- RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday threw out longtime litigation over education funding in the state, a decision that’s likely to keep intact the power to decide how much money to spend and where with the legislature, not judges. The 4-3 ruling, led by Republican justices on the court, set […]
- UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a proposal to secure the Strait of Hormuz after it was significantly watered down in the face of opposition from China and Russia about allowing force to reopen the critical waterway that Iran has largely cut off to global shipping. The […]
- NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is slapping a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on third-party sellers using its platform starting later this month amid a spike in fuel prices since the war in Iran started. The temporary charge is effective April 17 for many of the sellers who use Amazon’s fulfillment services, the online behemoth […]
- Before picking Todd Blanche to help lead and now run the Justice Department, President Donald Trump was his client. Blanche, whom Trump elevated Thursday from deputy attorney general to acting U.S. attorney general, rose to prominence representing the president in criminal cases that consumed the four years between his first and second terms. Blanche, a […]
- WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, citing the Second Amendment and recent shootings at bases across the country. In a video posted to X, Hegseth said he is signing a memo that will direct base commanders to allow requests […]
- North Carolina Supreme Court throws out longtime suit over education funding
on April 3, 2026 at 2:18 amRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Supreme Court on Thursday threw out longtime litigation over education funding in the state, a decision that’s likely to keep intact the power to decide how much money to spend and where with the legislature, not judges. The 4-3 ruling, led by Republican justices on the court, set aside a landmark ruling in 2022 when the court, then with a Democratic majority, ruled that a lower court judge had the authority to order that taxpayer money be directed to state agencies to address longstanding education inequities. The following year, another trial judge calculated that the state owed $678 million to fulfill two years of an eight-year, multibillion-dollar comprehensive remedial plan in part to improve teacher recruitment and salaries, expand prekindergarten and help students with disabilities. In Thursday’s ruling, Chief Justice Paul Newby wrote that what started as a modest lawsuit over education spending in one county “became a full-scale, facial assault on the entire educational system enacted by the General Assembly.” Since then, Newby said, judicial actions had gone too far. When the case expanded “the trial court’s authority to hear the case likewise ceased,” Newby wrote while ordering the school funding litigation be dismissed. The decision came more than two years after the court heard oral arguments. Republicans who control the General Assembly won’t be obligated to comply with the remedial plan as it writes state budgets, including one for this year that’s now several months late. Democratic Gov. Josh Stein will have to rely more on persuading lawmakers and using his veto stamp to spend more on his favored education programs and initiatives. Stein was North Carolina’s attorney general when the 2022 ruling was handed down. “The Supreme Court simply ignored its own established precedent, enabling the General Assembly to continue to deprive another generation of North Carolina students of the education promised by our constitution,” Stein said in a statement Thursday. Two Democratic justices and one Republican dissented in Thursday’s ruling. Associate Justice Anita Earls, a Democrat, said the decision seemed more about dealing with how the 2022 decision was reached than what happens to students. “Allowing the state to escape judicial scrutiny for constitutional rights violations through its behavior during litigation quickly turns constitutional rights into words on paper — morally compelling but functionally useless,” she wrote. Attention will now turn toward crafting the next state education spending proposal. The General Assembly reconvenes this month. Close to 40% of the state’s more than $30 billion in annual spending to operate government goes to K-12 funding alone. Republican Senate leader Phil Berger said in a news release that “liberal education special interests have improperly tried to hijack North Carolina’s constitutional funding process in order to impose their policy preferences via judicial fiat. Today’s decision confirms that the proper pathway for policymaking is the legislative process.” Critics of GOP education spending have pointed in part to taxpayer-funded scholarships for K-12 students to attend private schools as evidence more could be done for public school children. The litigation began in 1994, when several school districts in low-income areas and families of children sued and accused the state of violating North Carolina’s constitution by not providing adequate education funding. The case is often referred to as “Leandro” — for the last name of one of the students who sued. Supreme Court decisions in the case from 1997 and 2004 found the state constitution directs all children must receive the “opportunity to receive a sound basic education,” and that the state remained poorly equipped to comply with that dictate. Many say it’s a problem still unresolved. “The people paying the price for our leaders’ failure are not abstractions. They are the generations of children in rural communities, past and present, who waited for 30 years for a promise never fulfilled,” Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said in a news release. The court’s Democratic majority in 2022 had determined that those Supreme Court decisions along with the constitution’s “right to the privilege of education” and years of inaction by elected officials created an “extraordinary” situation that gave the late Judge David Lee power to order funds be spent without a specific law enacted by the General Assembly. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- UN set to vote on a watered-down proposal to open Strait of Hormuz
