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The U.S. Men's soccer team needs a win against Iran on Tuesday to make it to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. 

Details: USA plays Iran at 2pm and anything other than a win will send the team home. 

The U.S. was drawn into Group B and will play games against Wales, England and Iran. The top two teams in the group will advance to the knockout rounds. 

Be smart: U.S. Coach Gregg Berhalter played college soccer at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1991-1993. 

The Triangle has grown quite a bit since 2014, when the U.S. was last in the World Cup — and there are more options than ever to watch the matches. 

The London Bridge Pub in downtown Raleigh will show every game of the World Cup.

The Boot Room, a soccer pub connected to the great craft bottle shop Beer Study in Durham, serves great biscuits and sandwiches and will open early for games. When it's not the World Cup, the Boot Room is a Liverpool F.C. bar. 

Bull McCabe's, an Irish pub in downtown Durham that also serves as an official Arsenal F.C. bar. The bar has a list of games it will be open for. 

The Winchester Pub, another soccer-focused bar in North Raleigh will show World Cup matches. 

Italian Pizzeria III, a Chapel Hill pizzeria that also is obsessed with Italy's national team. While Italy isn't in the World Cup, the restaurant is a hot spot for all the games. 

Editor's note: This story has been updated with information about the U.S. Men's soccer team's Nov. 29 match.

Where to watch the World Cup in Raleigh and Durham

Illustration of a soccer ball on an abstract field. 

Sports

The U.S. Men&#x27;s soccer team needs a win against Iran on Tuesday to make it to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. Details: USA plays Iran <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="at 2pm" data-vars-click-url="https://www.google.com/search?q=usa+v+iran&amp;oq=usa+v+iran&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j0i131i433i512j0i3l6j0i131i433i512j0i3.1267j0j9&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#sie=m;/g/11rq1ym5x8;2;/m/030q7;dt;fp;1;;;" data-vars-content-id="6684cacd-8924-42af-a3ac-952d1b6cf552" data-vars-headline="Where to watch the World Cup in Raleigh and Durham" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=usa+v+iran&amp;oq=usa+v+iran&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j0i131i433i512j0i3l6j0i131i433i512j0i3.1267j0j9&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8#sie=m;/g/11rq1ym5x8;2;/m/030q7;dt;fp;1;;;" target="_blank">at 2pm</a> and anything other than a win will send the team home.

Things to Do

Refer to the Triangle as "Raleigh-Durham" among locals and you will get a quick correction or maybe even dozens of replies on social media.

Only the airport is officially called Raleigh-Durham, a fact that has been confusing outsiders for decades and why many believe it's actually a city name. 

Yes, but: Leaning into the close connection many people have with the Raleigh and Durham communities could benefit the Research Triangle region on the national stage. 

Driving the news: The Triangle recently made headlines as the fourth fastest-growing economy in the country, according to an analysis by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, a business policy think tank.

But it might not have placed on the list, if the analysis hadn't merged the two cities' data.

Context: Thanks to how the U.S. government defines metro areas — and thus much of the framework for how corporations, events and sports leagues often judge cities — the Triangle is not one large metro but rather two different smaller ones: Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh-Cary. 

It's enough of an annoyance that economic development officials often talk about petitioning the government to change the official statistical area to be Raleigh-Durham. 

Of note: Gerald Cohen, chief economist at the Chapel Hill-based Kenan Institute, told Axios most researchers treat Raleigh and Durham separately, despite their linked nature.

"I think if we were in Charlotte" or somewhere else, Cohen said, "we probably would not have made that decision" to intentionally combine Raleigh and Durham.

Why it matters: Leveraging the strengths of the two communities could benefit the entire region's national brand rather than having them compete against each other. 

Be smart: The Triangle moniker dates back to the 1950s when the state created Research Triangle Park as a research park in between Duke University in Durham, UNC in Chapel Hill and N.C. State in Raleigh. 

Those three cities were the largest at the time. Cary, which had a population of less than 4,000 when RTP was founded in 1959, is now the third-largest city in the region, with nearly 180,000 residents, replacing Chapel Hill.

The Triangle is getting better at cooperation — whether it is simply Raleigh and Durham-based organizations coming together to create jobs boards for the entire region or more ambitious efforts like a commuter train route going from Clayton to Durham. 

