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Thousands of people are gathered for the acorn drop at City Plaza in downtown Raleigh. Fireworks will follow to ring in 2025.

WRAL First Night Raleigh: Thousands gather for acorn drop, fireworks to ring in 2025

STAGE. YOU SEE THAT NUMBER 40'S ABOUT 37 RIGHT NOW. SO THAT'S WHERE THE COUNTDOWN IS. AND YES, THE EARLY ACORN DROP AND SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US AFTER WATCH THE BEAUTIFUL FILER. WE'VE GOT THESE HORNS GOT READY TO GO I HOPE YOU'RE READY. WE'RE AT ABOUT 20 SECONDS HERE IN THE IN DOWNTOWN FAYETTEVILLE STREET HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY PACKED TODAY. FAMILIES HAVING FUN, ENJOYING MUSIC, RIDING RIDES, TONS OF FOOD IN THE MOMENT HAS ARRIVED. HERE WE ARE 8, 7, 6,

WRAL First Night Raleigh celebrates early acorn drop

Acorn drop 2025 in downtown Raleigh.

Harnett firefighter home after rollover crash   

Halifax County Sheriff's Office arrested 29-year-old man for making online school threats

29-year-old Troy Ferrell

911 calls released, families mourn 2 young people shot to death in Hillsborough

Zikera Wardlow and DeâAnthony Morgan

Chilly temperatures set the stage for downtown Raleigh's New Year celebration

Current Temperatures, DMA

Former employee: Red flags raised prior to fight at children's hospital

Kyle Worrell

Hoke County man charged in mother's death, bail bondsman hospitalized in hatchet attack

Caleb Jones

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One of Gov. Roy Cooper's final actions in office was to commute the death penalty sentences of 15 men on death row in North Carolina state prison. They will now serve a life sentence instead.

Cooper commutes 15 death row inmates' sentences on last day as governor

As North Carolina braces for a harsh winter, health experts are sounding the alarm on a surge of illnesses beyond the typical trio of COVID-19, flu, and RSV.


Beyond COVID, flu, RSV: Doctors warn several other illnesses are spreading through North Carolina

Sick child (Adobe Stock)

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is increasing its footprint in the Triangle in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene, leasing a 117,000-square-foot office building in Research Triangle Park.

FEMA leases RTP building for Helene recovery operations

FEMA has leased a 117,000-square-foot office building in Research Triangle Park.

One person died while changing a flat tire on the side of Interstate 40 on Tuesday morning in Orange County, according to the highway patrol.

NCSHP: Person changing flat tire on I-40 dies after being hit by SUV in Orange County

1 dies in I-40 crash

Police are warning New Year's Eve revelers of the risks of celebratory gunfire ahead as people get ready to welcome 2025.


New Year's Eve warning after women hit by celebratory gunfire in Raleigh, Durham in recent years

Golden fireworks

Get ready for an unforgettable year of music in North Carolina! From Raleigh to Charlotte, 2025 is packed with must-see concerts featuring top artists like Mary J. Blige, Pearl Jam, and Kendrick Lamar.


Top concerts coming to NC in 2025

NEW YORK (AP) â The woman who died after being set on fire in a New York subway train this month was a 57-year-old from New Jersey, police announced Tuesday.

Woman burned to death in New York subway is identified as 57-year-old from New Jersey

The Number of Murders Kept Falling This Year, but Fear of Crime Persists

Duke University Hospital has reopened its emergency department to EMS after being closed due to severe flooding Dec. 26.

Duke University Hospital accepting patients by ambulance again days after water main break

Duke University Hospital restores services after severe flooding

Advocates on Tuesday will call for a federal investigation into the case of Henderson Atwater, a Holly Springs man facing decades in prison.


Holly Springs shootings: NAACP calls for federal investigation for man facing decades in prison

Henderson Atwater

The ringleader of a terror cell busted outside of Raleigh is free. Daniel Boyd was released from federal custody after spending 16 years in prison.


Triangle terror cell leader Daniel Boyd released after 16 years

Daniel Patrick Boyd

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Kickstart your 2025 with an exhilarating line-up of must-see events happening in North Carolina this January.


