Cardinal and Pine

Plus: The Apple Festival kicks off Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have an update on hemp and cannabis in NC, and a rundown on this weekend’s Apple Festival, but first:  A new report on ICE activity in North Carolina has a few surprises.  Federal officials insist that the immigration police force…

Plus: Getting ready for fall in NC Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. It’s September. The first day of fall is Tuesday, Sept. 22. It’s really hot outside. But lots of folks are thinking about fall.  That’s reasonable. They want the cooler temperatures and the pretty views.  At Cardinal & Pine, we’re helping you…

Plus: This NC candidate’s in hot water Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below we have eight fun and free things to do this Labor Day, and some breaking news in an eastern NC congressional race, but first:  The world’s financial leaders are in Chapel Hill today, as the G20 meetings decamp from western…

Plus: A crucial fact-check. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have an essential fact-check on a widely-spread political ad in North Carolina, and a guide to helping out during NC’s drought, but first:  Every week in 3 things happening in NC, we pick out three of the most important storylines of the…

Plus: Name this NC football field. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have good news for anyone annoyed by social media 🙋‍♂️ and this week’s top story at Cardinal & Pine, but first: Some breaking news from western North Carolina, where the Trump administration is hosting many of the world’s most powerful…

Plus: How to spot hummingbirds in NC Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we’ve got a troubling report on NC’s fisheries, and details about NC’s migrating hummingbirds, but first:  It’s a good night to be a stargazer.  This evening, folks in North Carolina could get a peek at a partial lunar eclipse, depending…

Plus: Beating news exhaustion w/ Beth Helfrich. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Politics can be brutal and dismaying. But it can also be a place for connection and peaceful change. Every now and then, it should be fun too.  This week, in a new Billy Ball Explains NC segment called “3 dumb questions…

Plus: A perfect rainbow over Wilmington. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have a tribute to the late, great Southern icon, Dolly Parton, and a rainbow over Wilmington, but first: Everyone loves secret food destinations. Today, we published a look at an under-the-radar taco destination in Asheville called Xico Chico. The name…

Plus: A historic hero comes home Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have a rundown on NC’s controversial early voting plans and a guide to early fall daytripping in NC, but first: The shoes are new. The backpack still smells like the factory where it was made. My daughter’s trying out a…

Plus: Name this NC city Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we’re rolling out Cardinal & Pine’s 2026 voter hub, a one-stop shop for all your midterm election needs, and we also have a story about President Trump’s plan to clear logging in national forests, but first: Good News Friday needs no explanation,…