Below, we have some explosive audio relating to North Carolina’s state Supreme Court race, and a cool team of researchers studying bats in eastern NC.

We rarely lead with the national story. But this one deserves a spot up top.

If you’ve turned on the television in the last few days, particularly if you were watching a football game, you might have seen a black-and-white ad of President Trump.

In it, the president speaks about a “final battle.” At the bottom of the screen, the ad acknowledges that it was paid for by the federal government. 

Many bipartisan experts say it’s a deeply problematic ad, deploying taxpayer dollars for what looks and sounds like propaganda for the president.

A new Associated Press story goes deep, reporting that the Trump administration tapped $20 million of federal money for the advertising. 

Read this important report here.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, right, speaks with Andrew Giuliani before an event to mark the launch of the America.gov website, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, in Washington. Funding from Mullin’s department was used to fund Trump’s controversial new ads. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Happy Thursday, friends. We’ve made it to October. Here’s what you’ll get in today’s Cardinal & Pine newsletter: 

Big thank you to C&P reader Donna Collins for sending in this lovely evening view of the Neuse River in New Bern.

Do you have a View from NC to share? Send it in right away!

Rep. Sarah Stevens, R-Surry, speaks during a North Carolina legislative session, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, in Raleigh, NC. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

Today, we published some important audio of Sarah Stevens, the GOP candidate in North Carolina’s Supreme Court race.

The 2019 recording captures Stevens, then a Republican member of the NC House of Representatives, questioning a bill extending the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sex abuse.

Stevens suggested that survivors were simply looking for people with “deep pockets.”

At the time, she was arguing against a proposal that the statute of limitations—which, before 2019, was just three years—be extended to 20 years. Ultimately, Stevens voted with a bipartisan majority for a compromise bill with a 10-year statute of limitations. That bill is what we now call the SAFE Child Act. 

Victims’ rights advocates point out that it can take many years for survivors of childhood sex abuse to be in a place where they can speak out, much less seek legal remediation. So longer statutes of limitations are necessary.

In a recent interview, Stevens said she did not recall voting against an early version of the SAFE Child Act. A new ad, featuring an abuse survivor, criticized Stevens for her earlier objections. 

Cardinal & Pine’s Dylan Rhoney spoke with the person featured in that ad. Here’s what she had to say. 

To listen in on Stevens’ controversial comments from 2019, tap here or on the button below.

More at Cardinal & Pine:

Graphic by Desirée Tapia

Let’s break down the candidates in North Carolina’s surprisingly competitive Congressional District 9. 

When we look back at the 2026 elections, what’s happening in this district could be the bellwether. Watch the video here. 

1. North Carolina cannabis council considers public consumption policy for THC products. NC Newsline

“North Carolina’s Advisory Council on Cannabis faces a December 31st deadline to issue final recommendations for a comprehensive cannabis policy to Gov. Josh Stein.”

2. Western North Carolina sees some relief, but drought persists across state. WUNC

“Last week, the N.C. Drought Management Advisory Council described the state as experiencing ‘a drought within a drought.’”

3. Battleship North Carolina to mark 65th anniversary with weekend celebration. WECT

“The Battleship North Carolina will commemorate 65 years at its permanent mooring on the Cape Fear River with a multi-day celebration featuring special tours, live music, and evening illuminations.”

A recent survey tracked and documented the dozen or so bat species known to live in the Wilmington area. (USA Today via Reuters)

When people think about animals that are, ahem, “icky,” bats tend to make the list. 

A group of researchers who spent days searching and documenting bats in eastern North Carolina couldn’t disagree more. 

The team, which came from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, was hoping to track down numerous bat species in eastern NC, which is thought of as a “bat stronghold,” to see how they’re doing. 

Bats in the other part of the country have struggled in recent years, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in NC. 

“Bats are cool, really cool,” said Lisa Gatens, collection manager in mammalogy at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and co-organizer of this year’s three-night “Bat Blitz” in Southeastern North Carolina. 

We couldn’t agree more. Read this really cool story here.

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 the Associated Press, Dylan Rhoney, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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