In Depth with Dan: Answering viewer questions about flesh-eating bacteria, digital licenses
EDUCATION.
>> HERE WE ARE. IT IS TIME FOR
THE MONDAY MAILBAG. THIS IS THE
PART OF THE SHOW WHERE WE GO
INTO OUR INBOX. WE TAKE YOUR
QUESTIONS. WE FIND SOME ANSWERS
AND MAYBE SOME OTHER
INTERESTING STUFF ALONG THE
WAY. SO LET'S START TONIGHT
WITH A CRAZY STORY ABOUT FLESH
EATING BACTERIA AT THE NORTH
CAROLINA COAST IS CALLED
VIBRIO. NORTH CAROLINA HAS
CONFIRMED 7 INFECTIONS SO FAR
THIS YEAR. THE RISK IS
ESPECIALLY HIGH DURING THE
SUMMER AND THAT WARM BRACKISH
WATER. THAT'S THAT MIX OF SALT
AND FRESH WATER. A VIEWER NAMED
MARLOW WANTED TO KNOW. CAN YOU
GO TO THE LOCAL MARKET AT THE
OUTER BANKS AND IS IT SAFE TO
EAT THE SHELLFISH IF COOK?
SO MARLOW, THANK YOU FOR THE
QUESTION. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
CONFUSED ABOUT THIS. YOU CAN
ABSOLUTELY STILL GO TO THOSE
LOCAL SEAFOOD MARKETS AT THE
COAST. YOU JUST NEED TO BE A
LITTLE BIT CAREFUL TO STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE CDC
BOTH HAVE WARNINGS ABOUT THIS.
VERY BREE. OH, SAYING DO NOT
EAT RAW OR IMPROPERLY COOK
SEAFOOD, ESPECIALLY OYSTERS.
KNOW WHY OYSTERS, YOU MIGHT BE
WONDERING WELL BECAUSE OF HOW
THEY EAT. THEY FILTER WATER
OVER THE GILLS AND TRAPPED TINY
PLANKTON AND ALGAE AND THAT
SORT OF THING. BUT THE BRIOCHE
CAN MAKE IT PAST THAT FILTER
AND COULD CONCENTRATE IN THE
OYSTERS TISSUES. AND THAT
SOUNDS WELL, PRETTY GROSS.
THE POINT IS IF YOU GO TO A
SEAFOOD MARKET, HANDLE THINGS
CAREFULLY, WHATEVER YOU BUY,
DON'T LET ANY OF THOSE JUICES
FROM RAW SEAFOOD FALL ON TO
OTHER FOODS AND DON'T EAT
ANYTHING RAW HOT SAUCE AND
LEMONS ARE KILLING THE
BACTERIA. ONLY COOKING CAN DO
THAT. SO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE WAY.
GOT TO DO IT. NEXT UP. I GOT
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
FUTURE OF THE DMV. YOU WANTED
TO KNOW ABOUT THOSE DIGITAL
DRIVER'S LICENSE IS BASICALLY
A DRIVER'S LICENSE. THAT'S
RIGHT THERE ON YOUR PHONE BILL
ASKED, WOULD YOU PLEASE LOOK
IN LOOK INTO IT AND SEE IF AND
WHEN DIGITAL LICENSES ARE
COMING TO NORTH CAROLINA BILL
ISN'T MAKING THIS UP BECAUSE
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HERE
BY NOW. LAST YEAR, GOVERNOR
COOPER SIGNED HOUSE BILL 199,
LEGALIZING THESE DIGITAL
DRIVER'S LICENSES THAT WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE IMPLEMENTED ON
JULY. FIRST. BUT CLASSIC DMV.
THE PLAN IS EXPERIENCING A FEW
DELAYS. BUT LOOK, IT'S NOT JUST
NORTH CAROLINA THAT'S LIKING
BEHIND ON THIS, ACCORDING TO
THE I D SCANNED DOT NET
WEBSITE. 22 STATES ARE IN A
SIMILAR POSITION IS STILL
WORKING ON THIS TECHNOLOGY.
