ABC11 Eyewitness News - Eyewitness News at 4pm - January 7, 2026

Episode Date: January 7, 2026

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Hi everyone, coming up right now on eyewitness news at four state lawmakers sharing their reaction to the murder of Raleigh school teacher Zoe Welsh. The action they're now calling for to help prevent this kind of tragedy from happening in the future. And we are following breaking news out of Minneapolis this afternoon. Officials say a woman was shot and killed by ICE agents, the city's mayor, accusing agents of causing chaos and distrust. We are better than a bunch of ICE agents being deployed to cities around the country and ripping apart families and communities. communities. What better than that? The very latest that we know about the deadly incident. Also coming up here, the Trump administration unveiling a brand new food pyramid, and it's inverted. The food they say we should stay away from. Right now, IWitness News at 4.

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 ABC11. I, witness news. And we begin with the latest updates on the breaking news unfolding right now in Minneapolis. Thanks for joining us here for the news at four. I'm Steve Daniels. Barbara is off today. I'm Amber Repenta. The Department of Homeland Security says an ICE agent shot and killed a 37-year-old woman saying she was trying to run over the officers with her car. But the mayor says that is not true. Protesters are now taken to the street. Yeah, Lauren Johnson here with the latest details coming in from the Twin Cities right now. Yeah, we're just seeing that video in the

special report just moments ago, Steve and Amber. This is a very flea. This is a very flea. fluid situation. Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem calling the act a domestic terrorism act. But the mayor says that's not exactly what this video shows and he wants the agents out of his city. Noem says a 37 year old U.S. citizen who was killed was breaking or blocking that roadway there and quote weaponized her vehicle as officers were trying to get their car out of the snow. But one Minneapolis city council member says the woman was an observer and was watching out for her immigrant neighbors when she was shot. Disturbing video shows the moments after that shooting. and see paramedics, they're running to the car.

The video shows a bullet hole in the windshield of that SUV. The shooting sparking a clash between local leaders and federal authorities. Minnesota Governor Tim Walls addressing that shooting just moments ago. They want to show. We can't give it to them. We cannot. If you protest and express your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully as you always do. We can't give them what they want. Homeland Security says the ICE officer feared for his life and fired defensive shots. The Trump administration says 2,000 agents had recently been deployed to Minneapolis.

The mayor now demanding they leave the city saying they are only causing chaos there. So a very developing fluid situation happening there. We're going to keep an eye on this throughout the hour, Steve. Demonstrations continue there. We are getting more details coming in from Minneapolis. We'll be updating our viewers through the afternoon and evening. Lauren, thank you. And you can watch more reporting from our network news partners at 630 on World News Tonight with David Muir.

Right now, four state lawmakers reacting to the murder of Raleigh School teacher Zoe Wells. She, as you know, taught at Ravenscroft, and police say she was killed by an intruder at her home on Clay Street near Wade Avenue and St. Mary's on Saturday morning. Police have charged 36-year-old Ryan Camacho in Welsh's murder. Michael Perchick is joining us live. He is outside the state legislature this afternoon. So, Michael, I know that two Wake County House members are now requesting this case. to be considered by legislators. Representatives Aaron Paray and Mike Sheetsau

wrote a letter to the House Select Committee on involuntary commitment and public safety seeking to learn what steps the General Assembly can take while considering this case to try and prevent future tragedies moving forward. You should be safe in your own home. Questions continue to be asked about the circumstances leading up to the murder of beloved educator Zoe Welsh.

The suspect Ryan Camacho has a lengthy criminal history and just last month faced a misdemeanor breaking and entering charge, which was ultimately dropped, after a mental competency exam found he could not stand trial. In response, the district attorney's office requested he be involuntarily committed, which was denied by a judge. In a joint letter, Perrae and sheets out wrote Camacho should never have been out on the street, now asking the committee to consider the case as part of their broader work. As they look at workforce and they look at capacity,

there's a public safety angle here as well, which is how do we deal with people that fall into this gap? between incompetent to stand trial and involuntarily committed. Representative Terry Brown is part of the committee and says they've heard from stakeholders, including law enforcement, about ways to better support efforts to enhance public safety. We need to make sure that we're getting more health care providers in this space, so they're not having to have the long wait log. We're having to look at how many beds are across the state. Right now in North Carolina, 93 out of 100 counties have a mental health provider deficiency.

