Noon News on WRAL - Wednesday, March 18, 2026

A colder day today, but a warm up is on the way over the next couple of days. How high temperatures could climb and when we could see showers over the weekend. The race goes on. Senate leader Phil Berger is challenging ballots in his race with Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page. The next steps in determining the winner. Keeping Raleigh safe, Mayor Janet Cowell will give her annual State of the City address tonight, what she plans to say about her vision for the future. A lot to share with you here on this noon hour. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Renee Chu. And I'm Laura Levine. And for Chris Levinggood, we have breaking news on Senate leader Phil Berger's recount request. We will get to that in just a minute here. But first, we have another temperature swing in store. Meteorologist Amy Wilmuth is in the WRO Severe Weather Center with more on the warmup that starts tomorrow and when we can see a high in the 80s. Amy. That's coming this weekend. Not today. It's going to be cold today, 15 to 20 degrees below normal. So grab the coats today. most of us are going to hang out in the 40s throughout the afternoon. We're still in the 30s through most of the viewing area right now. It's 38 degrees in Raleigh, 41 in Fayetteville, 39 in Rocky Mount, 36 in Roxburgh. So it's definitely chilly. Typically, we should be in the low to mid-60s this time of year. So this is way below normal. Just make sure you have the jacket or the coat handy today. Highs in the upper 40s and then eventually down into the 30s starting around 9 o'clock this evening. So it will be another cold night tonight. In fact, it's likely that we'll have another frost. or freeze across the area. If you're in this purplish pink shaded region, that's where we have the highest chance at seeing a freeze overnight tonight. Temperatures down into the 20s. For areas shaded and blue, you'll be close to freezing, if not just below. So some frost possible in your area. So let's check out the numbers for tonight with the lows. Again, down into the 20s and 30s, 29 in Roxborough, Lewisburg, Rocky Mount, 30 in Durham, 31 for the low in Raleigh, 32 in Fayetteville. So protect your tender plants again tonight. But once we get beyond today. tonight, our temperatures will start to climb. And we'll be back in the 60s for highs starting tomorrow. The weekend is much warmer. 77 for the high on Saturday, 82 for the high temperature on Sunday. So big temperature swings coming as our southerly flow returns starting tomorrow. Also notice the rain drops for Saturday. We do have the chance for some rain. I'll talk more about the timing hour by hour with that with future casts coming up.

Breaking news right now in the Senate seat showdown between Phil Berger and Sam Page. Now within the last 30 minutes, the North Carolina Elections Board has decided not to take action of Berger's requests to examine 220 ballots. Yeah, let's break it all down. For now, County boards will handle the recount process, and Berger is trying to close a 23 vote gap to keep a seat. He's held for more than two decades. Let's bring in NC Capital reporter now, Caroline Yafa, who is out there now giving us the latest, Caroline. Well, Renee and Laura, you're exactly right. So the elections board just adjourned and there's no decision in Berger's unorthodox request. So now, and this race is, wanted to make it clear, is a very key race in the state legislature. But his request specifically was about 220 ballots. He wanted the state board to... instruct the County Board of Elections to take a closer look and hand count those requests. Again, it's not a normal procedural request. So the state board did not make any action. And Pager's opponent, excuse me, Sam Page, opposes this request. So we just got a statement from his team and his spokesperson said. Senator Berger has resorted to asking the board to ignore state law in his attempt to cling to power after losing more than two weeks ago. That's not how elections... work in North Carolina, and the board made that clear today. Now elections officials said this morning that they're going to let the process play out, like it normally does for now. Berger wants them to focus on ballots that were flagged by machines as overvotes or undervotes. So an overvote is when a voter leaves a choice blank but votes in other races, and an overvote, excuse me, is when a voter picks too many choices for a single race. We're going to follow the law as it's dictated in statute and rule, and that's what we're doing here. That's why the board took no action today. Let this process as it's laid out to go forward. So we just got this in moments ago that Guilford County ended their recount for Senate District 26. So Paige actually lost a vote and so did Berger. So the margin is still 23 votes. Now Rockingham's expected to start their recount process tomorrow morning and we'll be following that very closely. Caroline Yoffa, WRL News, live in Raleigh. Caroline, thank you. And you can head over to our YouTube channel for additional decision 2026 coverage. We've posted the election board hearing there. You'll also find a selection for end section for primary elections and what you need to know, including key races and speeches.

