Cardinal and Pine

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…

Plus: Checking out the viral food stars of NC. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have an incredible view of the “blue ghost” fireflies, an important vote in the NC House, and viral food stars of NC, but first:  If I want our new video series, Billy Ball Explains NC, to do…

Plus: A presidential hopeful in western NC Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we have one incredible phone call from the GOAT, a surfside view at Carolina Beach, and signs of a political sea change in western NC. But first:  In 2024, Carolina Beach—one of North Carolina’s most popular vacation spots—was flooded by…

Plus: Your guide to NC’s best water parks Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Below, we’ve got a big Asheville controversy and everything to know about NC waterparks this year, but first: We started this newsletter in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, like you, I’m still a little traumatized from the whole…

Plus: A big event for rural veterans on Saturday Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. We’ve got a view from Lake Hickory, the fight against political dark money in NC, and a huge event for rural veterans, but first:  If you’ve been reading Cardinal & Pine since the beginning, you know about the red…

Plus: What NC’s oyster farmers are up against Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy has the latest on a developing story on US Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican representing parts of western NC.  Edwards was recently accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.  According to a new…