That's the vast majority. Coming up at 5, when the committee is set to meet next. In Raleigh, I'm Michael Perchick, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Those wheels in motion to the legislature just days after the murder of Zoe Welsh. We'll be watching closely, Michael, thank you. Also right now at 4, we are hearing from one of Zoe Welsh's former colleagues from Ravenscroft. She and Welsh both taught at the school during that same time. Everybody loved her.

I mean, she just had a smile in her face all the time. She was the kindest, most wonderful friend. friend. Her students loved her. She was a great teacher and always met the kids where they were. I mean, she just, she shined at Ravenscorff and everybody's going to miss her. That's Mary Craig Brown, who spoke only with ABC 11's DeWan Hogart about her relationship with Zoe Wells. She says the death of her friend and former coworker comes as a tragedy to all who knew her. She also says her heart breaks for Zoe's family, friends, and the school community as well. And she's hopeful her friend's murder sparks change within the system to help prevent crimes like this from happening in the future.

But I'm hoping that this really is going to get the attention of our lawmakers and really change our system. I'm just not sure step by step. It's going to be slow. But I really think if we can all get together, we can do this. She should be here. Zoe should be here. She's too special of a person. She should still be with us. Coming up here on eyewitness news at 5 o'clock, we're going to hear more from Dwan about how this Wake County teacher remembers her former colleague, Zoe Welsh. Are we want to switch gears and talk about this wild weather.

I know you came in, I said, how nice is it outside? So nice we should be staying outside, right? It's so hard to believe that it is the middle of winter right now, Tim, today in the 70s. It's incredible. That is a live look from our downtown Raleigh Cam there, lots of blue sky, little breeze in the air. But it is absolutely fantastic. It feels more like late spring. A lot of people out and about in Midtown Raleigh,

soaking up all the sun and the warmth as well. Today might be the best day for a while because we do have a little rain we need to talk about in the forecast. But Cruz, I don't know. Let's live in this moment. And those temps outside right now, I see, what, 73 in Raleigh right now? Yeah, it's really hard to break your focus of the warmth that we've had today. It feeling like a completely different season and temperature's just being much above average. So we're about 20 degrees above average today hitting 73.

in Raleigh so far, 71 in Fayetteville, and even up north. Look at South Hill, Virginia at 70 right now, the same in Roxborough. So this is not a official high just yet. Obviously, I was just showing you that 73 and Raleigh. That's our high so far today. Our record for today is 75. So I don't think we'll break it, but we still have about another, I'd say another hour that we could see those siftures rise. Not likely, but it's still going to be a pretty warm evening for this time of the year. So if you have plans to be out and about, I encourage it.

Tipters will stay in the 60s through about 6 p.m. and then after that, we start to slowly fall into the 50s a little later tonight. And those tipters eventually go down a little cooler than we did last night. So we should have some mid-30s

across the northern tier, low 40s in Raleigh and mid-40s down in the sand hills. Now tomorrow is not going to be as warm. We briefly drop into the mid-60s, but this is still over 10 degrees above average for tomorrow. So staying mild and then we're due for another warm up that could be even warmer than what we saw today.

That'll come throughout Friday and Saturday and then that front that's going to bring the rain that Steve was talking about. That could knock our tipters down into the 50s and eventually the 40s. We'll take a look at when those tipgers rebound back to warmer temperatures coming up in your seven-day forecast. Amber. The up and down continues. Crew, see you soon with more. Thank you. Now to some other local headlines in your speed feed this Wednesday.

First, a second arrest now made in connection to the shooting of a four-year-old in Durham. It happened back in November along Greenbrier Road. Authorities say the boy got a hold of the gun and accidentally shot himself. He was seriously hurt. 46-year-old Sean Baker is now charged with felony negligent child abuse and misdemeanor permitting a child to use a firearm. The child's mother of 44-year-old Asante Moore was also charged in connection with the shooting right after it happened. Students and faculty at UNC Chapel Hill today holding a rally to defend international studies at the university. They gathered on the steps of the building around noon today. Over the holiday break, faculty were informed of an

administrative proposal to permanently close UNC's six globally celebrated international and area studies centers. These centers have been at the heart of Carolina's international education for undergraduate and graduate students for decades. And new at four, the State Health Department releasing its weekly flu report showing 32 more flu deaths over the past week. That brings the total number of flu deaths this season now to 71. There is some good news, though, as we are seeing a decrease in emergency room visits and hospital admissions. And that is your speed feed. Steve, back over to you.