I'm Kirsten Clark in the WRL Live Center, staying on top of the latest updates in the war on Iran. U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard says Iran's nuclear facilities are buried and obliterated after U.S. attacks. She and other top intel officials are testifying before a Senate committee as we speak at a hearing focus on national security threats. She also says Iran's regime appears to be intact but, quote, largely degraded. to show you happening this afternoon. The White House says President Trump will waive the Jay Jones Act requirements for 60 days. Now, the Jay Jones Act applies to goods shipped between U.S. ports and U.S. ships. It's a 1920s law designed to protect the American shipbuilding sector and is often blamed for making gas prices higher. This, of course, comes as the Trump administration has a lot of pressure to ease those soaring oil prices. And speaking of that, the war is pushing up gas prices. New data from AAA shows the national average for gas is up five more cents to 384 a gallon. In North Carolina, the average is up four cents to 360. And in Raleigh, it's up three cents to 362 a gallon. Well, Israel says it killed the Iranian intelligence minister last night. The day after a top national security official and former militia chief general were killed. NBC's Rafshanthas reports from Beirut. Iran is now confirming the death of its top security official as Israel continues to target the leadership of the Iranian regime. Ali Larijani was the head of Iran's National Security Council, but he was basically the de facto wartime leader of the Iranian regime, taking a lot of its day-by-day decisions following the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and with the new Supreme Leader Mushchevah Ali Khamenei, wounded and potentially... potentially incapacitated. This is creating a major vacuum at the top of the Iranian leadership. And it's really not clear at this point. who the United States could make a deal with inside of Iran if President Trump decided that he did want to engage in ceasefire talks. Ali Larijani was by no means a moderate, but he was seen as a pragmatist, someone who could potentially play a similar role to that played by Delci Rodriguez in Venezuela, someone inside the regime with whom the United States could do business. Iran retaliating with several strikes against Tel Aviv. Two people were killed there in what Israeli officials say was an attack with cluster munitions. Here in Lebanon, the Israeli military pounding several targets in central Beirut, saying it was going after a financial institution linked to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group. At least 10 people were killed in those strikes, according to Lebanese authorities. And at this point, more than 1 million Lebanese have been displaced. That's around 1 in 5 people in this small country. Raf Sanchez, NBC News, Beirut.

New today, a report on wholesale inflation shows costs making their quickest jump in a year. The producer price index for February shows wholesale prices jumped by 7 tenths of a percent. Year over year, those prices are up 3.4%. This report tracks what retailers and distributors are paying for goods. It's a strong indicator of future price hikes that you will likely see at stores. Happening today, Mayor Janet Cowell will give her second annual state of the city address, and she's going to discuss the city's progress and her vision for the future. W. REL's Ali Kadlbar explains how housing affordability will be one of Mayor Cowell's main points. Mayor Janet Cowell is expected to address several topics specifically honing in on public safety. Violent crime went down by 1% in 2025. Property crime decreased by 17%. And that's all according to Raleigh Police Department's annual crime data. But high profile cases have caused the city to look at improving safety. Back in early January, Zoe Welsh, a teacher at Ravenscroft School was murdered. Police say Ryan Camacho is accused of breaking into her home on Clay Street and killing her. Camacho had been in and out of jail, possibly living in Fletcher Park. The mayor's office told us Cowell is looking at housing solutions and funding for substance use programs to prevent crimes like this. She's in talks with lawmakers as they come back into session in April. Cowell is also expected to talk about transportation, housing affordability. the environment and quality of life in Raleigh tonight. Now the state of the city address starts at 6 p.m. It's at the city of Raleigh-R-A-L will be live streaming it. Report A in Raleigh. Caddabar, WRL News. Happening now, Garner police are looking for the person who shot at a Go Raleigh bus. This happened on Garner Road around 8.30 last night. Police say three people were on that bus at the time of the shooting. Nobody was hurt. Police have not made any arrest just yet, and they've also not released any information about a possible suspect. New at noon, could a nasal Eric Swalwell help detect Alzheimer's earlier? Duke researchers think so. A new Duke study is exploring whether cells inside the nose could reveal early signs of Alzheimer's disease. Duke researchers say a nasal Eric Swalwell could be used to detect it. This is first numbed with the spray, then a small brush is used to collect tissue from the back of the nose. You can learn more about this method at W.Oreal.com and on W.O.R.L. News at 5.30. I'm

