We’ve got a meaty newsletter today, NC. Below, we’ve got a cool new spot for TV and film memorabilia, and the latest on one of NC’s biggest Congressional races, but first: 

This is not an entertainment newsletter. That said, this story deserves our attention.

Recently, the rapper Macklemore was kicked off pop singer Ed Sheeran’s massive stadium tour of the US. He was removed because he called for a “free Palestine.” 

It’s kicked off a fierce debate about free speech in America. But did you know there’s a BIG North Carolina connection to this story? 

Recent reports indicate that Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper might have played a major role in silencing the rapper, who was scheduled to open for Sheeran at an Oct. 17 show at the Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium. 

We’ve got the story in the latest Billy Ball Explains NC.

Recently, the rapper Macklemore was kicked off a big national tour because he called for a “free Palestine.” New reports suggest the Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper might have played a part. Watch the new Billy Ball Explains NC here. (Graphic by Desirée Tapia)

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Here’s what’s in today’s edition:

C&P reader Nathan Ramsey took this gorgeous pastoral view from his family’s dairy farm in Fairview, NC. 

It’s a work of art, Nathan. 

Do you have a View from NC you just have to share? Send it in!

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Jamie Ager speaks to supporters at an event at Camp Ton-A-Wandah in Henderson County, Sept. 21, 2026. Photo: Dylan Rhoney/Cardinal & Pine

C&P’s Dylan Rhoney was in Henderson County Monday when the candidate in one of NC’s closest Congressional races made his pitch. 

In November, Jamie Ager is facing state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 9, but you can still register and vote in the same trip when early voting begins Oct. 15. 

Check out C&P’s 2026 Voter Hub here.

Jamie Ager, a western NC farmer, talked about Helene recovery in a community that still bears the scars of that storm. The two-year anniversary of the storm is Sunday, Sept. 27. 

“ We’ve got people still living in campers, still living in tents,” Ager said. “We’ve got people living in sheds. We’ve got families that are struggling. We have small businesses that are struggling, and people in Washington, DC forgot about us here in Western North Carolina. And when I get elected, they’re not going to forget about Western North Carolina anymore, because I’m going to fight for this community.”

Read the story here.

More at Cardinal & Pine:

1. Electric aircraft company eyes big expansion in NC. Axios

“The Vermont-based company already has a significant presence in Morrisville, where it employs around 100 engineers working on the company’s flight software.”

2. North Carolina father and son receive hero awards for saving man from burning car. The Guardian

“Larry Pickett Sr and his son, a US army cadet, pulled David Denton from a vehicle fire in upstate New York in 2025.”

3. Lake Lure’s brief, bizarre chapter as the headquarters of a model cult. The Assembly 

“Residents of the Western North Carolina town recall the far-out happenings at a lakefront ‘Pink Palace’ now featured in an HBO docuseries about a doomsday cult for the extremely attractive.”

(melissamn via Shutterstock)

We love to showcase new North Carolina businesses with a cool idea. 

This Wilmington bar has one, featuring good drinks and a dip into Wilmywood’s fascinating history as a little East Coast bit of Hollywood. 

Today, we published a story on the Hollywood East Brewseum. The space has beers, of course, but the big attraction here is the film and tv memorabilia. 

Hollywood East’s owners, Patrick McCarthy and Tyler Christensen, have pulled together all sorts of fun stuff, like costumes from “Dawson’s Creek,” props from the cult classic “Empire Records,” and even the creepy fisherman’s costume in the 1997 horror film “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” 

Find out more about the new brewseum here.

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 Dylan Rhoney and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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