The Buddhist monks making their "Walk for Peace" are in Wake County today. Here's how to track them and see them in person. 🙏 cardinalpine.com/2026/01/15/n...

Some truly outrageous things are happening in Greensboro at NC A&T University, the largest historically Black college in America. Important thread. Keep reading. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrzt...

What to know about the Buddhist monks and their “Walk for Peace,” which includes multiple stops in North Carolina. 🙏 cardinalpine.com/2026/01/15/n...

We don't know if Venezuela is a military "one-off" like Speaker Mike Johnson says, or if the US will be there long-term, as Marco Rubio said. So let's break down what these scenarios mean for NC. Spoiler: NC is home to two of the largest Army and Marine bases in America, so they mean A LOT. 👇

Did you know the unit that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is based out of NC? 🤯 In a new Billy Ball Explains NC, we take a look at why the military conflict in Venezuela is a BIG deal for North Carolina's military population and their families. Tap👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=12CS...

Mecklenburg County health officials urged residents to get vaccinated if they had not already done so or if they were unsure of their status. The county is offering free or low-cost vaccines at four locations with no appointment necessary. 👇 cardinalpine.com/2026/01/13/m...

The rules do not set specific discharge limits or penalties for violations. Those omissions from the proposed rules were the basis of lengthy, at times contentious, discussion among members of the commission. ✏️ @coastalreview.bsky.social cardinalpine.com/2026/01/12/n...

Cardinal & Pine contributor Britteny Dee penned a guide this week to 8 exciting new restaurants opening in 2026 in NC. From Indian street food in Boone to upscale Mexican in Charlotte and peak steakhouse in Durham, this guide is 🔥. Tap 👇 cardinalpine.com/2026/01/13/m...

In rural NC, thousands of students rely on their schools for after-school programs, counselors for mental health support, and staff who can help their families find food and transportation. Now, many of those support networks could disappear with just weeks’ notice. cardinalpine.com/2026/01/09/n...

NC Board of Elections finds Stevens campaign contributions illegal, but not intentional ncnewsline.com/briefs/nc-bo... Story by @kingdollar.bsky.social #ncpol

According to Forbes, since the start of his presidency, Trump's net worth has more than doubled—from $2.3B in 2024 to $6.7B by the end of 2025. Meanwhile, many of the folks who voted for him are in a worse financial predicament than ever. Tap 👇 www.thelivingsouth.com/trump-is-get...

When everything looks bleak, look to the creatives. This week, catch a classical music performance in Greenville, one of two shows by alt-country star Jason Isbell, or view the lights at Biltmore. Tap 👇 cardinalpine.com/2026/01/12/3...

Important thread for everyone watching Venezuela. 👇

Watch, like, and subscribe, North Carolina. 🙏

A pastor who stands up to ICE, Bakari Sellers' rise in the Civil Rights Movement, Anderson Clayton's fight for a stronger Southern progressive party, and so much more. These are the best Living South stories of 2025. www.thelivingsouth.com/the-living-s...

I don't know if it will work. It's a work in progress. But you can help by watching and liking and subscribing. It makes a big difference! Thanks, y'all. www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3V_...

You can make a difference by liking and subscribing! 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3V_...

Premiering right now. Go like and subscribe, NC! 👇

Astonishing. At thelivingsouth.com, I wrote about President Trump replacing the special "no-fee" day at the National Park Service with, among other things, a special day scheduled for his own birthday.

I represented Cardinal & Pine on PBS North Carolina's "State Lines" today. We talked about the healthcare hurdles ahead in North Carolina and the 2026 election. 🔗 in the thread to watch it now online. You can also watch it in primetime this evening on PBS NC.

The 2026 election is already looking like a wild one in North Carolina. Phil Berger, the NC Senate majority leader, is perhaps the most powerful Republican in the state. But he is being challenged in the 2026 primary election by the far-right sheriff of Rockingham County, Sam Page. Keep reading 👇

Republicans control both chambers of the NC legislature, but have failed to pass a budget 6 months after it was due. Even conservatives are losing their patience. cardinalpine.com/2025/12/09/n...

Gov. Josh Stein cited court rulings that blocked some of the cuts, but said the state’s Medicaid fund would still run out of money in the spring if Republicans failed to resolve their 6-month dispute over funding it. cardinalpine.com/2025/12/10/s...

Who's up for something good? 🖐️

🤑 7 reasons why everything’s too expensive right now, and one reason for why giving to others is more important than ever. Like actually, truly, life-savingly important. cardinalpine.com/2025/12/03/7...

