Newsletters

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…

Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Well, this is exciting.  This week, Cardinal & Pine will be hosting a virtual event with a couple candidates who don’t really need an introduction.  Former Gov. Roy Cooper is running for the US Senate this fall. And Justice Anita Earls is running for re-election to the NC…

Plus: A plan to give NC teachers big pay raises Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. As always, Fridays are for good news at Cardinal & Pine.  Today, we’re putting a microscope on a new proposal from Gov. Josh Stein that would make teacher pay in North Carolina the envy of the southeast.  The…

Plus: NC’s biggest restaurant openings of 2026 Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. First things first:  North Carolina’s US Senate race is one of the most important elections in the country.  You can tell by the cash Republicans are putting into trying to make the Democratic candidate, Roy Cooper, look like a different person. …

Plus: Getting banned from a US rep’s McDonald’s Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. Here’s the thing:  Visiting the Great Smoky Mountains is safe. There’s a reason this NC-Tennessee destination is the most visited national park in America.  But a recent uptick in bear encounters—including a couple of pilfered backpacks—has park officials acting. Here’s…

Plus: Literal pirates in Greenville. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. It’s hardly breaking news that April 20, or “4/20,” is a holiday among marijuana-lovers.  Cannabis is on a lot of folks’ minds this week with the NC General Assembly returning to session. Below, Cardinal & Pine’s Michael McElroy has a run-down of their…

Plus: Why ticket prices are about to take a dive. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. “We won.”  This week, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced that he and 33 other attorneys general—Democrats and Republicans—claimed victory in a major lawsuit against Live Nation.  Live Nation is the company that owns Ticketmaster. That will…

Plus: Your week in NC protests. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. We begin today with one of the most important elections of 2026.  This fall, it pits a former governor and attorney general, Roy Cooper, against a longtime GOP fundraiser, Michael Whatley.  Recently, the right-wing Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) announced that it is investing…

Plus: NC riverwalk makes top 10 in the US. Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. If it’s Wednesday, we have a new Billy Ball Explains NC.  This week, I want to talk about gas prices. In politics, this is probably one of the dumbest subjects ever.  Presidents and lawmakers have limited power over what…