ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - February 2, 2026

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

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Right now, and I'm going to use it for your first alert to another round of school closures for Tuesday. As snow and ice continues to impact secondary roads and school campuses. And the extremely cold temps driving unusually high energy demand. We're hearing from Duke Energy officials on how you can help reduce potential outages and high bills. Plus, a Durham man now faces charges in a string of business break-ins. A look at some of the businesses impacted and what we're learning about the man arrested. Right now, Live coverage from your local news leader, keeping you connected to your community and your first alert forecast.

Here's what's happening where you live. This is ABC 11-I Witness News. Right now for the aftermath of this weekend's winter storm, this is a live look into person county right now. This is C.C. Andrews Road, and you can see still pretty big patches of snow there, especially areas where it is shaded. and that's what we're dealing with on many secondary roads in our viewing area. And anything, of course, that melts today could refreeze tonight as those temps are expected to dip below freezing. Thanks for joining us here for the news for this Monday. I'm Amber Repenta.

And I'm Barbara Gibbs. Many school districts are closing again tomorrow, as you can imagine. Many will operate remotely, and that includes Wake County Public Schools, Chapel Hill, Carborough City Schools, Carverland County and Johnston County Schools. We are still waiting for a decision from Durham Public Schools. Let's go to meet there, Algers Cruz, Medina, who's here now with a look at the evening ahead and how soon all of the snow and ice hopefully can melt Cruz. Well we got some good melting this afternoon as tipgers jumped above freezing but let's

start with this morning because it was super cold across the region. We were down in the teens to start the day and for an area like Fayetteville you actually had a record low this morning of 12 degrees that broke the old record setback in 1971 of 15 degrees. Now this afternoon we are well above freezing all across central north Carolina and into mecklenburg county Virginia Tipters in those lower 40s for the triangle. So Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill at 41, 39 in Smithfield and 40 in Sanford. Those tipters are going to fall quickly as we go throughout this evening.

That's because we're going to have a mainly clear sky overnight. So tonight, not as cold as last night, but many of you could still go down into the teens, areas like Smithfield, Sanford, and Southern Pines. Some of those sandier soils cooling off a little quicker tonight. Low 20s for areas like Henderson, Raleigh and down into Fayetteville. So tomorrow morning, any of the melting that we had this afternoon, sidewalks, streets could become icy.

So just heads up to that. We could have some black ice to deal with through the morning commute. You'll want to use extra caution. So anything that even looks wet on the roads, just make sure that you're slowing down as you drive through those areas. Those secondary roads, as Amber just said,

anything that was shaded today. There's still patches of snow and ice on the roads. That'll be another area to watch out for. And we should see that improve, but it's gonna take a while. So by tomorrow morning, we're in the 20s all the way through about nine or 10 in the morning after that jumping above freezing

into the afternoon and high tipters look like this for tomorrow afternoon. We should be well in the 40s to even near 50 degrees. This is going to speed up that melting process. But tomorrow night with tipters going down below freezing, at least in a few areas, we could see more of that refreezing, which creates more icy problems for the middle of the week. We'll talk about even warmer tipters on the way and your seven day forecast coming up shortly. Back to you. All right, Cruz, thank you.

And now to the warning from Duke Energy. The utility company is asking customers to voluntarily consult. serve energy. They're hoping to reduce demand on the power grid and reduce the potential for temporary power outages because of this historic cold. Elena Athens joins us live in Raleigh with a message from Duke Energy officials. Elaine, good afternoon. Good afternoon to you, Barbara. Yeah, Duke Energy is warning that energy bills will likely be higher this month after those back-to-back storms. The spokesperson is encouraging folks to cut back on their energy use partially to keep bills low. The power company pushing out this message to customers imploring people to cut back on energy use this morning and explaining that power supplies were limited.

A spokesperson says the rare move did make a difference. We're now coming beyond the peak now. We're back into normal operations and we don't anticipate any more challenges this week. Raleigh resident and Nihrimmer has been conscientious of the cold temps. She's been keeping the thermostat as low as possible in her Brentwood home to avoid a big bill. This neighborhood is built in the 60s and nothing's like very well insulated or so yeah it's definitely kind of a leaky house. But we keep the thermostat relatively low and then we went and bought some firewood. So when we get chilly like in the evening around dinner like we'll light a fire.

