Professional Experience:

Nine years at the News & Observer covering Raleigh’s suburbs from 2010 to 2015, Raleigh City Hall from 2015 to 2017, and the General Assembly from 2017 to 2019.

The truth hurts, but it’s good for you.

Bachelor of Communication Studies from Campbell University, 2010

Playing basketball, traveling, eating spicy food.

Favorite Books & Movies:

Likes Best About North Carolina:

It’s one of only a few states with beaches and mountains.

Most Memorable Assignments:

Writing about a man who was struck by lightning and, years later, run over by a bear.

Andy Specht

Paul Specht

After U.S. postal workers got a letter advising how to work during epidemics, hurricanes and civil unrest, social media posts spun the guidance into a conspiracy theory: Surely this was a sign of an approaching crisis or confirmation that President Donald Trump would impose martial law, they said.

SCREEN OR HEAD TO WRAL DOT COM SLASH YOUR VOICE TO CAST YOUR VOTE. THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE IS ADVISING CARRIERS ON HOW TO DELIVER THE MAIL DURING TIMES OF CIVIL UNREST THAT HAS PROMPTED A NUMBER OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA WARNING OF MARTIAL LAW, PULSE PAYCHECKS. THOSE CLAIMS FOR POLITIFACT. IS THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE LETTER TO EMPLOYEES. A SIGN THAT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS GOING TO ORDER MARTIAL LAW. &gt;&gt; ALSO, SOME PEOPLE ARE CLAIMING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT'S STATES DURING LARGE-SCALE EMERGENCIES. EPIDEMICS, HURRICANE CIVIL UNREST, ET CETERA. STATES AND LOCALITIES MAY ISSUE A CURFEW ORDERS OR OTHER DIRECTIVES BECAUSE IT'S EMPLOYEES AND CONTRACTORS AND KERRY ESSENTIAL SERVICES LETTERS WITH THEM AND THEY PERFORM DUTIES FOR THE POSTAL SERVICE. DOES THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE KNOW SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T? &gt;&gt; THEN THERE'S THIS OTHER POST THAT GOES A STEP FURTHER ALLEGING THAT THE LETTER IS MOST LIKELY DUE TO MARTIAL LAW BEING IMPOSED BY TRUMP. NOW, SOME OF THE LANGUAGE YOU HEARD IN THOSE VIDEOS. IT'S ACCURATE. THE DEPUTY POSTMASTER GENERAL DID SEND A LETTER TO EMPLOYEES ON JANUARY 5TH AND IT DOES SAY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MAY EXPECT HIM TO CONTINUE WORKING DURING EPIDEMICS OR HURRICANES OR PERIODS OF CIVIL UNREST. BUT THE LETTER SAYS NOTHING ABOUT MARSHALL LAW. AND THE REMINDER ITSELF, IT'S NOT REALLY UNIQUE. THE POSTAL SERVICE AND EMPLOYEE SIMILAR LETTERS BACK IN 2020 ONE OF THE MOST IN JUNE OF THAT YEAR. SHORTLY AFTER A MINNEAPOLIS POLICE OFFICER MURDERED A MAN AND GEORGE FLOYD, YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT LED TO A LOT OF PROTESTS AND THAT YEAR THE POSTAL SERVICE REMINDED WORKERS THAT THEY WERE EXEMPT FROM LOCAL CURFEWS AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS EVEN DURING PERIODS OF CIVIL UNREST. NOW WE ASKED THE POSTAL SERVICE, WYATT ISSUED A SIMILAR LETTER THIS YEAR AND A SPOKESMAN. HE DIDN'T ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OF THIS YEAR'S LETTER, THOUGH, DOES COME AROUND THE SAME TIME THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS ARE CRACKING DOWN AND MINNEAPOLIS. IT'S POSSIBLE THE POSTAL SERVICE ANTICIPATED THE SIMILAR PROTEST THIS YEAR. BUT ONE THING WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT LETTER DOES NOT SAY TRUMP IS ABOUT TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW AND THAT'S WHY THE YOU KNOW

Fact check: Does U.S. Postal Service letter suggest Trump will impose martial law?

Trump

Video footage of the fatal shooting of Minnesota resident Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers contradicts Trump administration officials' statements about the event.

