We are measured by who we are in our hardest moments. And no matter how cynical I might feel sometimes, it’s the way that most people act in those difficult moments that gives me hope. 

Here’s a good example: 

In September, the rains from Helene made the French Broad River, normally a friend, jump its banks. Marshall, North Carolina, in Madison County, was in the river’s path. People saw their homes, their schools, churches, and businesses underwater. 

But as Cardinal & Pine contributor Vanessa Infanzon reports, hundreds of Marshall locals came downtown hours later. They brought shovels, dump trucks, tractors, and wheelbarrows, and they got to work. 

“We didn’t wait for anyone to come save us,” Josh Copus, the owner of the Old Marshall Jail Hotel and Zadie’s Market in Marshall, told us. “I think that speaks volumes about the resiliency of Marshall and the Appalachian people.”

Check that story out by clicking the image below. 

September 27, 2024, in Marshall, North Carolina, was a grim day. (Josh Copus)

After the snows has come gentle, spring-like weather here. Hope you’re enjoying it. Here’s what you’ll find in today’s Cardinal & Pine newsletter: 

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Black History Month isn’t just about one month. 

It’s an acknowledgement  that, for generations, Americans only recognized the contributions of one people, but it took many peoples to build our state. 

The truth is we’ve only scraped the surface when it comes to talking about extraordinary Black folks.

Dig even a little bit in our history and you’ll find not just Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, but a deep, rich cast of characters who were as passionate, as wounded, as pressure-tested, as joyful, and as beautiful as anyone you know today. 

Today, I took a moment to talk about three of those characters: James E. Shepard, the founder of NC Central University; the artist Selma Burke, who you can thank for the way dimes look; and Hiram Revels, a free-born Fayetteville native with African, European, and Native blood who became the first Black person in the United States Senate. 

There’s lots to learn. Click below. 

Elon Musk, who seems to be everywhere these days, showed up at a meeting of top Trump advisors this week in Washington, D.C. (Photo via Associated Press)

There’s a temptation to see the noise in Washington, D.C., and just think of it as someone else’s noise. 

But here’s one major example of why it’s important to stay engaged on what’s happening at the federal level. 

This week, the Trump administration moved to cut billions of dollars in Veterans Affairs. Trump officials said they were wasted dollars. 

“No more paying consultants to do things like make Power Point slides and write meeting minutes!” Doug Collins, Trump’s appointee to lead Veteran Affairs, posted to X Tuesday.

Collins’ post was quickly applauded by Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, who has been working with Trump to cut government spending—the point being to pay for tax cuts. Trump’s 2017 tax cuts reduced the bill for most people, but they were skewed to wealthy people and corporations. 

The problem is the money the Trump administration is now pulling from Veteran Affairs—which doesn’t have the best reputation for doing veterans right anyway—wasn’t just going to the things Trump’s administration said it was going to. 

The Associated Press reviewed the full list this week and found cuts to veterans’ benefits affecting everything from cancer care to toxic exposure assessment.

This week, I broke down the ramifications for North Carolina, which has the fifth-largest veteran population in the United States. And many of those veterans were exposed to toxic burn pits the military used in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations to dispose of weapons, uniforms, plastics, and other things they didn’t want the enemy getting. 

Breathing in those fumes made our veterans sick, sometimes very sick, so taking care of them is supposed to be a big priority.

Watch my breakdown of the Veteran Affairs cuts by clicking the button below.

An important bit of education news: 

Cardinal & Pine’s Jessica F. Simmons reported this week on a recent decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to suspend the 1890 National Scholars Program, a scholarship that provides full tuition, fees, and housing for students at 19 historically Black land-grant universities, including NC A&T State University.

The program, which supports students from rural and underserved communities pursuing agriculture and science degrees, is now on hold pending further review.

It’s the latest change coming down from Washington, where the Trump administration has been putting the brakes on a lot of federal programs. 

One member of Congress representing North Carolina called the suspension “infuriating.” Click here to read. 

Here’s what else we’re reading right now: 

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Last week, we took you to North Carolina’s beautiful coast, and the boardwalk view was a little bit tricky. That’s because North Carolina has a few spots that look just like that.

But the right answer, as noted by Cardinal & Pine reader Tony Harris was the boardwalk view in Manteo. 

This week’s shot is making us hungry for beef stew. At least for any beef stew that’s going for, checks notes, a very friendly $6, as of this photo. 

Be the first one to tell us where we are and we’ll give you a big shout-out in this newsletter. 

Thanks for being such a loyal reader of our newsletter. As we look to grow our community in North Carolina, we could use your help.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m a NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Cardinal & Pine is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us. Donate here.

Send us your feedback and news tips to info@cardinalpine.com