Discussing vaccines today as the CDC changes vaccine recommendations for kids. The CDC is no longer universally recommending some vaccines like those for flu and COVID. Cindy Bay, live now in Raleigh with the details for us. Tell us more about what the health officials here in North Carolina are saying. Well, Steve, the North Carolina health officials say that, At this time, they don't anticipate any changes to their clinical guidance regarding childhood immunizations, but they highlight vaccines as an important resource, especially as the number of cases of respiratory illnesses here in the state rise. Vaccines are on the minds of North Carolina health officials as respiratory viruses and risk of exposure to measles are growing in the state. The bottom line is vaccines are critical to our health.

Although new state data shows a decrease in respiratory virus-related ER visits and hospitalizations, there have been 32 new flu-related deaths in North Carolina. This comes as the CDC scaled back on the number of vaccines universally recommended for kids, sideliting these vaccines that were routinely recommended. People need to be aware that the risk of being exposed is growing. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says in part in a statement, This decision protects children, respects families, and rebuilds trust in public health. However, some parents here in the Triangle tell eyewitness news they're concerned about the changes.

I get concerned about a child possibly that's sick, getting one of my children sick. And like I said, we definitely don't want any sick kids in the house. The vaccines that are no longer universally recommended are now recommended for children only if a doctor recommends them. And we'll have more on why some health officials here say these vaccines are critical ahead on eyewitness news at 5 in Raleigh, Cindy Bay. ABC 11, eyewitness news. Yeah, and always a good idea for parents to talk to their kids' doctors if they have concerns or questions about it. Cindy, thank you. Still ahead here on eyewitness news at 4 o'clock.

We'll show you how teachers decided to take some action today. Local educators walking out of their classrooms demanding a list of things from lawmakers will run down that list of demands coming up. And it's been a year now since those wildfires devastated much of some. Southern California, specifically in hard hit Altadena. After the break, we have got live coverage from L.A. County as people continue to try to pick up the pieces there. And Cruz is keeping an eye out the window on this 70-degree day. Yeah, it's time for First Alert traffic, and this is I-40 at Airport Boulevard. This is usually a very busy stretch of highway, so it's good to see it moving along in both

directions. Now, as we head to break, here are your traffic hotspots brought to you by the first alert weather team. Your first alert that we could have some low visibility. warmer air working in more clouds around tomorrow the next chance of rain that we're watching always tracking always alerting wind gust will be up around 30 miles an hour your first alert forecast team ABC 11 i witness news alert happening today take a look at this some teachers across the state stepping out of the classroom demanding lawmakers in raleigh put children first in their words teachers at 52 schools across the state including wake county new hanover around wilmington charlotte and gassing county walked out of the class They are protesting for what they want.

They say they need better working conditions. This grassroots effort was led by an organization called North Carolina Teachers in Action, and their list of demands is pretty lengthy. It includes the restoration of longevity and master's pay, eliminating a pay freeze and supporting a livable wage. They want a cap on employee insurance premium increases. They want a restoration of retiree health benefits

and the fully funding of something called the Leandro plan that you may have heard about over the years of may have heard about over the years here in North Carolina. How are we going to get new people to come into the education system if they have no health benefits when they retire? So listen to our demands, take us serious because we're passionate about teaching, but we also have to be able to survive and live. And at the legislature in Raleigh, they're planning to meet at some point to talk about this. The group says that they plan to hold these demonstrations on the seventh of every month until

they hear from legislators. New here at 4 eyewitness news has obtained the 911 calls from that tragic plane crash in Statesville that killed seven people, including NASCAR legend Greg Biffle and his wife, Christina, and their two young children. It happened back in December. The Cessna citation hit the ground, short of the runway, and then burst into flames. In the newly released dispatch calls, you can hear eyewitnesses describing the moments just after the crash. Hello, I'm at Lakewood Golf Course right now, and we just had a plane fly over our heads and crash into the tree line and a huge explosion near the runway out here. We were a hole one, and it came from the tree line to our right, flew right over our heads, and then flipped the tree line by a hole nine, and went straight downwards, and huge explosion. I don't know if the guy's okay. federal investigators say that they do have a good idea on who was sitting in the left seat in the cockpit of that plane but they do want to confirm that detail before releasing it the cause of the crash and why the plane was making an emergency landing is still unknown and early findings are expected to be released in about a month or two investigators will of course look at the maintenance records of that plane as well meantime it has now been one year since the historic wildfires in southern california which burned down