on April 3, 2026 at 1:18 amUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a proposal to secure the Strait of Hormuz after it was significantly watered down in the face of opposition from China and Russia about allowing force to reopen the critical waterway that Iran has largely cut off to global shipping. The final draft of Bahrain’s resolution, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, authorizes the use of defensive — but not offensive — action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait. One-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the waterway where Iran’s stranglehold during the war has sent energy prices soaring. Bahrain’s initial draft resolution would have allowed countries “to use all necessary means” — U.N. language that would include possible military action — “in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman” to secure passage and deter attempts to interfere with navigation. Russia, China and France, all veto-wielding countries of the 15-member Security Council, had expressed opposition to approving the use of force. The final draft eliminates any reference to allowing offensive military action, but the three countries’ views on the changes are not known, so Friday’s vote will be closely watched. The proposal now authorizes countries “to use all defensive means necessary and commensurate with the circumstances in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters” to secure passage and deter attempts to interfere with international navigation “for a period of at least six months.” It says countries acting alone on in “multinational naval partnerships” can take defensive means provided advance notification is given to the Security Council. It comes after U.S. President Donald Trump said in an address Wednesday that America and Israel will continue to bomb Iran “extremely hard” over the next two to three weeks but gave no definitive end date for the conflict. Iran has kept up retailatory attacks in the region and its chokehold on the strait has been a pain point for Trump and the world as rising energy prices roil the global economy. Before Bahrain released its final draft, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the proposal “does not solve the puzzle.” He said what would do so is ending the hostilities. China’s U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong opposed the original draft’s authorization for the use of force, calling it “unlawful and indiscriminate.” Speaking to the council earlier Thursday, he warned that it “would inevitably lead to further escalation of the situation and lead to serious consequences.” He urged the council “to proceed with caution” and actively work for de-escalation and dialogue. France’s U.N. Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont also called for de-escalation, telling the council that “defensive measures that avoid any broad use of force need to be promoted.” He later indicated that the new draft focusing on defense might be acceptable. The Security Council adopted a Bahrain-sponsored resolution on March 11 condemning Iran’s “egregious attacks” on Gulf nations and called for Tehran to immediately halt its strikes, which followed the U.S. and Israel launching the war on Feb. 28. That resolution, adopted by a vote of 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining, also condemned Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a threat to international peace and security and called for an immediate end to all actions blocking shipping. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- Amazon to slap a 3.5% surcharge on third-party sellers as Iran war drives up fuel prices
on April 3, 2026 at 1:18 amNEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is slapping a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on third-party sellers using its platform starting later this month amid a spike in fuel prices since the war in Iran started. The temporary charge is effective April 17 for many of the sellers who use Amazon’s fulfillment services, the online behemoth confirmed to The Associated Press in an email Thursday. “Elevated costs in fuel and logistics have increased the cost of operating across the industry,” Amazon said in the emailed statement. The Seattle-based company said it has absorbed these increases so far but similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated, it implements temporary surcharges to partially recover these costs. It noted the charge is “meaningfully” lower than surcharges applied by other major carriers. “We remain committed to our selling partners’ success and to maintaining broad selection and low prices for customers,” Amazon added. Amazon’s fuel and logistics-related surcharge will apply to U.S. and Canadian sellers using its Fulfillment by Amazon option. Starting May 2, the surcharge will take effect with sellers using the Buy with Prime and Multi-Channel Fulfillment options. Amazon joins a growing list of carriers imposing surcharges to recoup rising energy costs as the Iran war drags on. United Parcel Service and FedEx have increased their fuel surcharges. The United States Postal Service announced last week it was imposing an 8% fuel surcharge that would apply to packages to be shipped starting April 26. The surcharge would remain in place until Jan. 17 2027, it said. Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- A look at Todd Blanche, the ex-Trump lawyer who’s the president’s pick for acting attorney general
on April 3, 2026 at 12:18 amBefore picking Todd Blanche to help lead and now run the Justice Department, President Donald Trump was his client. Blanche, whom Trump elevated Thursday from deputy attorney general to acting U.S. attorney general, rose to prominence representing the president in criminal cases that consumed the four years between his first and second terms. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor and law firm partner, led Trump’s criminal defense team, representing the Republican in matters including his New York hush money case, which ended in his conviction on 34 felony counts, and a pair of federal cases brought by special counsel Jack Smith, both of which have been abandoned. In a social media post, Trump called Blanche “a very talented and respected Legal Mind.” As deputy attorney general, Blanche was the Justice Department’s second-in-command. Working under Attorney General Pam Bondi, he managed the department’s day-to-day operations and became one of its most vocal defenders and visible public faces. He oversaw the release of government files on Jeffrey Epstein and appeared frequently on TV news programs. Here’s a look at Blanche’s career and his rise to running the Justice Department: Blanche, 51, attended Brooklyn Law School at night while working as a paralegal at the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan, and graduated cum laude. Originally