• Sacred Heart University announced it will join the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) as a football-only member in 2026, while remaining part of the MAAC for other sports as part of ongoing FCS conference realignment.
• The move reflects broader changes across the FCS football landscape, with multiple programs transitioning between conferences to strengthen competitive alignment.
• Sacred Heart's addition to the CAA marks another step in the ongoing restructuring of lower-division NCAA football conferences.
Previously unreleased report obtained via freedom of information battle says Pezzullo exceeded ‘boundaries of normal public service practice’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe former head of the Department of Home Affairs’ engagement with a Liberal powerbroker was “reckless”, “ill-advised” and beyond the boundaries of normal public service practice, a previously unreleased confidential report found.The independent probe led to the sacking of Michael Pezzullo as secretary of the Department of Home Affairs in November 2023 after it concluded he had breached the government’s code of conduct at least 14 times. This included using his power for personal benefit. Continue reading...
• The Monadnock region in New Hampshire and nearby Vermont feature a packed April 3-4 weekend with live music, Peking Acrobats at Colonial Theatre in Keene at 7 p.m. for $50 adults/$30 youth, and Easter events.
• Gaslight Tinkers perform global-Celtic fusion at Next Stage Arts in Putney, VT until midnight, while Fat Angus AC/DC tribute hits Charlestown's Clubhouse at 9 p.m. for $12.51.
• Saturday offers TAKAAT punk-rock at Nova Arts and Mike Block Trio roots music at The Showroom in Keene, alongside family egg hunts at East Hill Farm.
• A New York federal judge dismissed Blake Lively's sexual harassment claims against Justin Baldoni related to the film It Ends With Us on April 3, 2026.
• The ruling comes amid ongoing disputes from the movie's production.
• This decision impacts Hollywood's #MeToo era accountability efforts.
Trump announced deputy attorney general, who was his former personal attorney, would act up until permanent replacement is confirmedPam Bondi’s swift dismissal on Thursday underscores a reality that has met Trump loyalists from Jeff Sessions to Kristi Noem – no amount of loyalty is enough to save oneself from being dumped by Donald Trump.Since the president assumed office last year, there have been few people more important to his effort to remake government than Bondi, his longtime friend. Continue reading...
• Top-seeded UCLA defeated second-seeded Iowa 96-45 to capture its second consecutive Big Ten Conference Tournament championship, marking the first time in program history the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament titles.
• The 51-point margin of victory set a new Big Ten Tournament Final record, surpassing Iowa's previous record of a 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023.
• UCLA finished the regular season with a perfect 18-0 conference record and undefeated home court record for the first time since 2016-17, becoming just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play.
• The MajesTEC-3 clinical trial led by UAB researchers demonstrates that a new two-drug immunotherapy regimen can lead to long-lasting remission for multiple myeloma patients.
• Over 83 percent of patients enrolled in the trial remain alive and progression-free three years after therapy, supporting approval of this potentially curative treatment.
• The findings represent a significant advance for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer with limited treatment options historically.
• The US stock market has risen 16% over the past year with earnings forecasted to grow 15% annually, though the market remained flat in the past week, creating opportunities for value-focused investors.
• Analysis identified 10 top undervalued stocks trading at approximately 49% discounts to their estimated fair values, including Vertex (49.8% discount), Nutanix (49.9% discount), and Roku (49.4% discount) based on cash flow assessments.
• Stocks like Uranium Energy (49.2% discount), iRhythm Holdings (48.8% discount), and BillionToOne (49.5% discount) also appeared significantly undervalued, suggesting potential growth opportunities despite broader market volatility.
• Visa unveiled six AI-driven tools to automate charge dispute management for issuers, acquirers, and merchants, reducing manual reviews and fraud losses.
• The tools, launched yesterday, aim to accelerate resolution processes across US payment networks.
• This upgrade positions Visa at the forefront of AI-enhanced fintech security and efficiency.
Dozen people arrive under new deal but legal challenges expected with process criticised for ‘dehumanising process’A flight carrying people being deported from the US has landed in Uganda, as Donald Trump’s administration pushes on with its strategy of expelling migrants to countries they have no ties to.The deported people would stay in the east African country as “a transition phase for potential onward transmission to other countries”, an unnamed senior Ugandan government official told Reuters. Continue reading...
• Brazil and Paraguay finalized a bilateral agreement on Thursday to jointly develop and operate expanded hydroelectric capacity along the Paraná River, addressing critical energy shortages affecting both nations and the broader South American grid.
• The $8.7 billion infrastructure project aims to increase regional electricity output by 28% within five years and includes provisions for technology transfer and workforce development across both countries.
• The agreement emerged from emergency regional meetings convened by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) following cascading power grid failures that left 85 million people without electricity across South America in early March.
• Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International released coordinated reports on Thursday documenting alleged extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture by Bangladeshi security forces during recent political unrest, affecting approximately 340 individuals since January 2026.
