Below, we have some major breaking news in the 2026 elections, and a delicious honor for one of NC’s most beloved fast food chains, but first: 

Recently, the NC General Assembly unveiled a major new election reform bill. It makes several changes to our state’s election laws before November, including one proposal that a voting rights group called “the single most dangerous election law provisions we’ve seen this cycle.”

In a new Billy Ball Explains NC, we dig deep into the voting bill, break down what’s behind it all, and report on what’s standing in the way of this bill becoming law. 

Watch it here. Make sure to tap “like” and “subscribe” so you don’t miss future updates from Cardinal & Pine. 

The new Billy Ball Explains NC digs deep into a monster election reform bill in the NC Legislature. Watch it here. (Graphic by Kelly Lennon)

Happy Wednesday, NC. It’s been a busy news day. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s C&P newsletter:

C&P reader Brooks Ann McKinney took this really cool photo from Holden Beach. 

When I was a kid, I used to be afraid that lightning shocks would spread across the entire ocean in all directions and kill us all. Later, I learned that was scientifically dumb. 😂

If you have a cool or nice or fun photo from North Carolina, we want to see it. And so do C&P readers. Submit your photos here! 

Rep. Chuck Edwards talks during a town hall in Asheville, N.C. on Thursday, March 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Makiya Seminera)

North Carolina’s Republicans will soon have to pick a new candidate to run in this fall’s Congressional District 11 race. 

That’s because Rep. Chuck Edwards is stepping out of the race, C&P’s Dylan Rhoney reports, following a series of workplace harassment allegations and a harmful report from a bipartisan Congressional committee. 

The report published earlier this week found that Edwards failed to “adhere to the spirit of rules prohibiting sexual harassment of and unwanted advances to House staffers,” and recommended he be censured for conduct towards two former staffers. 

Edwards was accused of showering unwanted attention on two young female staffers, inviting them to dinner, buying them numerous gifts, writing poetry about them, and generally making them feel uncomfortable. It was enough to make fellow Republicans in NC urge Edwards to get out of the race as the momentum grew for his opponent, local farmer Jamie Ager.

With Edwards exiting the race, the Republican Party’s Executive Committee for the 11th District is expected to choose his replacement for the November election. 

Here’s what else you need to know about this developing story. 

More at Cardinal & Pine

1. Medical-device maker Steris plans North Carolina expansion, hundreds of new jobs. WRAL

“Medical-device maker Steris plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars and hire hundreds of people in Sanford, state officials say. State and local officials have approved performance-based incentives packages potentially worth millions of dollars.”

2. Multiple people killed in mass shooting in rural North Carolina, officials say. WBTV

“State investigators said in a news release that deputies with the Caswell County Sheriff’s Office found multiple people shot once they made it to the house. One of those people was taken to the Duke University Hospital in Durham, while multiple others died.”

3. The fragile peace of North Carolina’s refugee community. The Assembly

“For thousands who built homes and lives across North Carolina, a sudden shift in federal policy proves that the deepest uncertainty is no longer what they fled—it is whether what they built can survive.”

Biscuitville staff doing the Lord’s work. 😋 (USA Today via Reuters)

I don’t need you tell me what Biscuitville is. 

The fast-food chain was founded about 60 years ago in Burlington. And they do exactly what their name says. 

Recently, Biscuitville—which operates 85 locations across NC—was placed atop a USA Today list of best fast-food breakfasts. 

Here’s a look at the other NC-based chain that made the list (bet you can guess!), and where you can find a local Biscuitville.

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 USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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