Published: 2020-06-19 17:19:00Updated: 2020-06-20 06:15:48Local NewsTags:By Rosalia Fodera, Julian Grace, Sloane Heffernan and Leslie Moreno, WRAL reporters — Protesters in downtown Raleigh on Friday night tore down two statues on a Confederate monument at the State Capitol.The monument has a statue on either side. At around 9 p.m., protesters used a strap to pull down one statue before quickly removing the second one. Both statues were dragged in the street and eventually tied to light fixtures and pulled up to mimic hangings.Protesters dragged at least one statue to the Wake County...…Published: 2020-06-19 17:19:00Updated: 2020-06-20 06:15:48Local NewsTags:By Rosalia Fodera, Julian Grace, Sloane Heffernan and Leslie Moreno, WRAL reporters — Protesters in downtown Raleigh on Friday night tore down two statues on a Confederate monument at the State Capitol.The monument has a statue on either side. At around 9 p.m., protesters used a strap to pull down one statue before quickly removing the second one. Both statues were dragged in the street and eventually tied to light fixtures and pulled up to mimic hangings.Protesters dragged at least one statue to the Wake County...WW…

Published: 2020-06-22 16:09:00Updated: 2020-06-22 19:59:06Local NewsTags:By Cullen Browder, WRAL reporter — The Confederate statues that stood outside North Carolina’s State Capitol are gone.Now, Frank Powell, a spokesman for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, says his group is contemplating legal action against the removal of the monuments.A 2015 law was passed to protect against removal of such monuments. In 2018, the North Carolina Historical Commission cited that law when it voted to keep the statues in place.What happened over the weekend ."We're just outraged and angry, especially at...…Published: 2020-06-22 16:09:00Updated: 2020-06-22 19:59:06Local NewsTags:By Cullen Browder, WRAL reporter — The Confederate statues that stood outside North Carolina’s State Capitol are gone.Now, Frank Powell, a spokesman for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, says his group is contemplating legal action against the removal of the monuments.A 2015 law was passed to protect against removal of such monuments. In 2018, the North Carolina Historical Commission cited that law when it voted to keep the statues in place.What happened over the weekend ."We're just outraged and angry, especially at...WW…

Published: 2020-06-26 03:50:00Updated: 2020-06-29 19:39:32NC CapitolTags:By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — Back-and-forth talks over just what to do with North Carolina's anti-mask law broke down early Friday morning at the legislature, leaving an odd status quo in place.For now, masks are legal, with the state's anti-mask law temporarily suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.But that runs out Aug 1. Come then, it will be against the law for adults to wear a face mask in North Carolina, despite an order from Gov. Roy Cooper requiring them to wear face coverings in a wide...…Published: 2020-06-26 03:50:00Updated: 2020-06-29 19:39:32NC CapitolTags:By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — Back-and-forth talks over just what to do with North Carolina's anti-mask law broke down early Friday morning at the legislature, leaving an odd status quo in place.For now, masks are legal, with the state's anti-mask law temporarily suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.But that runs out Aug 1. Come then, it will be against the law for adults to wear a face mask in North Carolina, despite an order from Gov. Roy Cooper requiring them to wear face coverings in a wide...WW…

Published: 2020-06-25 15:23:00Updated: 2020-06-25 17:06:36NC CapitolTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, & Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — Lt. Gov. Dan Forest said Thursday that he plans to sue Gov. Roy Cooper over alleged violations of the state Emergency Management Act during the coronavirus pandemic."The governor has repeatedly ignored the law, enacting mandates that selectively target the businesses and citizens of North Carolina without concurrence from a majority of the Council of State," Forest said in a statement.Forest is running against...…Published: 2020-06-25 15:23:00Updated: 2020-06-25 17:06:36NC CapitolTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor, & Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — Lt. Gov. Dan Forest said Thursday that he plans to sue Gov. Roy Cooper over alleged violations of the state Emergency Management Act during the coronavirus pandemic."The governor has repeatedly ignored the law, enacting mandates that selectively target the businesses and citizens of North Carolina without concurrence from a majority of the Council of State," Forest said in a statement.Forest is running against...WW…

Published: 2020-06-18 17:08:00Updated: 2020-06-18 18:58:00Health TeamTags:By Keely Arthur, WRAL reporter — A shows nearly 10 percent of people tested in North Carolina have antibodies to the coronavirus.The presence of antibodies means the people were likely previously infected, said Dr. John Walton Sanders, the chief of infectious disease for the Winston-Salem hospital, who is leading the study."We are getting very good evidence that most people who get infected are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic," Sanders said. "Some of these people are feeling it a little bit – a scratchy throat,...…Published: 2020-06-18 17:08:00Updated: 2020-06-18 18:58:00Health TeamTags:By Keely Arthur, WRAL reporter — A shows nearly 10 percent of people tested in North Carolina have antibodies to the coronavirus.The presence of antibodies means the people were likely previously infected, said Dr. John Walton Sanders, the chief of infectious disease for the Winston-Salem hospital, who is leading the study."We are getting very good evidence that most people who get infected are asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic," Sanders said. "Some of these people are feeling it a little bit – a scratchy throat,...WW…

