right now, we are talking pope. >> the pope's hard words for trump and his significant announcement on birth control. >> flirting 70? you heard right. the next shot to see showers. >> and a warning about the growing number of tax season scams. how crooks are trying to get your personal information. >> live from raleigh. wral news starts right now. and we start with breaking news this afternoon. i'm david crabtree along with deborah morgan. let's look at the freeway here

all the way up to 15. northbound is closed. >> this is obviously a big traffic nightmare for people trying to leave rtp or leave the area at all and head westbound because this is the problem with the traffic just backed up we are trying to learn more about what is causing back up as you can see from this view from the chapel hill camera. this could be like this for quite some time. we will watch it for you. on to the next story and it start was the word disgraceful. that is how trump described the pope today at a rally in south carolina. >> trump held nothing back when talking about the leader of the catholic church. it started when the pope was threing mexico to rome. hours after spending time at the united states mexico border giving mass a reporter on the plane asked the pope for his thoughts on trump's plans to build a border wall. the pope said he hadn't heard the plan but said anyone who

wall isn't christian. >> for a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. i'm proud to be a christian. >> trump accused the mexican government of using the pope as a pawn during his trip there information. trump told the south carolina audience that the pope should pray he doesn't -- he does get elected president. >> if and when the vatican is a tacked by is is which is their ultimate trophy i can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that donald trump would have been president. >> jeb bush is in south carolina today too. bush said he supports walls and fencing where appropriate. he said it's not an unchristian thing to do. >> the pope also took a stance on birth control. he said women at risk of the

control. this revelation also came during that flight from mexico back to rome. the pope said rtcontrol uld usedbut t not abortion. he said there is a clear moral difference between preventing getting pregnant and an abortion. in brazil the case is linked to rare birth defects. late this afternoon the president signed legislation imposing new sanctions against north korea. they are designed to deny the north money needed for its weapons programs. the measure also authorizes $50 million to transmit radio broadcasts in to north korea and support programs. a united states president will visit cuba for the first time in 50 years. the president and the first lady will make the trip next month meeting the president.

the government is still engaging in human right as boss. that is expected to be a topic the obama administration reopened tie was cuba in 2014 and since that time the number of cubans leaving has doubled. the president addressed that today. >> we will be addressing the migration issue. our focus is on how can conditions improve in cuba so that overtime there is more economic opportunity and less leave. >> some of those who have left are right here in the triangle. we have their story. >> reporter: the president -- or the obama administration also made another important statement today saying has no plans to change a 50 year old policy that basically guarantees anyone cuban who gets one foot on united states land can stay in the country

may be the reason behind the recent spike in cubans coming to the united states. >> his english isn't important but jorge is working on it because this is the language of his new home. he left cuba in june on a boat with 235 25 others. for nine days it floated in the sea. it was really hard he says and then one day they found land. fishermen told them it was belize. authorities put him in jail for illegally entering the country. in six months later he was released with the same group. they made their way through mexico and then arrived in the united states. no more suffering he tells us. he is one of thousands of cubans now coming to the united states.

in the number of cubans entering the united states since the announcement of new relation was the island nation. >> across the state we will see maybe 200 and something. >> reporter: don nicholas of immigrants. she said cubans are reset isling across north carolina. >> we are looking at [inaudible] wayne county. >> reporter: as relations change between united states and cuba they hope it'll be a good change for cuba and for north carolina. >> i [inaudible] >> reporter: while cubans fall under that special treatment policy they still have to wait three to six months before they can even apply for a job here in north carolina. the state senate hassa

the map had to be drawn after federal judges ruled that unconstitutional because this relied to much on race. the new districts give republicans a 10-3 advantage in congressional races. democrats say that is going to far in the state. that is fairly politic alley evenly divided. the house will take up the map tomorrow. tomorrow is the deadline to register to vote in the election on march 15 president. same day registration will be available at one stop early vote figure you provide pop documentation a reminder on election day voter also be asked to show a photograph id. you are still waiting for ruling a federal judge considering if the state's voter id law is discrimination. on wall street stocks streak. the dow dropped more than 40 points. the nasdaq slipped almost 47 and the s&p500 ended down almost ten. a new warning the irs. monica is here with the details.

