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North Carolina News You Can Use

Billy Ball Explains NC

Billy Ball Explains NC

Billy Ball Explains NC: Why NC Gov. Josh Stein wants to legalize marijuana

Most North Carolinians support legalizing marijuana. So what gives? In a new "Billy Ball Explains NC," our senior editor takes a look at the issue, as well as Gov. Josh Stein's new cannabis task force.

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Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine
Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine

Billy Ball Explains NC: The great NC Christmas tree comeback

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NC Christmas tree farms lost thousands of trees when Helene rolled through western NC in 2024. But wherever you look in 2025, those tree farms say they're bouncing back.
Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine

Billy Ball Explains NC: The path to universal healthcare in the US

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Let's demystify the boogeyman—the single payer option for healthcare and universal healthcare. This is what keeps some conservatives up at night.
Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine

Billy Ball Explains NC: Who’s really getting food stamps in NC?

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Every Wednesday, NC journalist Billy Ball unpacks the most important stories in NC and corrects the bad information.
Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine

Billy Ball Explains NC: Rigging the 2026 election through gerrymandering

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In the latest "Billy Ball Explains NC," we take a look at what we can do to combat gerrymandering in NC and across the US. 
Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine

Billy Ball Explains NC: PFAS and why some NC politicians might be making you sicker

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In a new "Billy Ball Explains NC," we take a look at PFAS—aka "forever chemicals—their spread across North Carolina, and their connection to the 2026 US Senate race.
Billy Ball Explains NC - Cardinal & Pine

Video: Weed, gerrymandering, and political corruption — ‘Billy Ball Explains NC’ is back ✊🏻

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In North Carolina, weed’s illegal, gerrymandering’s not — and politicians are rigging the rules to stay in power. We're going to break it down it every week at "Billy Ball Explains NC."