Cardinal and Pine

An eastern North Carolina favorite closes. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we’ve got the last days of an eastern NC fish fry, a whale siting on Onslow Beach, and coastal NC’s brewing fight over shellfish farms, but first: Kelsea McLain’s desire to be an abortion clinic escort in North Carolina grew out…

Plus: What to buy for Teacher Appreciation Week. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. If I had to list my favorite Main Streets in North Carolina, the little town of Oxford would be holding down a spot.  This week, Granville County town hosts an annual event called CultureFest. It tops the bill in our…

Plus: A sea of red in Raleigh as educators march. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. The big news, today, is the thousands of educators marching in Raleigh.  The underlying tension is teacher pay. In North Carolina, we have some of the most poorly paid educators in America.  But it’s also about overall public…

Plus: What Roy Cooper, Anita Earls told us Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. 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…

Plus: Your guide to May Day protests in NC Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. “The liberal agenda.” That’s how a conservative columnist at the McClatchy papers described this week’s teacher protests in Raleigh.  For years, I was an education reporter before I started covering politics. So I wanted to devote the new Billy…

Plus: Is this NC banking giant’s practices racist? Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Is one of North Carolina’s most powerful business leaders racist?  A new report questions Charlotte-based banking giant Wells Fargo. They say that, from 2000 to 2024, the company was far less likely to lend money for mortgages to Black and…

Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Well, this is exciting.  This week, Cardinal & Pine will be hosting a virtual event with a couple candidates who don’t really need an introduction.  Former Gov. Roy Cooper is running for the US Senate this fall. And Justice Anita Earls is running for re-election to the NC…

Plus: A plan to give NC teachers big pay raises Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. As always, Fridays are for good news at Cardinal & Pine.  Today, we’re putting a microscope on a new proposal from Gov. Josh Stein that would make teacher pay in North Carolina the envy of the southeast.  The…

Plus: NC’s biggest restaurant openings of 2026 Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. First things first:  North Carolina’s US Senate race is one of the most important elections in the country.  You can tell by the cash Republicans are putting into trying to make the Democratic candidate, Roy Cooper, look like a different person. …

Plus: Getting banned from a US rep’s McDonald’s Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Here’s the thing:  Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains is safe. There’s a reason this NC-Tennessee destination is the most visited national park in America.  But a recent uptick in bear encounters—including a couple of pilfered backpacks—has park officials acting. Here’s…