Cardinal and Pine

Plus: Measles detected in the Charlotte area Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. Some important health news, NC.  Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy reported that Mecklenburg County—home to NC’s largest city, Charlotte—has detected traces of measles in local wastewater.  NC has had five reported cases of the dangerous virus, which can cause…

Plus: Last chance for holiday lights. Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. This is not a sports newsletter, and if it were, it would be filled with college basketball. But I’m saving this space today for the Carolina Panthers. In the last two to three years, they were the worst sports team…

Plus: What RFK Jr.’s vaccination plans mean for NC Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. This week, Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy talked to North Carolina doctors about federal officials’ controversial new vaccine schedule for children. Under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the new recommendations, which are effective immediately, don’t ban…

Plus: We should have seen this ICE shooting coming. Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. A familiar pattern runs through American history when it comes to Native land. It almost always moves from Indigenous hands to the United States government.  A recent story out of Franklin, NC, breaks that pattern. As the Associated…

Plus: Do your taxes for free in NC. Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. Something you might not know about me:  For years, I was an education reporter. That means I specialized in writing about the goings-on at North Carolina’s schools, K-12 policy, and the state’s chronic education funding problems.  I flexed…

Plus: Your NC winter gardening guide. Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. An amateur gardener thinks of winter as a dead season. A pro sees it as a golden opportunity to get ahead of the heat, the bugs, and the weeds.  With Cardinal & Pine contributor Tyler Francischine, let’s get ahead of…

Plus: NC leaders react to Venezuela Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. The house is quieter. The recycling bin is filled with discarded toy boxes. And my bank account is drier than the Sahara. It must be the week after the holidays.  I hope you missed us as much as we missed…

And why they will matter so much in 2026. Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. We need a name for this time of year. Kwanzaa is on Day Five. But folks who celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah are in the in-between. No “Stranger Things” pun intended. You’re looking for things to do, but…

Plus: NC teachers buckling under rising costs Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. No matter how many times you’ve seen a fireworks show, when the first one goes off, it’s like the first time.  The novelty is renewable. It’s a little scary. Hell on dogs and small children. And, usually, thrilling.  As…

Plus: Drive through an enormous holiday light display Share with a friend     Hey, it’s Billy. If you’re looking for a way to revel in the holidays, we’ve got a good idea. Through Dec. 27, High Point University is putting on a drive-through Christmas light show. It’s as impressive a holiday display as you’ll…