The federal shutdown is over. But as COURIER’s Jessica F. Simmons reports, we’re still untangling the impacts here in North Carolina.

Head Start is a federally funded program that works with local organizations to provide early childhood education to children before kindergarten. How effective are these programs?

We’ve known for years that Head Start can be especially impactful for children who come from low-income families. The amount of money your family makes is, unfortunately, one of the best predictors of academic success or failure.

Head Start aims to, quite literally, give kids a “head start” to help them keep up as they progress through the K-12 grades.

When the shutdown happened, Head Start funding dried up, too. Thousands of children in NC lost services, and several Head Start centers in the state closed. With the shutdown over, the National Head Start Association is now calling on lawmakers to make Head Start funding more stable, protecting it from future political stalemates, Simmons reports. 

Thanksgiving is, remarkably, just seven days away. Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter: 

Thanks to Courtney Terry for this view of Scaly Mountain. 

Protesters hold signs amid the arrival of federal law enforcement, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Charlotte, NC. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley)

On Thursday, we learned that Border Patrol might be wrapping up its operation in Charlotte. Maybe. A Border Patrol statement contradicted local officials on this.

But in the meantime, let’s talk about who Border Patrol has been arresting. The federal immigration law enforcement agency has claimed, repeatedly, that it targets the “worst of the worst.”

But on Tuesday, they arrested a young woman in the Triangle who fled Honduras when she was 14 after her mother died of cancer and a gang murdered her father.

The woman, Fatima Issela Velasquez-Antonio, 23, was arrested in Raleigh at the HVAC company she worked for. Raleigh’s News & Observer dove into her background this week and found that she had two traffic violations on her record, nothing else.

She was a graduate of Corinth Holders High School and a homeowner. She and her boyfriend hoped to soon have children.

Stories like this are not outliers. That’s become increasingly clear. Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy reported today on the numbers behind the arrests in NC this week. You’ll want to read this story.

More immigration coverage:

1. Where are the people Border Patrol detained in North Carolina? The Assembly 

“Federal officials claim more than 370 arrests but provide little information on who they detained, where they are held, or what crimes were charged.”

2. NC officials say Border Patrol has ended Charlotte operation. Al Jazeera

“The administration of US President Donald Trump has targeted Democrat-led cities like Charlotte for a surge in immigration enforcement operations.”

3. Attorney General Jeff Jackson reaches $7 million settlement with largest landlord in NC over AI rent setting. ABC-11

“Attorney General Jeff Jackson and eight other attorneys general have reached a $7 million settlement with Greystar Management LLC. Greystar is North Carolina’s largest landlord with more than 25,000 units across the state.”

Carving pros from Artisan Ice Sculptures celebrate their finished centerpiece in Memorial Park at Blowing Rock Winterfest. (Amanda Lugenbell)

Believe it or not, we do have winters in NC, even if temperatures over Thanksgiving are trending more toward spring.

But colder weather is ahead, especially in our westernmost reaches. 

Cardinal & Pine contributor Tyler Francischine has penned a guide to nine of NC’s most “magical” winter festivals ahead.

They include Blowing Rock Winterfest (note the ice sculpture contest above), the always-popular Chinese Lantern Festival in Cary, and Jacksonville’s Winterfest in Onslow County. 

Check it out and mark your calendars.

Reach 200,000+ North Carolinians who care about their communities! Sponsor Cardinal & Pine’s Dec. 6 Special Edition, “How to Get Involved and Give Back this Holiday Season.” Book by Nov. 21, 2025, and save 20% off your placement.

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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 content from Jessica F. Simmons, Michael McElroy, Alexis Lawson, and Tyler Francischine. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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