🌱 2nd Safest U.S. Capital to Live + Spotting Human Trafficking

Christina Fullford
Updated ·4 min read

Happy National Gourmet Coffee Day Raleigh!

First, today's weather:

Chilly with plenty of sun. High: 44 Low: 28.

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Here are the top five stories in Raleigh today:

  1. According to a new study by WalletHub Raleigh is the second safest U.S. capital city to live in. The study focused on employment opportunities, housing costs, cultural-educational amenities, cost of living and safety. With Raleigh's high percentage of adults with a bachelors degree and low premature death rate, the only city to outrank us was Austin, TX. (WRAL)

  2. Petroleum analysts at GasBuddy are predicting prices to rise in the near future. Although gas prices are currently about 88.1 cents higher per gallon than this time last year, Patrick De Haan says that the increasing price of oil paired with unrest in Libya and Kazakhstan could likely lead to another increase. It is predicting that the "real pain at the pump" will start in about 4-6 weeks. (CBS17)

  3. North Carolina alcohol distributors are being trained to spot human trafficking. When distributors drop off shipments, they get access to parts of restaurants, clubs, and convenience stores that the general public doesn't see. Members of the North Carolina Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association are being trained to look out for red flags that could signal someone being trafficked. (WNCT9)

  4. Power outages continued into Monday as effects of Sunday's storm lingered on. According to Duke Power outage maps, more than 1,200 customers across Wake County were without power. Several hundred people were without power due to poles down on Lake Boone Trail by Glenwood Ave. (WRAL)

  5. Several COVID-19 testing sites delayed opening on Monday due to lasting impacts from Sunday weather. County operated sites were also closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (abc11)

Doing a "Dry January" or just looking for a flavorful alternative to regular cocktails? Here's a suggestion: try a non-alcoholic drink from our partners at Betera. Created by an award-winning chef from natural botanicals, Betera’s drinks come in 3 flavors — Ginger-Orange, Elderflower-Lime and Rhubarb-Hibiscus. We tried Ginger-Orange, and it was excellent — lightly effervescent, floral with a hint of bitterness and the sippability of a cocktail.

Betera is offering readers of the Daily a 15% discount on their first order: use PATCH15 at checkout. Highly recommended — you can try Betera here.

Today in Raleigh:

From my notebook:

  • It's National Gourmet Coffee Day and Raleigh has a great variety of roasters so you can enjoy the best cup! VisitRaleighhas rounded up some of the great options.

  • A.E. Finley YMCA is hosting a blood drive with The Blood Connection today from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.

  • There's a chance for more winter weather across central N.C. by the end of the week. (CBS17)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you soon!

— CJ Fullford

This article originally appeared on the Raleigh Patch