Did you know that North Carolina played a pivotal role in the mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro?

The conflict in Venezuela is unpredictable. We don’t know what it’s going to look like. But in a new episode of Billy Ball Explains NC, I took a look at exactly what’s at stake for North Carolina.

The answer is: A lot. NC has the fourth-largest active-duty military population in America. Let’s talk about how that military population might be used.

Click on the graphic. Watch the video. It makes a difference! (Graphic by Francesca Daly)

Boy, it sure feels like winter outside. Stay warm. 

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

Cardinal & Pine reader Melissa Will took this cool photo of a cloud pattern in Shelby. 

Thanks, Melissa! Share your views, folks. 👇

Debris lines the French Broad River on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, weeks after Tropical Storm Helene devastated the area in Marshall, NC, on Sept. 27, 2024. (USA Today via Reuters)

Recovery is a sentence, not a word.

In western NC, there’s a lot of work remaining after Helene plowed a path through the mountains in September 2024. Locals got some good news on that front Wednesday.

The Trump administration released about $116 million in recovery funds. It comes after weeks of complaints from state leaders about the speed of those funds.

“My team and I are asking FEMA, ‘What’s the hold up?’” Gov. Josh Stein said in October.

The money includes about $72 million in FEMA Public Assistance and $44.6 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding. Let’s break down exactly where the cash will go.

1. North Carolina election board rejects early voting site at country’s largest Black university. Democracy Docket

“As Black students silently protested, Republican state officials denied their request to provide a primary election early voting location at North Carolina A&T State University, the largest of the country’s historically Black colleges and universities.”

2. NC likely won’t have a new budget until at least April, as tax cut impasse continues. WUNC

“North Carolina is the only legislature in the country that didn’t pass a budget bill last year. That’s because House and Senate Republicans continue to disagree on whether to delay scheduled income tax cuts.”

3. NC takes lead in push to regulate AI, despite Trump order. WRAL

“President Donald Trump signed an executive order to stop states from regulating artificial intelligence. Many state leaders are pressing forward regardless, including a new, bipartisan push led by the attorneys general of North Carolina and Utah.”

4. NASCAR driver Greg Biffle’s North Carolina home burglarized weeks after plane crash, officials say. Associated Press

“Sheriff’s deputies are investigating an alleged break-in and theft last week at the North Carolina home of retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, one of seven people who died in a plane crash last month.”

Buddhist monks walk on the Walk for Peace at Bethany Independent Methodist Church in Lincolnton, Ga., on Jan. 6, 2026. The Buddhist monks will be walking 2,300 miles from Fort Worth to Washington, DC. (Katie Goodale/Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK

Here’s a story that’s captured the nation’s attention.

A group of Buddhist monks are hiking across the US, with their dog Aloka. They are walking, according to their Facebook page, to “raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world.”

On Wednesday afternoon, they crossed the state line from South Carolina and headed into Charlotte. At each of their rest stops, they’ve been greeted by crowds of supporters.

To read about the monks and how to track them, tap the button below.

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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 stories from USA Today via Reuters. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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