All right. So coming up ahead at 5 o'clock, the small things you can do in your home to hopefully add up to some big savings. We'll have that coming up for now. We're live in Raleigh, Elena, Athens, ABC 11 eyewitness news. All right, Elena, thank you. Well, the secondary roads still icy in many areas today. Breaking news one showing us the roads in Raleigh early this morning. Our crew traveled from downtown Raleigh to Lead Mine Road in Forrestokes.

While many of the roads are clear, the back roads and even some school bus lots still need a lot of work before they're safe again. That being said, many people did this. They got out and took advantage of the snow day. Dave Young took his young daughters to play around William Peace University. As we moved from New York City last year where we had a lot more snow and so they miss it so they're happy to be here. I did slip a little bit on the way over here so there's still some ice for sure. So try your best to avoid that. We were out here yesterday.

It's a little warmer today. Having a good time there with low temps. It'll take some time for the roads to clear completely. So take your time traveling and be safe. And of course the winter storm disrupting travel plans for two weeks now after more cancellations. and delays over the weekend and the impact continues today. We have a live look at RDU airport so far only three cancellations there today around 59 delays though. At the Charlotte Douglas Airport there were more than a hundred cancellations

today more than 400 delays. There were nearly 2,000 flights canceled on Saturday 859 more on Sunday. Charlotte ended the weekend with 11 inches of snow marking the city's biggest snowfall in decades. Well the extreme cold lingers after the this weekend storm today. A new record low is set in Fayetteville. Look at that. This morning's low was 12 degrees breaking the record of 15 set back in 1971. These freezing cold temps prompting many people to turn to shelters to stay warm. Let's go to Penelope Lopez. She's live in downtown Fayetteville. So Penelope, I know you visited the Salvation Army at the Sand Hill Shelter today. Have they seen an increase in people seeking shelter? Yeah, good afternoon.

I've been covering this shelter throughout these rounds of winter weather, and I've seen firsthand the uptick. In these past days, they've seen an increase by 12% of people trying to seek shelter. They say they are now preparing at least 200 meals during lunchtime. Our shelter numbers are increasing. With temperatures dropping, even hitting a record low of 12 degrees here this morning, shelters in Cumberland County have extended their hours. to keep people safe from the cult. Last night I think was our largest number, somewhere between 53, 55 individuals.

At the Salvation Army Stan Hales on Alexander Street, staff start their shift at 3 in the morning, working to address food insecurity. When the White Flag Shelter opened a month ago, they averaged 45 people. Today, 93 people came to the warming shelter before lunch. It's always kind of a busy time. Then they go and kind of step out front side for a little bit,

and then they come back in for a day. dinner. So we are preparing. We always try and make sure that there's enough food for persons coming through the line if they want seconds to be able to get seconds. So we prepare about 200 meals both for lunch and for dinner. Major Hughes says their mission depends on the ongoing partnerships with local agencies and the support from the community. We could always utilize toiletries if it's a deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving razors, shaving cream, shampoo, and those types of items, but also to help underwrite the activities. And the good news is that transportation to both shelters across Cumberland County in Fayetteville and in Spring Lake is back up in running as long as conditions are safe.

I wanted to give our viewers an update on some city information, city offices and public transportation will resume tomorrow starting at noon. And coming up in the next hour, we're here from one local business. how he's preparing after the snowstorm. Live in Fayetteville, Penelope Lopez, ABC 11, eyewitness news. All right, Penelope, and a lot of business owners have suffered, as well as their employees with so many closures. Thank you for that.

Now is a good time to download the ABC 11 app. You can find the latest watches and warnings. You can also check the first alert, Doppler net, and the 7-8 forecast anytime. New here at 4. Durham police say that they have solved a string of burglaries in late January at more than a dozen downtown businesses. During police arrested 30-year-old Keith

right on a slew of charges including nine counts of felony breaking and entering. Now this comes as eyewitness news is learning about even more business break-ins just last month. Jamice Price is live in downtown Durham for us with reaction from business owners. Jamies, good afternoon. Good afternoon, Barbara. These business owners are frustrated and rightfully. So dealing with the back-to-back break-ins. We're here on Market Street and you can see fate and folklore.

