Laura Leslie, WRAL NEWS in NC

Laura Leslie

WRAL NEWS in NC

Raleigh, NC, United States

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  • WRAL NEWS in NC

Past articles by Laura:

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issues state of emergency for Hurricane Ian

Speaking Wednesday about Hurricane Ian, Gov. Roy Cooper said the most seroius concern North Carolina has is flooding. → Read More

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issues state of emergency for Hurricane Ian

Speaking Wednesday about Hurricane Ian, Gov. Roy Cooper said the most seroius concern North Carolina has is flooding. → Read More

Ahead of November election, NC Democrats tout abortion rights while Republicans focus on reviving economy

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and EMILY's List President Laphonza Butler warned the ability of women to control reproductive health choices at current standards will depend on General Assembly races. → Read More

NC child safety leaders to advocate for safe gun storage in 2023

There were 116 children who died in 2021 from gunshot wounds, which included homicide, suicide and unintentional shootings. → Read More

NC child suicides continue to rise, state data shows

Members of the state's Child Fatality Task Force are calling once again for lawmakers to devote more resources to children's mental health and suicide prevention. That's as the state's child suicide rate crept up again in 2021. → Read More

If your driver's license doesn't have the star, you need to act quickly

Twenty-one years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the United States is finally getting ready to implement more secure ID requirements for air travel and federal facilities. → Read More

Top state judges across US oppose NC lawmakers in Supreme Court

A group representing the chief justices in all 50 states filed a brief this week opposing the legal arguments made by Republican state lawmakers in an upcoming US Supreme Court case. → Read More

NC abortion law exceptions too vague, critics say

The state's 20-week abortion ban includes a narrowly-drawn exception for medical emergency. Critics say the exception is too vague, and will lead to poorer care for patients with pregnancy complications. → Read More

Group bashing child protective services pressures Durham County officials, raising safety concerns

A North Carolina advocacy group is using high-pressure tactics to push Durham County officials to return children taken away from families by child protection services. County officials say the group's tactics are making it difficult for social workers to do their jobs. → Read More

NC Dems encouraged by Kansas abortion vote

Voters in Kansas voted 59 to 41 to preserve their abortion rights in their state constitution - a much bigger margin than anyone expected. Now, NC Democrats are hoping the issue will motivate their voters this fall, too. → Read More

Bipartisan Kansas vote to keep abortion legal could encourage NC voter turnout

On Tuesday night, voters in Kansas voted 59 to 41 to preserve their abortion rights in their state constitution - a much bigger margin than anyone expected. Now, NC Democrats are hoping the issue will motivate their voters this fall, too. → Read More

NC legislative leaders ask federal judge to lift state’s 20-week abortion ban

Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative legal group, filed a friend-of-the-court the brief on GOP lawmakers' behalf, asking a federal judge to lift an injunction blocking North Carolina's law that bans abortions after 20 weeks. → Read More

Bill Carver to lead NC community colleges while system searches for permanent leader

The decision came a day after the board announced the resignation of Thomas Stith, who stepped down after an 18-month tenure. The resignation is effective Friday. → Read More

Former state NAACP president Rev. Anthony Spearman has died

The son of Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, former president of the North Carolina NAACP, confirmed his death on Wednesday. → Read More

Former state NAACP president Rev. Anthony Spearman found dead

The son of Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, former president of the North Carolina NAACP, confirmed his death on Wednesday. → Read More

Black students in Wake County more likely to be suspended compared to their classmates of other races, data shows

The Wake County Board of Education is working on a districtwide plan to cut down on racial and other disparities. → Read More

Stith resigns as president of state community college system

Thomas Stith, the president of North Carolina's community college system, has resigned. The board overseeing the system plans to announce an interim president in the coming days. → Read More

Official state case count likely out of line with COVID-19 spread in NC

Although public health officials and doctors have been sounding the alarm about the latest highly-contagious coronavirus subvariant, North Carolina's official case count is not ticking upward as expected, according to data released Wednesday by the state department of Health and Human Services. → Read More

NC fire marshals accuse state senator of self-dealing

One of the state's top safety organizations is accusing a powerful state senator of risking public safety to benefit himself and other farmers. The senator says it's untrue. → Read More

NC lawmakers OK historic $27.9B budget

North Carolina lawmakers have given tentative approval to the largest budget in state history. The vote in both chambers showed strong bipartisan support, making it less likely to be subject to a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. → Read More