5 On Your Side digs into potential fire hazards all over your home. Found inside phones, toys, cars, and lawn tools, lithium-ion batteries can cause serious damage. At 6 p.m., WRAL shares simple steps to protect your home from lithium batteries.

On WRAL at 6:🔥Fire hazards inside toys and lawn tools. 5 On Your Side shares simple steps to protect your home from lithium-ion batteries.

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

Stores that sell electronics, like Best Buy and Staples, offer convenient and accessible solutions for North Carolina residents looking to responsibly dispose of their electronics.

How to recycle your old electronics: A guide for North Carolina households

Old electronics 

As the team from DurhamCares bikes across American, local riders can join in the fun and fundraising by signing up for cycling slot at American Tobacco Campus.

As the team from DurhamCares bikes across America, local riders can join in the fun and fundraising by signing up for cycling slot at American Tobacco Campus.

While the team is on the road, riders in Durham will bike for 20 minutes at a time – around the clock – to show their shared support.

<a href="http://www.durhamcares.org/raam/timeslots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sign up to ride in the DurhamCares Race Across America Mirror Event</a>

Join the ride in Durham

DurhamCares

Two people were shooting at each other Thursday near Durham's American Tobacco Campus, according to police.



Gunfire exchanged near American Tobacco Campus in Durham

Shooting prompts lockdown at American Tobacco Campus in Durham

Armadillo Grill has closed its Glenwood Avenue location in Raleigh, owners announced Wednesday. 

After more than 20 years in business, Glenwood South restaurant announces closure

Armadillo Grill

NEW YORK (AP) — Jury selection in Donald Trump ’s hush money case encountered new setbacks Thursday as two previously sworn-in jurors were excused — one for backtracking on whether she could be impartial and fair and the other over concerns that he may not have been truthful about whether he had ever been accused or convicted of a crime.

The Latest | A second seated juror dismissed by judge from Trump's hush money trial

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It was a brazen theft: thousands of gold bars and millions of dollars in bank notes stolen a year ago from Toronto's international airport.

Nine people, including an airline worker, arrested in $14.5 million gold heist

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Make sure you get outside on Thursday! It's going to feel like summer with highs in the upper 80s and lots of sunshine.

Hot, sunny Thursday on tap ahead of Level 1 risk for severe storms Friday 

Feeling like summer, Thursday, April 18

WRAL-TV News Broadcasts: Watch each newscast live or watch the most recent newscast on demand.

WRAL Late News 

WRAL Noon News

Get the latest WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast whenever you need it, including the DUALDoppler5000 and the 7-Day Forecast.

WRAL WeatherCenter Forecast

Nightly N.C. Education Lottery drawings during the 11 p.m. News.

Evening Pick 3 Pick 4 and Cash 5

Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday Powerball drawings, as shown live on WRAL.

Powerball Drawing

A crash has shut down all but one lane of Interstate 540 westbound near Buffaloe Road in Raleigh. Sky 5 is over the scene

Crash shuts down I-540 West near Buffaloe Road in Raleigh; Sky 5 is over the scene

Videos

The Carolina Hurricanes are no stranger to playoff hockey. They're in the postseason for the sixth-straight season and are regarded as a Stanley Cup contender.

Chaos-causing Canes start chase for the cup as favorites

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NCAA athletes will be immediately eligible to play no matter how many times they transfer -- as long as they meet academic requirements -- after the association fast-tracked legislation Wednesday to fall in line with a recent court order.

NCAA allows transfers to be immediately eligible, no matter how many times they've switched schools

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USA Basketball studied every men's basketball game it has played for about two decades and a clear trend eventually appeared. When the defense isn't good enough, the Americans tend to get themselves into trouble.

USA Basketball announces its men's team for the Paris Olympics

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Over the course of her career, Ashley Twichell has pushed through situations that might have otherwise been the end of it, including a recurring shoulder injury and the COVID pandemic.