put that GPS on a person's car to track him, and then robbed him before kidnapping him. Easley says a collaboration with local law enforcement called the "violent crime action plan" helped them make the arrests. The family of a 13-year-old shot who police shot and killed in upstate New York is demanding justice and accountability. Bodycam footage shows Utica police officers padding down Naya Muey. They say that he matched a description for an armed robbery suspect, and in the video, Muey is seen running from police, and right there, you see that, appears to turn and point something. Police later determined that was a BB gun. An officer tackled him, and another one fired their service weapon. Protesters there say that the use of force went way too far. Muey's family is part of Utica's robust refugee community from Myanmar. Our parents, they fled war, they fled persecution. We are the future that is our home, we're not running away. The officers who were involved are on paid administrative leave. Local police and the New York Attorney General's office are investigating this case. Firefighters are working to keep a wildfire away from communities in Alaska. This fire, it's called a Riley fire, and it started burning on Sunday. The wildfire has grown to more than 350 acres, and it threatens the entrance to Denali National Park. Several hundred people have been forced to evacuate, and park management says this wildfire is within about a quarter of a mile from people and structures too. Dozens of people were injured on a flight from Madrid to Uruguay, and that is because strong turbulence reportedly hit the planet. And so, the aircraft had to make an emergency landing in Brazil. The plane was a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The Spanish airline, Air Europe, operated this aircraft. You can see the damage from inside the plane's cabin following that intense turbulence. At least 30 people suffered different types of injuries, and some are being treated at a hospital in Brazil. There are newly released grand jury transcripts that provide a closer look into Jeffrey Epstein's 2006 sex trafficking and rape case. A Florida judge released the transcripts yesterday. In his order, the judge wrote, "The details in the record will be outrageous to decent people." And he called Epstein, "the most infamous pedophile in American history." Again, his words. The 2006 case stems around Epstein's actions at his Palm Beach mansion. Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in 2019. Chocolate chip muffins sold at Aldi are being recalled. That's because of allergy concerns. The FDA says this four count of bake shop muffins could trigger a serious allergic reaction for people who have walnut allergies. The recalled muffins are labeled with the lot code N-F-1-1-4-2-Y. Now, no illnesses have been reported, and production of the muffins stopped as soon as walnuts were discovered. Just a reminder, the loud and colorful fireworks you think are fun aren't as fun for your animals. Rebecca Caster shares some ways to keep your pet calm this 4th of July holiday. The 4th of July is almost here, and Americans will be having a blast over the long holiday weekend. But the celebrations should be sparking concerns in pet parents. According to a new survey by Rover, nearly three-quarters of cats and dogs are afraid of fireworks. They don't understand where it's coming from, so we want to keep them safe and fight our home. Best ways to reduce anxiety, keep your pet indoors, tire them out during the day, use a thunder shirt or a pressure wrap, and make sure they have a safe place to retreat. If all else fails, consider asking your vet for medication to keep them calm. And then, of course, close all your windows, close all your doors. We're back to gonna help with the sound. 42% of dog parents say their pup has tried to run away during a fireworks display. For cats, that number pounces to 64%, and about a third of those animals actually escaped. The pet who's in an anxious state will do extreme things. If your animal does get out, experts say they're likely nearby. Those first 20 flowers are the most crucial, so get on the streets, start looking, and remember they're most likely going to be hiding. They're really scared, and they don't understand where those fireworks are coming from. Around the fourth, shelters see an influx of lost pets according to the Humane Society, making this a good time for pet parents to ensure their tags are up to date. Make sure at number super clear to reap. You're gonna be staying away with your pet for the Fourth of July, or holiday. It should be a number someone can actually reach you at. That was Rebecca Castor reporting. Another thing to keep in mind during your Fourth of July barbecues, make sure that your pet doesn't sneak a bite of harmful human food like onions or chocolate. An NC courage player will represent Canada and the upcoming Olympic Games. Defender Sidney Collins has been named to the Canadian Women's National Team's 18-player Olympic roster. She has been on the team for two years from now. Collins has been on injured reserves since March. That's because of an ankle injury during the Women's Gold Cup. She says she could not be more excited and honored to represent Canada and the Olympics. Just a little