thousands of homes forever changing the landscape there. Yeah, you'll remember there were two big areas of fire. One in Pacific Palisades out near the ocean and the other around Pasadena and the Altadena area. There are some signs of progress there in the L.A. area, but there's still a long road ahead for people to recover. Ashley Mackie joins us live now in Alta Dina, the site of one of those fires on the east side of Los Angeles. We know a lot of people in that community are still working to rebuild. Tell us how they're doing now. Amber, Steve, that's exactly right.

Here in Altadena, block after block of vacant lots, with some signs of progress. Thousands of rebuilding permits have been filed, but one year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, just nine homes have been rebuilt. Flags at half staff, moments of silence, and benefit concerts. There are events all over L.A. County to mark this solemn day. It has been a very difficult year. And so to see all of the construction taking place, that's hopeful. That's inspiring to me, but it's still painful, and I understand grief.

It is like driving through hell itself down here. It began with the Palisades Fire near the coast. Hurricane force winds banned the flames. It was like being in like a zombie apocalypse movie is what I felt like. Hours later on the other side of L.A. County, the Eaton fire started above Altadena. The wind here is unbelievable. It sounds like a freight train is coming. through the trees here. In all, nearly 38,000 acres burned. For perspective, that's larger than the

entire city of San Francisco. Nearly 18,000 homes and businesses were wiped out. 31 people were killed. You're envisioning what happened to them, what their last breath was, what their last thoughts were, the panic, the fear. Lawsuits have been filed accusing Southern California Edison's electrical equipment of starting the Eaton fire. The official cause of the Palisades fire? 29-year-old Jonathan Rinder-Kanesh is behind bars, accused of starting a small fire days before what eventually turned into the Palisades fire. The department genuinely believed the fire was fully extinguished. However, the outcome has made it incredibly clear that our mop-up and verification process needed to be stronger. We have to own that, and I do. Now, one year later, there's optimism that peace of mind can be rebuilt.

just like the home's lost. I lost everything, yes, but I feel like I lost. My history. I know that wherever we go, we're going to make our home a home again. Governor Gavin Newsom has traveled to Washington multiple times now, pushing lawmakers for federal funding to help fire survivors rebuild. So far, no federal. funding deal has been granted.

Live in Altadena, ABC 11 eyewitness news. I'm so glad you updated us, Ashley. We remember you reporting from a year ago, seeing you reliving it today and still a lot of struggle and pain for so many people there in Southern California. Thousands of homes lost and 31 lives lost

as well one year ago and so much rebuilding ahead. Ashley, we appreciate the live report from Alta Dina this afternoon. All right, let's talk about the weather around here. Everyone keeps saying, what? This is January? Come on. It's so crazy.

We keep saying that it feels like springwood. That's literally the best way to describe it. It's unseasonably warm. It's going to stay that way for the near term, but don't get too comfortable as we would expect this time of the year. Tipters are eventually going to come crashing back down. So these are true roller coaster like tipgers dropping a little bit tomorrow, rising Friday and Saturday,

and then dropping in a huge way as we go into the back half of the weekend and into early next week. So winter is going to remind us that that is indeed still the season that we're in, but leading up to that cool down, obviously it's going to be very warm. So the jet stream, we're going to see a big dip in that as we go into the back half of the weekend. Ahead of it, our winds are going to be out of the southwest. That's going to keep things nice and warm because it's coming in from a warmer air mass. Here comes that big Arctic air mass arriving on Sunday,

and you're really going to notice the difference in the temperature outdoors. So highs in the 50s on Sunday and even 40s early next week. Here's a live look outside in North Hills right now, though, and tipters are in the low 70s in Raleigh right now, 70 for Roxburgh and Lewisburg. So even some of those normally cooler spots are dealing with the 70s for today. If you're walking the dog this evening, it'll stay mild for another few hours. It's through about 7 p.m., we could have those tipters in the lower half of the 60s and then falling into the 50s.