Officials in the area will tell you they learned a lot when they came together as a region to recruit Amazon's HQ2, showcasing locations from the downtowns to Research Triangle Park, which is split between Durham and Wake counties. 

The lessons from Amazon helped when it came to wooing Apple to Research Triangle Park just a few years later. 

The bigger picture: The greater Triangle, of course, is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country despite the confusion our two metro areas might create. 

For those who think growth is running too hot — you may very well prefer the country think Raleigh and Durham are separate and small. 

The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros

It's Raleigh and Durham, not Raleigh-Durham — but combining the two does have it perks.

Illustration of two location pins forming a heart above a map. 

Refer to the Triangle as &quot;Raleigh-Durham&quot; among locals and you will get a quick correction or maybe even dozens of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="replies on social media" data-vars-click-url="https://mobile.twitter.com/itsjustraleigh" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mobile.twitter.com/itsjustraleigh" target="_blank">replies on social media</a>.<ul><li>Only the airport is officially called Raleigh-Durham, a fact that has been confusing outsiders for decades and why many believe it&#x27;s actually a city name. </li></ul>Yes, but: Leaning into the close connection many people have with the Raleigh and Durham communities could benefit the Research Triangle region on the national stage. Driving the news: The Triangle recently made headlines as the fourth fastest-growing economy in the country, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="according to an analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/05/fastest-growing-cities-us" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/05/fastest-growing-cities-us" target="_self">according to an analysis</a> by the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, a business policy think tank.<ul><li>But it might not have placed on the list, if the analysis hadn&#x27;t merged the two cities&#x27; data.</li></ul>Context: Thanks to how the U.S. government <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="defines metro areas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bea.gov/help/faq/459#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Office%20of%20Management,core%2C%20as%20measured%20by%20commuting" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bea.gov/help/faq/459#:~:text=The%20U.S.%20Office%20of%20Management,core%2C%20as%20measured%20by%20commuting" target="_blank">defines metro areas</a> — and thus much of the framework for how corporations, events and sports leagues often judge cities — the Triangle is not one large metro but rather two different smaller ones: Durham-Chapel Hill and Raleigh-Cary. <ul><li>It&#x27;s enough of an annoyance that economic development officials often talk about <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="petitioning the government " data-vars-click-url="https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2020/12/03/raleigh-amazon-hq2-lessones-economic-development.html" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2020/12/03/raleigh-amazon-hq2-lessones-economic-development.html" target="_blank">petitioning the government </a>to change the official statistical area to be Raleigh-Durham. </li></ul>Of note: Gerald Cohen, chief economist at the Chapel Hill-based Kenan Institute, told Axios most researchers treat Raleigh and Durham separately, despite their linked nature.<ul><li>&quot;I think if we were in Charlotte&quot; or somewhere else, Cohen said, &quot;we probably would not have made that decision&quot; to intentionally combine Raleigh and Durham.</li></ul>Why it matters: Leveraging the strengths of the two communities could benefit the entire region&#x27;s national brand rather than having them compete against each other. Be smart: The Triangle moniker dates back to the 1950s when the state created Research Triangle Park as a research park in between Duke University in Durham, UNC in Chapel Hill and N.C. State in Raleigh. <ul><li>Those three cities were the largest at the time. Cary, which had a population of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="less than 4,000" data-vars-click-url="https://www.townofcary.org/home/showpublisheddocument/1809/636317547592530000" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.townofcary.org/home/showpublisheddocument/1809/636317547592530000" target="_blank">less than 4,000</a> when RTP was founded in 1959, is now the third-largest city in the region, with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nearly 180,000 residents" data-vars-click-url="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/carytownnorthcarolina/PST045221" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/carytownnorthcarolina/PST045221" target="_blank">nearly 180,000 residents</a>, replacing Chapel Hill.</li></ul>The Triangle is getting better at cooperation — whether it is simply Raleigh and Durham-based organizations coming together to create <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="jobs boards for the entire region" data-vars-click-url="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article254261213.html" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article254261213.html" target="_blank">jobs boards for the entire region</a> or more <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ambitious efforts like a commuter train route" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2022/08/22/commuter-train-raleigh-durham-research-triangle" data-vars-content-id="68ec8701-7507-4d6d-970b-371a5459e94b" data-vars-headline="The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2022/08/22/commuter-train-raleigh-durham-research-triangle" target="_self">ambitious efforts like a commuter train route</a> going from Clayton to Durham. <ul><li>Officials in the area will tell you they learned a lot when they came together as a region to recruit Amazon&#x27;s HQ2, showcasing locations from the downtowns to Research Triangle Park, which is split between Durham and Wake counties. </li><li>The lessons from Amazon helped when it came to wooing Apple to Research Triangle Park just a few years later. </li></ul>The bigger picture: The greater Triangle, of course, is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country despite the confusion our two metro areas might create. <ul><li>For those who think growth is running too hot — you may very well prefer the country think Raleigh and Durham are separate and small. </li></ul>

