The bad news is North Carolina teams had a rough 24 hours in the NCAA Tournament. 

The good news is that, for some of them, it was a significant step to get there. And the state’s most powerful programs are still to come. 

Let’s check out the headlines: 

The High Point women, during their Thursday matchup against William & Mary. (Photo via @hpu_wbb on Instagram)

There’s a lot more basketball to go tonight and tomorrow though. Here’s who is coming up: 

Here are the Saturday games of note: 

We hope it’s a great first weekend of spring, North Carolina. Be well. 

There’s been a tremendous amount of upheaval in the federal government as President Trump and his advisor, Elon Musk, look for cuts they can make.

As Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy reports,  the Trump administration cut $30 million from programs meant to slow the state’s worsening hunger problem, an issue exacerbated by Hurricane Helene. They made those cuts in the name of government efficiency. 

The funding, among other things, connected North Carolina food banks with local farmers to provide nutritious food for school lunch programs. In North Carolina, more than 15% of all children do not get enough to eat.

Food banks relied on the programs — the Local Food Purchase Assistance Program and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program — to meet the needs of the state.

Without them, food banks will struggle to respond to the crisis, McElroy reports. And farmers, who will lose a steady source of income, could also lose their farms.

“Hunger has hit a 15-year high in North Carolina and grocery prices continue to go up,” the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina said in response to the cuts. “Without these funds, even less food will be available to help families — and small farms that were already struggling will have even less income.”

Let’s back up a step:

The goal of all these federal spending cuts is, in theory, to pay for Trump’s tax cut plan.

Republicans say the cuts will benefit almost everyone, which is true. Most middle class and low-income people would see a modest increase in their after-tax income, about 3% or so. 

But the greatest benefit, according to many nonpartisan reviews (here’s one), would be felt by the country’s highest earners.  

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On Thursday, the news broke at the national level that Trump was signing an executive order with the intention of dismantling the federal Department of Education. 

This was expected. Trump promised as much during his campaign, although the president might not have the authority on his own to end the Cabinet agency, which is funded by Congress. 

But, however it plays out, here’s why you should care about this news in North Carolina. 

The feds provide tens of billions of dollars in grants benefiting rural and low-wealth school systems, of which NC has plenty. And they’ve provided a key backstop against civil rights abuses. 

Click here to watch. 

1. VIDEO: Ahead of Friday court ruling, veterans ask Jefferson Griffin to stop his legal challenge to NC Supreme Court race. Cardinal & Pine

A three-judge panel of the state appeals court on Friday will hear why Griffin wants to throw out more than 65,000 valid votes from that election so that he can win instead.

2. Statewide burn ban in effect until further notice. CBS 17

This is the first time since 2021 that the entire state has been under a burn ban. Humans are the number one cause of wildfires in North Carolina.

3. NC bill easing gun restrictions continues to move forward. CBS 17

Senate Bill 50, also named the “Freedom to Carry NC” act, ultimately allows a person to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. The bill applies to individuals who are at 18 and older and a U.S. citizen unless otherwise prohibited by law.

Shutterstock

Last week’s edition of “Where Are We in NC” was a challenge. I got a lot of responses. Many of them were close, but wrong. 

Cardinal & Pine reader Lucy Edmonson was the first to get it right though. We were at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, a gorgeous 80-acre site that’s been beautifying Fayetteville since 1989. 

This week, with spring here, we’re thinking of the coast. Take a look at the lighthouse above, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and tell us where we are. 

Good luck, NC!

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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