Overnight, it's pretty quiet. We should have a partly cloudy sky out there as you start. the day tomorrow. Tipters will be around 40 degrees. And then for the afternoon, like I said, it's not going to be as warm as today. So just keep that in mind as you plan your day. Tipters will be a little cooler than today, but still comfortable to be outside. Your first alert, acuether seven-day forecast. This shows the 70s as we go into Friday and Saturday. So those could be near record. It's unsure, uncertain, I should say, at this time, if we're actually going to break those. But we could possibly tie them. Then as we go into Sunday,

that's the 50s for highs, 40s into early next week. And then we'll jump right back into the mid-fifties as we go into the middle of the week. So saddle up. You're going to want to buckle in nicely for this ride of tipters that we're going to have over the next few days. And then get ready for the weather whiplash that is Saturday into Sunday. Absolutely. Feel more like January then, huh? Yeah, so enjoy it while it's here.

Cruz, thank you. Next year at 4, Avello Airlines is scaling back its presence in North Carolina, especially in the area, the low-cost carrier ending flights to several destinations. When we come back, we'll tell you the reason for those cuts. Also coming up here, we're going to take you to a new dog-friendly restaurant. We'll tell you where in Raleigh, you can now enjoy a meal with your furry friend right there with you, and they won't ask you any questions about it. We are back now with a little news you can use on this afternoon's 4 o'clock news,

and a Velo Airlines is closing its crew base for flight attendants and pilots at the RDU Airport. The budget airline says it's part of a number of changes to try to simplify its network of flight. and transform the company's balance sheet. The airline is also closing its crew base in Wilmington, but will expand the one in Concord that serves the Charlotte area. Avello will still offer flights to RDU from New Haven, Connecticut, and Rochester, New York. Millions of Amazon Prime members are getting a cut of a multi-billion dollar settlement.

Federal officials say Amazon duped some customers into subscriptions and made it too hard to cancel those subscriptions. Some customers got automatic refunds over the past couple of months. If you did not get one, but you think you're still eligible, you can fill out a claim form. And people who are looking for a job continue to have it a little rough right now. New data shows across the country

there is a low hire, low fire labor market. According to today's report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of job openings is down to 7.15 million. That was at the end of November, the most recent data we have. That's the lowest level in more than a year. Today's data also shows job openings

trended a little lower across most industries except for retail and construction. Hiring activity trended lower two, hitting its lowest level since June of 2024. But that also says low fire. So if you have a job, chances are you'll be hanging on to the job. All right, good to know. All right.

Still ahead here, a major milestone for Fayetteville Technical Community College. Up next year at 4 o'clock, we have a look at the school's new fire training facility. We continue following the breaking news unfolding right now in Minneapolis, a woman in a car shot and killed by an ice agent. The Department of Homeland Security says that that woman tried to run an ice officer over with her car, and the officer feared for his life, they say, would he then fire defensive shots? The mayor, though, says that he saw video of the incident and claims the agent's actions were not self-defense. Police there are saying that there is no indication the shooting victim was part of a targeted ice investigation.

But there are now people taking to the streets in Minneapolis. that shooting is still under investigation by the FBI. And we'll continue following that and the live feeds coming in from the Twin Cities through the evening here on eyewitness news. Let's return to our area here and New it for Fayetteville Technical Community College is celebrating a big milestone for its very important fire training facility. Penelope Lopez is joining us live. She's outside the $45 million complex. So Penelope, how is this initiative going to impact the community? It will definitely resonate with this community and beyond these. commercial burn buildings you see right behind me are one of the most advanced fire complexes

in North Carolina. Officials say this program will improve training, promote growth, and expand economic mobility. This has been a long time coming. So I've been in this service going on 50 years. I didn't have that when we come up. But our firefighters today and those in the future gets stated-in-art training right here in favor. After years of development, the final phase of the the J. Larry Keene Regional Fire and Emergency Training Complex is now complete. The vision for this project started in 2018 with a plan to meet the needs of the community and beyond. The facility includes burn buildings, a three-story commercial burn structure, the only indoor swift water rescue facility on the East Coast, and stimulation labs for both students and staff.

This multi-million dollar project was a partnership between the state and county. Cumberland County donated 30 acres of land and $10 million. The state provided $20 million and the rest came from school funds. Previously, to get this level of training, you had to go to Gastonia, North Carolina. There was a two-year wait and particularly for volunteer fire departments. They don't have the budgets to travel and stay overnight and be able to get the continuing training that we will offer here. here. So it is a localized effort that will help support the economy and provide a continuous training opportunity for our first responders. And Dr. Sorrells, who you heard right there,

the president of FTCC shared that eight people have already trained here in this facility, just talking about the reach that this facility has. Coming up in the next hour, a live look at the the demonstrations here in Fayetteville. Live in Cumberland County, Penelope Lopez, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Yeah, a major milestone and a high-tech facility there for Fayetteville Tech. Penelope, we'll see you in an hour, thank you.

