WRAL Newscasts
4:30AM News on WRAL - Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Good posture is essential to good health. Unfortunately, at least half of computer users have posture-related back pain. Other daily activities and hobbies can also contribute to weakened posture, causing spinal misalignment and discomfort in our bodies. Luckily, chiropractic is here to help. Chiropractors provide a drug-free form of health care that improves mobility and overall health while keeping your posture in tip-top shape. All yours today at nciro.org/poster. ♪♪ Shot in 4K ultra-high definition. Your number one source for local news. W-R-A-L news coverage you can come on. Hurricane barrel is bringing devastation to the Caribbean this morning after strengthening to a cat-five storm. You look at the damage this morning as 90% of the buildings on one island have been destroyed. ♪♪ And when you step outside this morning, you're going to feel a huge difference. Our due point, way down at 55, we'll talk about how long that will last. And the mother of a two-year-old girl killed in a drive-by shooting is speaking only to W-R-A-L. ♪♪ She was just a happy person. She was born instead of where I went happy. This morning, hear her message to her daughter's killer. Unthinkable circumstances there. For 30 is the time on your Tuesday morning. Certainly glad you're with us right now. I'm Jeff Hogan. And I'm Renee Chu. Great to have you with us. It feels so nice out there. What a difference with that drier air meteorologist, Elizabeth Gardner in the W-R-A-Sever weather center. You promise this less humid air. And here it is. It is a rare treat this time of year. In July to have a front that drops our humidity is something we just don't see that often. So enjoy it. It will only be here a short time. At that do point at 55, that's fantastic. That's something that we see in the spring and the fall when it feels really comfortable. And it's 63, too. So our temperature is cooler this morning. It just feels fantastic. 63 in Fayetteville. 59 in Goldsboro and South Hills. 54 in Roxborough and 60 degrees in Southern Pine. So great start to the day today. By lunchtime, temperature of 82. And we're going to keep it below 90 again today. But of course, it will still be on the warm side with the high of 87. We're going to talk more about big heat that's coming back just in time for the holiday weekend. Let's take a look at Hurricane Beryl. This is the two o'clock advisory with the winds at 165. So it is a category five storm. Well defined as it starts to move up toward Jamaica. It's not likely to make landfall in Jamaica but could cause some damage there as it moves just past Jamaica. Potentially as a category three storm. And then across the Yucatan Peninsula and beginning to weekend as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico. We'll talk more about this storm and another one developing potentially behind it coming up. And Hurricane Beryl is a potentially catastrophic category five hurricane this morning crossing Grenada yesterday leveling. 90% of the buildings on that island did considerable damage to several other Windward Islands as well. And Beryl currently has wind speeds over 160 miles per hour likely to remain a very dangerous major hurricane as it moves across the Caribbean. It's likely to pass close to Jamaica on Wednesday. In this video check it out here from a hotel in Barbados last night so you can see the winds just pushing over those palm trees. One person was reported to have died in St Vincent and the Grenadines according to Prime Minister there. A local mayor is now facing his fourth DWI arrest since he was first elected in 2018. Sharpsburg mayor Robert Williams was arrested Monday afternoon in Rocky Mount. Police say he was driving erratically on Northwest Liam 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. RDU is preparing for a busy week of travel. People are going away for the Fourth of July holiday and WRIOS Kelsey Coffey joins us live from RDU this morning. It's already been one of the busiest years yet at RDU adding to it with another holiday here Kelsey. Jeff it really is and right now two of the five parking areas here at RDU are going to be full for the rest of the week so this morning we're at the central parking deck. There's still some spots left here but let's give you a look now at what RDU looked like around Mother's Day weekend. Nearly 59,000 people travel through RDU on Mother's Day. That was a one day record and looking ahead now to Fourth of July 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 and coming up in the next half hour you'll hear from airport officials here at RDU about their biggest piece of advice if you're headed to the airport this week. Kelsey Coffey, WRI on news live at RDU. President Joe Biden is slamming a Supreme Court ruling that presidents have absolute immunity for official acts while in office. Protests happened outside this room court yesterday over the landmark decision. 