More than 37,000 Duke Energy customers lost power during the weekend’s winter weather, mostly in western NC. 

That begs the question: Why are winter storms such a danger to power? Part of the problem, of course, is the buildup of ice on power lines and transformers. But another problem is the spike in demand that comes with plummeting temperatures. 

Today, Cardinal & Pine took a look at why this happens and what we can do about it. 

More snow in the forecast? Maybe. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s newsletter: 

Alex Ruth took this beautiful photo of the snow and ice on Dark Mountain. Alex says the picture was taken from Little Long Mountain on the Uwharrie Trail.

A memorial for Alex Pretti on Jan. 25, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minn. Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA medical center, died on Jan. 24 after being shot multiple times during an altercation with US Border Patrol agents in the Eat Street district of Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

It’s been an upsetting week to be an American. 

Last week’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a Veteran Affairs nurse in Minneapolis, has sparked a wave of protests. Pretti was shot by federal immigration agents as he filmed them. 

Trump administration officials portrayed Pretti as an armed assailant who wanted to kill federal agents. But multiple videos and photos of the scene appear to show that he never reached for a weapon, and that he was disarmed before an agent shot him multiple times. 

North Carolina leaders are reacting to Pretti’s killing. However, retiring Sen. Thom Tillis is the only Republican to speak out. Tillis called for a bipartisan investigation of the shooting. For more on how NC leaders are reacting, tap here or on the button below.

There’s more than a billion dollars at stake for North Carolina’s public schools.

We took on a 31-year-old civil rights case centering on one of the most poorly kept secrets in NC and in America: Kids in poor counties are getting a worse education than kids in rich counties. But there is a way out for NC.

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1. North Carolina connections: Here’s the list of Super Bowl players who spent time in NC. WRAL

“New England quarterback Drake Maye, who played high school football in Charlotte and college at UNC, leads a group of players with North Carolina ties on both teams.”

2. Another weekend winter storm possible in central NC. CBS-17

“The snow and ice on the roads haven’t even fully melted yet and we’re already looking at the possibilities of another winter storm next weekend in central North Carolina.”

3. Are firearms allowed at a protest? What NC law says, following ICE shooting. Port City Daily

“As arguments over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement authority and behavior crosses aisle lines, another debate has transpired in the wake of a Minnesota man’s death over the weekend: whether guns are allowed to be carried by the public at protests.”

4. ProPublica found more than 40 cases of immigration agents using banned chokeholds. ProPublica

“An in-depth investigation of ICE and Border Patrol finds that federal immigration agents are using banned chokeholds that cut off breathing.”

Local film industry leaders in Wilmington say that incentives could have helped the NC city land the 2025 remake of “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” (MLM Images Los Angeles via Shutterstock)

There was a time not so long ago that Wilmington was the toast of Hollywood.

The little Port City was featured on television and in film, including hits like the 1997 horror flick “I Know What You Did Last Summer.”

Times have changed. The 2025 sequel to “I Know What You Did Last Summer” was shot in Australia. But some local film leaders are hoping for a revitalization. They want federal film incentives to lure movie-makers back onto US soil, and to shoot at destinations like Wilmington.

“Stages and studios are sitting empty for years,” says Kirk Englebright of Wilmington’s Dark Horse Stages. “We’re losing millions and billions of dollars. Crews are not working. Someone has to act.”

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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 Ashley Adams, Michael McElroy, ProPublica, and USA Today via Reuters. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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