TO LET THE INVESTIGATION INTO PARTIES DEATH, QUOTE, PLAY OUT AND DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS ARE CALLING FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO REMOVE HOMELAND SECURITY. CHRIS SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM FOLLOWING HER STATEMENTS ABOUT ALEX PRETTI. THAT WAS THE MINNESOTA MAN KILLED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS. PAUL SPAY CHECK SOME OF GNOMES CLAIMS FOR POLITIFACT. &gt;&gt; HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND TO TALK ABOUT WHY FEDERAL OFFICERS SHOT AND KILLED A MINNESOTA MAN AND ALEX PRETTI. LET'S GO OVER A FEW FOR CLAIMS STARTING WITH THIS ONE. &gt;&gt; AND INDIVIDUAL APPROACHED U.S. BORDER PATROL OFFICERS WITH A 9 MILLIMETER SEMIAUTOMATIC HANDGUN. &gt;&gt; HOMELAND SECURITY SAYS THEY RECOVERED THIS GUN AT THE SCENE AND THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF SAID PRETTY HAD A PERMIT TO CARRY, BUT WE'VE VIDEOS OF HIM ACTUALLY POINTING IT AT ANYONE WHEN IMMIGRATION OFFICERS ENGAGED HIM. YOU CAN SEE HIM HOLDING A CELL PHONE IN HIS HAND. ALSO SAID THIS. THIS INDIVIDUAL WENT IN IMPEDED THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONS, ATTACKED THOSE OFFICERS. &gt;&gt; IS THAT RIGHT TO PRETTY ACTUALLY IMPEDE? OFFICERS ARE ATTACKED THEM? WELL, THE FOOTAGE ON YOUR SCREEN SHOWS PREDS ACTIONS BEFORE HE WAS SHOT. &gt;&gt; HE'S STANDING IN THE STREET AND APPEARS TO BE POINTING HIS CAMERA OF A FEDERAL OFFICER. HE APPEARS TO THEN BE EMBRACING ONE PROTESTER WHEN AN OFFICER PUSHES ANOTHER PROTESTER TO THE GROUND PRETTY THEN GETS BETWEEN THEM AND THE OFFICER PEPPER SPRAY. SOME NUM SAID PRETTY IS ACTIONS SHOW THAT HE'S A DOMESTIC TERRORIST. TAKE A LOOK. &gt;&gt; WHEN YOU PERPETUATE VIOLENCE AGAINST A GOVERNMENT BECAUSE OF THE ARTICLE REASONS AND FOR REASONS TO RESIST AND PERPETUATE VIOLENCE. THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM. &gt;&gt; THE FBI DEFINES DIFFERENT DOMESTIC TERRORISM AS A DANGEROUS ACT MEANT TO INTIMIDATE CIVILIANS. ARE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THROUGH A MASS DESTRUCTION ASSASSINATION OR EVEN A KIDNAPPING LEGAL ANALYSTS WE SPOKE TO SAW NO EVIDENCE THAT FREDDIE INTENDED TO USE VIOLENCE AGAINST THOSE FEDERAL OFFICIALS FOR A FULL BREAKDOWN OF THESE FACT CHECKS

Fact-checking Trump administration claims about fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota

APTOPIX Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem

President Donald Trump will address the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21. His address to world, policy and economic leaders follows Trump's jockeying to own Greenland, tensions with NATO allies and the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.