Those are one of the businesses that have been impacted. They've since boarded up the windows. like this at several businesses along this stretch of downtown Durham. And we've been able to talk to some of those business owners. Take a look here. This is inside a Roxden Bar hair shop in Durham as well, downtown. They became the target of thieves overnight. The manager says the thief got away with money and beer and to make matters worse. This was the second time they've been hit by thieves in a matter of days. Now last Tuesday, their business was broken into and the manager said This is just simply unacceptable.

We need to do more. This is like continuing to happen. Over the past month, there's been probably 20 businesses that have been broken into. What are we doing to fix that? It just continues to happen twice in one week. Unacceptable. Unacceptable. All right.

And I just spoke with Durham Mayor Leo Williams. He says this issue is personal to him being business owners as a family. So he is right now trying to meet with some. of these business owners impacted. Now coming up in the next half hour, you'll hear more from those business owners who became the victim of back-to-back burglaries. We're live in Durham. Jimyce Price, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Yeah, understandably, very frustrated for those business owners. Jamies, we'll see you in an hour. Thank you. Happening now, the U.S. government is in a partial government shutdown, expected to be brief. Tomorrow, the House is expected to vote on the funding

package that passed through the Senate last week. The legislation backs most government agencies through much of the year except the Department of Homeland Security which would only get enough funding for two weeks while lawmakers will work to reform DHS immigration operations house minority leader Hakeem jeffries is pushing for DHS agents or ICE agents to have mandatory judicial warrants before conducting raids next year at four o'clock highlighting black history month as today marks 163 years since slavery was abolished in the nation's capital and a young boy and his father released from an iced detention facility after being detained in Minneapolis. Now a legal battle plays out between the family's attorneys and the DOJ. And it's time for a check of First Alert traffic. This is I-40 at Airport Boulevard. Good to see traffic flowing out there today and I can tell that these folks look to be taking it slower than usual, which is a good thing. As we head into the evening commute, we want to get you to cheer hotspots brought to you by the First Alert weather team. The ABC 11 First Alert forecast team is working to keep you safe. One ease across the region. Some cloud cover starting to build.

That rain is going to push on through. Cold air coming in. The first alert forecast team. Only on ABC 11. I witness news. Get your... Adobe Acrobat Studio, your new foundation. Use PDF spaces to generate a presentation. Grab your docks, your permits, your moves.

AI levels of your pitch gets it in a groove. Choose a template with your timeless cools. Flex those tools. Drive design, deliver, make it sing. AI builds the deck so you can build that thing. Do that, do that, do that with acrobat. Learn more at adobe.com slash do that with acrobat. New here at four highlighting Black History Month.

Today we paused to recognize the people, the moments, and the movements that help shape this nation. On this day in 1862, slavery was abolished in the District of Columbia, a step toward broader emancipation the following year. Throughout the month, I witness news will highlight stories of resilience, courage, and sacrifice that continue to, to echo through the generations. And in honor of Black History Month, coming up here on I Witness News at 5 o'clock are Joel Brown highlighting Durham's longtime restaurant, the chicken hut. Joel's sitting down

with owner, Claiborne Tap, the third, also known as Just Trey, to talk about soul food, history, and culture surrounding the institution that has been in the community for nearly 70 years. Well, police in Arizona are calling the disappearance of today's show host Savannah Guthrie's mother a crime. 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was last seen

in her home in the Tucson area on Saturday. Investigators say it does not appear that she left the home on her own. Police say they found evidence that suggests a crime had been committed. They would not say what that evidence is. Authorities also say Guthrie takes daily medication that she could die without it. Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos is back home with family after he and his father spent more than a week in a Texas detention facility. A lawyer representing the Ramos family insists they are in the country legally and have followed all proper steps in filing for asylum, something the Department of Justice vows to fight in court. ABC's Christian Cordero has more now from Washington.

Today, the five-year-old who quickly became a flashpoint for the federal government's immigration tactics is back home in Minnesota. ABC News joined Liam Conejo Ramos and his dad, Edrian, on their flight from San Antonio to the Twin Cities. The two spent more than a week in detention surrounded by protests both outside and within the facility. In a scathing opinion, a U.S. District Judge ordered their release. Liam, how'stas? In Minneapolis, Pastor Sergio Amazcoa has been working closely with the Ramos family and other immigrant families in his community.

