Today, we’ve got a trip to Oak Island, an alarming report for rural NC hospitals, and the best places to live in NC, but first:

The view from atop Chimney Rock is so gorgeous, so lush and perfect, that it can feel almost corny or AI-generated. 

But it’s not. It’s just one of the best-looking places in North Carolina, and as America approaches its 250th birthday this July, it’s also one of the most treasured spots for people who want a patriotic view.

We’ve published a new story on how Chimney Rock almost didn’t make it after Tropical Storm Helene. 

The wind-swept cliff face—the one featured in so many films like “Last of the Mohicans”—might not have been in jeopardy. But it needed the people and the local village to bring it to life. 

This is a must-read.

The view from Chimney Rock is so good, it feels AI-generated. But it’s not. (USA Today via Reuters)

For many North Carolina kids on the traditional school calendar, these are the last days of the school year. Summer is just ahead.

Here’s what’s in today’s Cardinal & Pine newsletter: 

Thanks to Shelley for this view from Oak Island, one of our favorite NC beaches. 

Got a view from NC? Share it with Cardinal & Pine’s readers!

A new report says that five rural hospitals in the state are in “immediate risk” of closing, and that another three face moderate risk, C&P’s Michael McElroy reports.

Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians could soon lose their health insurance under the Trump administration’s Medicaid and Affordable Care Act cuts, and if their community hospital closes, they will have few options for care.

The report by the Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform defined “closure risk” as experiencing financial losses for multiple years in a row and having inadequate financial reserves.

The report did not name the hospitals, one of its authors told Cardinal & Pine, because a lot can still happen, and to be in danger of closing is different from being certain to close.

Rural hospitals rely heavily on Medicaid, and President Donald Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” Act will cut $1 trillion from the program from 2027 to 2034.

But the biggest issue for rural hospitals is inadequate payments from private insurers, the report says.

More at Cardinal & Pine:

1. Opinion: The NC Supreme Court’s Duke Energy ruling made all of us poorer—and may enrich the Chief Justice. Beacon Media

“Conflict of interest rules for the judiciary should have prevented N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Paul Newby from ruling on Duke Energy’s rate hike, the author writes.”

2. Opinion: Student journalists at an HBCU campus newspaper took on racist local media—and won. Scalawag

“By associating the proximity of the university to crime and the students with criminal acts, local media outlets had long been misinforming Greensboro residents about the safety of NC A&T.”

3. Crowded North Carolina jails grapple with Iryna’s Law. The Assembly

“Some law enforcement officials and district attorneys say the law has had unintended consequences, including rising jail populations and limited resources.”

The Marquee building is seen through trees along Foundy Street in Asheville’s River Arts District on May 26, 2026. Marquee reopened in 2025 after Tropical Storm Helene devastated much of the River Arts District. (USA Today via Reuters)

You know North Carolina is a solid place to live, or you wouldn’t be reading this newsletter. 

But where are the best places to live in the state? 

Writers at WorldAtlas, a website specializing in geography and travel, tried to answer that question in a new list.

Mountain towns like Asheville (above) made the list, despite the Helene recovery. So did a few of our fastest-growing towns and cities along the coast and the coastal plain.

Check it out.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today’s edition includes stories from Michael McElroy, NC Newsline, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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