GOING TO WORK OUT FOR LET YOU KNOW YOU'LL GET IT. &gt;&gt; ALL RIGHT. WELL, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP THING SAID THE U.S. SHOULD TAKE CONTROL OF GREENLAND, WHICH IS CURRENTLY RUN BY DENMARK AND HE MADE HIS CASE TO EUROPEAN LEADERS AT AN EVENT IN SWITZERLAND, PULSE PAYCHECK. SOME OF THE PRESIDENT'S CLAIMS. &gt;&gt; FOR POLITIFACT. LET'S GO OVER A FEW OTHER THINGS. PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID ABOUT THE U.S. DENMARK IN THE HISTORY OF GREENLAND STARTING WITH THIS ONE. &gt;&gt; AFTER THE WAR, WE GAVE GREENLAND BACK. DENMARK. HOW STUPID? WHERE WAY TO DO THAT. BUT WE DID IT. &gt;&gt; HE'S TALKING ABOUT WORLD WAR. 2 IN THE U.S. DID ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR GREENLAND'S DEFENSE AFTER GERMANY INVADED DENMARK. IT'S WORTH CLARIFYING, THOUGH, THE U.S. NEVER OWNED GREENLAND. WE STILL HAVE A MILITARY BASE IN THE U.S. AND DENMARK ALSO CONTINUE TO PROTECT EACH OTHER'S INTEREST AND NATO. THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION. BUT TRUMP COMPLAINED ABOUT THAT ARRANGEMENT SAYING THIS. &gt;&gt; SO WHAT WE HAVE. GOTTEN OUT OF NATO. IS NOTHING. &gt;&gt; THAT'S NOT EXACTLY RIGHT. PART OF THE NATO AGREEMENT IS THAT AN ARMED ATTACK AGAINST ONE NATO MEMBER IS CONSIDERED AN ATTACK ON ALL MEMBERS. AND AFTER THE 9.11 ATTACKS, DENMARK SENT TROOPS TO HELP THE U.S. AND AFGHANISTAN, MORE THAN 40 OF THEM DIED. AS YOU CAN READ HERE, STILL, TRUMP SUGGESTED IN MARKET WON'T BE ABLE TO PROTECT GREENLAND, SAYING THIS. &gt;&gt; IN 2019, DENMARK SAID THAT THEY WOULD SPEND OVER 200 MILLION DOLLARS TO STRENGTHEN GREENLAND'S OFFENSES. BUT AS YOU KNOW, THEY SPENT LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THAT AMOUNT. ONE PERCENT. &gt;&gt; TRUMP IS RIGHT ABOUT THAT PLEDGE AND HOW MUCH DENMARK HAS ACTUALLY SPENT. THIS HEADLINE IS FROM DANISH MEDIA BACK IN 2024 AND AGE MILITARY OFFICIALS. THEY RECENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED THE LACK OF INVESTMENT READ WHAT THEY SAY THEY'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT AT WRAL COM. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU TO PAUL LEADERS OF DENMARK IN GREENLEE. MEANTIME, SAY THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO NEGOTIATE SOVEREIGNTY, BUT

Fact-checking Trump's claims about Greenland, Denmark and the US

President Donald Trump addresses the audience during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Amid voter concern about the economy and affordability, President Donald Trump announced a new policy: a 10% cap on credit card interest rates for one year.

TO YOU. &gt;&gt; PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS CALLING ON CREDIT CARD COMPANIES TO LIMIT THEIR INTEREST RATES TO 10% WILL LAST. AND IF THEY DON'T DO IT BY TODAY, TRUMP SAYS THEY WILL BE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW PULSE PAYCHECKS THAT CLAIM FOR POLITIFACT. &gt;&gt; IS YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY LEGALLY REQUIRED TO LOWER ITS INTEREST RATE BY TODAY? WELL, THAT'S WHERE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAID ON SOCIAL MEDIA. TRUMP SAID AMERICANS ARE, QUOTE, BEING RIPPED OFF BY CREDIT CARD COMPANIES THAT IMPOSE RATES OF 20 OR 30%. SO HE SAID AFFECTED JANUARY 20TH. HE IS CALLING FOR A ONE-YEAR CAP OF INTEREST RATES AT 10%. NOW THE DAY AFTER HE POSTED THIS, SOMEONE ASKED THE PRESIDENT WHAT HAPPENS OF CREDIT CARD COMPANIES DON'T LOWER THEIR INTEREST RATES BY THIS DATE. HE SAID THIS. &gt;&gt; LAW. &gt;&gt; VERY SOON HERE. &gt;&gt; YOU CATCH THAT. TRUMP SAID CREDIT CARD COMPANIES WILL BE IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW IF THEY DON'T LOWER THEIR INTEREST RATES BY TODAY. BUT AS OF TODAY, THERE'S NO LAW. CONGRESS HASN'T PASSED ANY LEGISLATION TO CARRY THIS OUT. NOW, SOME OF TRIED. THAT INCLUDES U.S. SENATORS BERNIE SANDERS OF VERMONT AND JOSH HAWLEY OF MISSOURI. THEY INTRODUCED LEGISLATION LAST FEBRUARY TO CAP CREDIT CARD INTEREST RATE TO 10% SAYING CREDIT CARD HOLDERS ARE DROWNING IN DEBT. BUT THIS BILL HASN'T GONE ANYWHERE. AND YOU MAY BE WONDERING, WELL, KEN, TRUMP JUST SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. WELL, EXECUTIVE ORDERS GENERALLY APPLY TO FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND OPERATIONS AND WE DO. ANALYSTS TOLD US ANY ATTEMPT TO GIVE DIRECTIVES TO PRIVATE BUSINESSES SUCH AS CREDIT CARD COMPANIES PROBABLY WON'T HOLD UP IN COURT. ALL OF THIS IS WHY THE TRUTH METER RACE COMPLIANT FALL. &gt;&gt; IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR CREDIT CARD INTEREST RATE PROBABLY WON'T GO DOWN TOMORROW, BUT