News

Raleigh is once again trying to make sense of a terrible tragedy, after a young dancer performing in the Raleigh Christmas Parade died Saturday. 

The parade is typically one of the city's merriest public events, ushering in the holiday season. Instead, Saturday's accident now hangs heavy over the city just a few days before Thanksgiving. 

What happened: An 11-year-old girl and member of the CC & Company Dance Complex was killed by an out-of-control pickup truck that was towing a parade float. The truck rolled slowly at least a block and a half through the parade route before multiple people jumped in front to stop it.

The incident played out in the most public of spaces. Videos, which are hard to watch, show the truck blaring its horn as people desperately try to warn members of a dance troupe to get out of the way. 

Data: Axios research, Raleigh Police Department; Map: Axios Visuals

Raleigh Police said they've charged the driver, 20-year-old Landen Christopher Glass, with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, improper equipment, unsafe movement and carrying a firearm in a parade. 

Just a little more than a month after a mass shooting in the Hedingham neighborhood, a sense of shock spread across the city again, and state and city leaders are again forced to shepherd a grieving community through yet another nightmare. 

"Please reach out and check on each other," CC & Company wrote on their Facebook page. "Please pray for our dance families, especially for those directly affected … (O)ur hearts are broken and we must find ways to help each other through this."  

Go deeper: WRAL has more details from the scene here

Raleigh mourns after a Christmas parade tragedy

11-year-old girl dies after being hit by an out-of-control pickup truck

Flowers lean on a tree next to a road in downtown Raleigh. 

Flowers left along the route of the Raleigh Christmas Parade. Photo: Axios

Raleigh is once again trying to make sense of a terrible tragedy, after a young dancer performing in the Raleigh Christmas Parade died Saturday. <ul><li>The parade is typically one of the city&#x27;s merriest public events, ushering in the holiday season. Instead, Saturday&#x27;s accident now hangs heavy over the city just a few days before Thanksgiving. </li></ul>

City-owned land surrounding Moore Square in downtown Raleigh could be transformed to include affordable housing, a hotel and a potential grocery store. 

Driving the news: City Council this week picked a proposal from Raleigh-based Loden Properties and its partners Northpond and Greystone for the two city properties, which are located on more than three acres of land to the east and south of the square.

Loden has been especially active in Raleigh in recent years, working on projects on Glenwood South, the Longleaf Hotel and Gateway Plaza. 

Why it matters: The two properties are perhaps the most valuable pieces of available land in the city's arsenal. City estimates put their value between $17 million to $25 million. 

Similarly to neighboring Durham, Raleigh has increasingly turned to leveraging city-owned lands to attract developments that include affordable housing as it hunts for creative ways to add more to its downtown core.

Catch up quick: The city has had control of the two properties since 2013 when it purchased Salvation Army-owned land. It asked developers earlier this year for proposals for the property that included affordable housing.

However, some activists have objected to the choice to open the land up to bids from developers instead of the city leading the affordable housing development itself. 

The city-owned sites are highlighted. The eastern site is in green and the southern one is in yellow. Photo: City of Raleigh

Details: On the eastern property, Loden would build more than 500 apartments, with at least 160 of them targeted as affordable housing. 

Loden would also commit to recruiting a grocery store to the development and build a new permanent home for the Raleigh Rescue Mission — though that would require Loden to purchase additional land. 

On the southern property, Loden said it would build a 160-room boutique hotel and partner with Raleigh Founded on a coworking space. 

The plan keeps the historic Esso Station building that faces the square. 

Additionally, staff revealed that Loden and Northpond have been in talks with the adjacent City Market property about purchasing or managing the retail spaces there. 

What they're saying: Ken Bowers, deputy planning and development director for Raleigh, told the council Loden's proposal stood out for many reasons, including the fact it offered the most affordable units — around 40 affordable units per acre. 

