Below, we have new data on what it takes to be “middle class” in NC, and pro tennis returns to NC, but first:

Is Roy Cooper—the Democrat running for one of NC’s two US Senate seats—a socialist?

Recently, the NC GOP posted a false, AI-generated image depicting the former NC governor in a Bernie Sanders T-shirt.

In a new Billy Ball Explains NC, we break down the political strategy behind the GOP’s attempt to connect NC Democrats to the Democratic Socialists of America, the political movement aligned with some primary candidates in states like Michigan and New York.

We explain what Democratic Socialists actually want—free healthcare and college, stronger labor unions, etc.—and the BIG differences between Democratic Socialists and communists. It’s not what you think.

Watch the new Billy Ball Explains NC here. 

NC’s “red scare” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Watch the new Billy Ball Explains NC here. (Graphic by Kelly Lennon)

A happy Wednesday to you, North Carolina. Here’s what’s in the Cardinal & Pine newsletter today: 

C&P reader Deana Pendragon shared this awesome rainbow over Wrightsville Beach.  She says it was taken this week by Carl Mahler. Thanks for sharing!

Got a better View from NC than this? Send it to Cardinal & Pine!

Asheville, NC, from above. A new study examines what it means to be “middle class” in North Carolina. (USA Today via Reuters)

There was a time when being “middle class” expressed a level of comfort.

Not only have the metrics moved for having a middle-class income, but life isn’t what it used to be for people making it. Put simply, pay for many Americans isn’t keeping up with the cost of living. 

Today, we published a story about a new study on what it means to middle class in this state.

A quick note: This study has limitations. The cost of living in rural NC isn’t the same in all 100 counties. Neither is the median income. 

Read the story here. 

More at Cardinal & Pine:

1. Oklahoma woman reunites with missing dog found over 1,000 miles away in North Carolina. ABC News

“Melissa Burris, who lives near the Tulsa area in northeast Oklahoma, told ABC News her Australian shepherd, Rio, had been missing for nearly two weeks when she received a call on Aug. 11 from Guilford County Animal Services in Greensboro, North Carolina.”

2. Judge rules North Carolina did not meet responsibility of protecting the state’s coastal fisheries. WRAL

“In a landmark decision that could have major implications for our coast, Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins has ruled that the State of North Carolina failed to meet its constitutional obligation to protect the state’s coastal fisheries.”

3. North Carolina auditor held two-hour meeting with conservative election activists amid oversight push. NBC News

“Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek, who is staking out a bigger role in North Carolina’s elections, told them not to tell the media about it, one activist said.”

In this 2021 file photo, Marco Cecchinato plays at the Winston-Salem Open, a professional tennis event in the Triad. The Winston-Salem Open returns this week. (Shutterstock)

Professional tennis-lovers have something to celebrate this week in NC. 

The Winston-Salem Open returns with some of the sport’s biggest stars, including athletes like Top 25 player Luciano Darderi, Wimbledon semi-finalist Arthur Fery, and former World No. 10 Denis Shapovalov. 

We’ve got the details 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 Ryan Pitkin and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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