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 the 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's immune from and which he is not. This two-year-old girl's name was Menari Spears. Tragically, she died June 27th, a week after being shot in a drive-by shooting on East Cornwallis Road in Durham. Now, only on WRL, her mother is sharing her message to the person who shot her. When she was shot in the house, she was raised by a bullet during that shooting. A 22-year-old man was also shot. Spears says her daughter loved to smile and play. Gunman took all of that away. 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. Family has started a GoFundMe account to help pay for Menari's funeral expenses and you can find ways to help on WRIL.com. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is visiting Durham today to celebrate a grant to improve pedestrian safety. $12 million are going toward making Holloway Street safer. The project aims to provide safe access to bus stops along the street. WRIL has reported several hit runs in that area within the past year. Coming up in 30 minutes, WRIL's Laura Levine highlights the specific safety improvements included in this project. Fire companies from across Moore County battled the 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 an equipment to help contain the fire. There are no reports of any injuries or damage to any buildings. Goldsboro Police need your help finding the person responsible for shooting a man late last week. It happened just before 730 Friday night in the 1900 block of Harris Street. This is video from the WRIL breaking news tracker. The person who was shot was taken to the hospital. He is still in critical condition. Call Goldsboro Police if you have any information. A bill that officially defines anti-Semitism is now law in North Carolina. Governor Cooper signed the bill yesterday. Critics worried the bill could impede First Amendment rights. It passed the state legislature almost unanimously. Governor Cooper said it's needed because incidents targeting Jewish people are on the rise. Supporters say a law like this could help with education and also with hate crime prosecutions. For more specifics, visit the NC Capitol section of WRIL.com. WRIL spoke with Durham Public School's new superintendent. He says he's ready to begin his new role. Anthony Lewis will start the 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 several times this spring. There's an opportunity for us to reestablish trust, particularly with our classified staff, but with all of our staff in community to reestablish 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 Lewis about school safety and what he believes will be effective in Durham. Find that part of the interview on WRIL.com. Former President Donald Trump's legal team is moving to throw out the conviction in his Hushman case in New York. Attorneys for Trump filed a letter with the Judge Monday asking to postpone next week's sentencing and set aside the verdict in his criminal trial. This comes after the Supreme Court's immunity ruling yesterday. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The motion comes just days before he is scheduled to be sentenced in the New York trial. The DA's office declined to comment. Fourth of July celebrations are coming early to the town of Wendell. Fireworks will be on display tonight at Wendell Community Park. That's on West Third Street. The gates open at six. Fireworks started nine. There will be more than a dozen different food trucks as well as outdoor activities and music. Two NASA astronauts aboard the ISS still have no set return date after their spacecraft experienced a helium leak. We'll tell you about the work they're doing as they wait to return to Earth. What's next in the complicated Karen Reed murder case after a judge declared a mistrial? And let's give you a live look at Clinton right now. It is going to be a comfortable day, but hot temperatures are on the way for the rest of the week. We'll check in with Peter. I'll just Elizabeth Gardner to help you plan your holiday week. 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 streamlined process allows us to see you sooner and usually saves hundreds of dollars. And sleep problems. 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. Sell your home in a snap. Sold it in a snap by the Jim Allen group simplifies the home selling process. You're guaranteed a cash offer. With the number one real estate team in the triangle, just submit your info and schedule an in-home walkthrough. Learn more at solditinnestap.com. From the WRAL Severe Weather Center, North Carolina's most experienced team of meteorologists. It's 443 on a gorgeous morning. You plan time to get outside and take a walk. Take the dog out. Go for a little run. Things that you can't normally do this time if you're just 'cause it's too hot and humid. It isn't today. Our skies are clear. Taking that live look at Sanford this morning. Check out these gorgeous temperatures. 54 in Lewisburg. 57 in Tarvo. 59 in South Hill. 61 Rocky Mountain. 62 in Irwin. 63 in Fayetteville. 60 in Southern Pines. I just want to read all of them because they're just so fantastic for this time of year. Most of the time. Yesterday, our temperature was around 70. A lot of times it's in the low to mid 70s with a dew point way up in the 70s. It just feels so nice out there. If you are about to head out to walk the dog, it just feels fabulous. We'll have a warm afternoon with a high of 87, but the humidity remains low all day. NASA insists two astronauts who are on board the ISS are not stranded in space. As a return of Boeing's Starliner capsule to Earth is on 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 times. 