Cardinal and Pine

Plus: If you don’t know George Masa, you need to Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we’ve got a spectacular view from the Blue Ridge Parkway, a long-awaited proposal to do something about data centers, and an unforgettable story about the photographer who helped to found a western NC jewel. But first:  The…

Plus: A spectacular view from Foscoe Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Youth sports are a really good thing. Not only are they good for the body, they’re good for the mind. One North Carolina association’s vote last week will open the door a little wider for youth sports in the state, specifically for…

Plus: Best ways to back women’s sports in NC. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Today, we’re going to get real about NC’s healthcare woes, the NC Education Lottery, and a guide to this week’s protests. But first:  Last week, during a virtual event with two of North Carolina’s biggest 2026 candidates, I asked…

Plus: Why the Education Lottery is kind of a hoax Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. We’ve got a new political sex scandal, an NC county’s fight to make polluters pay, and some hero postal workers. But first, here’s proof that we read your comments and your emails. 😀 Last week, when we dove…

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…