Published: 2020-07-02 15:06:00Updated: 2020-07-02 15:56:18NC CapitolTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor — Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday vetoed eight bills that lawmakers passed last week, including four that would have overridden his orders closing various businesses and limiting mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic and one that would have undercut his ability to issue such orders.Republican lawmakers have complained about the slow pace of Cooper's plan to resume business and social activities during the pandemic and have repeatedly tried to push the...…Published: 2020-07-02 15:06:00Updated: 2020-07-02 15:56:18NC CapitolTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor — Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday vetoed eight bills that lawmakers passed last week, including four that would have overridden his orders closing various businesses and limiting mass gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic and one that would have undercut his ability to issue such orders.Republican lawmakers have complained about the slow pace of Cooper's plan to resume business and social activities during the pandemic and have repeatedly tried to push the...WW…

Published: 2020-06-12 15:44:00Updated: 2020-06-13 14:12:03Local NewsTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor — People hospitalized with the coronavirus hit another record high on Saturday, for the fifth time this week. Over 1,100 people have died, and 42,880 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the virus.But, Gov. Roy Cooper said he hasn't yet closed the door on moving to the next phase of resuming business and social activities amid the pandemic in the next couple of weeks."These numbers and trends are sobering," Cooper said at a news conference Friday...…Published: 2020-06-12 15:44:00Updated: 2020-06-13 14:12:03Local NewsTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor — People hospitalized with the coronavirus hit another record high on Saturday, for the fifth time this week. Over 1,100 people have died, and 42,880 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the virus.But, Gov. Roy Cooper said he hasn't yet closed the door on moving to the next phase of resuming business and social activities amid the pandemic in the next couple of weeks."These numbers and trends are sobering," Cooper said at a news conference Friday...WW…

Published: 2020-06-22 19:12:00Updated: 2020-06-22 20:43:23NC CapitolTags:By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — House leaders pressed the pause button Monday on a $4 million plan to build monuments to African-American heritage in downtown Raleigh, saying they're reconsidering after protesters took down Confederate statues over the weekend.Several members of the chamber's Republican leadership said they're not sure the state should spend money on new statues if monuments are going to be torn down.There was also to add "contextual signage" to Confederate monuments outside the State...…Published: 2020-06-22 19:12:00Updated: 2020-06-22 20:43:23NC CapitolTags:By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — House leaders pressed the pause button Monday on a $4 million plan to build monuments to African-American heritage in downtown Raleigh, saying they're reconsidering after protesters took down Confederate statues over the weekend.Several members of the chamber's Republican leadership said they're not sure the state should spend money on new statues if monuments are going to be torn down.There was also to add "contextual signage" to Confederate monuments outside the State...WW…

Published: 2020-06-24 17:30:00Updated: 2020-06-25 00:42:28NC CapitolTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor — Within hours of Gov. Roy Cooper , lawmakers failed Wednesday in their effort to bypass Cooper's order and open the businesses immediately.The House voted 66-53 in favor of overriding Cooper's veto on a bill that would have allowed bars and gyms to reopen, but that fell short of the three-fifths majority needed for the override to move forward.Gyms and bars have been closed since late March, when Cooper issued a stay-at-home order to limit the spread of...…Published: 2020-06-24 17:30:00Updated: 2020-06-25 00:42:28NC CapitolTags:By Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor — Within hours of Gov. Roy Cooper , lawmakers failed Wednesday in their effort to bypass Cooper's order and open the businesses immediately.The House voted 66-53 in favor of overriding Cooper's veto on a bill that would have allowed bars and gyms to reopen, but that fell short of the three-fifths majority needed for the override to move forward.Gyms and bars have been closed since late March, when Cooper issued a stay-at-home order to limit the spread of...WW…

Published: 2020-05-15 18:40:00Updated: 2020-05-15 19:58:00NC CapitolTags:By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — Lt. Gov. Dan Forest told Christian pastors in a video conference Thursday that the political left is using COVID-19 restrictions to hurt the church and that the last chance to fight back is rapidly approaching.Forest, a Republican running this year for governor, cast stay-at-home restrictions limiting indoor church gatherings in North Carolina as part of a larger, escalating culture war against religious freedom."There is no doubt that there are people that are on the left...…Published: 2020-05-15 18:40:00Updated: 2020-05-15 19:58:00NC CapitolTags:By Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter — Lt. Gov. Dan Forest told Christian pastors in a video conference Thursday that the political left is using COVID-19 restrictions to hurt the church and that the last chance to fight back is rapidly approaching.Forest, a Republican running this year for governor, cast stay-at-home restrictions limiting indoor church gatherings in North Carolina as part of a larger, escalating culture war against religious freedom."There is no doubt that there are people that are on the left...WW…