New at noon, NC State head coach Will Wade says his program needs to reset a lot of things before next season. His comments come after a tough night for Wolfpack fans as NC State is knocked out of the NCAA tournament. Their first four matchup against Texas was tied with just seconds left. That's when Texas hit a basket to put them ahead by two. NC State was unable to answer and the Longhorns advanced with a 68-66 win. Coach Will Wade says that it was, quote, a disappointing end. to a pretty disappointing season. He's vowing to revamp the roster for next season. Meanwhile, Duke and UNC play their first tournament games tomorrow. The top-seeded Blue Devils will play Sienna at 2.40 p.m. UNC is a sixth seed, and they will play VCU at 6.50 p.m. Both games are in Greenville, South Carolina. And the NCAA tournament is always big business. But in North Carolina, it is now also big betting. Two years after sports gambling became legal, billions of dollars have already been wagered in the state. We will look at where that money is going and the growing concerns about addiction in our brand new documentary, the gamble, sports betting in North Carolina. Tonight on 7.30, tonight at 7.30 on TV, WRO's YouTube channel, or wherever you stream Wauriel. Next at noon, TSA trouble, long lines and a travel headache at the airport. How the partial government shutdown will affect your next trip as TSA workers go another week unpaid. And property tax debate lawmakers are considering a bill that would limit property tax exemptions for affordable housing projects. The proposal that could impact local government's ability to collect on property taxes in the future. Coming up next, sea storms moving in with WRL's exclusive Dual Doppler 5,000. Sponsored by the WRL weather app. Download now for live radar.

Lines at TSA checkpoints are getting even worse amid the ongoing government shutdown. The TSA is even hinting that entire airports could soon completely shut down as spring break travel is in full swing. NBC's Maggie Vespa is in Chicago with more on what's contributing to that decision. Hey there from a busy Chicago O'Hare where so far today lines have been long, but they've been moving quickly and wait times have been normal. Not the case at so many airports across the country. With the TSA now saying in some places, passengers are waiting more than three hours just to get through those security lines, and they blame the perfect storm of the spring break travel rush colliding with severe weather this week. And of course, the mounting TSA staffing shortage amid the ongoing partial government shutdown. TSA officers now on their 30-second day. without pay, more than 10% have called out nationwide. And when you narrow that to the nation's busiest airports, it's even more dramatic, more than a third of officers not showing up for shifts at JFK, Houston, New Orleans, and Atlanta. And the impacts are mounting. Philadelphia International announcing starting today, they're going to close security checkpoints outside of three terminals because they frankly just don't have the staff. And then the TSA's acting deputy administrator dropping a grim prediction saying, quote, it's not hyperbole. to think that soon entire airports could start closing if nothing changes. He didn't say which airport specifically or when this might happen, but again, it's just one more sign as to how serious this is getting. I'll send it back to you.

