US employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 jobs last month

WASHINGTON (AP) – American employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February. And the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%. The Labor Department reported Friday that hiring marked a turnaround from the loss of 133,000 jobs in February.

Hegseth allows troops to take personal weapons onto military bases

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. He said any denial of a service member’s request must be explained in detail and in writing.

Bondi struggled to prosecute Trump foes. But will new AG make a difference?

WASHINGTON (AP) – Pam Bondi is out of her job after failing to deliver criminal cases against President Donald Trump’s political enemies.  But there’s no guarantee her successor will have any better success at placating the president. Over the last year, Bondi’s Justice Department has encountered resistance from judges, grand jurors and its own workforce.

Editorials from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and others

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

Todd Blanche, the ex-Trump picked for acting attorney general

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.

Why one Las Vegas newspaper just stopped printing its rival

LAS VEGAS (AP) – The Las Vegas Review-Journal announced Friday that it will no longer print its rival the Las Vegas Sun for the first time in decades, amid an ongoing legal dispute over the nation’s last joint operating agreement stemming from a 1970 law designed to preserve newspapers.

Company backed by Trump sons looks to sell drone interceptors to Gulf states

NEW YORK (AP) – A drone maker backed by President Donald Trump’s two oldest sons is trying to sell to Gulf countries while they are under attack by Iran and dependent on the U.S. military led by their father. The sales drive by Florida-based Powerus positions the company to potentially benefit from a war that their father began.

Trump budget seeks $1.5T in defense spending alongside cuts in domestic programs

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump has proposed boosting defense spending to $1.5 trillion in his 2027 budget released Friday, the largest such request in decades, reflecting his emphasis on U.S. military investments over domestic programs.

Magyar says election is 'referendum' on Hungary's place in the world

KISKUNHALAS, Hungary (AP) – Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar says a crucial election next week where he’s facing pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will be a “referendum” on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Eastern autocracies, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.