from the Denver suburbs, he completed his undergraduate studies at American University in Washington, D.C. Blanche served as a law clerk for federal judges Denny Chin and Joseph Bianco, both now members of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and was a federal prosecutor for eight years in the same U.S. attorney’s office where he had started as a paralegal. He spent two years as co-chief of the office’s violent crimes unit, overseeing about two dozen prosecutors and cases involving killings, kidnappings, and other violent crimes. Blanche left the U.S. attorney’s office in 2014, taking a job in the Manhattan office of the law firm WilmerHale. In September 2017, he moved to Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he was a partner in the White Collar Defense and Investigations practice. In a prelude to his work defending Trump, Blanche represented the president’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and in 2019 succeeded in getting a mortgage fraud case against him dismissed in the same New York court where Trump was convicted. Blanche argued that the case, brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office that later prosecuted Trump, was too similar to one that landed Manafort in federal prison and therefore amounted to double jeopardy. Blanche left Cadwalader in 2023, telling colleagues he was resigning to represent Trump. He joined the president’s defense team just prior to his arraignment in the hush money case. In an email announcing his departure, he wrote: “I have been asked to represent Trump in the recently charged DA case, and after much thought/consideration, I have decided it is the best thing for me to do and an opportunity I should not pass up.” Despite his conviction, Trump came away from the hush money case impressed with Blanche’s tenacity, his willingness to spar with witnesses and judges, and the poise he showed in speaking in front of TV cameras. Trump rewarded Blanche and another of his defense lawyers, Emil Bove, with prominent roles in his new administration’s Justice Department, and last summer nominated Bove to be a judge on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to the hush money matter, Blanche represented Trump in the two cases brought by the special counsel, his 2020 election interference case in Washington and the Florida case accusing the former president of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. In both cases, Trump’s Blanche-led defense team successfully mounted a legal strategy focused heavily on delaying the cases until after the 2024 presidential election. When Trump won, Smith moved to abandon the cases, acknowledging a longstanding Justice Department policy that says sitting presidents cannot be indicted or prosecuted while in office. Ten days before Trump returned to office, Blanche sat alongside him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, appearing by video together as a Manhattan judge sentenced the president-elect to no punishment in the hush-money case. “The majority of the American people also agree that this case should not have been brought,” Blanche told the judge, citing the election results as a verdict of its own. “The American voters got a chance to see and decide for themselves whether this was the kind of case that should’ve been brought,” Blanche said. “And they decided.” Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
- Hegseth says he will allow troops to take personal weapons onto military bases
on April 3, 2026 at 12:18 amWASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, citing the Second Amendment and recent shootings at bases across the country. In a video posted to X, Hegseth said he is signing a memo that will direct base commanders to allow requests for troops to carry privately owned firearms “with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection.” He said any denial of a service member’s request must be explained in detail and in writing. “Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. “Unless you’re training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry, you couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post.” Questions about why service members lacked access to weapons have often emerged following shootings on the nation’s military bases. Such shootings have ranged from isolated events between service members to mass casualty events, such as the shootings by an Army psychiatrist at Texas’ Ford Hood in 2009 that left 13 people dead. Hegseth cited some of the events in his video, including a shooting that injured five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia last year. Officials said the shooter, an Army sergeant who worked at the base, used his personal handgun before he was tackled by fellow soldiers and arrested. “In these instances, minutes are a lifetime,” Hegseth said. “And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count.” Defense Department policy has prohibited military personnel from carrying personal weapons on base without permission from a senior commander, with strict protocol for how the firearms must be stored. Typically, military personnel must officially check their guns out of secure storage to go to on-base hunting areas or shooting ranges, then check all firearms back in promptly after their sanctioned use. Military police are often the only armed personnel on base, outside of shooting ranges, hunting areas or in training, where soldiers can wield their service weapons without ammunition. Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at the Brady gun violence prevention organization, said in a statement that Defense Department leaders and the military’s top brass have opposed relaxing the current policy, which was originally enacted under President George H.W. Bush. Schardt noted that most active duty service members who die by suicide do so with a weapon they own personally, not one military-issued, and argued that there will “undoubtedly be an increase in gun suicide and other gun violence.” While fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, the suicide rates among active duty troops overall still have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday. “Our military installations are among the most guarded, protected properties in the world, and they’ve never been ‘gun-free zones,’” Schardt said. “If there is a problem with violent crime on these installations, then the Secretary of Defense has an obligation to alert the American people and describe how he’s working to prevent that crime.” Brought to you by www.srnnews.com
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