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. A Fadeville dad who lost his eight-year-old daughter to gun violence is sharing his thoughts about better protecting children. Von Dockery's daughter, Genesis, died last July. She was shot by an 11-year-old at her babysitter's house. Since her death, Dockery has been on the front lines pushing for communities to do more to protect children from gun violence. After the latest death of 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 Dockery's story was featured in the WRL documentary "Unsafe North Carolina Kids Dying from Guns." You can watch it on WRLDock.com. Prosecutors say they plan to retry the Karen Reid murder case after jury was unable to reach a verdict causing a mistrial. Reid was accused of killing her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, who was a Boston police officer. Prosecutors allege that following relationship issues in a night of heavy drinking, Reid backed her SUV into her boyfriend, leaving him to die in the snow outside the home of a fellow police officer. The defense argued Reid was being framed for murder by police. A status hearing for this case is set for later this month. Disney is planning to nearly double its cruise ship fleet as its theme parks continue to struggle. Disney's theme park revenue has dipped and stocks have taken a major dive after a post-pandemic boom. The company is hoping to boost its business at sea, with three new ships doubling its cruise revenue. The new ships couldn't launch at a better time for Disney as other major cruise companies are seeing record demand for sales coming up in 2025. Paris Olympics are just 24 days away now and for Simone Biles. It's a countdown to redemption. Her Olympic journey this year comes after she pulled out of the 2020 Games in Tokyo for mental reasons. She says she and her teammates are ready to go for gold again. I never pictured going to another Olympic Games after Tokyo just because the circumstances are more mature, we're smarter, we're more consistent. Three of the other members of the USA Women's Gymnastics team were also at the Tokyo Olympics. The one newcomer is 16-year-old Hasley Rivera. The opening ceremony is July 26. Women's Gymnastics qualifying begins July 28. The U.S. soccer teams run in the Copa America tournament is already over. The Americans were eliminated after one-nil loss to Uruguay last night in Kansas City. The U.S. finished the opening round in third place in their group, behind Uruguay and Panama. Only the top two teams in each group advanced. In its 447, let's get a check of our weather with meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner. Today, we'll just feel fabulous. Finally, these low dew points, you can feel it this morning. It feels so nice out there. We take a live look from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Our temperature is 63. Our dew point is way down in the mid-50s, which is highly unusual for July or August. Now, it can happen late September into October. We see it in April and sometimes in May. But boy, we rarely see that in the summertime. It's usually in the 70s. Our temperatures will be in the 70s. By the time we get to lunchtime, we're at around 80 degrees. Great day to eat your lunch outside. That's not always true this time of year. But if you have that opportunity, spend a little time outside today. We have the top of the tower lit in blue this morning for clear skies. It's nice and clear. And I love our weather watcher today from Jim Gurney of Willow Spring. Look at this beautiful bird. I don't know why birds as well as I should. But maybe it might be a goldfinch. It looks like it's waving. Hey, look at this beautiful weather. Thank you, goldfinch. Jeff is our bird expert over there. We're www.doveall.com search weather watchers. We'd love to see what's happening in your backyard. Around town, 87 in Raleigh, Durham, 89 in Fayetteville. So temperatures will be warm, but we're going to keep it below 90. And with our dew point way down at 55, it feels very comfortable. It's one of those great days. It's going to feel a little hot in the sun. But if you can find yourself some shade, it will feel phenomenal. This is what it feels like out west where they have very low humidity. So enjoy it while we have it. We're comfy today and tomorrow. And then after that, by Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, we are right back into the very tropical, steamy air. Look at how much in the country, especially here in the east, that we have cooler than normal temperatures. Those are in the blue shaded area. And then we do start to warm up. We'll start to feel it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and boy with the heat index. It's really going to feel so much hotter. So I'm in the brighter red over here from the triangle area, westward. It's going to feel like 100 to 105 over the weekend. And then in our eastern counties along the I-95 quarter, it'll feel like 105 to 110. So most likely parts of the viewing area will go under a heat advisory, especially for Friday, Saturday and Sunday with 106 to 109 on Saturday and Sunday. Thursday will feel like 100. So it's going to feel a little more comfortable before that. Our fireworks forecast does look dry. It may be hot out there. 