WRAL Doc Podcast

In this final companion episode to the WRAL Doc “Durham Under Fire,” WRAL Investigative Documentary Reporter Cristin Severance talks with Durham Mayor Elaine O’Neal, Council Member Mark-Anthony Middleton, District Attorney Satana Deberry, and former sheriff Mike Andrews. They explore the impact gun violence in a city that is described as both “ascendant” and “violent” -- and share their ideas on how the Bull City can rise … for all.

Z’Yon Person was killed by gunshots on his way to get a snow cone. He was nine years old. As Durham continues to grapple with gun violence, WRAL investigative documentary reporter Cristin Severance talks with Z’Yon’s grandmother about his life, his death and the trauma his family experienced – and continues to experience – as soon as those shots came through their vehicle window. Also, a community activist talks about the children in her community and how they’ve been changed and traumatized by the gun violence that’s become routine in their neighborhood.

As Durham grapples with increased gun violence, WRAL investigative reporter Cristin Severance rides along on patrol with two Durham police officers who grew up there. With candor, they describe how shootings in Durham have impacted them personally, why they’re so committed to their work, and how they try to disrupt cycles of violence.  This is the second episode of the companion series to the WRAL-TV documentary “Durham Under Fire.” Subsequent episodes feature families impacted by gun crime, community activists, and elected officials grappling with how to address the violence, as well as the underlying issues contributing to the devastation.   Watch the full documentary at WRALDocumentary.com and on WRAL’s YouTube page, where you can check out more documentaries from WRAL’s award-winning team. 

Join WRAL Investigative Reporter Cristin Severance as she rides along in a patrol car with Durham, NC’s Chief of Police Patrice Andrews. While discussing the immense pressures facing the Durham Police Department, a “shots fired” report comes over the patrol car radio. Follow the chief on the intense ride to the crime scene, and find out why she’s frustrated by gun violence in Durham, but not deterred.  This is the first episode of the companion series for the WRAL-TV documentary “Durham Under Fire.” Subsequent episodes feature families impacted by gun crime, community activists, police officers, and city leaders grappling with how to address the violence as well as the underlying issues contributing to the devastation. Watch the full documentary at WRALDocumentary.com and on WRAL’s YouTube page, where you can check out more documentaries from WRAL’s award-winning team. 

Six years ago, Jim Gray and Sandy Tabor-Gray lost their son, Michael, to a heroin overdose. His death was as devastating as you’d imagine, made all the more so because Michael left behind two small children, twins, too young to understand what happened to their dad. With the twins’ mother out of the picture, Jim and Sandy reentered the world of young-kid parenthood, something they never expected to do this late in life. In stories of addiction, much as with any disease, we often talk about prevention, or the shock and tragedy of someone's death. We fade to black at the funeral, roll credits. But this is a story of the aftermath, about those left to live on once the unthinkable has happened. And about how Jim and Sandy responded when the twins began asking difficult questions about their dad, his death, and all that came before. To hear more of Michael Tabor-Gray's story and North Carolina's fight against the opioid epidemic, watch the new WRAL Documentary, Finding a Fix, available now on YouTube.  The WRAL Doc Podcast is a production of WRAL Documentary, part of the Capitol Broadcasting Podcast Network. This episode was written, produced, and hosted by Cliff Bumgardner.  Search for more great CBC shows on your podcast app of choice, or go to WRAL.com and search "podcast" to see them all in one place. 