All right, let's go to Wake County now. We went to Holly Springs today, where the town held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the first finished sections of the Holly Springs Road widening project. Our crew was there as the Holly Springs Mayor, Mike Condratic and the town council members debuted the new bridge

and the four-lane roundabout as well. They say it's a really critical upgrade to one of the town's busiest roads connecting local traffic to the recently opened i540 corridor there the nc turnpike section that takes you down to i40 residents have told us that our traffic and congestion problem is their top priority as we try to do that and so this holly springs road widening project is a big piece of our solution to those traffic and congestion challenges and that new section of roadway was part of the town's transportation bond project. The North Carolina Joint Reentry Council met today in Raleigh. The group focuses on

efforts to improve the rehabilitation of offenders who are returning to their communities after incarceration. This is an effort supported by Governor Josh Stein. He was there in attendance. Stein spoke today about his push for the courts to do better about bringing justice for advocating for mental health. He referenced the recent death of Ravenscroft teacher Zoe Welsh, who was allegedly killed by a Raleigh man who has a long history with the justice, system. Stein also talked about the importance of the program succeeding. Too often when people leave incarceration and come back into their communities, they find door after door closed to them. They can't find housing they can afford,

transportation they can rely on, health care that they can access, a job that will hire them. Stein went on to say that 90% of the people who are incarcerated in our state prison today will eventually get out and approximately 18,000 people will leave incarceration this year alone. And new here at 4, Raleigh's North Hills District has a new pet-friendly restaurant. Barking Dog, a restaurant and bar is now open in that shopping district. The restaurant features breakfast, lunch, and dinner plates. They also have a dog menu with fun treats just for your pup. It's located in the Park District right here.

The Chewy's Restaurant and Barking Dog is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. And you've tried it out already with your little guy, Poco. What did you think? We went over the holiday. It's beautiful. It was good. I think he was hoping he was going to get some bacon, but it didn't happen. No bacon. No treats for him.

What about the food for people? Very good. Yeah? And I was telling you, this is only the second location outside of Manhattan. So there's two locations in Manhattan and then North Hills. Here we go. Big deal for North Hills. All right, we'll have to check it out.

Yeah, it's good. Any size dog is allowed? Yeah, bring your dog. Okay. Yeah. Don't leave your dog out. No. Next here at Ford, changing the way you think about eating.

Yeah, the Trump administration has rolled out a brand new food pyramid, but now it's kind of upside down. So we'll dive into that, explain what it means for how you eat and what you eat. We also have reaction from some local health experts about this. The whole idea is to get you thinking about eating healthier food. All right, we'll dive into that. Plus, a new study is revealing that men may need to work out twice as much as women to achieve the same health benefits.

I know, it's not fair for you. We'll tell you why, though. We'll explain it when we come back. Hang on. Danny Daniels, that's your dog. That's the dog, yeah. I better walking more if you're telling me I need to exercise more. Danny. This is a big talker that we're back now here in your health news check.

The Trump administration unveiling this new food pyramid. Take a close look here. It encourages Americans to limit highly processed foods. Yeah, so they really want you to focus on the top row there. So we're talking lots of protein there and healthy fat. So the meat up there, lots of fruits and vegetables. bananas down here and beware of the peanuts as well down here at the bottom part of the pyramid. So a total rethinking about this.

And Keelah Davis spoke with some local health experts about what these changes could mean for how you eat. This afternoon, the Trump administration releasing new dietary guidelines for Americans. The suggestions say people should eat more beans, peas, and lentils, while cutting back on red and processed meats and starchy vegetables, all while limiting added sugars, sodium and saturated fat. It's actually not significantly different. I think that it looks like they're placing more of an emphasis on protein than they have in the past. And really driving home the point to reduce ultra-processed foods, which I sure, I definitely agree with that. Leah Williams is a Durham-based dietitian who was weighing in on the new nutritional policy.

