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Michelle Mackonochie - familiar to WRAL viewers after five years as part of the morning news team - will anchor the 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. newscasts with Dan Haggerty, and the 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts with Gerald Owens. 

WRAL welcomes Michelle Mackonochie to evening newscasts beginning Jan. 5

Michelle Mackonochie

What it really means to be an organ and bone marrow donor

Stay up to date with WRAL’s Brad Briner news and reporting coverage

Brad Briner News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

Brad Briner Coverage

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025-- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist

DRAUGHON DRAWS: The General Assembly and the State Treasurer raise some eyebrows

North Carolina's state treasurer is wading into a contract battle between Duke Health and Aetna, worried that the outcome could increase costs for state employees and retirees.

<p>THIS STORY. WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR LEADS AND UPDATES AND WE'LL BRING THEM TO YOU JUST AS SOON AS WE GET THEM. &gt;&gt; HOW MUCH SHOULD HEALTH CARE COST? THAT'S THE ROOT OF THE CONTRACT TALKS BETWEEN DUKE HEALTH AND AT NOT THE INSURANCE COMPANY THAT RUNS THE STATE HEALTH PLAN. IF THE 2 CANNOT COME TO A DEAL. THOUSANDS OF STATE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL HAVE TO FIND NEW DOCTORS WRAL. SEAN GALLAGHER JOINING US NOW IS SEAN. YOU SPOKE WITH DUKE HEALTH'S EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DR THOMAS OWENS IN AN INTERVIEW YOU'LL ONLY SEE ON WRAL. &gt;&gt; AND THAT'S RIGHT, ASHLEIGH. DUKE HEALTH ANAT NOW HAVE HIT A STANDSTILL IN THEIR NEGOTIATIONS. DUKE HEALTH IS LOOKING FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT THAT THEY ARE REIMBURSED AND AMOUNT THAT THEY ARE ADAMANT ABOUT IS JUST A MODEST. BUT STILL, IF THEY CANNOT REACH A DEAL, THE 10'S OF THOUSANDS OF STATE EMPLOYEES WHO WALKS THROUGH THE DOORS OF MANY DUKE HOSPITALS JUST LIKE THIS ONE ON WAKE FOREST ROAD MAY HAVE TO FIND NEW DOCTORS. &gt;&gt; COSTS FOR HEALTH CARE LIKE MOST OTHER THINGS HAVE GONE UP IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. THAT'S THE REALITY FACING DUKE HEALTH. WE'VE NOT HAD A RATE INCREASE FROM THAT 9, 4 YEARS DESPITE REMARKABLY CHALLENGING ECONOMIC TIMES FOR HEALTH SYSTEMS PUT IN THE LAST 4 YEARS. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS SHOW DUKE HEALTH MADE 2.2 BILLION DOLLARS TO. HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THAT TO PATIENTS WHEN DUKE HEALTH MADE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS LAST YEAR HAVE? &gt;&gt; YOU KNOW, BILLIONS IN INVESTMENTS. BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE OPERATIONS OF DUKE HEALTH SYSTEM, WE'VE BEEN RELYING ON SUPPORT FROM OUR INVESTMENTS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER DOCTOR THOMAS OWEN SAYS THEY TOOK OUT 5% FROM THEIR MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENTS AND ARE STILL SPENDING ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ON COMMUNITY BENEFITS. A CONCERN FOR STATE TREASURER BRAD BRINER. WE CAN'T JUST GIVE DUKE WHATEVER IT WANTS GIVEN THAT WILL BE RAISING PREMIUMS ON EVERYBODY ALREADY. AND IF WE GIVE DUKE WHAT IT ONCE THEN WE'VE GOT TO HAVE TO RAISE ANYMORE. &gt;&gt; AND THAT'S JUST NOT FOR THAT DUKE HEALTH FIELDS. IT'S NOT BEING UNREASONABLE. WE BELIEVE THESE ARE MODEST INCREASES WERE ASKING FOR. IT'S ALSO ON EDNA BATTLE BETWEEN MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES, CBS HEALTH, WHO OWNS AT NOW REPORTED MORE THAN 4.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN NET INCOME LAST YEAR AT NO DECLINED AN INTERVIEW BUT PROVIDED A STATEMENT TO WRAL SAYING IT HAS AN ESTABLISHED TRACK RECORD OF WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH HEALTH SYSTEMS IN NORTH CAROLINA TOWARD FAIR AND MARKET COMPETITIVE REIMBURSEMENT. &gt;&gt; AND FAIR IS WHAT DUKE HEALTH SAYS IT'S ASKING FOR AND WITH NO RATE INCREASES FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS, THE INCREASES WE'VE REQUESTED ARE WELL BELOW THE RATE OF INFLATION. &gt;&gt; AND THE DEADLINE FOR A DEAL IS FAST APPROACHING. THEY HAVE UNTIL OCTOBER 20TH TO REACH A DEAL. OTHERWISE THOSE FOLKS WHO USE AT KNOW WHO ARE USED TO WALKING IN THE HOSPITALS LIKE THIS WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER PROVIDER. BUT UNTIL</p>

Brad Briner News and Reporting Coverage | WRAL

DRAUGHON DRAWS: The General Assembly and the State Treasurer raise some eyebrows

Aetna-Duke Health talks could take doctors out of state health plan

State workers could face another health premium hike, depending on Duke-Aetna contract fight