Never, ever, ever does the United States give land back to Native Americans. Except for a few extraordinary instances.

North Carolina had one of those remarkable moments recently. This week, I took a few minutes to go deep on a partnership between the Cherokee and one western North Carolina town.

Check it out in the new Billy Ball Explains NC. (Yes, it’s still weird to type my own name like that.)

The newest Billy Ball Explains NC is out now. And it’s a must-see. (Graphic by Desirée Tapia)

As a reminder, Billy Ball Explains NC premieres every Wednesday @cardinalandpine on YouTube. It’s 100% free to watch. And your view make a big difference. They help us spread good information. But make sure to “like” the video and subscribe so you won’t miss future editions. 

Here’s what’s in today’s C&P newsletter: 

Thanks to Bruce Darden II for giving us this jaw-dropping view from the waterfront in Edenton. 

If you have a NC view to share, tap the button below! You could see it shown off to all 100,000+ Cardinal & Pine readers. 

With $1 trillion in federal cuts to Medicaid looming and further cuts expected at the state level, the families of North Carolinians who rely on the program are worried about what comes next for their loved ones. 

Dee Porter has relied on Medicaid her entire life. 

The 17-year-old from Caldwell County, NC, was born prematurely and has two rare genetic disorders. “She is legally blind,” Janey Porter, Dee’s mom, told Cardinal & Pine. “She has hearing loss, autoimmune disease.”

As Cardinal & Pine’s Dylan Rhoney reports, Dee is enrolled in the Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP-C), a program through NC Medicaid that supports young people who would otherwise need institutionalized care.

Because of Medicaid, Dee can stay at home with her family. 

But programs like this one are on shaky ground today. Last year, Republicans passed a budget bill that would cut $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. States are projected to cut their Medicaid spending by $665 billion during this same period.

The Porters are worried about what would happen if they lose their care. Check out the latest story in C&P’s Bad Medicine series, our ongoing healthcare project.

More Bad Medicine:

1. NC elections officials reject Berger’s unorthodox request to examine 220 ballots. WRAL

“Phil Berger, the powerful NC Senate leader, trails challenger Sam Page in the GOP primary for Berger’s seat. Berger wanted state officials to pay special attention to certain ballots in an effort to close a 23-vote gap. They declined.”

2. Cold snap puts eastern Carolina plants at risk after early spring planting. WCTI

“After a stretch of warm, summer-like temperatures last week, many people across eastern Carolina began planting early — only to now face a sharp drop in temperatures that could threaten those plants.”

3. U.S. Forest Service resumes prescribed burns across North Carolina national forests. WLOS

“Since early March, the U.S. Forest Service reports it has completed more than 10,500 acres of prescribed burning across the state’s national forests, including areas in western North Carolina. Of that total, 1,555 acres were treated in Pisgah National Forest and 4,509 acres in Nantahala National Forest, the agency said.”

4. NC Congressional delegation split on stock trading—and a potential ban. The Assembly

“Banning lawmakers and their families from owning stocks is an issue that doesn’t fall neatly along partisan lines.”

Local news is essential for democracy.

Our reporting cuts through false narratives, documents what’s actually happening in our communities, and provides voters with the clear, factual information they need—especially when the stakes are high.

The Cosmic Cantina crew in Durham. (Photo via @cosmiccantina on Instagram)

The worst-kept secret in the Triangle is Cosmic Cantina. 

Since 1995, Durham and Chapel Hill denizens—especially college students with a late-night snack attack—have known about this little hole in the wall eatery. They produce, according to their website, “the best burritos on the planet.” 

I don’t know how to rank all the burritos everywhere, but they do make a really good one. I’m partial to the “old-school veggie.” 

This makes it even more fun to see this little restaurant get their kudos in a new Southern Living story, which goes into Cosmic’s fascinating backstory. 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 Dylan Rhoney and Michael McElroy. It was edited by Brook Bolen.

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