40+ events to check out this January in NC

Best January Events in NC

While there's nothing specific to track just yet, the pattern bears watching for potential winter weather in the first two weeks of January.

Ask the Meteorologist: Is there any truth to snow potential in January?

Arctic air returns starting January 6, 2025

LOS ANGELES (AP) â Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reached a divorce settlement, ending one of the longest and most contentious divorces in Hollywood history but not every legal issue between the two.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt reach divorce settlement after 8 years

Pitt_Jolie_Divorce_42484

Are you looking for something to do for New Year's Eve? We have your guide to New Year's Eve in Raleigh, Durham and surrounding cities!


Your guide to New Year's Eve in the Triangle

3, 2, 1! Your guide to New Year's Eve in the Triangle

Animate Raleigh, Downtown Raleigh's First Friday and more events are coming up this first weekend of 2025.


Weekend best bets: Animate Raleigh, First Friday

Costume contest at Animate! Des Moines

Don't Miss It

Cooper commutes 15 death row inmates' sentences on last day as governor 

 WRAL First Night Raleigh: Organizer, kids react to early acorn drop

New Year's celebrations: Vance County celebrates catfish drop, Mt. Olive celebrates pickle drop

Duke's Cooper Flagg scores 24 points in 88-65 win over Virginia Tech

WRAL's Dan Haggerty celebrates new year with barbecue

Former employee raised red flags before fight at children's hospital

Video Central

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Gov. Roy Cooper commutes sentences for 2 men serving time for murder, pardons others

Local News

Durham police search for missing 78-year-old endangered man

WakeMed and Aetna renegotiating deals, some plans out-of-network

Inside Poe Hall: The Cases

2 arrested for street takeover in Fayetteville

Trump says he is planning to attend Jimmy Carter's funeral

Nation/World

Harry Chandler, Navy medic who survived Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, dies at 103

After a long lull, COVID-19 levels are surging in the US

Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown, who helped viewers through the Sept. 11 attacks, has died

Jimmy Carter sought to expand democracy worldwide long after he left the White House

Animate! Raleigh is set to captivate animation enthusiasts this weekend at the Raleigh Convention Center, offering a vibrant blend of voice actors, artists, and interactive events from Friday to Sunday.


Animate! Raleigh celebrates animation during annual convention this weekend

19 family-friendly events to check out in NC in 2025

Parents hold the baby's hands. Happy family 

North Carolina film industry generates $302 million this year in direct in-state spending

Adobe stock photo of a Digital Cinema Camera on Set

Solar eclipse, sunny day flooding, heat death: Here are the stories you read the most in 2024

Safe ways to view Monday's solar eclipse around the Triangle

Out & About

Fact check: Did new Senate leader announce plans to cut Social Security?

Politifact

Fact check: Would Trump's immigration plan affect his own children?

Cooper, Helene responders and immigrants: PolitiFact's top NC fact-checks of 2024

Fact-checking claims about Elon Musk, Taylor Swift and new Tesla products

Would a government shutdown affect holiday mail and travel? 8 questions, answered.

FEMA expands footprint in NC

NC Capitol

Several new NC laws take effect in 2025

New NC laws raising costs for drivers, protecting people who buy tickets online, going into effect in 2025

Did Gov. Roy Cooper meet campaign pledges to boost teacher pay and expand Medicaid?

Cooper issues new pardons, but doesn't copy Biden's sweeping commutations

Brain Game: Rocky Mount High School vs. Pinecrest High School 

Education

The Wake school board is looking for a new member

Brain Game: Research Triangle High School vs Middle College High School

How changes to school bus systems will impact Durham families

AI is a game changer for students with disabilities. Schools are still learning to harness it

Raleigh housing market faces uncertainty, Trump's immigration policy threatens construction workers

WRAL In Depth

Before your holiday gifts arrive, federal officers inspect them at this massive Atlanta facility

Why Greenland? Trump wants to deal for mineral-rich country

Inside Poe Hall: The chemicals and where they were found

The evolving approach to PCBs at UNC System schools

Flagg's 24 points boost No. 4 Duke past Virginia Tech

WRALSportsFan

NC State blows 14-point lead, loses to Virginia 70-67

Blue Jackets beat Hurricanes 4-3 in shootout

NC State names DJ Eliot defensive coordinator, makes other changes to defensive staff