Happening now in the WRL Live Center, Senator Markwayne Mullin, he's President Trump's pick for the next Homeland Security Secretary. He's appearing before senators for a confirmation hearing. And just talking about some of those main points we're hearing right now. And he's facing questions over his vision for the Department of Homeland Security. Mullen says that he made a mistake in the way he referred to Alex Preti, the Minneapolis resident who was killed by Border Patrol officers. Mullen said that he went out there too fast and was responding immediately without. the facts saying at the time that Preti was a deranged individual. He also, when asked about his relationship with the president, described President Trump as a friend based on his interactions between the president and his family. So we are staying up to date on what we're hearing during this hearing, and we'll bring you those updates as we have them. Kirsten, thank you. Part of downtown Durham is blocked off for the next two weeks for construction. Cruise are working on the Durham bus station. Right now they are demolishing and replacing the driveway apron. It's part of a larger project to upgrade the station. Pedigrew Street between Blackwell and Chapel Hill is blocked until this phase wraps up. FEMA has approved a six-month extension for temporary housing and rental assistance for Helene survivors in North Carolina. Eligible residents can now stay in FEMA providing and provided housing or get rental assistance through September 30th. After March 29th, those living in temporary housing will they'll be required to pay rent. FEMA has provided 243 families with temporary housing and more than $23 million for the cost of rent for another $6,100. We'll take a look outdoors here right now in Raleigh. We know that we're looking pretty good. However, Amy, still pretty chilly out there. It is. We have one more day to go today where we have that northerly flow around this area of high pressure to the north. And so that's driving in the cool temperatures again this afternoon. We'll stay in the 40s. But overall, the weather pattern for the next couple of days is quiet. Things start to change as we approach the upcoming weekend. Just a small chance for a passing shower this weekend. This is a look of Friday. So Friday should stay dry through the day. Friday night, this is 11.30 at night Friday, so it won't impact many of you. It just be mainly confined to our northern counties, maybe a stray shower or two. Our rain chances at about a 20% chance. Friday night. Saturday morning, so this is around 8 o'clock. A couple of showers will be possible in the morning. Not a big deal. We're going to have a lot of dry time on Saturday. So we do have the chance for a passing shower the first part of the day. Should not be a big deal and you should be able to enjoy the warmer temperatures. be in the upper 70s Saturday. Sunday is looking pretty dry at this point. It'll be warm. We'll be in the 80s on Sunday. And then Monday, we'll be tracking our next cold front. This is Monday around lunchtime. The rain's still mainly in Virginia, but it will start to move in as we head into the afternoon and evening. So Monday, I think, is our next best chance for some scattered showers Monday into Tuesday. And that does come with the front. It's going to cool us back down once we have these warm temperatures over the weekend. We're going to go back down on that roller coaster ride. So 77 for the high on Saturday. A couple of showers possible. It looks mainly to be the first part of the day. And then 82 for the high temperature Sunday. Partly cloudy should be a nice day to get outside if you can handle the tree pollen. We'll take a look at the pollen report coming up in the next half hour. This is a live look at Pinehurst at the resort and country club. There are some golfers out there, despite the cooler temperatures. At least it's a bright blue sky, lots of sunshine out there. Overall, it's a pretty day. It's just chilly. 39 still in Holly Springs right now. 38 in Garner, 38 in Durham, 38 in California.

Harry and 39 in Chapel Hill. So it is chilly out there. Typically we're in the 60s this time of year. We're definitely below that number. 48 for the high in Raleigh, 48 for the high in Durham and 52 in Fayetteville with that northeasterly breeze, just really keeping things cool. Tonight we are going to cool down pretty quickly once the sunset's kind of similar to last night. It's going to be a freeze again tonight. We'll be back in the 30s starting at 9 o'clock and then eventually we'll get down into the upper 20s and lower 30s over. tonight. So plan for some patchy frost and a freeze overnight tonight. 29 in Lewisburg and Rocky Mount 28 and Roxborough. 30 in Durham 31 in Raleigh. Southern counties, 20s and 30s for you as well. 29 in Robbins, 32 and Fayetteville, 30 in Goldsboro. So protect any tender vegetation or plants that you might have that are already budding. You want to protect those again tonight similar to what you had to do last night. It was a cold start this morning. We were in the upper 20s. So one more morning at or below. freezing and then our temperatures are going to start to go up. 61 tomorrow should be a beautiful day. Friday is the official start to spring. It'll feel more like spring. 70 for the high temperature. A couple of passing showers for the first part of Saturday. Overall, the weekend's looking pretty good. But with that next front Monday and Tuesday, it brings a better chance for rain and notice how those temperatures drop again as that next cold front moves through. We'll talk about how much rain we could get with that next system coming up. And we do need the rain with these dry conditions. All right, Amy, thank you. Well, coming up tonight on our evening news, housing growth, there's a new initiative in the triangle to get more affordable housing. Today on WRL News at 4, how it could help thousands of local families in the future. Plus, just a Eric Swalwell. A new Duke study shows a Eric Swalwell of a nose could detect the chance for Alzheimer's. On WRL News at 530, one local woman's hope that this could help more families like hers. Coming up, most reliable cars. What a new report found about which make and models top the list. And rising costs of fuel. Those prices are going to fill up your cars just ahead at 1230. How this could lead to higher prices to everyday items as well.