• The organizations called for immediate international investigations and threatened to recommend sanctions if Bangladesh fails to establish independent accountability mechanisms within 60 days.
• The US State Department issued a statement expressing "deep concern" and indicated potential implications for bilateral aid flows and military cooperation, affecting approximately $89 million in annual assistance.
• Canada and Mexico initiated formal trilateral negotiations with the United States on Thursday to revise specific provisions of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), focusing on energy sector regulations, labor standards enforcement, and digital trade frameworks.
• The negotiations emerged following months of diplomatic pressure from the Trump administration over concerns regarding Chinese investment in Mexican manufacturing sectors and alleged labor standard enforcement gaps affecting North American supply chains.
• Trade analysts estimate the negotiations could result in amendments affecting approximately $1.3 trillion in annual trilateral trade flows, with particular implications for automotive, agricultural, and energy sectors across the region.
Anger in France after US president puts on French accent and mocks Macron during private lunch in WashingtonEurope live – latest updatesEmmanuel Macron has said Donald Trump’s comments about his marriage were “neither elegant nor up to standard” after the US president put on an accent and mocked his French counterpart and his wife during a private lunch in Washington.Arriving in South Korea on Thursday, Macron made clear his displeasure at Trump’s comments, which appeared briefly in a video on the White House YouTube channel before being removed. Continue reading...
After threatening to withdraw from the alliance, the president did not mention it in his address to the nation, and will meet the secretary general, Mark Rutte, next weekAfter all the excitement about Donald Trump’s rapidly escalating rhetoric on Nato and (his own) suggestions he would go even further in last night’s address to the nation, he … just didn’t say anything about it at all.Whether it was the late phone call intervention by Europe’s finest Trump whisperer, Finland’s Alexander Stubb, or the prospect of next week’s Washington visit from Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte, we will never know, but the fact is that we live to fight another day. Continue reading...
Labour says it is ‘untenable’ for Simon Dudley to continue in his role after he said that Grenfell was tragic ‘but everyone dies in the end’Good morning. One of the big policy decisions for all parties ahead of the next election is whether or not to keep the pensions triple lock. Most mainstream economists and welfare experts think it is overly generous (pensioners used to be significantly poorer than working-age people, but that is no longer the case), and ultimately unaffordable. But it is popular, and pensioners turn out to vote in elections in much higher numbers than younger people.The Conservatives at one point suggested they might drop it, but Kemi Badenoch now defends the triple lock quite strongly. Labour has not said what its election plans are yet. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK, says he will take tough decisions to cut welfare spending, and he was thought to be sceptical about the triple lock. But Robert Jenrick, his Treasury spokesperson, is thought to be in favour, and at a press conference later they are expected to confirm Reform UK would keep it.Reform UK is facing calls to sack its housing spokesman after he said the Grenfell Tower fire was a “tragedy” but that “everyone dies in the end”.Simon Dudley, a former executive at Homes England and the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, said the pendulum had “swung too far the wrong way” on regulation after the deadly blaze at the west London tower block in 2017.If Nigel Farage has an ounce of decency, he will sack his housing chief immediately.These disgraceful comments about those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire are beyond the pale and it is completely untenable for Simon Dudley to continue in his position. Continue reading...
• Bluestem Health in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving 21,000 low-income and uninsured patients, has operated at a loss for two years and anticipates worsening conditions due to new Medicaid work rules under President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
• Nebraska becomes the first state to enforce work requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees, risking coverage loss and threatening clinic viability, as stated by CEO Brad Meyer.
• The policy darkens the outlook for government-backed clinics nationwide by reducing patient access to care amid rising operational costs.
• Soligenix's HyBryte for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) has a second Phase 3 trial underway with enrollment of approximately 80 subjects, interim analysis in Q2 2026, and top-line results in H2 2026.
• Previous Phase 3 trials showed statistical significance in primary endpoints across multiple cycles, following FDA NDA submission and RTF letter.
• The program targets unmet needs in rare dermatological cancers with ongoing FDA discussions for development path.
Party, which has neo-Nazi roots, will hold ‘important ministerial posts within immigration’ if four-party coalition wins in SeptemberThe Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has said that he will allow the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) into government for the first time – and give its members key ministerial posts – if his coalition wins the next general election.Despite becoming Sweden’s second biggest political party after the Social Democrats in the last election, SD currently only play a supporting role in the minority-run coalition. Continue reading...
Families of those accused of sharing images of conflict in region say ministers are too fearful of offending EmiratesMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesThe families of UK citizens held in the United Arab Emirates over allegations that they shared images of the conflict with Iran have voiced frustration at the British government’s failure to help.Several British citizens are among more than 100 foreign nationals who have been detained under draconian Emirate rules that outlaw publishing or sharing material that could “disturb public security”. Continue reading...
