50 NC counties and 1 VA county are under alert, including Wake, Cumberland, Durham, Johnston, and Orange counties.

More than 21% of North Carolina's four-year-olds enrolled in the state's pre-kindergarten programs during the 2022-2023 school year, up from the prior year but still below the state's pre-pandemic highs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

North Carolina ranks 29th in public pre-K enrollment, new report shows

Durham County budget increases funding for pre-K students

Compared to pre-pandemic prices, ground beef is up 35%, chips are up 45%, bread is up 57% and a 12-ounce can of soda is up 66%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks trends on common grocery store items.

WRAL Investigates: 'Greedflation' and other drivers behind inflation at the grocery store

A look at inflation at the grocery store

FILE — Brian Krzanich, chief executive of Intel, speaks at The New York Times Dealbook Conference in New York, Nov. 9, 2017. Intel and Krzanich are in the hot seat over Meltdown and Spectre, two chip security issues that were disclosed last week. (Mike Cohen/The New York Times)

Intel Faces Scrutiny as Questions Swirl Over Chip Security