Gun violence is not the sort of thing anyone talks about dispassionately. 

People who feel something about gun laws usually feel that way strongly. 

North Carolina’s state legislature is spurring a lot of that right now. Republican lawmakers are hoping to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of Senate Bill 50, which would allow people to carry guns without a permit. 

The vote will be close. Keep an eye on Cardinal & Pine for updates.

This week, eastern North Carolina Mayor Weyling White of Ahoskie talked about his personal connection to gun violence.

You’ll want to watch this. 

Ahoskie Mayor Weyling White talked this week about his personal connection to gun violence. Tap above to watch. 

Thankfully, it looks like there is rain on the way. Our water-starved state needs it.

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

I could look at this view every day. 

C&P reader Brian Allemana took this photo from the Pisgah Inn, near Mt. Pisgah off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Got a picture you want to share from North Carolina? Send it our way!

US Senate candidate Roy Cooper (left) and NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls (right) talked with Cardinal & Pine April 29 about the 2026 elections.

In case you missed it, we had a riveting conversation Wednesday with US Senate candidate Roy Cooper and NC Supreme Court candidate Anita Earls. 

We got a reaction—almost in real time—from Earls to the big voting rights decision at the US Supreme Court. And we got to hear about Cooper’s “new leaf.” It might involve ditching the coat and tie and wearing Jordans. 

You can watch it here. 

More NC news:

There are two big reasons why North Carolina is last in the nation in school funding effort. 

Just in time for Friday’s big teacher march in Raleigh, I broke those reasons down. 

1. Dozens of North Carolina houses have been lost to the sea. Some surviving homes are now being moved on wheels. The Guardian

“Pace of sea-level rise has turned Outer Banks coastal area into a ‘canary in the coalmine’ for other east coast communities.”

2. Stein signs $319M NC Medicaid bill, extending healthcare coverage for millions in NC. WRAL

“The plan passed both chambers of the General Assembly on Tuesday with strong bipartisan approval, solving this year’s funding problem. Republicans and Democrats say a sustainable, long-term funding solution is needed.”

3. How a century-old drought offers parallels to today. North Carolina State Climate Office

“We’ve generally labeled the 2007-08 drought as the worst in North Carolina’s modern history, but by some metrics, another drought from a century ago could also stake claim to that title.”

4. Looming Medicaid work rules bring big challenges to NC counties. North Carolina Health News

“From Outer Banks resort towns to tobacco-belt farming communities, county offices say the people most likely to lose coverage are the ones working hardest to get by.”

Director Yoruba Richen’s documentary feature “Free Joan Little” screens 3 p.m. May 3 at the Cameron Art Museum for the N.C. Black Film Festival. (USA Today via Reuters)

Every week, we try to highlight the fun and fascinating things happening across NC. Here’s one of them. 

For three days, beginning Friday, Wilmington hosts a one-of-a-kind film festival focused on Black creators. The NC Black Film Festival is now in its 24th year. 

This year, it features documentaries like “Free Joan Little,” a powerful film about a woman who was charged with murder in 1974 for resisting a sexual assault by a white prison guard in Beaufort County, NC. 

Get the details on the festival 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 Dylan Rhoney and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Kimberly Lawson.

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