For 4 days from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, the “We Ain’t Buying It” movement wants Americans to avoid shopping at Amazon, Home Depot, and Target. Here's what to know. 👇

Important thread alert, NC. Keep reading. 👇 Border Patrol says they’re targeting “the worst of the worst.” But the News and Observer reports that a woman they arrested in Raleigh, Fatima Issela Velasquez-Antonio, is 23, a high school graduate, a homeowner, with two traffic violations on her record.

Must-read.

One of the many problems spinning out of the decimation of local media: Political coverage is dominated by national storylines. Bet you a $100 more liberals in NC know Zohran Mamdani more than they know the Democrats who won in NC.

What Democrats' domination of the 2025 elections tells us. "Billy Ball Explains NC" premieres every Wednesday right here on YouTube. Make sure you're following Cardinal & Pine on YouTube so you won't miss an episode. ✏️ @billyball.bsky.social 🎥 Melanie Duran www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKwg...

The longest shutdown in US history seems close to an end. Seven Democrats and an independent who normally votes with Democrats broke from the party line to help pass an initial Senate bill that clears the way for the government to reopen. Keep reading. 👇

Well, that’s a new one.

North Carolina didn’t have any high-profile elections last week, but the results still offer a glimpse of how voters feel about the state of things during President Trump’s second term. Cardinal & Pine's Michael McElroy breaks it down. 👇

One more thing 👇

Several child care centers closed this week. That's because federal funding for Head Start programs didn’t materialize due to the government shutdown. Keep reading. 👇

Who's really getting food stamps in North Carolina. 🤔 "Billy Ball Explains NC" premieres every Wednesday on our YouTube channel. Follow us there so you won't miss an episode. 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2gu...

👋 Every Tuesday, I'm writing about the South. I don't do paywalls, so sign-up is free. Please share. This week, I wrote about the single most important bill of the 20th century, and what we have to do to save it. www.thelivingsouth.com/saving-the-v...

While Republicans in D.C. are blocking renewed Affordable Care Act subsidies, NC is passing along steep rate hikes for health care coverage. 🔗below for the approved Affordable Care Act rate increases 👇 cardinalpine.com/2025/11/04/a...

In North Carolina, because of gerrymandering, you could argue we're not even a democracy anymore, but we're not powerless to stop it. Here's the latest "Billy Ball Explains NC." Please share 👏 www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5fS...

The name on this is mine, but this stuff is a team effort. It takes a lot of work from editor Kim Lawson, graphic designer Desirée Tapia, video editor Melanie Duran, and a lot of eyes and ears to tell me what works and what doesn't. 2nd "Billy Ball Explains NC" 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5p_...

Who TF is Billy Ball (@billyball.bsky.social) and why is he trying to explain North Carolina? 🔥 For the full video series, click the 🔗 in the thread below.

Good protests—like the “No Kings” demonstrations in North Carolina—can be silly, loud, rambunctious, and disorganized. They can be disruptive and even dumb. But they are never, ever pointless. 👇 cardinalpine.com/opinion/prot...

Important 🧵 North Carolina, please share There are more than 91,000 active duty military members based in North Carolina, and they have more than 66,000 kids to feed and clothe. Keep reading 👇

Crucial.

In September, following the killing of Charlie Kirk, I wrote about the way social media has broken political dialogue in the US, and what we can actually do about it. Recently, I appeared on Spectrum News 1 NC's "Capitol Tonight" to talk about it. www.thelivingsouth.com/video-how-to...

Important 🧵, North Carolina, please share 🙏 👨🏽‍⚕️⚕️Former NC Gov. Roy Cooper unveiled a first-of-its-kind program in 2024 that, as of today, has wiped out $6.5 billion in medical debt, state leaders say. Keep reading the thread to find out what to know. 👇

Important 🧵 alert, please share: An impasse among GOP leaders in the General Assembly has delayed passage of a formal budget and caused a Medicaid $$ shortfall, but NC GOP lawmakers say their priority when they return next week will be keeping Republicans in power in Washington in 2026. More 👇

#Breaking in North Carolina: North Carolina Democratic leaders have called on state Rep. Cecil Brockman to “resign immediately,” after news broke on Thursday that he’d been arrested and charged with raping a 15-year-old. cardinalpine.com/2025/10/09/n...

The federal government shut down last week, and though it may take time to see the worst effects, time is ticking. If the gov't doesn’t open in the next two weeks, a major federal program that helps mothers provide their young children nutritious food, could run out of money. Keep reading 👇

Watching the government shutdown felt like this. 🫠