All season the WRAL Doc Podcast has explored Wicked Weather - telling stories of some of the fiercest storms ever to strike North Carolina. But as the season wraps up, it's worth diverting our eyes from the past to look toward the future. Are storms getting worse? How is forecasting keeping pace? How can we prepare? This week, experts in the field help us answer these questions and more as we look at what's next in Wicked Weather. This episode features Kieran Bhatia, Greg Fishel, Jay Barnes, Elizabeth Gardner and Steve Abbott. Hosted by Cliff Bumgardner

Throughout this season, the WRAL Doc Podcast has talked about the destruction that follows Wicked Weather and the impact a single storm can have. But what happens when it isn't just one storm, but two separate weather events mere weeks apart, setting the stage for unprecedented destruction? That's the situation surrounding one of the most infamous and talked-about hurricanes in North Carolina history: Floyd. This week, we look back at the record-breaking storm and how changes in flood mapping hope to prevent such a disaster from ever happening again. This episode features appearances by Greg Fishel, Jeff Orrock, Bill Leslie, Jimmy Tickel, Joe Rudek, Scott Stephens, Sam Knight, Delia Perkins, John Dorman, Mark Brown and Fred Turnage. 

For many, when you say the word "Hurricane," Fran is what comes to mind. One of the deadliest and most costly storms in North Carolina history, Fran came ashore as a category three hurricane in September 1996, dropping 19 inches of rain on the state and causing destruction from the coast to the capitol. This week, the WRAL Doc Podcast looks back at the stories and legacy the storm left behind. This episode features: Greg Fishel, Jim Payne, Bill Leslie, Debra Morgan, Brett Baier, Jay Barnes, David Crabtree, Renee McCoy, Amanda Lamb, Clay Johnson, Jay Jennings, Cliff Bumgardner and Francis Lai.

Hurricane Florence is the most recent chapter in North Carolina's long, destructive history with Wicked Weather. But when the storm hits, who breaks the news?  This episode of the WRAL Doc Podcast takes you inside WRAL's 75 hours of continuous coverage, profiling the men and women who worked around the clock and against Mother Nature to get the word out and keep people safe as the hurricane raged on. 

While North Carolina is known for its tumultuous relationship with hurricanes, there's another, even faster type of wicked weather we encounter more often than you might think: Tornadoes.  Swift, deadly and difficult to predict, the terrifying funnels have had a destructive impact on our state and frustrated meteorologists for decades.  In this episode, the WRAL Doc Podcast examines personal stories from some of the deadliest tornadoes of the past and looks to the future as advancements in technology and forecasting a change the way we think about tornadoes and how to save lives.

North Carolina has a long history with Wicked Weather, but of all the landmark storms to befall the state, perhaps none is more infamous than Hazel.  The first and only category four hurricane ever to make landfall in the state, Hazel came ashore in October of 1954 and caused levels of destruction still talked about today.  In this episode, the WRAL Doc podcast looks back at the legendary superstorm, three incredible first-person survival stories, and the legacy the storm left behind. 

This season the WRAL Doc Podcast is all about Wicked Weather, covering the storms that have made history in North Carolina. But before we take a look back, we thought it was important to cover some recent developments in the science of severe weather.  The National Climate Assessment was released in November 2018 to much discussion, but what does the report really mean? How is our climate changing, and how does that affect our weather? Will the storms and hurricanes we're talking about get worse?  In this episode, host Cliff Bumgardner sits down with WRAL-TV Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel to discuss all of this and more. 

"Robot Reporter" is a podcast that is associated with the WRAL Documentary "Connecting the Bots." View the Documentary: https://www.wral.com/news/local/documentaries/video/17752930/

Michael Mack discovers that the conversations he needed to have were with a far bigger audience than just his molester. "Conversations With His Molester" is the companion podcast to the WRAL Documentary, "Speaking the Unspeakable."

Michael Mack's journey leads him to answers but not to the questions he was asking. "Conversations With His Molester" is the companion podcast to the WRAL Documentary, "Speaking the Unspeakable."

Michael Mack's questions about what happened to him and why lead him on a journey for answers that he hopes he'll find in a conversation with his molester. "Conversations With His Molester" is the companion podcast to the WRAL Documentary, "Speaking the Unspeakable."

Michael Mack, who always wanted to be a priest, is abused by his Catholic priest in Brevard, North Carolina at age 11. "Conversations With His Molester" is the companion podcast to the WRAL Documentary, "Speaking the Unspeakable."