7 o'clock, 94, 9 o'clock, 87, and 11 o'clock, 83. But right now, it doesn't look like we have enough rain in our forecast to cause any real problems for us for the 4th of July. It's going to be awfully hot. 99 Saturday, 100 on Friday, and it looks like that trend continues into next week. Of course, we're watching the tropics very carefully several systems to show you, including a devastating storm barrel coming up. And good morning. I'm Chris Lovengood in the W-R-E-L Live Center. I kind of want to look at some of the video that we're seeing from the overnight hours. This is from Granada, specifically in Caracu, some of the storm damage from Hurricane Barrel that's been left behind there. Notice the trees that are down there is also some damage to some structures that are there. Still trying to find out if there are any reports of any injuries or anything of those sort. But you'll look at the cleanup effort that that island has to deal with right now in that area. So, still going to keep looking this morning to see other damaged videos we can find there. But certainly the effects of barrel. Not over yet. People will be flocking to the coast for the holiday weekend, but you'll need to keep an eye out for some dangerous ocean animals. We'll tell you where Portuguese man and wars are washing up. They're dangerous. Each year, millions of North Carolinians visit a doctor of chiropractic for a variety of different reasons, and because of the opioid epidemic, that number is expected to grow. Chiropractic is a drug-free, natural form of health care that helps people with all sorts of different painful conditions, such as headaches, neck pain, back pain, sciatica, and various different musculoskeletal conditions. But did you know that your doctor of chiropractic can actually help you improve your overall level of health? Visit nciro.org/info for more. 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 streamlined 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. If you are headed to the beach for the holiday weekend, keep an eye out. There's a purple flag warning in effect along Oak Island. After several reports of these, Portuguese man of wars watching up on the beach. The town posted this picture to Facebook, issuing that warning until further notice. Portuguese man of war is similar to a jellyfish, but with extremely painful stings. Oak Island recently added several new beach warning lights to keep beachgoers safe. The fire season in California is much worse this year compared to last year. Cal Fire reports there have been nearly 3,000 wildfires in the state so far this year. They've scored more than 131,000 acres. That's about 16 times more than what had burned by this time last year. The agency is warning that fireworks in other 4th of July celebrations may set off more fires in the coming days. We now have a look at a new M night Shyamalan thriller and the last season of Cobra Kai. Here's Ashley DeBorkin with the 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, a show based 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. The 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 one of the last season of Cobra Kai. Season six follows Ralph Machio and Williams Abh cover, surprising 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. And what could possibly go on? I was actually de Vorkin reporting. Tickets for a popular winner event in the Triangle are already on sale. The festival returns to Kerry's Cocobooth Amphitheater from November 16th through January 12th. It features more than 40 all new handcrafted displays. Each has more than a hundred parts and thousands of LED lights. You can get your tickets on Cocobooth's Amphitheater's website. A potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic is causing devastation in the Caribbean. The impact of Hurricane Barrel as more people are bracing for its arrival today. And this is a live look out at RDU International Airport. Travel has been busier than ever this year. How many more people are expected to travel this fourth of July holiday weekend compared to years prior? And this morning, two shark attack survivors speak out nearly a year after their attacks at the same beach where they happened. ♪♪ 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. If you're a facilities manager at a warehouse and your HVAC system goes down, it can turn up the heat. Literally. But don't sweat it. Granger has you covered. Granger offers over a million industrial grade products for all your operations, including warehouse HVAC maintenance. And even better, they offer access to experts and fast delivery, so you and your warehouse can both keep your cool. Call 1-800-granger. Click Granger.com or just stop by. Granger, for the ones who get it done. Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest. 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