Michigan defense pressures Milroe all day, Wolverines beat No. 11 Alabama 19-13 in ReliaQuest Bowl

JMB: 20 years later, here's what I learned from high school sports

HighSchoolOT

Projecting where the East/West line may fall in the next realignment

NC high school football state records: Most state championships

Freedom advances to tournament championship with win over T.C. Roberson

McDowell girls race from behind to win battle of unbeatens with East Burke

Western North Carolina is facing uncertainty after President-elect Donald Trump rejected a bipartisan spending bill that included $9.2 billion for the state.

Federal government shutdown could have significant impacts on NC

$9.2 billion in disaster aid for North Carolina at risk if Congress can't pass funding plan

Hurricane Helene destroyed the Arc of North Carolina's regional office in the Biltmore Village area of Asheville.

Last year, a group of NC State employees battling breast cancer urged the university to test Poe Hall for environmental hazards. The results showed dangerously high levels of toxic chemicals, prompting the university to close the building, displacing hundreds of workers and students. Over the past six months, WRAL reviewed more than 1,000 pages of testing documents to uncover what they may have been exposed to.

Toxic chemical testing inside NC State's Poe Hall: Where tests were taken and what was found

Toxic chemical testing inside NC Stateâs Poe Hall

The clock is ticking on TikTok, the popular social media app. Congress passed the ban in April and it's set to take effect in January. The company has asked the United States Supreme Court to intervene. WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie talked to experts who say the court might step in.

Looming TikTok ban could be paused by U.S. Supreme Court

Internal emails reveal that Durham's District Attorney, Satana Deberry, has a policy of dismissing some "possession of a firearm by a felon" charges if no violence is involved, which some community members believe is contributing to increased crime.

No consequences: Records reveal Durham DA's policy not to prosecute gun charges

File photo of Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry

Most people probably can't name the state labor commissioner, but that person oversees worker safety for the entire state. A political newcomer won the office this year - Republican Luke Farley.

Next NC labor commissioner to focus on worker safety

Luke Farley

WRAL Specialists

Tips for financial security in the new year

Restaurant Ratings: Di Fara Pizza Tavern, Bittersweet, Anelore's German Bakery & Fortune Cookie Asian Restaurant

Consumer Reports' top-tested furniture anchor kits

Top furniture anchor kits prevent child injuries at home

5 On Your Side

Doctor's license revoked after he was charged with sexual assault

NC doctor's license revoked after he sent sexual text to patient's father

FEMA lags behind its prior projection as hundreds of Helene victims await temporary housing

NC a hotbed for extremist group's activities, expert says

Investigations

Mike Walden: Will the DOGE succeed?

Donald Thompson: Gain a competitive edge â Adapt a growth mindset for the new year

David Gardner: Tech vs. truth

Tom Snyder: AI is unavoidable and other top tech stories of 2024

WRAL TechWire

US stock markets to remain closed in honor of Jimmy Carter on National Day of Mourning

US and Boeing investigators examine the site of a deadly South Korean plane crash

Value-seekers drove 2024's retail trends and dead ends

South Korea plane crash is the deadliest in a year marked by several fatal aviation accidents

Business

Powerball

Mega Millions

Cash 5

How to track Santa Claus around the world with NORAD's flight tracker

Family

Pet of the Day: Dec. 22, 2024

Holiday reunion: Siblings, adopted apart, meet for first time

Holiday tips for those caring for loved ones with dementia

NORAD's Santa tracker was a Cold War morale boost. Now it attracts millions of kids

Amazon Winter Sale: Fruit of the Loom Sweatpants only $7.44, Apple products 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station only $13.49 (50% off), Prime movie channels only $1.99/mo

SmartShopper

Walmart End of Year clearance event: Up to 75% off toys, clothing, kitchen, vacuums, electronics

BJ's Wholesale Club one year membership only $15 (73% off) & Sam's Club only $20 (60% off)

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