Today, the Federal Reserve will decide whether to change interest rates. The chances of a cut to rates appear slim. Market futures suggest the Federal Reserve will not consider cutting rates until later this year. The decision is expected in about an hour and a half. We'll be watching. A Wall Street Journal report says Amazon plans to drastically cut the number of packages shipped through USPS. The report says Amazon wants to drop its postal volume at least two thirds by October when its current contract with the agency expires. Now, the United States Post Office delivered more than a billion packages for Amazon last year, close to 15% of total packages that the agency delivered across the country. JD Power names the most reliable new vehicles brands for 2026 and did your car make the cut? We're going to tell you. Amazon rolls out as well two new faster service options for customers who simply cannot wait. Those are among today's business headlines with Mirabelle Abrams. The strait of Hormuz has been central to the war with Iran, but an alternative route is now at risk. The world's top oil producer, Saudi Aramco, has been rerouting millions of barrels to its Red Sea ports since last week. Vessel loadings from that pipeline have more than double this month, according to Kepler. Iran now says U.S. forces in the Red Sea and facilities that support them are potential targets. When analysts tell CNN that constricting Red Sea access could push oil prices as high as $150 a barrel. JD Power has released its list of most reliable car brands for 2026. The market research firm studied the average maintenance issues of vehicles less than three years old, and it found Toyota's luxury brand Lexus to be the most consistently dependable in the industry, followed by General Motors Buick and the UK's Mini, maker of the Mini Cooper. Check out JD Power's website to see if your car made the top 10. Amazon customers can now receive their packages. in three hours or less. The retailer unveiled new one-hour and three-hour delivery options. Around 90,000 products are currently eligible, including pantry items, some medications, and clothing. Amazon says it's starting the fast service in more than 2,000 cities and towns nationwide. It says more areas will be added in the coming months. And those are business headlines. I'm Maribel Aber at the NASDAQ market site. A lot more to get to in our next half hour now. Still to come, the cost of controlling property taxes. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would limit property tax exemptions for affordable housing projects. The multi-million dollars in revenue Wake County is losing out on. Plus, E-Bike Street takeovers raising concern in Wake Forest. What police want parents and riders to know and the consequences if laws are broken. And here are the winning lottery numbers. We'll have much more news coming up.

State lawmakers unveiled a proposed constitutional amendment this morning that could affect your property taxes. W. REL Sean Gallagher was in the hearing, and Sean, what's the goal with all of this? Yeah, this is a broader attempt at tackling property taxes from a legislative level. They're still meeting here right here behind me where. There are concerns that property taxes sometimes price people out of their homes. And then on the other side, there are concerns that these constitutional amendments that they're talking about could have a severe impact on the services people get, both police, fire, and any of those that your taxes pay for. Now, lawmakers in the House Select Committee on property tax reduction and reform are still meeting here behind me to go over the constitutional amendment. The proposed changes would limit the ability of the city and county governments to collect. property taxes in the future. And they discussed the option of potentially adding a cap on how much property taxes could be raised in a given year. If the idea is approved by the legislature, it would be put on the ballot for voters to state statewide to decide on. Here's the concerns they have both against and in support of this proposal. We'll defund the police. municipalities have 55% of their budgets in public safety, particularly law enforcement. So make it clear, the decisions we make here are going to affect public safety, education, public health. How do we come to a point where it forces our municipalities to re... look at what they're spending on because it isn't all public safety. There's a lot of other stuff in there. And how do we make it so that it doesn't just actually crush our people when they get these tax bills? The committee voted to move this proposal ahead, so it will be reviewed again next month, but it would have to pass the full legislature before any real changes could be made. That could take a while if it's even approved. Now, lawmakers are also discussing closing a potential loophole in the affordable housing property tax exemption that I reported on last week, where in Wake County alone, they missed out on some $745 million in property revenue because of this loophole. A draft proposal does have early. support from Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell. She texted me earlier this morning saying it's a good start. In Raleigh, Sean Gallagher, WRL News. Surging oil prices are causing diesel prices to soar, and economists say the effects could soon extend beyond the gas pump. W.R.S. Cousy Coffee is in Raleigh with more on how fuel prices could lead to higher costs for everyday items. Diesel truck drivers are paying a lot more to fill up today than they were just a month ago. Duke economist Connell Fullen Camp says people will fill the effects of higher diesel prices at the grocery store and where they shop online. The average price of diesel is $5.7 a gallon that's up more than a dollar since the beginning of this month. Most shipping in the U.S. is powered by diesel-fueled trucks and trains. So if it costs more for businesses to ship and manufacture,

