Below, we have an important report on a growing food assistance crisis in North Carolina, and an inspiring story about locals banding together to help someone facing a medical crisis, but first: 

We’ve got a great new episode of Billy Ball Explains NC today.

That’s Greensboro, NC, below. After leaders on the State Board of Elections rejected calls for an early voting site on the campus of North Carolina A&T—the nation’s largest historically Black college in America—students took matters into their own hands. 

They marched 40 minutes to the nearest polling site in big numbers. 

Get this incredible story here. Plus, I unpacked the latest early voting numbers. Share this newsletter so more North Carolinians can get the latest. 

Here’s what happens when you disregard students at one of North Carolina’s most venerated historically Black colleges. Watch the new Billy Ball Explains NC here. (Screenshot via Billy Ball Explains NC on YouTube)

Early voting ends Saturday, Oct. 31, aka Halloween. Find an early voting site in your county here. Make sure to bring an acceptable photo ID.

Remember that early voting is your last chance to register and then vote. On Election Day, only registered voters can cast a ballot. 

For more NC voting info, check out our always-essential Voter Hub. 

Here’s what else is in the Cardinal & Pine newsletter today: 

Your thoughts about voting could inspire someone else.

Tell us what’s motivating you in a short, selfie-style video, and we may feature it in our newsletter or on social.*

(Sending us a quick video also enters you into a giveaway* for a chance to win $25!) Tell us why you’re voting →

Chris Kicinski took this beautiful early morning elk photo from Cataloochee Valley in NC. 

Do you have a View from NC to share? Send it to us!

Credit: Aaron Doucett/Unsplash

The nonprofit newsroom NC Local has written an excellent three-part report on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is often referred to as “food stamps.” 

Over the next three days, we’ll be publishing the stories for free at Cardinal & Pine. 

In the first, NC Local took stock of how President Trump and the North Carolina General Assembly’s policies have put much more pressure on local counties to pick up the slack for people in need of food assistance. 

As NC Local reports, “the pressure comes amid reports of increased demand from food banks and nonprofits across the state.”

For Cardinal & Pine’s own in-depth reporting on SNAP and the looming federal cuts handed down by the Trump administration, go here. 

More at Cardinal & Pine: 

1. The most important North Carolina election isn’t the one everybody’s talking about. MS Now

“The road to reversing Republican gerrymandering in the state starts with this race for the state Supreme Court.”

2. Moonshine still caused explosion in North Carolina mountains, officials say. WBTV

“Once the special agents got to where the explosion happened, they found an active 200-gallon illegal distillery.”

3. Doctor argues North Carolina overshoots federal medication abortion rules. Courthouse News Service

“The preemption case — how far states can go in regulating certain medications without trampling on FDA authority — could have far-reaching impacts on high-risk drugs.”

4. Rural North Carolina county residents fight gas pipeline. KFF Health News

“Chatham has grown into one of North Carolina’s most affluent counties, fueled by an influx of new residents in its northeastern corner. Yet the pipeline would run from Moncure to Siler City, two communities where the per capita income is roughly $25,000 a year, or about half the income typical for the region.”

A GoFundMe fundraiser is underway to support Allison and Wes Parker. Wes, the kitchen manager for The Dive restaurant and bar, recently underwent heart surgery following complications from flu and pneumonia. (USA Today via Reuters)

A beloved couple in Carolina Beach is inspiring an outpouring of support after a medical crisis. 

Wes Parker, kitchen manager for The Dive restaurant and bar, needed heart surgery following complications from flu and pneumonia. His wife, Allison Parker, who’s a manager at the popular local restaurant, is at his side. 

Obviously, the cost is going to be huge. So friends created a GoFundMe page which, as of this afternoon, has helped to raise nearly $32,000. 

For more on their story, tap here. 

Local news doesn’t fund itself.

National outlets can’t cover every story that matters in North Carolina. That’s why everything you read in Cardinal & Pine is focused on our communities and the issues affecting the people who live here. Readers like you keep that reporting going.

Even a small monthly gift keeps Cardinal & Pine free for everyone in North Carolina, no paywalls, ever.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Billy Ball. I’m an NC native and journalist. I tend to lean left on opinion, but I lean no way on facts. Today’s edition includes stories from NC Local, Dylan Rhoney, and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

Cardinal & Pine is free for everyone. Your support makes our work possible.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOTING, REGISTERING TO VOTE, OR PROOF OF VOTING IS NOT REQUIRED. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. and D.C., 18+. Entry Period: 12:00 a.m. ET 10/19/26 – 11:59 p.m. ET 10/29/26. Void where prohibited. Subject to Official Rules. Sponsor: Courier Newsroom, Inc.