reminder for you, WRIO is your home of this summer Olympics. Our Elizabeth Laughlin will be in Paris and will bring you live reports there. We'll also have live coverage all day from July 26th to August 11th on WRIO. So if you think that the airport is busy now, yeah, it's gonna get busier. Coming up, we have a look at the record-breaking crowds expecting this Fourth of July holiday as airports experience the most travelers ever. And a local mayor faces his fourth DWI arrest since 2018. It's time for today's Lucky Land Horoscope with Victoria Cash. Life's gotten mundane, so shake up the daily routine and be adventurous, with a trip to Lucky Land. You know what they say, your chance to win starts with a spin. So go to luckylandslots.com to play over a hundred social casino style games for free for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. Get Lucky today at luckylandslots.com. No purchase necessary, VGW Group, void prohibited by law, 18-plus terms of condition supply. As you get into your cartoon to WRAL news plus on your radio in Raleigh on 99.3 FM, in Durham 96.5 FM, and everywhere on 101.5 HD 3. Good morning, your time is 826 and I'm Chris Lovinggood. Let's get you started on your weather forecast with Elizabeth. And it's so nice out there. Temperatures still in the 60s and Durham, Raleigh and Fayetteville. The Durham Bulls will be back at the debab starting July 4th with a lot of fun events and fireworks, but also a little bit more heat. Looking gorgeous this morning, looks like it would be hot here in Fayetteville. You can see lots of sunshine. It is just 69 though. And heading out the door this morning, our humidity is low. You may have noticed that yesterday. We're going to hold on to that today, but starting tomorrow, it starts to creep back up. It should be for a really nice day at the pool today. Temperatures will be in the upper 80s. If you're under an umbrella, it'll feel very pleasant. They're in the shade and we are rain free today, Brett. Thanks, Elizabeth. We'll take a look at some traffic here, and we do have some breaking news. Out on an Apex 1010 road, a Lufkin road is part of it is shut down all due to this earlier crash involving two cars. You can see a lot of red on our sensors. Consider using Kildare Farm to try on road in order to access US one this morning. That's our best alternate route. There's a 885 Durham Freeway at TW Alexander Drive. Looking pretty good this morning, Chris. Alright, thank you, Brett. Airports are busier than ever ahead of the July 4th holiday. Right now, two out of the five parking areas at RDU are full for the rest of the week. According to AAA, more than 5.7 million Americans are expected to fly this week, and that is up 7% from last year. Sharpsburg Mayor Robert Williams is facing his fourth DWI arrest since he was first elected in 2018. He was arrested yesterday in Rocky Mountain in charge with DWI, driving while license revoked, open container, and concealed handgun permit violation. His authority as mayor has been suspended since January. Next on Fox 50, the millions of dollars going towards safety improvements along a dangerous Durham street. And up next on today, a look at the new and improved backlot tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. We take care of the things in our life. Knowing proper maintenance and upkeep will extend the life of what we love. Do you give the same attention and care to your own body? Staying fit and eating right are key. Equally important is supporting health and mobility with chiropractic. Chiropractic keeps your body aligned and running smoothly. Help extend the life of your engine with chiropractic. Find yours at nciro.org/chiro. I'm Victoria Cash. Thanks for calling the Lucky Land Hotline. If you feel like you do the same thing every day, press 1. If you're ready to have some serious fun. For the chance to redeem some serious prizes, press 2. We heard you loud and clear. So go to luckylandslots.com right now and play over a hundred social casino style games for free. Get lucky today. At luckylandslots.com. No purchase necessary. VQW Group, boy prohibited by law, 18 plus, terms of condition supply. Shod and 4K ultra high definition. Your number one source for local news. WRAL news coverage you can come on. Such a beautiful morning out there. Our due point is way down at 58, which puts us in the comfy zone. We'll continue to see comfortable conditions today. But by Thursday, we're back to tropical. I'll show you what it will feel like with the heat index. And folks Hurricane Beryl has grown to category 5 strength as it rifts through the Caribbean. How people are preparing for the earliest storm of its strength in the Atlantic. A record breaking number of travelers are expected to fly this 4th of July week. Coming up, what's happening here at RDU during the travel rush. If there is ever a week not to wait before you get out to the airport. Give yourself some time. Definitely get there earlier when you can. Thanks for joining us here this morning here on WRAL News in Fox 50. I'm Chris Lovemingett. Definitely want to get started on the beautiful day we have ahead of us. Look at the beautiful blue skies above Elizabeth. Isn't that gorgeous this time of year? Typically it's hazy because we have so much moisture in the atmosphere. But this deep beautiful blue like we see in the spring and in the fall. Those comfortable conditions are due point is sitting at 58, which is very nice for this time of year. And our temperature is 69. It just feels great out there right now. Hopefully you get a chance to enjoy it even through the afternoon. It will warm up but in the shade with that low due point. It'll feel pretty good. 63 in Roxborough 69 Fayetteville. 