The prices you pay will likely go up, which leads to higher inflation, and you may notice that in your next online order. I think it's going to show up in e-commerce as well. We do so much with that, and those fuel surcharges and other prices are going to be built into a lot of the small things that we order on a day-to-day or weekly basis. Head to W.R.R.L.com and click 5 on your side to find some options to save at the grocery store. Kelsey Coffey, W.R.L. News and Rale. New data from AAA shows the national average for gas is up five more cents to 384 a gallon. In North Carolina, the average is up four cents to 360. And specifically in Raleigh, the average is up three cents to 362 a gallon. New at noon now, the Wake Forest Police Department is urging parents to talk with their kids after a recent e-bike street takeover. Police say the incident happened in the Heritage subdivision. They want to remind riders e-bikes must follow the same traffic laws as cars. That includes stopping at signals and not blocking roads. Officers warned violators could face charges, fines, or even have bikes impounded. Police say these dangerous events will not be tolerated. Progress is moving along the Alston Ridge Greenway in Fuku Arena. The town says crews have placed a stone base along the trail. That's what goes under the asphalt. Next up, boardwalk installation, then paving. Town leaders say the project will also include an environmental lookout area for visitors. And once finished, the greenway will connect Alston Ridge Park to Bass Lake Park. It's expected to be finished by the fall. The Apex Police Department's newest K-9 team is already making a big impression. This is Pepper. Great name, right? Well, Apex Police say Pepper and her handler Kyle just passed their explosive detection certification earlier this month. The two finished Handler School in January. Next up, they are preparing for more certifications in April. The town of Wilson's Mills is adding a fun new feature for dog lovers. New tennis ball bending machines are now up and running at the Triplett Memorial Bark Park. It is just 50 cents per ball. Town leaders say all proceeds will go to Johnson County Animal Services to help with rescues. And they say more additions to the park are on the way. A health plan hike next at noon, tens of thousands of state employees could get stuck paying more for health insurance, the new action that is shaking up premiums. And we're at River Bend Middle School this morning to introduce you to this special education teacher. She will share who she credits for encouraging her to become a teacher.

Our teacher of the week initially thought she wanted to work in the health field. Then she discovered she was more interested in the academic well-being of children. W.R. Ken Smith is at River Bend Middle School to surprise a special education teacher known for getting the best out of her students. Here you go. Take your Chromebook out, okay? It's not unusual for Sarah Spurschru to greet her students at the door. Hi. Do you have your computer? Yeah. I missed you yesterday. She is affectionately known to her students as Miss S. Okay, good. Good for you. But her attentiveness and willingness to make sure her students succeed gets an A-plus. I think the part I like the most about it is that you see so much growth from them, and the growth with them is different because it feels like such a big mountain that they climb, so they're just so excited when they do it. And it's really fun to see. Just put an X in the box. Just like you always do. Ms. Pershrewd readily admits she needed a little nudge before answering the call to the classroom, but has no regrets. It was actually my mom's idea. She was like, well, I think you'd be a great teacher. I was really involved in the special education class in my high school. So she was like, you should try it. So she kind of decided for me. But Ms. Spurshrew, though. Okay, so you're not actually missing, though. Having her students included in the River Bend Middle School community brings her great joy. And I think it's important for the kids to be able to build relationships with a lot of different kinds of people and that they all get the same opportunities. Miss S, you are WRL's Teacher of the Week. Congratulations. Me? You. Oh, how nice. Give a big round of applause.

