Sen. Ted Budd hosted DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin (in his first official trip) for a roundtable in Chimney Rock on April 7, focusing on Hurricane Helene recovery 18 months later.

Mullin emphasized clearing FEMA backlogs, cutting bureaucracy, and shifting more authority to state/local responders for faster aid. Budd noted $134M recently released and praised Mullin's proactive support. Local leaders discussed ongoing delays in approvals, regs, and funding, plus lessons on communication and resilience for future disasters. Overall, it highlights momentum but calls for structural FEMA reforms to ease burdens on WNC communities.

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President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran late Tuesday, just before his 8 p.m. deadline. It's conditional on Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz for safe maritime traffic.

Trump cited a "workable" 10-point proposal from Iran as a basis for talks, noting the U.S. has met its military objectives. Pakistan helped broker it. Negotiations begin soon in Islamabad to aim for a longer-term peace deal in the Middle East. The pause avoids further strikes while both sides finalize terms.

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President Trump has set a firm 8PM deadline tonight for Iran to agree to a deal reopening the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping. He warns of immediate, overwhelming U.S. strikes on power plants, bridges, and other key infrastructure if unmet—potentially "taking out" the country in one night. Iran has rejected the terms and a related ceasefire proposal, vowing defiance while calling for volunteers to defend sites. Tensions are at a boiling point with no deal in sight.

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Time is running out for Iran to strike a deal, as the US rescues a service member from behind enemy lines, with the President scheduled to hold a news conference today.

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A NC Supreme Court 4-3 ruling has ended the 32-year Leandro school funding case. The majority (led by Chief Justice Newby) vacated a 2023 lower court order for $677M+ in new spending (potentially billions more), dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, and ruled courts can't dictate education budgets to the legislature—calling it a separation of powers win amid major changes in NC schools since 1994. Dissenters argued it harms students' constitutional right to sound basic education.

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In his primetime speech from the White House, Trump stated that U.S. "core strategic objectives" in Operation Epic Fury are "nearing completion" after 32 days. He described "overwhelming victories," saying Iran's military capabilities (navy, air force, missiles) have been crippled and it is "no longer a threat."

Trump warned the U.S. will "hit them extremely hard" over the next 2-3 weeks, potentially targeting electric grids to "bring them back to the Stone Ages" if no deal is reached. He framed the conflict as payback for decades of Iranian aggression, predicted it would end "shortly," and urged allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. No new announcements on ground troops or exact timeline.

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NATO has once again proven itself ineffective—it's time for the U.S. to reconsider its relationship with the alliance.

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On April 21, 2026, Virginians vote on a constitutional amendment letting the General Assembly temporarily redraw congressional districts "to restore fairness" before the 2026 elections — then revert to the independent commission after 2030. We unpack why critics say the wording is biased and misleading.

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