Cardinal and Pine

Plus: This decorated restaurant rescues animals too Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have a gorgeous view of Lake Santeetlah, a budding election scandal, and an award-winning restaurant that rescues animals too, but first:  We’ve heard a lot about the affordability crisis in North Carolina. But sometimes housing is lost in that…

Plus: NC college grads talk AI Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we’ve got your weekly guide to protests, plus a convo with a recent NC college grad about AI. But first:  It’s been called a reparations fund for domestic terrorists.  Today, in a new Billy Ball Explains NC, we examined what President…

Plus: The Canes represent NC tonight Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. In this newsletter, we try not to tell you things you already know. For instance, you all know your energy bills are soaring. Mine is starting to feel like a ransom note that comes in the mail every month. Today, Cardinal &…

Plus: The state’s first Buc-ee’s breaks ground Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. The Canton paper mill closing was one of the biggest jobs stories of 2023. The mill was the beating heart of the Haywood County town for more than a century, but its closure left about 1,200 people out of a job.…

Plus: Trump, the NC GOP, and medical marijuana Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. The bad news is that the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher closed its doors temporarily this week.  The good news is that, when it returns, this eastern NC attraction has very big plans.  In today’s edition of Good News…

Plus: NC teen competes for spelling bee glory Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. In the sixth grade, I won my school spelling bee and went to a county competition. There, I got cocky with the word “hundredth” and left out that second “d.”  In my defense, it really does sound like “hundreth.” Which…

Plus: Is it finally the year for medical marijuana? Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Did Trump just give North Carolina Republicans an opening to legalize medical marijuana? Recently, the federal government reclassified marijuana—which is sometimes called “cannabis”—as a Schedule 3 drug, putting it in the same category as drugs with recognized medical use…

Plus: 3 things happening in NC this week Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. “3 things happening” is Cardinal & Pine’s weekly look at the storylines and events worth your time.  It’s a short week. But that doesn’t mean North Carolina isn’t busy.  This week, a popular hiking and music festival returns to Highlands…

Plus: A bipartisan plan to regulate data centers. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have a mysterious shipwreck and a plan to take on data centers, but first: Memorial Day weekend is here. And for the first time in a long time, there’s rain in the forecast for much of North Carolina. …

Plus: About Virginia Foxx’s letter to a 10-year-old Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. It is a curious thing that, in America, we talk about “separation of church and state” as a founding idea. But ideas aren’t the same thing as actual laws and policies, and in truth, many of our laws are closely…