They're always surprised when Ken shows up, right? If you'd like to nominate a teacher, go to WRL.com and her teacher of the week in the search box. Still to come now, saving on prescriptions. Five on your side looks into whether a new Trump administration effort can really help you save money on your medications. Plus benefits of walking. Good digestion is important for our overall health. How walking after you eat can make a big difference. If you're one of the hundreds of thousands of people on the state health plan, you could see some major changes soon. The plan's leaders voted yesterday to change how members receive specialty care in the future. It will not affect your primary care doctor, but just about everything else is changing. Some people could be forced to pay more to keep their doctors. Others could get free care. The details won't be finalized until this summer. But if you want to read a breakdown of the debate and why state officials are pushing for these changes, head to WRL.R.L.com. Can a new government website help save you money on medications? Five on your sides. Alex Little Hells takes a look at Trump RX and shows us what's fact and what's fiction. The Trump administration just launched what's called Trump RX. It is a government-run portal. which the president says is a place where people can buy discounted medications. But here's the thing. The Kaiser Family Foundation just surveyed more than a thousand Americans. Roughly a third of them have even heard of the platform. And even smaller amount have used Trump RX, just 7%. So what is Trump RX? And does it actually help the average Americans save on medication? And that's a great question. I think it's really important to talk about, well, who stands to benefit from this and who doesn't? Nitsan Aura. at the Duke Margulis Institute for Health Policy. Talk to WRAL to help find an answer. First noting, the number of people who can even take advantage is already quite small since the website's discounts only reflect cash pricing, meaning anyone already with insurance may not stand to benefit. Right now, there are 54 prescriptions accessible through the site, many of which Arad says were discounted to begin with. before Trump RX. Many of the drugs in this portal already had existing manufacturer self-pay programs with similar cash prices before the Trump RX launched, meaning consumers could already fund those prices by going directly to the manufacturer or by using good RX for certain drugs. Alex Little Hales, five on your side. So if you're looking for ways to improve your digestion now, you may want to consider going for a walk after you eat. Cleveland Clinic says there's not a one-size-fits-all when it comes to recommendations for walking after a mill. However, it can be helpful to walk within 15 to 30 minutes of eating. And you don't have to do it after every meal either. Dr. Jessica Philpott suggests walking after heavier meals since that's when digestion tends to slow down. Research has found even small movement can make a big difference. It's interesting. Studies have shown that even just making a change in position can impact stomach emptying. So a person that can't walk around the block, if they at least get up to stand from sitting, they walk around their house, that may still impact positively their stomach emptying. Good digestion is extremely important for overall health. So if you are experiencing any issues, be sure to let your physician know.

All right, turning to the forecast. Now, it was such a cold start this morning. I had to bring out my big coat today. Same. Upper 20s. I know, I know. And then even now, it's still like a lot cooler than normal, right? It is. We should be in the 60s and we're probably going to just hang out in the 40s. So it's a chilly day today. We do have another cold front that is on the way. This one's not going to really do anything to our temperatures over the weekend, but it could bring a couple of spotty showers late Friday night into Saturday morning. I talked a bit about that in the last half hour. Again, no time. temperature drop with that and just a small chance for rain late Friday night, really overnight Friday, and into the first part of Saturday. So a lot of dry time for the upcoming weekend and warm temperatures as well. So here are the rain chances. We don't expect anything through the day Friday. Friday night, our rain chance goes up to about a 20 to 30% chance. And then Saturday morning, a 30% chance. No rain Sunday. And we'll be in the 80s. It'll be a great day to get outside. And then our next cold front that actually brings another change in our temperatures will arrive Monday into 2%. It brings a slightly better chance for some rain, but really we don't have any good rain totals with either of these systems, the one on the weekend and the one early next week, maybe up to about a tenth of an inch of rain, and that would be about it. So not looking to get a lot of rain with this next round, the next couple of rounds, but we do have at least a few rain chances over the weekend and early next week. No rain in the forecast. Today we have sunshine. It's actually really pretty outside. Just a little bit of cloud cover here from our garden cam with a lot of the things really starting to bloom. The tree pollen is high again today. Not quite as high as it was yesterday, but it's still high today. And expect that to continue to climb. Those numbers will climb as the temperatures start to warm up tomorrow with more of a southerly flow. But birch, maple, and oak all in the high category with the tree pollen for today. Now temperatures still feel like wintertime, so it's kind of weird to talk about pollen. these cold temperatures at the same time, 38 degrees in Raleigh and Durham right now. So it's colder right now compared to this time yesterday, 41 in Fayetteville, 39 in Rocky Mount. After school practices today, the kids will need to probably wear an extra layer or two. It's going to be pretty chilly in the 40s. There will be just a little bit of a breeze. And then once the sun sets, if you have a game or something like that, it's going to be cold eventually getting into the low 30s tonight. Down to about 31 degrees in and around the triangle tonight. So another freeze expected. Some of the outlying areas, the typical colder spots, will get down into the upper 20s. So protect your tender plants, cover them up or bring them inside again tonight. But this will be the last night that you have to do that as temperatures start to warm tomorrow, thanks to a southerly flow returning. A couple of March Madness games tomorrow, Duke playing at 250 in the afternoon, UNC at 6.50 in the evening. If you're headed to some watch parties, maybe tailgating, temperatures will be in the upper 50s. So we do make a little bit of a turnaround with our temperatures tomorrow. Tomorrow and temperatures will continue to go up from there. 70 for the high on Friday, 77 on Saturday, and then 82 on Sunday. So a big jump in our temperatures as we had toward the weekend. The normal high this time of year is 64, and we're well below that through the day today. Definitely chilly today, cold tonight, down to around freezing. 61 tomorrow, so beautiful day tomorrow. Spring officially underway Friday, it will feel more like spring. And then again, Friday night into early Saturday. showers possible. Don't cancel outdoor plans. It'll be okay for most of the weekend. And then another round of rain with our next front as we head into Monday and Tuesday of next week. Buckle up. We are riding that weather roller coaster. Still-de-con basket favorites. America's favorite candy for Easter as Basics will soon be filled with goodies and sweets.

