Cardinal & Pine

2 weeks ago | cardinalpine.com | Jessica Simmons

Abortion rights protesters are removed for becoming vocal, May 16, 2023, in Raleigh, N.C., after North Carolina House members voted to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of a bill that would change the state's ban on nearly all abortions from those after 20 weeks of pregnancy to those after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

3 weeks ago | cardinalpine.com | Jessica Simmons

(Photo credit: Jessica F. Simmons/Cardinal & Pine)  ‘Being at the center of debate about your worth and rights is exhausting.’“If I hadn’t had an abortion during my college years, I might not have become a nurse. I wouldn’t have the two sons I cherish dearly.

3 weeks ago | cardinalpine.com | Jessica Simmons

Senate Bill 227 is NC Republican’s latest attack on the state’s public education. Sarah Hill remembers the moment vividly. At Banks Road Elementary in Wake County, it was late November, and one of her first-grade students had shared with the class that his family celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Instead of moving on, Hill saw a moment to add to her lesson plan. “We study culture as part of our first-grade standards,” she said.

1 month ago | cardinalpine.com | Jessica Simmons

Proposed cuts to federal education funding could undo critical support for the state’s 1.5 million public school students. On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the closure of the US Department of Education, a move that could have far-reaching consequences for students, teachers, and schools across North Carolina.

1 month ago | cardinalpine.com | Jessica Simmons

(Image credit: SynthEx/Shutterstock) Giving birth is just the beginning—and in North Carolina, many mothers have nowhere to turn after leaving the hospital. “Postpartum just isn’t valued enough here,” said North Carolina resident Selena Williams. “We have so much support when we’re pregnant, or in the hospital.