THOSE ARE THE ONES YOU SEE
SHADED IN YELLOW ON THIS MAP.
10 STATES HAVEN'T MADE ANY
MOVES ON DIGITAL ID'S. THOSE
ARE IN THE RED IN 18 SET.
STATES SHADED IN GREEN ALREADY
HAVE MOBILE ID'S, LOUISIANA, IN
FACT, WAS THE FIRST THERE'S IS
CALLED LA WALLET OR THERE WAS A
IF YOUR FANCY. THEY STARTED
ROLLING OUT MOBILE ID'S SINCE
BACK IN 2018. AND TODAY NEARLY
ONE AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE
HAVE THOSE MOBILE ID'S IN
LOUISIANA. IT'S WORKING OUT
PRETTY WELL. THEY'RE APPLE
DRIVER'S LICENSES, CAR
REGISTRATION, GUN PERMITS, ALL
THAT SORT OF STUFF. YOU CAN
EVEN USE IT TO GET THROUGH THE
LINE AT AIRPORT SECURITY.
NORTH CAROLINA WANTS TO DO
THIS, TOO. BUT WHEN IT COMES
TO THE DMV.
GETTING STUFF DONE HAS APPEARED
TO BE A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
TIME AND TIME AGAIN. LAST WEEK,
THE STATE AUDITOR RELEASED A
REPORT ON THE DMV. IT FOUND
ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS. ALL THE
STUFF THAT WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT
FOR A WHILE, ESPECIALLY IF
YOU'VE EVER GONE THE DELAYS
LONG LINES, THE LACK OF
STAFFING, ALL THAT KIND OF
STUFF. BUT THE AUDIT ALSO
TALKED ABOUT THE DIGITAL ID'S
AND IT ESTIMATES A FULL LAUNCH
WON'T HAPPEN UNTIL AT LEAST
SEPTEMBER OF 2026. IN THE
PROCESS COULD COST AS MUCH AS
1.4 MILLION DOLLARS WITH AN
ANNUAL MAINTENANCE COST OF
ABOUT $600,000 A YEAR. THE
REPORT ALSO SUGGESTS LAUNCHING
A SMALLER PILOT PROGRAM THAT
THESE ARE ALL SUGGESTIONS,
RIGHT? IT'S A IT'S UP TO
LAWMAKERS TO ACTUALLY MOVE
FORWARD WITH ANY OF THIS STUFF
WILL BE WATCHING. NO QUESTION.
WE GOT AFTER ALL THAT RAIN AND
FLOODING THAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR
AREA OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS
THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE EVEN
TONIGHT A VIEWER NAMED MARY
WROTE IN AND ASKED WITH ALL
THE FLOODED ROADS AND PARKING
LOTS. WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE
VEHICLES THAT GET THEY GET
FLOODED OUT. SO THAT IS A GREAT
QUESTION. MARY WRAL'S 5 ON YOUR
SIDE ACTUALLY REPORTED ON THIS
SORT OF THING A LONG TIME AGO
AND HAS DONE SO FOR A VERY LONG
TIME. YOU SEE PEOPLE WILL OFTEN
TRY TO SALVAGE THOSE CARS AND
THEN RESELL THEM AT AUCTION.
BUT THE CARS MUST BE BRANDED AS
FLOOD DAMAGED ON THE TITLE.
IF THEY DO THAT. THE PROBLEM IS
THEY DON'T ALWAYS DO THAT.
SCAMMERS WILL FIND A WAY AROUND
IT. IT'S A PROBLEM. 5 ON YOUR
SIDE AGAIN HAS BEEN COVERING
FOR AWHILE, ESPECIALLY AFTER
HELENE HIT WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA. SO HERE'S A HERE'S A
QUICK CLIP FROM THAT STORY.