As we wrap things up, here's a look at a few of the headlines that we're following today. The State Board of Elections just adjourned with no decision after reviewing an unorthodox request in an election recount that could lead to big changes in the state legislature. Senate leader Phil Berger wants a board to examine 220 specific ballots in the race. That's a departure from normal state procedure, which calls for a random sampling if requested after a machine recount. We will have more about what this for North Carolina tonight on our evening news. Garner police are looking for the person who shot at a Go Raleigh bus. This happened on Garner Road at around 8.30 last night. Police say three people were on that bus at the time of the shooting. No one was hurt. Police have not made any arrest just yet. They also have not released any information about a possible suspect. Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell will give her second annual state of the city address tonight. She's expected to talk about public safety, housing affordability, transportation, and the environment. WRL will live stream her address at 6 p.m.

We're staying on top of breaking news here in the WRL Live Center. I want you to take a look here. This is Sky5 over the scene of a crash in Cumberland County. This is on I-295 at Mile Marker 34. Here's what we know. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, as well as Highway Patrol, was involved in a chase that ended in a crash through Broadcastify radio traffic. We heard that the car at the center of the chase was all over the road, hitting cones in a construction zone, and that the chase ended just before noon after the driver. hit a construction vehicle. We're still working to learn more information about what happened leading up to this chase and that crash. We'll be sure to bring you more information as the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office investigates. Kirsten, thank you. Ratings for this year's Oscars were the lowest since 2022. Yeah, listen to this. Variety reports about 18 million viewers tuned in on ABC or Hulu. That's down 9% from last year. Nielsen also reports declines in viewership for other recent award shows too. One Georgia grocery store worker has some new bragging, or should I say, bagging rights. Rocco Camerado was named the best bagger in America. He won the $10,000 prize just days before his 18th birthday. Wow. connection to groceries. His dad worked at Publix for 32 years and his parents even met at the grocery store. $10,000 before your 18th birthday. Oh my goodness. Very efficient. He obviously has a system. Yes. Well, Easter baskets will soon be filled with goodies and sweets, but DoorDash is ranking America's favorite candy for the holiday. Topping the list, Reese's Pieces, Easter candy gift bag, and Palmer's double crisp, little crispy bunny. And in third, Eminem's Easter bunny cane. As for favorites, by state, North Carolinians prefer Reese's peanut butter bunnies. Oh, yeah. Our pet of the day is a sleek little panther with equal parts charm and chaos. Meet Nore. He is a nine-month-old headstrong kitty cat with the softest, darkest fur you've ever felt. By day, he's a dedicated sunbeam inspector and cardboard box quality control specialist. By night, he practices his parkour skills on... every elevated surface available. He is house trained and up to date on all his shots. He would thrive in a home with a kitty friend. If you're looking to adopt the perfect cuddle buddy, visit the Cat Angel website. NBC News Daily is next on WRL. Your next local news update in 30 minutes. And you can get breaking news updates anytime with our WRL News app. We hope you have a great day.

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