Cardinal & Pine

Good News Friday is Cardinal & Pine’s weekly roundup of positive news stories around North Carolina. For past editions, tap here. We’ve got some cool news about NC parental leave below, but first: Did you feel a change in the air this week? That’s what it feels like to be living in a state with a budget for the first time in over a year. Gov. Josh Stein signed Senate Bill 257 into law on Tuesday, enacting North Carolina’s first full state budget since 2023.

Just before you reach your exit to Charlotte Motor Speedway on I-85, drivers will see a new billboard with a simple message: “Blanche BETRAYED Epstein Survivors. VOTE NO on Blanche for Attorney General.” The ad, paid for by World Without Exploitation, an organization working to end child and human trafficking, was placed as the US Senate Judiciary Committee considers whether to recommend Todd Blanche as the next Attorney General of the United States. Sen.

This upcoming week features several great opportunities to take action on the issues most impacting North Carolina communities and families. On Monday, July 13, Cardinal & Pine will be joined by the hosts of the Hometown Holler in a discussion about the modern media ecosystem and the state of democracy in North Carolina. As always, we’ve included events both in person and virtual so everyone has an opportunity to be involved.

By: Tina Stenson, attendee In late May, leaders from across the South gathered in Raleigh for a training that was about more than one weekend, one state, or one fight. It was about building the long-term organizing power needed to make sure abortion access is real, not just a right on paper. The Abortion Access Now regional training brought together people from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.

On Saturday, July 4, the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Celebrations and events will take place across North Carolina and the country as the nation marks the semiquincentennial. One person who longs to be in America but finds herself locked out of the country she calls home is 21-year-old Allison Bustillo.

Saturday, July 4th will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. North Carolinians will commemorate the occasion with events, protests, and other ways to take action across the state. This week, we’ve included events across the Tar Heel State you can attend as America celebrates its semiquincentennial.

On Wednesday, the House Rules Committee advanced a bill that would make changes to North Carolina elections less than five months before the midterm elections. HB 958 will likely get a vote before the full House this week. The final committee vote was 14–9. All Democrats and Rep. Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg) voted against. The bill that passed in committee was a watered-down version of legislation that would have made more significant changes to North Carolina elections.

The US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade four years ago, but the earthquake it caused in healthcare and politics has not abated. The ruling, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, threw the issue of abortion rights to the states, creating a chaotic mix of outright bans in some states, firm protections in others, and a confusing mess in several others where doctors now defer to lawyers and pregnant women face dangerous barriers to the care they need.

Four months before the midterm elections, a majority of North Carolinians disapprove of President Donald Trump while Democrats hold solid leads in several key races, a new poll shows. This snapshot of voter sentiment is too early to mean anything, but it shows that independents are moving away from many Republican candidates, and suggests that North Carolinians are holding state Republicans accountable for soaring prices and Trump’s war in Iran.

In this final full week of Pride Month, we have included parades and festivals taking place across the Tar Heel State that celebrate North Carolina’s LGBTQ community. There are also several protests and get-out-the-vote opportunities taking place that will allow you to make your voice heard as the midterm elections draw closer. Organizations like Down Home NC and Indivisible are hosting chapter meetings and opportunities to get to know fellow community members.