He says some parishioners have been so scared to leave home that they've resorted to reusing diapers. Recycling diapers. So I went to the store, getting some diapers, so I pulled a call to our volunteer base and in a matter of three hours they filled this place. It was full of diapers, formula, and wipes. Pastor Amesquah tells ABC's Ikejachi, the church is shipping roughly 1,500 boxes of supplies daily. A lawyer representing the Ramos family insists they came to the U.S. through a legal point of entry and have filed for asylum, something the DOJ is pushing back on.

There's a very meaningful dispute about whether they had properly applied for asylum. And in Washington, a different dispute. A partial government shutdown is in effect as Congress, faced with Democratic demands to reform ICE, works on separating a wide-reaching funding package from fiscal year funding for Homeland Security. That effort passed through the Senate on Friday. Republicans had to negotiate with us to pass any bill.

They had to listen to the American people calling out for change. That amended bill went back to the House, but it's unclear if it has the support it needs to pass and end the shutdown. Christi Ann Cordero, ABC News, Washington. Now, for today is Groundhog Day. Feels a little more relevant today this year than usual. Well, you know the old lore here.

If the Groundhog sees his shadow, then it is six more weeks of winter. After two weekends of winter weather around here, a lot of people are hoping for an early spring, but a Groundhog in Pennsylvania says more cold days are ahead. It is my job. this February 2, to look to the skies and report back to you that there is a shadow here on my ground. Six more weeks of winter abound.

So Paxatani, Phil did see his shadow. Before you start to panic, though, keep this in mind. Historically, Phil's predictions have been right just about 30% of the time. Look, Phil even looks cold. I mean, okay, so Phil's wrong. most of the time. That's basically what we're saying. All right, well, the Triangle's only official Groundhog Day is a groundhog snored, not able to do anything prognosticating today, but in the town of Apex, there was a special guest. This special guest is called Good Bunny. Good Bunny, Phil did for

Sylvia, the Armadillo, who usually does Apex's Groundhog Day, but the mayor there says Sylvia could not make it due to those road conditions. So Good Bunny and a nod to Grammy winner, bad bunny is declaring six more weeks of winter. Mayor Gilbert there. Okay. We like that fit. That's a good fit check. That is a good fit check. Let's go to meteorologist Cruz Medina. I'm just going to say this to you like most time those brown hogs look mad. And so maybe that's why they predict that. You know what? They're mad because they have to be outside in the cold. And I would be too. We want to be warm. Yeah, exactly. It's been a cold stretch here. And we had all that winter weather. back-to-back weekend.

It's been fun, Cruz. Yeah, we'll call it that. Well, it's out of here, and we're seeing some melting finally, but there are some problems with that melting, and that's because tipters tonight fall below freezing. So tomorrow we'll be watching out for black ice potential again throughout the morning commute, and you could encounter that this evening as well. So as you head home, just keep that in mind. Any wet spots don't trust them, try to avoid them.

They could be already turning into ice as temperature is dropped below freezing. Now, tomorrow afternoon is actually going to be much more. milder than today. We jump into those middle 40s, in some cases even upper 40s tomorrow, and the clouds increase. Now by tomorrow night, we see the first round of some light showers. We'll see more redevelop into Wednesday. So Wednesday is a cold rain. And as that wraps up on Wednesday, we could see some snowflakes flying in the air. That said, not really expecting accumulating snow here. And then by Thursday, it'll be clearing with sunshine returning, but it'll be cold again with highs in the 30s. Speaking of cold, I'll take you out to RDU,

and you can see some of those wet spots out here on the pavement. Those kind of be spots that freeze tonight. Tipters are above freezing right now, 41 and Raleigh 39 for Roxborough and Lewisburg. And the tipters are going to fall quickly this evening with a lack of cloud. So look at this. By 7 p.m. we're already below freezing in the triangle. Most spots across Central North Carolina seeing similar conditions. And we spend most of tonight in the 20s, but tomorrow morning some of you could be down in the teen. So I'll walk you through first alert predictor here. Watch the progression of these tipters and how quickly they just fall through the night. So tomorrow morning, you're waking up with mainly sunny skies.

There could be some areas of fog, mainly back to the southwest of the triangle. So areas like Chatham, Lee, Moore counties, Harnett County. That'll be something to watch out for in the morning. Tipters, once again, 20s, a few spots in the teens to start today. And then throughout the day, we see these clouds start to thicken up. Winds are out of the south. So that at least pushes us in the 40s tomorrow, and we need that. That's going to speed up this melting process.

