2020 Was a Drag. But Here’s My (Incomplete) List of the Cardinal & Pine Stories That Soared. by Billy Ball December 30, 2020 Brave leaders, earth-moving candidates, a president in free fall, and a NC man who waited 44 years for justice. The best stories of 2020....
Marijuana and Body Cams: Here Are the Big Ideas in Cooper Task Force’s Criminal Justice Report by Billy Ball December 14, 2020 Cooper's racial justice task force, created after George Floyd's killing, wants more training, fairer drug laws, and police accountability....
It’s Official. Trump, Cooper, Tillis Take North Carolina. by Billy Ball November 24, 2020 State officials approve certification of 2020 election results, although pending recounts and protests in five races remain....
‘Shaky Ground’: With COVID Numbers Rising, Cooper Urging Safety Over Thanksgiving by Billy Ball November 10, 2020 NC officials like Roy Cooper and Mandy Cohen are warning of a new peak in coronavirus cases in the state as Thanksgiving approaches....
NC Voter Turnout Was Good. But Here’s Why We Can Do Much Better. by Billy Ball November 6, 2020 NC reported nearly 75% voter turnout in 2020. But millions of North Carolinians are still not participating in our elections....
As President Trump Prepares Legal Challenges, Progressive NC Groups Demand Every Vote Is Counted by Billy Ball November 4, 2020 Hundreds of marchers moved through downtown Durham, NC Wednesday less than 24 hours after polls closed, demanding the state count every vote....
Riding With Kamala Harris: Inside the Biden Campaign’s Closing Arguments in Eastern NC by Billy Ball November 2, 2020 Why eastern NC, the place where I'm from, plays host to Kamala Harris' final points on income inequality, healthcare, and racial injustice....
New NC Research Points to Racial Bias in Soaring Life Without Parole Sentences by Billy Ball October 27, 2020 Duke University researchers say they hope their ground-breaking report fuels consideration of criminal justice reform in NC....
NC Teachers’ Group: If Teachers Are Losing Their Jobs, Lawmakers Should Too by Billy Ball October 26, 2020 The NCAE blamed GOP lawmakers in Raleigh and DC for more than 27,000 jobs lost in NC schools during the coronavirus pandemic....
NC Workers Rip Tillis for Dropping the Ball on COVID Relief: ‘We Have Been Forgotten’ by Billy Ball October 21, 2020 With federal lawmakers and Thom Tillis stalled over coronavirus relief, NC workers impacted by the pandemic say they can’t wait....