• The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Trump v. Barbara, a case challenging the constitutionality of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment.
• President Donald Trump attended the arguments in person, making him the first sitting president to observe Supreme Court oral arguments, according to historians cited by Politico.
• The case centers on Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, with the Court expected to issue a ruling later in the term that could fundamentally alter citizenship eligibility in the United States.
PM’s deadline to establish the biggest gun buyback in 30 years passes with half of the nation’s governments refusing to joinGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe federal government has accused state and territory leaders who refuse to sign up to its proposed national gun buy back scheme, of “standing in the way” of efforts to get dangerous weapons off Australian streets.Anthony Albanese’s end of March deadline to establish the biggest gun buyback in 30 years has now passed with half of the nation’s governments refusing to join. There is no timeline for the buyback, announced in the weeks after the Bondi terror attack, and it remains unclear how costs will be split. Continue reading...
• Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced HR 8167, the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026, on March 31, authorizing a 1,000-member ready reserve for U.S. diplomatic efforts.
• Co-led by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and endorsed by the American Academy of Diplomacy, the bill addresses heightened demand periods for diplomacy.
• The reserve would enable rapid deployment of experienced personnel to support State Department operations globally.
• In late March 2026, the South Carolina Senate passed heavily amended H. 3924, regulating rather than banning hemp-derived THC products like drinks and gummies.
• The bill restricts sales to those 21 and older, tightening safety standards to close 2018 Farm Bill loopholes on high-potency THC.
• Legislation now returns to the House for concurrence before the May 7, 2026, deadline.
• Congress reauthorized the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, extending mental health support programs for healthcare professionals through September 2030.
• Named after emergency physician Dr. Lorna Breen, who died by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic, the law addresses burnout among nurses and others.
• The legislation continues federal initiatives to improve workplace conditions and reduce mental health challenges in healthcare.
Court case will weigh the constitutionality of his contentious bid to end birthright citizenship President Donald Trump will watch the US supreme court hear a landmark case today weighing the constitutionality of his contentious bid to end birthright citizenship – an extraordinary and possibly unprecedented move for the nation’s highest office.Trump signed an executive order on his return to the White House decreeing that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become US citizens.Trump signed an executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting across the US with a series of new requirements, including the establishment of a national voter list.The move was unprecedented and likely unconstitutional, according to experts. The Brennan Center said in response, “He has no lawful authority to write the rules that govern our elections. He tried a year ago; we sued him; we won. A year later, he has tried again. He can expect the same result.”Several states and Democratic officials criticized the order, describing it as an illegal attack that amounted to voter suppression ahead of the midterms, and said they will take legal action to stop the president, including California.Trump continued to fume over today’s ruling from a US judge that halted the construction of his $400m White House ballroom, and sharply criticized the decision during a press briefing and on social media.Pete Hegseth lifted the suspension of the crew of the military helicopters that hovered near the home of singer Kid Rock, and said there would be no investigation. Continue reading...
• Recent federal tax legislation and policy changes now require parents to have a valid Social Security number (SSN) to claim Child Tax Credit (CTC), Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC), and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
• Undocumented parents who file taxes with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) can no longer claim these credits even if their children are U.S. citizens, significantly reducing tax relief for mixed-status families.
• Federal policies enacted in 2025 expanded the range of programs treated as "federal public benefits" subject to immigration-status eligibility restrictions, including Head Start, community health center services, and Title X family planning services.
• On March 26, 2026, Education Secretary McMahon announced the Department of Education will vacate its longtime headquarters at the Lyndon B. Johnson building in August 2026, relocating to 500 D St SW.
• The Department of Energy will move into the Lyndon B. Johnson Building, with the administration projecting annual savings of $4.8 million in operating costs on a building that is 70% vacant.
• The relocation reflects broader changes to the Department of Education under the Trump administration and represents a significant restructuring of federal agency real estate use.
Government in February approved an average premium increase of 4.41% from today. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia contributing to offensive action in Strait of Hormuz ‘in national interest’, says shadow foreign ministerThe opposition says we should be “open” to sending assets and personnel to open up the Strait of Hormuz, but questioned Australia’s capability.The key question is, is it in our national interest? And my view is yes, it is. The second question is, what can we contribute in a material sense, that part of the equation we are yet to understand? And I think they’re the two questions that need to be answered … but I believe we should be open to making contribution. Continue reading...
• Last August, the Trump administration ordered states to reverify immigration status of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees, but findings from five states show few immigrants without legal status improperly receiving benefits.
• States paid Deloitte and other firms millions to comply with the law aimed at cutting Medicaid rolls, with federal officials mandating reverification of enrollee immigration data.
• The reviews highlight limited evidence of widespread ineligibility, raising questions about the policy's effectiveness and costs to update systems amid ongoing crackdowns.