But again, tomorrow night, tipter is dropping to near freezing. So if we stay just above, that's good. news for melting. We are still expecting some showers to come through tomorrow night. And that's just going to be a cold rain. Now as we go throughout Wednesday, more rounds of this will develop as low pressure rides up from our south. And you can see across the northern tier as cold air starts to catch up to this moisture, we could see some flakes flying, especially in those northern counties. And the later we get, that could spread farther to the south. So at most, a dusting in those northern counties, the rest of us just likely to see some flurries Wednesday night. So

We're recapping here, starting out very cold tomorrow. Watch out for the black ice potential through your morning commute. By the afternoon, we see lots of melting as tipters jump into the 40s. And then tomorrow night, we'll be watching out for once again that rain to move on in. So as the rain ends, once again, just a few flakes flying around. It turns cold again as we get into Thursday. But by then, the sunshine is back in the forecast. So you'll see it all here in your first alert, seven-day forecast.

We are briefly down in those 30s on Thursday, Friday and into this weekend. we're at least in the 40s. So another cold weekend, but at least it's dry this time. And then by next week, we could be talking about 50s in the forecast. And I never thought that would be warm. But these days, it certainly feels like it. Back to you. We'll take it.

Any warm up we can get. That's right. Coming up here, 4 o'clock, DoorDash, now expanding access for SNAP recipients. More on the new partnership with several local retailers. And in your health check, researchers break around on a new way to create natural food dyes. Did you know that Staples Professional can tailor a custom program to make running your business easy? With a Staples Professional account, you get one vendor, one delivery, and one invoice for all your must-haves. From tech to cleaning supplies and dedicated support from Staples experts who guide you on everything,

from product selection and ordering to payment. Join today at staplesprofessional.ca and get expert solutions tailored to your business. That was easy. Time now for some news you can use this Monday. DoorDash is making it easier for SNAP users in Raleigh and Durham to use their benefits for on-demand grocery delivery. CVS Pharmacy, Wegmans, and Lowe's foods now accept SNAP payments on the DoorDash marketplace, giving eligible customers more access to fresh affordable groceries. And new at 4, there is a new shift toward natural food color alternatives using cranberries. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a patented process to, extract vibrant red pigments from cranberries without using alcohol or acetone.

They say the method is safer, more sustainable, and preserves beneficial compounds found naturally in the fruit. The resulting ingredient can be turned into powders for use in foods like protein bars, pudding, and ice cream. The breakthrough comes as major food companies plan to eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2027. Keeping our eye on the economy, most Americans have lost spending power in the past five years. Nationally, pay rose by 18% between 2020 and 2024, while inflation went up 21%. But where you live can significantly impact things. North Carolina, among nine states where purchasing power actually grew. The states that saw the worst declines were New Jersey,

Rhode Island and Maryland. And that's news you can use. Barbara, back to you. All right, Amber, thank you. Well, right now at four, the hype is growing for one of the most popular events in American sports. Super Bowl Sunday is just six days away. This year, Super Bowl has even more energy behind it than usual for a few reasons. First, both teams are underdogs. Few expected the New England Patriots or the Seattle Seahawks to make it to the big game. At the start of the season, both teams face greater than 50 to 1 odds against it, and now both teams are competing for the Lombardi Trophy.

Kickoff for Super Bowl 60 Sunday at 6.30 p.m. at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. There will be hours of pre-game festivities leading up to the game. Our winter weather coverage continues next year at 4 o'clock. Many school campuses across the triangle are now still covered. And that snow and ice, as you can see from our chopper. Duwant Hogan is going to join us live with the latest conditions and how the school districts plan to move forward. And as the March primary approaches, time is running out.

If you still need to register to vote, more on the upcoming deadline and important dates, you should know. We are. Investing is all about the future. So what do you think is going to happen? Bitcoin is sort of inevitable at this point. I think it would come down to precious metals. I hope we don't go cashless. I would say land is a safe investment.

Technology companies, solar energy. Robotic pollinators might be a thing. A wrestler to face a robot, that will have to happen. So whatever you think is going to happen in the future, you can invest in it at WealthSimple. Start now at WealthSimple.com. Local News, ABC 11 eyewitness News continues now. And now here at 430,000 of students across the triangle will be working remotely tomorrow, as many districts have decided to remain closed. Trapper Levin flew over several school campuses in Durham and Wake County today, where you can see the school parking lot is still covered in snow and ice.