Fact check: Is your credit card company required to cap its interest rate at 10%?

Bilt-Credit Card

In the days after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, social media users circulated a document that portrayed her as an abusive mother.

ON HULU, YOUTUBE, TV SPECTRUM AND THE WRAL APP ON YOUR TV OR STREAMING DEVICE WHERE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING INTO THE PAST OF RENEE GOOD. THE MINNESOTA WOMAN WHO WAS FATALLY SHOT BY AN IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AGENT LAST WEEK AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SOME ARE CLAIMING TO HAVE FOUND HER CRIMINAL RECORD PASS PAYCHECKS THAT CLAIM FOR POLITIFACT. RENEE GOOD. HAVE A CRIMINAL HISTORY WILL. THAT'S WHAT SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE'VE SEEN THIS MUG SHOT AND LIST OF ALLEGED CRIMES ON SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND THIS FACEBOOK CLAIMS IT SHOWS CHARGES AGAINST GOOD FOR CHILD ABUSE AMONG OTHER THINGS. BUT THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS ABOUT THIS RECORD THAT INDICATED IT'S FAKE. FOR INSTANCE, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE THESE PURPORTED ARREST TOOK PLACE. NOW, IT ALSO GETS GOODS A DRAWING. THE POST SAYS SHE'S 44 AND WAS BORN IN OCTOBER 1980, BUT THAT'S NOT RIGHT. GOOD WAS 37 WHEN SHE DIED. AND THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS, HER REAL BIRTHDAY RECORDS SHOW WAS APRIL 1988. STILL, WE WANT TO KNOW WHETHER SHE HAD A CRIMINAL HISTORY. SO WE SEARCH PUBLIC RECORDS IN THE PLACES THAT SHE'S LIVE HIS MORNING, COLORADO. SHE WITH THE COLLEGE IN VIRGINIA BEFORE MOVING TO MINNEAPOLIS. SHE LIVED IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. WE FOUND NO RECORD OF CHILD ABUSE. ALL WE FOUND WERE TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS. THE TICKET IN COLORADO IN A CITATION FOR NEEDING A CAR INSPECTION IN VIRGINIA. MOST OF THESE ALLEGED CRIMES TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 2022 2024. WHEN SHE LIVED IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. SO JUST TO BE SURE WE DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING. WE REACHED OUT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THERE IN A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE THIS CAME FROM. ALL OF THIS IS WHY THIS

Fact check: Did Renee Good have a criminal record showing child abuse?

APTOPIX Federal Enforcement Immigration Minnesota

This year marks the 67th annual lighting of the WRAL-TV tower in Raleigh, an annual tradition that has grown to include celebrations with towers at American Tobacco Campus in Durham and Rocky Mount Mills.


WRAL Tower Lighting: WRAL lights the towers in Raleigh, Durham and Rocky Mount

Get ready for a warmer winter as La Niña makes a comeback, bringing below-normal snowfall to our area. 

Andy Specht

Recent Work

Watch · 2:10Fact check: Does U.S. Postal Service letter suggest Trump will impose martial law?

Watch · 2:03Fact-checking Trump administration claims about fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota

Watch · 2:01Fact-checking Trump's claims about Greenland, Denmark and the US

Watch · 1:59Fact check: Is your credit card company required to cap its interest rate at 10%?

Watch · 1:46Fact check: Did Renee Good have a criminal record showing child abuse?