She says the dietary guidelines are revised every five years. Protein comes from a variety of sources. It can come from meat and animals, but it also comes. comes from from plants and beans and eggs and dairy. Ahead at 5.30, we're hearing from the American Heart Association, plus a local gym owner who says no matter what the new guidelines are, exercise is critical. In Durham, Akela Davis, ABC 11, eyewitness news. Well, the House Oversight Committee holding a hearing today on that alleged fraud and

misuse of federal funds in Minnesota. Yeah, it comes as the White House, freezes $10 billion in federal child care funding to five different states run by Democrats. The freeze will impact hundreds of thousands of families, especially low-income parents who rely on federal programs to pay for child care. The affected states are California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York. The Trump administration claims there is widespread fraud in those states. Federal officials have not provided more details, but the Trump administration says it will provide that funding once again to those states once it has legitimate proof that there is not the kind of fraud there that they've seen in

Minnesota. And a new study this afternoon. Finds that women may gain more heart health benefits from exercise than men. Women who exercised about four hours a week lowered their risk of coronary heart disease by 30% while men needed about eight hours to match that same benefit. Even among people already living with heart disease, women who met the CDC recommended two and a half hours of weekly exercise had a threefold lower risk of death compared to men. And overall, the more time people spent being active, the lower their risk of heart disease and death. Just proof that giving your heart a workout does really pay off. The study was published

in nature cardiovascular research. Okay guys, you heard it. We need to do eight hours to keep up with with the women. Keep up. Okay, we'll keep moving. Coming up here on eyewitness is a major update on the arraignment of accused killer Nick Reiner, the shakeup on his defense team as Reiner faces charges in the death of his parents, including Hollywood director Rob Reiner. Plus a wedding proposal that went south right on the slopes, how the couple got there happily ever after thanks to a determined snowmaker. That arraignment was put on hold for a second time. Alex Stone is at the courthouse in Los Angeles to explain why.

Less than a month after his parents were murdered, Nick Reiner in court behind glass. The judge ruling cameras could not show him. He sat in a brown jail jumpsuit with a buzz cut watching the court hearing intently. And then a surprise moment. With Mr. Reiner's understanding of consent, would ask to withdraw as counsel's record. Reiner's famed defense attorney, Alan Jackson, telling the judge he has withdrawn. from the case and will no longer represent Reiner. Instead, Reiner will be represented by a public defender. With the court's permission, we'd ask to put over the arraignment. Outside of court, Jackson ordered by the judge to not talk about the case, said circumstances were beyond his and Reiner's control, leading to his recusal, and he offered this.

Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that. But L.A. County District, Attorney Nathan Hockman saying they will prove Reiner murdered his parents and is guilty. We are fully confident that a jury will convict Nick Reiner beyond a reasonable doubt of the brutal murders of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michelle Singer-Riner. Reiner's new public defender says she spoke to her client for only about 30 seconds before the hearing and only found out on Tuesday night that Jackson was withdrawing. It's not uncommon for private counsel to turn over cases to us. With Reiner now being represented by a public defender, the judge is giving that public defender time to read in on the case and learn about it. Reiner's arraignment has now been delayed

again until February 23rd. Alex Stone, ABC News in downtown Los Angeles. Next month is Black History Month, and right now the UNC Men's basketball team is teaming up with some local kids in Chapel Hill to create a special Black History Month t-shirt design. They're also getting some help from Lenovo. Right now, the players are having this event at a Community Center in Chapel Hill. The players are helping the kids create unique and original designs. You can see there are kids participating at those tables right now, but only one of those t-shirt designs will win, and then the tar heels will vote on a winning design that they will wear

during warm-ups for the February 23rd home game against Louisville. Now let's take a look at today's top trending stories in real news. First, a proposal that really went south on the ski slopes, but it does have a happy ending. all thanks to a determined snowmaking supervisor and his trusty metal detector. So Trevor Van Camp popped the question to his girlfriend, Danielle Jenkins, along the snowy sky bridge at Boyne Mountain in northern Michigan, only to drop the engagement ring right through the grate after he dropped down to his knee. The couple then spent hours searching the area under the bridge using metal detectors, scouring

it all. Just as the pair was about to give up, the resort snowmaking supervisor picked up a signal on the metal detector found the ring in a handful of snow. They are so lucky. It's beautiful. The ring is now securely on Jenkins finger. That's so scary because a lot of times it's not insured yet. That's right. Folks that just bought it. So glad they found it. Yeah. Baby girl's reaction to receiving a kiss from her older brother has gone viral. You have to see this. This is Shelby Wold who shared this video of her two-year-old son Theo giving her newborn daughter, Lena, a sweet smooch. At first you can see Lena with a sort of grumpy expression, but then once her big brother goes in for a kiss,