Duane Hogarth is live for us and Kerry. Duane, good afternoon to you, true snow day for kids in Wake County today, but they'll be back to remote learning tomorrow, right? Yeah, and one of the decisions why that is made is because districts, district leaders, they like to be able to assess what kind of technology kids have at home, while also keeping in mind that these kids are going to school often and having some of these remote learning days and even in-person instruction days. You're going to want to take a listen to a conversation I had with some parents about how they're managing all of that right from their home.

A brand new week and another snow day for kids in the triangle. Both Durham Public Schools and Wake County Schools closing campuses again today and instead designating today as no school. as opposed to marking it as a remote instruction learning day. And parents and students are both sounding gone. There's a lot of juggling to try to keep all the energy contained and to keep everybody, you know, busy. She's been out of school for about five or six weeks now,

so it's been quite a long time for us. Well, I miss school sometimes, and I also miss my teachers. The move comes amid a second week of winter weather in the triangle, where in Wake County's some schools saw three days of remote, learning last week and all schools had two hour delays on Thursday and Friday and in the Duncan household there's a silver lining and again for all schools in Wake County tomorrow it will be remote instruction so no actual physical campuses excuse me of physical classes here on campuses still waiting to hear what Durham Public Schools has in store for tomorrow

now coming up for you all new ahead on iWitness News at 6 you're going to hear from the principal here at davis drive middle school and carry on how having campuses closed what that means to both staff here as well as administration and even teachers. We're live and carry this afternoon. Dwan Hoggard, a bus 11, Iwitness news. All right, Duane, see you in an hour. Thank you. Breaking news just coming in here at 430. Johnston County is under a temporary water shortage advisory. County leaders say it is because of the extreme cold. It's causing treatment process interruptions at the Timothy Broome water treatment plant. So all customers are asked to refrain from all non-essential uses there in Johnston County. Now to some other headlines in your speed feed.

First, as we continue to highlight Black History Month, Governor Stein is honoring the four who courageously staged a sit-in at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro in 1960. Stein released a statement on X, saying in part, their sit-in shaped the civil rights movement and sparked change in our country for the better. The 1960 sit-in sparked a nationwide wave of non-violent civil rights protests. In your voice, your vote, we are looking ahead to the North Carolina, 2026 election, in-person, early voting starts next. week on February 12th and runs through February 28th. March 3rd is the primary election day. The last day to register to vote is this Friday, February the 6th. Happening tonight, the Tar Heels are back in action. UNC Men's basketball will take on Syracuse tonight at the Dean Smith Center.

It comes after a big win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. Tip off is at 7 p.m. And you can look for highlights and reaction tonight on eyewitness news at 11. And that is your speak, Pete. Amber, back to you. Barbara, thank you. New at 4. February is American Heart Month. And this week marks women's heart week. More than four and 10 women in the U.S. have some form of cardiovascular disease such as heart disease or stroke.

And each year, heart disease and stroke kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. So in support of women's cardiovascular health, the annual Go Red campaign kicks off this week. National Wear Red Day is this Friday, February the 6th, and people are encouraged to wear red to raise awareness. Right in here, next on I witness is the fallout continues over the Jeffrey Epstein files after hundreds of new documents are released over the weekend. Why survivors are now calling for the new files to be removed. And as we had to break alive look into downtown Raleigh from our Pindo Skycan, those beautiful blue skies, the sunshine today. Hope it really can get some of that snow and remaining ice melted crews. Yes, it was nice to be above freezing this afternoon, even though it doesn't feel that warm outside.

And definitely was a big improvement from this morning when we saw single digits for those lows and even teens in some spots. We do have warmer weather on the way, at least somewhat warmer weather on the way. We'll talk about that coming up in your seven-day forecast. The Department of Justice says it has now removed thousands of files from its website related to the investigation and to disgrace financier Jeffrey Epstein. Survivors were calling for the takedown after a number of them say their identities were exposed due to inadequate redactions. As ABC's Rainer Roy reports the newly released files mentioned President Trump, Elon Musk, and former Prince Andrew. Several thousand documents and media related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein pulled from the Department of Justice website. Just days after the DOJ says it released three million Epstein-related pages from the files.