68 in Rocky Mountain 67 right now in Southern Pine. Hour by hour low 80s at lunchtime. Great for eating lunch outside and then upper 80s for highs this afternoon. We're rain free for the next few days but coming up we'll talk more about when we could see some thunderstorms into the holiday weekend. Checking out Hurricane barrel. This is the latest advisory. It just came out 30 minutes ago. Winds at 165 moving northwest at 22 starting to look a little bit ragged. It's going to be moving into an area that's not as conducive for it to increase in strength. As a matter of fact, it should weaken as it heads toward Mexico. We'll talk about why and what else is behind it coming up. Brett? Thanks Elizabeth. Let's take a look at traffic 831 on your Tuesday morning. I'm Brett Neeson for Ken Smith this morning and we do have some breaking news down in Apex that we got to tell you about. 1010 road at Lufkin Road. Part of the road shut down all due to a crash involving two vehicles and we're working to learn exactly how many people may have been injured in that crash. But it's caused some pretty big backups. It looks like they've improved a little bit at this point. But if you want to avoid it altogether, consider using killed air farm road to try on road in order to get over to US 1. Here's 448 Ridge Road. The Beltline looking pretty good this morning. We are seeing traffic congestion ease at this hour of the morning. Chris? Thank you Brett. This morning Hurricane Barrel is a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. It crossed Grenada yesterday and leveled 90% of the buildings on the island. It also caused significant damage to several of the other Windward Islands as well. Barrel has winds of over 160 miles per hour and it's likely to remain a very dangerous major hurricane as it moves through the Caribbean. It's expected to pass close to Jamaica tomorrow. I want to show you some video right now. This is from a hotel in Barbados last night. Notice the winds pushing over the palm trees there. How strong it is on the fronds. One person died in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Local Mayor is now facing his fourth DWI arrest since he was first elected in 2018. Sharpsburg Mayor Robert Williams was arrested Monday afternoon. That was in Rocky Mount. Police say that he was driving erratically on north Wesleyan Boulevard. He was charged with DWI, driving while license revoked, open container and concealed handgun permit violation. Williams was also charged with DWI in February and in December. He was even arrested for DWI the night he was elected in 2018. Sharpsburg's Mayor Pro Tem has been in charge ever since town commissioners voted to strip Williams of his duties in January. We are expecting big July 4th crowds at RDU and airports across the country. TSA says that eight out of ten busiest travel days ever have already happened in the past month. WROs Kelsey Coffey looks ahead to the very busy week at the airport. Right now two of the five parking areas here at RDU are full for the rest of the week. Today we're in the central parking deck. Now you can tell that there's still some spots left here. But let's take you to video now for Mother's Day weekend when RDU had a one day record. Nearly 59,000 people travel through RDU on Mother's Day. Looking ahead now to the 4th of July we're expecting record breaking numbers. More than 5.7 million Americans are expected to fly this week. That's a 7% increase from last year. A record high according to AAA. We want to encourage our customers. Try to get here two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international. That leaves you plenty of time to get through the ticket counters, get through the checkpoint itself and get to your gate. And remember, most airlines board 40 minutes before the flight actually leaves. If you're headed to RDU this week you want to give yourself a little bit of extra time and one of the best ways to do that is to book your parking in advance. So they're still parking available in the express lot and the premier lot. But be sure to book your parking at least 24 hours ahead of time. Kelsey Coffey, WRL News at RDU. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is visiting Durham today. He's celebrating a grant to improve pedestrian safety. $12 million is going toward making Holloway Street safer. And this project aims to provide safe access to bus stops along the street. WRL has reported on several hit and runs in the area in the past year. And coming up in about 30 minutes, WRL's Laura Levine highlights the specific safety improvements included in the project. Now Buttigieg's visit to Durham comes after he was in Raleigh for the ground breaking of a billion dollar project. The Esslein Rail project will introduce a passenger rail route between Raleigh and Richmond, Virginia. Governor Roy Cooper was also at the groundbreaking event yesterday on Durant Road. The first project will create an overpass to help improve safety and efficiency for vehicles and trains. Passengers services on the Esslein is expected to begin in 2009 or 2030. I'm going to show you this little girl right here. This two-year-old girl's name was Minari Spears. And tragically, she died June 27th. That was a week after someone shot her during a drive-by shooting on East Cornwallis Road in Durham. And now, only on WRL, her mother is sharing her message to the people who are the person who shot her. A bullet grazed 20-year-old at Chacretia Spears during that shooting. And a 22-year-old man was also shot. Spears says that her daughter loved to smile. She loved to play. And because of a shooter, those things will not happen ever again. Whoever did it, I just hope guilt eats you inside and out. Can't eat, can't sleep. You can't do anything without thinking about her. So, just come to the front and do what you've got to do. The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for Minari's funeral experiences. Expenses there. You can find ways to help on WRL.com. And in less than 10 minutes, we hear from another parent who lost a child to gun violence about what needs to be done to keep children safe. This just into the WRL Live Center. With it being a hot summer, the Biden administration is proposing a new rule for workplaces to address excessive heat. It's meant to protect U.S. workers from injuries related to heat exposure on the job. Think construction workers, landscapers, farm workers who work primarily outdoors or even indoor workers like people in warehouses and factories. If this rule is finalized, it would be the first major federal safety standard of its kind. So, what would employers be required to do? Develop emergency response plans related to heat illness or provide training to employees and supervisors to recognize the signs of heat illness. They would also have to establish rest breaks and provide shade and water. And penalties for such violations would increase significantly. Thank you, Renee. President Joe Biden is slamming a Supreme Court ruling that presidents have absolute immunity for official acts while in office. Protests happen outside the Supreme Court yesterday over the landmark decision, and it dramatically enhances the power of the presidency. It also means that former President Donald Trump can and likely will claim broad immunity in his pending federal election interference case. This nation was founded on a principle that there are no kings in America. Each of us is equal before the law. No one. No one is above the law. Not even the President of the United States. Presidents can still be held criminally responsible for things they do for personal gain, even if they are in office at the time. The decision will force judges overseeing Trump's various cases to determine which allegations he is immune from and which he isn't. Goldsboro police are looking for the person responsible for shooting a man last week. That happened just before 730 Friday night on Harris Street. You're looking at video from the WREO breaking news tracker from that evening. The victim was taken to the hospital where at last jack he's still in critical condition and asked for a suspect description or where they might have been seen police have not provided that information. WREO spoke with Durham Public Schools new superintendent who says that he is ready to begin his new role. Anthony Lewis will start the top job next month moving from his position as superintendent in Lawrence, Kansas. He inherits a school district that had a rocky school year with protests over salary issues, closing schools multiple times this spring. There's an opportunity for us to re-establish trust, particularly with our classified staff, but with all of our staff in community to re-establish and maintain that trust. Obviously the budget will be a challenge and we will make sure that we are able to tackle that. We also spoke with a new superintendent about school safety and what he believes will be effective in Durham. You can find that part of the interview on WRAL.com. A group of 50 teenagers on a youth group hike were shocked when lightning struck the ground near them. We are going to bring you the moment that teenagers felt that shock and saw the lightning bolt. Plus NASA is telling us saying that astronauts are not lost in space even though the Starliner capsule was scheduled to return about a month ago. The reason they say the spacecraft has not returned. Let's get you a live look. Oh, that is a beautiful way to start your morning at White Lake today. It is feeling so nice if you're going outside. Elizabeth Gardner will join us in minutes from now to walk us through the big heat that will experience this Independence Day. Ryan Seacrest here. When you have a busy schedule, it's important to maximize your downtime. One of the best ways to do that is by going to Chumbakasino.com. Chumbakasino has all your favorite social casino games like spin slots, bingo and solitaire that you can play for free for a chance to redeem some serious prizes. So hop on to Chumbakasino.com now and live the Chumbalife. Sponsored by Chumbakasino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void were prohibited by