>> FOR MONTHS, 5 ON YOUR SIDE
HAS TRACKED FOR HELENE FLOODED
VEHICLES SOLD AT AUCTION,
INCLUDING THE CAMRY. 3 HAD
THEIR TITLES BRANDED HAS
FLOODED AND EVERYTHING WORKED
THE WAY IT SHOULD. THE 4TH
VEHICLE, THIS 2023 CHEVROLET
TRAVERSE WAS SOLD. BUT 4 MONTHS
LATER, THE TITLE STILL HASN'T
BEEN UPDATED WITH THE NC DMV
AND THE FLOOD DAMAGE DOESN'T
SHOW UP ON A CARFAX REPORT OR
OTHER VEHICLE HISTORY REPORTS
THAT WE CHECKED. THERE COULD BE
A SCAMMER THAT TAKES A WATER
DAMAGED CAR TO A STATE THAT
HAS MORE LAX TITLE BRANDING AND
REPORTING STANDARD.
>> AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, IT
COULD RESULT IN WHAT IS A CLEAN
TITLE OR WHAT MANY CALL, OF
COURSE,
TOTAL WASHING.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU DO, RIGHT?
WHAT IF YOU ARE IN THE MARKET
FOR A USED CAR? HOW CAN YOU
TELL IF THE CAR YOU'RE LOOKING
TO BUY HAS LINGERING FLOOD
DAMAGE EVEN IF IT LOOKS OKAY,
AT FIRST GLANCE, YOU CAN DO A
GOOD JOB CLEANING ALL THAT UP
WHILE 5 ON YOUR SIDE COVERED
THAT PART OF THE 2 AND PUT
TOGETHER THIS GREAT HOW TO
VIDEO. FIRST THING YOU WANT TO
DO IS COME OVER TO THE FRONT OF
THE CAR INHALE AND SEE IF
THERE'S ANY KIND OF MOLDY OR
MUSTY SMELL. IF YOU HAVE THAT,
YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO WALK
AWAY FROM THE CAR. NEXT POP-UP.
THE TRIM PANEL ON THE SIDE OF
THE DOOR HERE. IF THE CARPET IS
DIRTY OR IF THERE'S ANY KIND
OF SEDIMENT IN HERE OR RUST.
ALSO LOOK AT THE DOOR POCKETS.
IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF HERE OR
DIRT OR STONES.
>> THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
WATER CAME UP AND IN THE CAR
AND AS A DRAINED AWAY, IT'S
SETTLED AND HID IN THEIR POP
OFF SOME OF THE CAPS AND COVERS
FOR THE SEAT BELT OF THESE ARE
SCRATCHED UP OR EVEN LOOK,
RUSTED. THAT MEANS THE SEAT WAS
TAKEN OUT SO IT CAN AIR DRY
LOOK WHERE SPARE TIRE WOULD
BE KEPT. IF IT'S GOT SOUND,
DEADENING SMELL FITS. MUSTY
OR MOLDY SMELLING. SEE THERE'S
ANY RUST ON EXPOSED SCREWS ON
THE PANELS OR EVEN ON THE TOOLS
LIKE THE JACK IN THE JACK
STAND. LOOK ALONG THE BACK OF
THE ENGINE BAY. THERE'S SOME
SOFT MATERIAL HERE. IT'S SOUND
DEADENING. WHEN WATER ROSE IN
STAYS WHEN THE CARS FLOODED,
IT'S GOING TO RECEDE AND LEAVE
A FLOOD LINE. IF THERE'S
ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WALK AWAY
FROM THE VEHICLE.
ALL RIGHT. YOU GET ALL THAT
SOME GOOD ADVICE THAT YOU
NOTICE. HIGHLIGHT 5 ON YOUR
SIDE TEAM WITH THE MOST OF MY
REPORTING TONIGHT. LOOK WORK
SMART, NOT HARD. WHAT ELSE IS
THE NEWS NEED TO BE COVERING?
SEND THE EMAIL. DAN AT WRAL DOT
COM. YOUR QUESTIONS, YOUR
FEEDBACK. THEY DRIVE THIS
SEGMENT AND THIS NEWSCAST HERE,
7 O'CLOCK. SO PLEASE TELL ME