According to a letter from the DOJ filed in federal court today, the files may have inadvertently included victim-identifying information due to various factors, including technical or human error. Multiple survivors calling for the takedown, writing the DOJ committed what may be the single most egregious violation of victim privacy in one day in United States history. Every time we hear from a victim of their lawyer that they believe that their name was not properly redacted,

we immediately rectify that. This latest batch of files released Friday includes a prosecutor's memo from 2007, showing federal authorities uncovered evidence pointing to the broad-scale of Epstein's molestation and exploitation and exploitation of girls and young women. That federal prosecutor initially wanted to charge Epstein with at least 60 felony counts, but in the end, he was offered a deal to serve only 13 months of an 18-month prison sentence on Florida state charges. President Trump's name comes up thousands of times in the Epstein files, mostly in news articles, but also in emails written by Epstein himself. DOJ officials have said that uncorroborated allegations regarding

President Trump contained in the files are false and did not come from credible sources. The president has said after a falling out two decades ago, he cut off contact with Epstein. Today in a post on social media, Trump writing that he was not friendly with Epstein. And among the thousands of newly released photos, these never before seen images of former Prince Andrew, who was stripped of his royal titles last year over his relationship with Epstein. Now seen here crouched over a young woman, her face redacted, the date and context of the interaction unclear. Representatives for Andrew have not responded to a request for comment.

The files also show in 2012 tech billionaire Elon Musk emailed Epstein in one note asking him when the wildest party on his island will be. But today, Musk claiming he's never been to Epstein's island or any of his parties, calling this latest release a distraction. Rina Roy, ABC News, New York. And you're here at 430. News learning about a Duke professor who has appeared multiple times in the newest Epstein files released by the Justice Department. The new pages contain the name of Fuqua School of

Business Professor Dan Arelli, whose research focuses on behavioral economics. The emails between Epstein and O'Reilly span almost a decade between 2010 and 2018. One of the conversations include Epstein arranging for a private Ferrari factory tour for O'Reilly. Arelli has not responded to eyewitness news's request for comment, but he did post an op-it in the Duke Chronicle. The student newspaper was first to report on this. He says in part Epstein's interests did not overlap with Arelli's research and he never received funding from Epstein. He goes on to say the contact he had with Epstein was infrequent, largely logistical, often mediated by assistance. He says he had no connection with Epstein's criminal activity and was involved in no financial performance.

or ongoing relationship. Duke University also commented on the report telling eyewitness news, quote, Duke takes the information released on Friday seriously and is carefully evaluating it. We cannot comment on specific personnel actions that may be taken in response, end of quote. The files released so far have yet to show evidence of wrongdoing on the part of that Duke professor. Coming up here next at 430, it was music's biggest night. We are taking a look at the 68th annual Grammy Awards. The show jam-packed with powerful performances and emotional moments and this year it was

one for the record books. Watch Joel Brown. Weekday mornings on ABC. With the RBC Avion Visa, you can book any airline, any flight, any time. So start ticking off your travel list. Grand Canyon? Grand. Great Barrier

Reef? Great. Galapagos? Galapago? Switch and get up to 55,000 avion points that never expire. Your idea of never missing out happens here. Conditions apply. Visit rbc.com slash avion. C-11 eyewitness news.

New at Ford Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivers remarks at the Blue Origin rocket factory in Florida today. He was joined by Blue Origins founder Jeff Bezos. Hegsth praised the company's contributions to the United States military operations and space exploration.

Your work here, along with his, will help President Trump accomplished the national security policy objectives at record pace, including critical projects like Artemis. And you're exactly right. We're going to make space great again. Secretary Hegeseth also took a test flight with a NASA administrator during his tour today. And happening this Friday, a NASA ambassador will be in Chatham County to host the Artemis II Space Launch Program.

The free event will highlight NASA's upcoming Artemis II mission. The event will be held at the Chatham Community Library off the Highway 87 in Pittsburgh. It is Friday afternoon from 1 to 2. Looking at the sky today, speaking of the sky, it was so beautiful to see those blue skies, crews and the sunshine, hoping that it would melt a lot of this residual stuff on the roads. Well, it definitely did. Tipgers have jumped above freezing.

I saw the snowpack melt significantly in Durham County today, but I could tell you, even with it reaching into those upper 30s, it was still much below average. And that's been the case, at least for the past 15 days. During that span, we've only had one day that was above average, and it was only above average by five degrees. That was back on January 22nd. So the cold weather continues.