calls you need to know about right? >> reporter: absolutely. that is slight. scammers never give up. no surprise they are targeting us in e-mail and here is the part that is very different. text messages. the irs seeing a huge jump in reports of phishing e-mails. 400%. 400%. that's huge and that's just in thfirst six weeks of this year compared to the same time last year. the scammers trying to confuse and trick taxpayers in to thinking the irs is reaching out about anything from refunds to confirmed personal information or verify pin information. we warned about irs tax scams including how they steal your information and then file for refunds with that information. then when you go to file you can't. just be alert and know that the irs doesn't start contact calls. we have been hearing many getting phone calms people all a scam.

share any information and if you are concerned there could be a problem then you should through irs.gov. >> great advice. thank you. there was a brief stop of traffic along i-40 eastbound in josh capacity joshua county. small fires burning. crews at the scene say that a car broken down on the side of the road started it. a couple of county school bus and a car collided this morning the way to school. the car hit the bus on its side 60 students were on board. nobody was hurt. police charged the drive we are driving a revoked license. the highway patrol hasn't identified a woman who died in a crash in johnston a pick up and a jeep collided around eight on highway 70 bypass and highway 42. investigators say the passenger in the jeep was thrown from the suv. she was not wearing a seatbelt.

website taken to the hospital. gators are getting a reprieve. workers have decided not to hold a gator hunting season this year. >> north carolina has never allowed the hunting of them but as the numbers grow that could change. brian mims joins us live to explain why they are getting help. >> reporter: north carolina is the northern most reach of gators. because of our cooler climate they generally don't grow as quickly as in states farther south. this is their native ground and they have made their presence known. we have had our share of gator tales here in the tarheel state. the one that lurked around a lake a few samiers back force swimmers out. the one that bit someone in 2012. the man was okay. there was that 12-foot one that ate an 80-pound dog in jacksonville in 2013. all these tales have a real florida feel but they are proof

here is a look at the range in north carolinaw. the heaviest population in our southeast corner. >> north carolina is one of the few states that doesn't have hunting season. >> reporter: allen is the wildlife diversity coordinator for the state wildlife research commission he said the population has grow in north carolina. with our southern neighbors already having yearly gator hunts. the people aware expressed an interest in. >> reporter: and people are concerned about more run ins with them but wildlife officials say they aren't ready to sing their teeth into an open season just yet. >> we need to do some science and get some better estimates of population, birth rates, before we do that. >> reporter: just how many gators are there? a study a few years ago estimated more than 670 but there are more more than a thousand.

he said it could be a few more years before a hunting season opens and it would be by america pit only. >> thank you a local partnership helping children move out of the foster system into adult life. next at five, a doctor explains how local doctors are working to foster bright futures. >> and thieves target an organization known for doing good things in the community. tonight the break-in -- the break-in the case that could lead to an arrest. >> yesterday we had slightly above normal temperatures. today slightly below. all with in the range of normal this weekend temperatures are going to become abnormal just like stev today i lucy. wosurp oh, you'ust n a ousandrs! n: ts am thag! (s) n: oe job.k, wbett tn yey. thaverya le f andve, yea

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right now on wral smith's attorneys fighting for his life.

killing melissa jones. now a jury must decide if he gets the death penalty. >> amanda lamb with what the defense offered in court today to try to save his life. >> reporter: doctors and teachers took the stand today to talk about all of the difficulties he had in school beginning at a very young age. it was the people who knew him the best, his family who talked about the childhood abuse that they believe shaped him as an adult. >> reporter: emotions were high as witnesses testified about smith's troubled up bringing. how they felt guilty for not getting him away from his abusive father. >> obviously anyone would feel regret for something that they didn't do if they knew they could have prevented someone from being hurt. >> exactly. melissa hug inspiration jones being murdered. >> objection. >> move to strike. >> reporter: candy is the mother of smith's half sister. she cared for him as a child