She's all smiled. So cute. She got it on tape. Mom says Theo is always helping with his baby sister, whether it's a sweet kiss or helping to change her diaper. Keep that one in the memory books. And a Virginia man took an unfortunate tumbles. He tried to catch a set of keys that were thrown towards him,

the fall captured by the family's doorbell camera. Callie Bell says that her family was getting ready for a day at the beach when her husband asked for the key. She says when she went to throw them to him, she missed. And then he lost his footing, and you can see he found. fell right into the bush in front of the house. Callie says she didn't like that bush anyway.

Everybody's getting caught on camera with these ring cams. He was pretty graceful with that, though, hopped right up and said, hey, let's get to the beach. We got to go. Nobody goes to offer a hand. Oh, here it is again in slow mo. If you want to see it again, okay. And boom. Yeah.

Yeah. He looks like he kind of messaged you. They're like, he's fine. Yeah. Yeah. Even the dog's ready to go to the beach. They all laughed. No, look, he jumps right out.

They're good to go. All right, Cruz is back with us on an absolutely beautiful evening out there. We got to make some plans to get outside. I was going to say this would be a good day to be at the beach. If you could swing it. Honestly, yeah. Now you're giving me ideas. It's my Friday, do I think.

It's my Friday, so I could just drive down to the coast. Crews, I think you should stay at your house. Okay, perfect. All right, well, warm conditions continue through this evening, and we'll see it through the next several days as well. So tipters tomorrow take just a little bit of a dip, but still over 10 degrees. above average, then we'll see those low 70s as we go into Friday and mid 70s by the time we get into

Saturday. Now Saturday does have a rain chance, but it's looking less than impressive at this time. So I want to walk you through the timing of this with First Alert predictor. And we're going with the European model here. It's typically a pretty reliable model, but you can see throughout Saturday afternoon, there could be a few showers. The main batch will arrive through the evening. This is very isolated at best and should be exiting out of here as we go into Sunday. So like As I said, this is not going to amount to much. Most spots not even picking up a tenth of an inch. That's not good when we're dealing with drought conditions. But as far as any plans that you have for the weekend, hopefully that helps support any plans, even if they're outdoors. We'll take a quick look outside right now. This is the Pindo Sky Cam in downtown Raleigh. Beautiful evening to be out in about 72 degrees. So feeling like spring and your commute will be pretty warm as well. So staying in the 60s through 6 p.m. falling into the 50s after. And then we'll see those pictures. Once again, come down. just a bit tomorrow just to rise again this weekend and enjoy the warmth because by Sunday we should see highs in the 50s and 40s to start off next week. So winter is going to make a return.

Lauren Johnson joining us now with what's coming up at 5 o'clock. Hello Lauren. Hello, Cruz tonight at 5 p.m. We're learning more about the victim in the deadly crash in Harnett County yesterday. Police releasing the identity of the woman who slammed into the back of a tractor trailer. We're trying to stop her car on I-95. Johnson County get ready to save big on gas. wholesale club preparing for a big grand opening in Selma tomorrow. And when that club opens,

members can save 10 cents a gallon through their fuel savers program. Yesterday, we told you Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth ordered a review of women in ground combat roles. Well, today we're learning just how many women are in uniform serving alongside their male counterparts. And we'll replay that 2024 podcast interview when Heg Seth shared his very strong feelings about women in the military. We continue to follow the big story in Raleigh, a beloved teacher killed inside her own home, calling for help. Zoe Welsh's death now has the attention of lawmakers at the legislature. Some members whose work focuses on public safety are suggesting some changes could be coming as they speak out about this case. And free legal services expanding in Wake County.

The lawyers in your library program is now available at two additional branches in 2026. We'll share the details and the dates about the monthly legal clinics when we see you next at 5 o'clock. Steve. Okay, Laurencee in a few minutes. Thanks. Still to come here, a member of our team heading to the most magical place on earth. As you can see, Steve is in for Barbara Gibbs here today at Ford. That's because she's headed to Disney World. We're looking ahead to this weekend's Walt Disney World Marathon. We'll tell you all about the big event and why it means so much to us here at ABC 11.