We will see tipters warming up just a little bit through the next few days, but you could tell from this evening, temperature's are going to fall quickly. We will spend most of tonight in the 20s, and a few spots could even go down into the teens. And so why that's important is because we had that melting today. Any wet spots on the roads, on the sidewalks, could refreeze tonight with tipters dropping well below freezing.

So tomorrow morning through your commute, you're going to want to keep that in mind. Any wet spots? You'll try to avoid those if you can. Otherwise, drive really, really slow in the morning as tipters will take their time getting above freezing. So it'll take until about 10 a.m. for us to finally jump above freezing. And then in the afternoon, we're well into the 40s. So it's much milder than it's been lately. Not necessarily warm. And we will see the clouds increase, but it's an improvement from recent temperature. So the coldest spots will be across the northern tier tomorrow near 50 degrees. down in parts of the sand hills. And we've got at least one day that's got 50s in it. That's going to be early next week. So we've still got a long way to go with these cold tipures. In between that, we could see some cold showers on Wednesday late in the evening. That could actually transition to a little bit of light snow. So just some few flakes around here.

Then we're back to the 30s by the time we get into Thursday. And we've got Steve and Lauren joining us now with what's coming up at 5 o'clock. Hey guys. Hello, Cruz. New at 5, a new turn in an I-team troubleshooter investigation focused on a Raleigh photography business that shut down after taking money from brides. One frustrated couple is now getting some of the photos from their very special day. Also, 31 former college athletes had now joined a lawsuit accusing NC State University of not

protecting those men from a trainer's alleged sexual abuse and harassment on campus. Early morning hours at the DMV are a thing of the past soon. We'll show you why they're making the big change and what it means when you need a new driver's license. Also, we have some clues about what not to buy the person you're trying to oppress for Valentine's Day. You don't want to be accused of putting in zero effort or romantic thoughts. Or you don't want to get a gift that implies some type of criticism. And the price you pay is also critical. That's all according to a new survey.

The details next on the news at 5 o'clock. All right. See at the top of the hour. Thank you. Well, last night's Grammy Award ceremony was three and a half hours, a lot of passionate speeches and performances. And then, of course, there were the Grammy Awards themselves. ABC's Joelle Gargulo has a breakdown of the big winners and the history-making moments. The 68th Grammy Awards kicked off with a bang in the form of a performance by Bruno Mars and Rose.

Trevor Noah, back for a sixth time as host, set the tone for the evening. We've also got a front row seat to the best concerts money can't buy. And he wasn't wrong. It was performance after performance. Sabrina Carpenter, Katzai, a stripped down Justin Bieber, and amped up Lady Gaga, Tyler the creator, and more taking the stage. Tell your mama, tell your daddy, though. Meanwhile, Trevor tried to get Bad Bunny to perform.

If this guy could perform some of that. And if this counts? Never you did? As for the awards, Kendrick Lamar took home the first Grammy of the evening for Best Rap album, making history while he was at it, now the most awarded rapper in Grammy's history. Thank you. Olivia Dean nabbed Best New Artist. Lady Gaga added some more golden gramophones to her collection.

Farrell Williams accepted the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, and then the night took a heartfelt turn, paying tribute to the musical icons we've lost. Reba McIntyre led the in-memorium. We can't feel their shoes. Post Malone and Slash took over playing homage to Ozzy Osbourne. And Lauren Hill, who reunited with Wyclef, closed out the tributes honoring the late DeAngelo and Roberta Flack.

Back to the awards, Song of the Year went to Wildflower by Billy Eilish. And in one of the most talked about moments of the evening, Cher presented record of the year to... Not Luther Vandros, rather Kendrick Lamar and Siza for Luther. As for the biggest award of the night, it's a place in the record books for... And the Grammy goes to... Bad Bunny Debitra. That's right, Bad Bunny made Grammy history as the first Spanish language. album of the year winner.

I want to dedicate this award to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country to follow their dreams. And that was Joelle Garjulo reporting for us and the Grammys are coming to ABC starting next year, the incredible artists, the epic live performances and all that Grammy Wow will be exclusively on Disney Plus, Hulu, and ABC. Welcome to the Disney family. Eyewitness News continues after this. Thank you.