Additionally, the hotel would really benefit City Market, which has seen many new vacancies in recent years, he argued. 

Council members, including Corey Branch, seemed impressed by the decision to include Raleigh Rescue Mission in the plans, an important partner for the city's response to homelessness. 

A rendering of the proposed boutique hotel for Moore Square, courtesy of Loden Properties

The City Council approved the negotiations with Loden in a 6-1 vote. 

The lone no vote was outgoing council member David Cox — who said he felt the decision had been rushed. 

"I am not in favor of voting on this today and would want the new council to look at it," he said. 

What's next: The council authorized city staff to begin final negotiations with Loden to develop the properties. 

Staff suggested negotiations could take between nine to 12 months before they return the final proposal to council for a vote. 

Raleigh developer's big plans for Moore Square

The two properties are currently owned by the city.

A rendering from Loden Properties proposal for Moore Square. Photo: Courtesy of Loden Properties. 

City-owned land surrounding Moore Square in downtown Raleigh could be transformed to include affordable housing, a hotel and a potential grocery store. Driving the news: City Council this week picked a proposal from Raleigh-based <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Loden Properties" data-vars-click-url="https://www.lodenproperties.com/" data-vars-content-id="f35db694-76ff-4ec3-9dcb-efa5e981ee31" data-vars-headline="Raleigh developer&#x27;s big plans for Moore Square" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.lodenproperties.com/" target="_blank">Loden Properties</a> and its partners Northpond and Greystone for the two city properties, which are located on more than three acres of land to the east and south of the square.

For years, Chapel Hill has been trying to lure developers to build more lab space in its downtown. 

But as the town now prepares for the addition of thousands of square feet of wet lab space, it's looking into whether it can have any say on what type of work is done in those new labs. 

Driving the news: The Chapel Hill Town Council met Monday to consider the creation of a biosafety committee that would monitor the two wet labs planned for downtown. 

"Our main goals here are that we're not having things in labs that could, if released or an accident happens, could harm people," Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said. 

Why it matters: Chapel Hill is trying to make its economy less reliant on student traffic and prevent promising biotech startups from leaving UNC for Durham or Research Triangle Park. 

Biotech research coming out of universities has been transformative for places like Durham, Research Triangle Park and Cambridge, Massachusetts, turning them into clusters for high-tech startups.

But that has also brought lab spaces where companies could be working in biosafety level 3 labs, which study infections agents and toxins, into the densest areas in the region. 

What they're saying: "What we need, I think, is an underlying ordinance that says what can and can't be done where and then establishes a mechanism for permitting those uses," Chapel Hill Town Council Member Michael Parker said during the meeting. 

He noted that places like Cambridge (home to Harvard and MIT) and Durham (Duke and RTP) have established ways of monitoring lab safety. 

Already, UNC operates several biosafety level 3 labs, like one that studies and experiments on coronaviruses, on its campus. 

UNC works closely with the town's emergency department on training and access in case of emergency. 

Hemminger stressed that the town needs to be able to communicate to residents what kind of work is happening in the labs. 

"I don't want someone accusing poisonous fumes of coming out of a building if we know that's not reality," Hemminger said. 

What's next: The town expects to take up the topic again in January. 

Chapel Hill wants to monitor safety of planned labs

Leaders are looking into whether they can have any say on what type of work is done in the labs.

Illustration of a beaker wearing a safety vest.

Research

For years, Chapel Hill has been trying to lure developers to build more lab space in its downtown. <ul><li>But as the town now prepares for the addition of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="thousands of square feet of wet lab space" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2022/11/17/chapel-hill-franklin-street-development-office-lab-space" data-vars-content-id="fec0e97d-d8d7-4040-9b0c-7ac4d4d36a66" data-vars-headline="Chapel Hill wants to monitor safety of planned labs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2022/11/17/chapel-hill-franklin-street-development-office-lab-space" target="_self">thousands of square feet of wet lab space</a>, it&#x27;s looking into whether it can have any say on what type of work is done in those new labs. </li></ul>

Zachery Eanes

Featured stories

Chapel Hill wants to monitor safety of planned labs

Where to watch the World Cup in Raleigh and Durham

The benefits of merging the Raleigh and Durham metros

Raleigh mourns after a Christmas parade tragedy

Raleigh developer's big plans for Moore Square