law. 18 plus terms and conditions apply. Live this morning at Clinton. Beautiful blue skies are waking up today. Warmer conditions. Not too bad. Comfortable even. If you're looking live here as you're watching WRL news available on Spectrum and the WREL app on your TV or your streaming device. And if you like that camera, maybe you'll like the one behind Elizabeth and the rest of the day we have plan too. Yeah, it looks beautiful out there. Here's a live look at Raleigh. Lots of blue sky out there. And our dew points are nice and low. We'll take a look at where we're sitting right now. 69 degrees. Our dew point is in the upper 50s. It's very comfortable. Those are the kinds of conditions that we tend to see in the spring and the fall, very rarely in July or August. We'll climb into the upper 80s this afternoon. So it is going to be hot, especially if you're standing directly in the sun. But if you can find a shady spot, it should feel pretty comfortable. I love it. We've got this gold fringe waving hello to us today from Willow Spring. Jim Gurney sent us that photo to our weather washers folder. We would love to see your photos too. Go to WREL.com and search weather washers and I'll show you how to upload a photo to send to us. We have it in Raleigh, 88 Durham, and 89 in Fayetteville. Lots of sunshine for us today. And that dew point feeling great at 58. That puts us right there in the comfy zone. And that, again, is rare for this time of year. Now, tomorrow we start to creep up. And by Thursday, we hit tropical again with our dew points in the 70s. And that will continue through the weekend. So we're back to some of that oppressive heat and dangerous heat too, especially say Friday, Saturday. We could be back to a heat advisory. So enjoy today while we have it. To eat your lunch outside. Go for a walk this evening. Just whatever you like to do to get outside. Enjoy the weather on a slightly cooler day. Blue shaded area, temperatures below normal. We climb above normal starting on Thursday. And that'll be the case all the way through the weekend. Here's a look at our peak heat index potential. That red shaded area is where it could feel like 100 to 105 starting Thursday into the weekend. And then the darker shaded area. Our eastern counties 105 to 110. It certainly looks like by Friday, Saturday, to Sunday there. At least could be part of the viewing area that are under a heat advisory. For tomorrow, it'll feel like 95 feeling like 100 for the 4th of July, 106 Friday, and 109 or so. Saturday and Sunday. So we're right back to where we were just a few days ago. For the 4th of July, there's a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms. So very small chance. I feel like the fireworks display is going to be fine. It will be hot if you're setting up at around 7 p.m. But if you wait a little longer during the fireworks around 9 o'clock, 87, so it'll still be warm. But once that sunset, it should feel a bit more comfortable. We do have that chance of some scattered storms on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And coming up in our 9 o'clock hour, we'll take another look at a very strong Hurricane barrel. And it is category 5 right now. Thanks Elizabeth. We'll see you in just a bit. Prosecutors say that they plan to retry the Karen Reed murder case. This is because a jury was unable to reach a verdict causing a mistrial. Reed was accused of killing her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, who was a Boston police officer. Prosecutors allege that after relationship issues and a night of heavy drinking, Reed backed her vehicle into her boyfriend. She claimed that she left him to die in the snow outside the home of a fellow police officer. The defense argued Reed was being framed for murder by police. A status hearing for this case is set for later this month. Former President Donald Trump's legal team is moving to tomorrow afternoon. He's going to show up on Friday evening. He's going to throw out the conviction in his hush money case in New York. Attorneys for Trump filed a letter with the judge yesterday and they're requesting next week's sentencing be postponed. And for the verdict in this criminal trial to be set aside. This comes after the Supreme Court's immunity ruling yesterday. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records and the motion comes just days before Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in the New York trial. Trump is a lawyer and a judge who lost his 8-year-old daughter to gun violence is sharing his thoughts about better protecting children. Von Daugherty, his daughter, Genesis, died last July. And she was shot by an 11-year-old at her babysitter's house. Since her death, Daugherty has been on the front lines pushing for communities to do more to protect children from gun violence. After the latest death of a child, two-year-old Manari Spears in Durham, he says communities need to hear the call and step up. Fans, what are we doing on our end? What is our responsibility? You know, we push it off on the politicians and our legal system and our protection agencies, but at the end of the day, we can no longer neglect our responsibility. Genesis Daugherty's story was featured in the WREO documentary "Unsafe North Carolina Kids Dying From Guns." You can