Newsletters

Plus: Trump, the NC GOP, and medical marijuana Share with a friend Hey, it’s Billy. The bad news is that the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher closed its doors temporarily this week.  The good news is that, when it returns, this eastern NC attraction has very big plans.  In today’s edition of Good News…

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…