Ever wanted to own your own direct line to space? 

A former NASA facility in western North Carolina is on the market if you have a cozy $30 million laying around. The facility is currently owned by the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), an educational nonprofit, and will remain open for STEM learning for the time being. 

It opened in 1963 and reportedly played a part in sending people to the moon. Check it out. I’ll put in a hundred bucks if you put in the rest. 😂

Scanning the sky at Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute. The former NASA facility is on the market for $30 million. (USA Today via Reuters)

Thursday is here, promising a Friday real soon. Here’s what’s in your all-North Carolina newsletter: 

Five stars to Beth Winchell-Symons, who photographed this full moon in Trinity this week. 

As Beth pointed out, November’s full moon is called the “Beaver moon,” so named because it’s the time of year when beavers are gearing up for the winter.  

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

After some weeks of uncertainty, NC officials confirmed this week that the state’s 1 million or so SNAP recipients will be getting partial benefits this month. 

The fracas over SNAP, or “food stamps,” has to do with the government shutdown—which is officially the longest in American history—and this year’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which included a $186 billion cut to the nation’s largest food assistance program.

SNAP was one of many social safety net programs, including Medicaid, that got deep budget reductions in order to pay for Republican tax cuts. 

Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy reported Wednesday that the Trump administration, after prolonged threats to withhold November SNAP payments during the shutdown, told NC officials that it would follow court orders to release partial funds.

From the story: 

In a press release, NC officials said the payments would be about half of the normal allotment and that recipients could see the funds on their EBT cards by next week. “So beneficiaries should check the balances on their cards often,” the officials said.

Click the button below for the full story.

More on the shutdown:

1. She left the US after seven months in ICE custody, but still dreams of a life in America. Cardinal & Pine

“Back in her birth country of Honduras, Allison Bustillo reflects on being separated from her family, the experience of migrant families in the US, and what North Carolina and America mean to her.”

2. NC program to support people with severe mental illness leaving prison. NC Newsline

“More than half of the people in the criminal justice system have a mental illness. A state program in NC wants to help them re-enter society.”

3. ‘The math is not compatible’: FEMA delays push NC counties to the brink. WRAL

“Western North Carolina counties spent tens of millions on Helene recovery, often more than their entire annual budgets, while FEMA delays keep promised funds out of reach.”

4. Gov. Josh Stein calls for legislative special session to fund Medicaid. WBTV

“Stein said he would push the General Assembly to fund Medicaid. More than 685,000 North Carolinians were enrolled in the NC Medicaid Expansion as of Oct. 2, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.”

The Surgeon General does not recommend smoking cigars. (Lev Radin via Shutterstock)

Former Carolina Panthers great Cam Newton—seen here bringing back the furry collar—features twice in our new list of Guinness World Records captured in NC. 

Yes, both of them are kind of goofy. Who really needs to record the longest American football pass caught between two legs? (Cam threw it) But hey, it’s fun.

Cardinal & Pine contributor Britteny Dee lists some of our favorite record-holders here, including the world’s biggest walk-through zoo. 

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 USA Today via Reuters, Michael McElroy, Dylan Rhoney, and Britteny Dee. It was edited by Brook Bolen.

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