watch that on WREODoc.com. Just into the WREO Live Center, Cumberland County Schools is said to announce the passing of Mr. Lonnie McAllister. He was a former principal at several schools, including Pauline Jones Elementary, Ramsey Street High, Long Hill Elementary, and E.E. Smith High. And Superintendent Connolly says he demonstrated an unwavering dedication to educational excellence and that he leaves behind an enduring legacy that will not be forgotten. A lightning strike sent several teenagers to the hospital and they were on a hike with a youth group in Utah when the lightning bolts struck the ground near them. I just got hit. You hear them? I just got hit. Dozens of kids were on a hike last week when the lightning bolts struck. The local Sheriff's Office says they weren't directly hit, but many of them felt the shock caused by the incident. The police said they were on the ground. They were on the ground. The local Sheriff's Office says they weren't directly hit, but many of them felt the shock causing them to fall down. When the lightning struck, I think it was so powerful that it felt like a whole wave was put on our head. Like it felt like something hit us. But we were wearing hats and we think the metal on our hats attracted it. The wet ground, they were walking on actors as a conductor, in this case. All 50 children on the hike say they felt that shock. Seven people were rushed to local hospitals and two had serious symptoms, including numbness and partial paralysis and their arms or legs, but no word on their conditions. NASA is insisting two astronauts who are on board the ISS are not stranded in space as a result of Boeing's Starliner capsule to Earth and indefinite hold. The mission began June 5th and was only supposed to last about a week. The Starliner's return has now been delayed several days. NASA says it's still sorting out problems with the spacecraft's thrusters and small helium leaks. Engineers are using the extended time to study the Starliner's issues so they can prevent future problems. If you're heading to the beach for the holiday weekend, you may want to keep an eye out. A purple flag warning is in effect along Oak Island. This is because of several reports of Portuguese Manowars washing up on the beach. Now, the town posted this photo on Facebook. It issued a warning until further notice. The Portuguese Manowar is similar to a jellyfish with extremely painful stings. Oak Island recently added several new beach warnings. There has some lights there to keep people safe. For fans of the upcoming Wiccan Movie, it is now going to come out five days earlier than planned. The studio is moving it up to the weekend before Thanksgiving to avoid going head-to-head with the opening of Moana 2. Cynthia Erevo and Ariana Grande star in this film alongside Jonathan Bailey and Bridgerton. He's from Bridgerton, not Ann Bridgerton. We're going to see you soon. Now we have a look at a new M. Night Shyamalan thriller and the latest season of Cobra Kai. It's also the last season. Here's Ashley DeBorkin with Hollywood Nation. Cobra Kai goes to the championships. Hartnett gets trapped and gear heads to the small screen in the Hollywood nation. Richard Gere lands his first major TV role. The actor will star in Paramount Plus with Showtime's political thriller, The Agency. He joins on the French drama The Bureau. He will play a London station chief who has a storied past after serving as an undercover agent for eight years. He joins previously announced cast members Michael Fassbender and Jeffrey Wright. His whole concert? It's a trap. Josh Hartnett is a serial killer dad in today's first looks. Warner Brothers released the official trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's Trap. This psychological thriller follows a killer known as the butcher who takes his daughter to a pop concert where he realizes the event is a trap set by police to catch him. The film opens in theaters August 2nd. And now we have to be ready for wherever the world throws at us. Netflix dropped the trailer for Part 1 of the last season of Cobra Kai. Season 6 follows Ralph Machio and Williams Abgove reprising their roles as old rivals turned partners who prepare their students to compete in the Karate World Championships. The first of the three-part final season has five episodes which start streaming July 18th. "Now what could possibly go wrong?" That was Ashley Devorkin reporting. Tickets for a popular winter event and the Triangle are already on sale. The festival returns for Carey's Cocobooth Amphitheater from November 16th through January 12th. It features more than 40 all-new handcrafted displays. Each has more than hundreds of parts, thousands of LED lights. You can get your tickets on the Cocobooth Amphitheater's website. And the truth is out there. But it might not be up to code to drive. That is why one deputy in Missouri pulled over this vehicle over the weekend. He checked it to make sure it was safe to drive. It was. The driver was heading west to Roswell, New Mexico for the annual UFO festival. And that is happening this weekend. It kind of looks like Rick Sanchez's car from Rick and Morty. That's what I thought that was supposed to be. But apparently it's just a standard UFO. 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