News

News

March 12, 2026

U.S. Senator Mike Lee Introduces Real Constitutional Carry in the Senate for the First Time Ever

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced legislation aimed at establishing Constitutional Carry nationwide, a move supporters say would restore the right to bear arms without government permission.

The proposal, titled the National Constitutional Carry Act (S. 4013), would eliminate concealed carry permit requirements, fees, and criminal penalties for gun owners who are legally allowed to possess firearms.

Lee argues the Second Amendment guarantees a national right to carry firearms and that citizens should not face legal jeopardy simply for crossing state lines with a firearm for self-defense.

Additionally, Lee stated:

“The Founders established a national right to keep and bear arms, not to ask for permission from hostile officials or risk imprisonment for crossing the wrong state line. Many states already protect the right to carry without a permit, and it’s time to reaffirm this right for all peaceable Americans. The National Constitutional Carry Act will establish nationwide permitless carry to keep America safe and her people free.”

Currently, 29 states already allow some form of Constitutional Carry, covering more than 150 million Americans.

Lee’s legislation would prevent state and local governments from requiring licenses or imposing fees for public carry on Americans who are otherwise legally eligible to own a firearm.

At the same time, the bill would preserve existing restrictions that bar prohibited persons from possessing firearms and maintain firearm bans in secured locations such as government buildings.

If enacted, the legislation would create a uniform national standard for carrying firearms in public, allowing eligible Americans to exercise their right to self-defense across all 50 states.

Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights, applauded the introduction of the bill:

“Sen. Mike Lee’s Real Constitutional Carry bill is the only legislation that will restore the right of all law-abiding Americans to carry a firearm in every state without having to beg for government permission. Twenty-nine states already recognize constitutional carry, but this should be the law of the land, regardless of the state you reside in. The Second Amendment is not a second-class right. NAGR applauds Senator Lee for introducing this bill and urges swift passage.”

Furthermore, the National Association for Gun Rights is gathering petitions from its members and supporters, urging their elected officials to co-sponsor the pro-gun legislation.

You can sign your Co-Sponsor Blitz petition by clicking here.

Wealthy nations pledge record release of emergency oil reserves in a bid to calm surging prices

PARIS (AP) — The International Energy Agency has agreed to release the largest volume of emergency oil reserves in its history, in a bid to counter the effects on energy markets of the war in the Middle East. The Paris-based organization said Wednesday that it will make 400 million barrels of oil available from its members’ emergency reserves. It’s a larger stock than the 182.7 million barrels that were released in 2022 by the IEA’s 32 member countries in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During a videoconference of the Group of Seven leaders Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron praised the emergency release, saying it amounts to the equivalent of 20 days of the volume normally exported through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s secretive top leader vows to keep up attacks in his first statement since being appointed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s new supreme leader released his first statement since succeeding his late father. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that Iran would keep up its attacks on its Gulf Arab neighbors and use the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage against the United States and Israel. Khamenei, 56, who Israel suspects was wounded in the opening salvo of the war, did not appear on camera, as his statement was read by a state TV news anchor. The statement included a vow to avenge those killed in the war, including in a strike on a school that killed over 165 people.

Zelenskyy says Ukraine awaits White House sign-off on US drone production deal

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year. Speaking on Thursday, Zelenskyy said the deal would cover various types of drones and air defenses to protect against swarms of Iranian-designed Shahed drones. Countries are scrambling to modernize their air defenses after the Iran war exposed shortcomings. Russia has fired tens of thousands of Shaheds at Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago. Iran has responded to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes by firing the same type of drones at targets in the Middle East.

Gunman who injured 2 people at Old Dominion University in Virginia is dead, college says

Old Dominion University says a gunman is dead and two people are hurt after a shooting at the school. ODU says a gunman opened fire in its business school building on Thursday, injuring two people who were sent to the hospital. It wasn’t immediately clear how the shooter died. The university in Norfolk, Virginia, canceled classes and suspended all operations on its main campus for the rest of Thursday and urged people to avoid the area in and around Constant Hall while emergency officials continued to work.

Israeli military drops charges against soldiers accused of sexually assaulting Palestinian detainee

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it is dropping charges against five soldiers who were accused of sexually abusing a Palestinian detainee in an encounter partially caught on camera. The army announced the decision at a time when time when much of the country’s attention is focused on the war with Iran. The leaked video of the abuse was aired last year by Israel’s Channel 12 and purported to show an assault in which the soldiers sodomized the Palestinian detainee from Gaza with a knife. Israel’s move to arrest the soldiers in 2024 prompted fury from hard-line ultranationalists. Members of Israel’s far-right government called the investigation into their conduct an affront to their service.

At least 50 people killed and 125 others reported missing after landslides sweep Ethiopia

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — An official says at least 50 people have died and 125 others are missing after landslides hit three districts in southern Ethiopia following a week of heavy rains. The landslides happened in Gamo Zone and affected the Gacho Baba District, Kamba District and Bonke District, according to Gamo Zone director of disaster response Mesfin Manuqa. Manuqa said that one person was pulled out of the mud alive during the rescue operation. The Gacho Baba District communication chief said most of those who died were found buried in the mud. It is not yet clear how many households were affected.

Lawyers in landmark social media addiction trial make final appeals to the jury

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After about a month of hearing from addiction experts, therapists, platform engineers and executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, a jury will listen to closing arguments before heading to the deliberation room to decide whether social media companies should be liable for harms caused to children using their platforms. Closing statements in the trial will begin Thursday at the Spring Street Courthouse in Los Angeles. Lawyers representing the plaintiff, a 20-year-old woman, and those representing the two defendants, Meta and Google-owned YouTube, will make their respective cases to the jurors.

Smaller portions are a big restaurant trend as customers watch their budgets and waistlines

The biggest new restaurant trend is small. Special menus with petite, less expensive portions are popping up at large chains like Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory as well as trendy urban eateries and rural retreats. Restaurants hope that offering smaller servings beyond the children’s menu will meet many different diners’ needs, whether it’s saving money, losing weight or environmental concerns. Some restaurants are adding menus to court users of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy. Smaller portions aren’t a new concept. Twenty years ago, small-plate tapas restaurants were all the rage, for instance. The president of a culinary consulting firm says the scaled-down dishes appearing now seem part of a longer-term shift.

State lawmakers rush to set rounding rules for when there are no pennies

States are setting new rules for cash purchases after the U.S. Mint stopped making pennies and the 1-cent coins get scarcer. Some states are considering legislation to allow, or require, businesses to round purchase totals to the nearest nickel. Indiana already requires rounding for cash sales that do not end in zero or 5 cents. Some state agencies also are publishing guidance for consumers and businesses. Experts call the common method “symmetrical rounding.” A federal bill that would apply the symmetrical rounding standard across the country is stalled in Congress.

After years of growth, Georgia’s film industry hits a painful reset

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s film industry is struggling. The state’s generous tax credits once turned Atlanta into the Hollywood of the South, drawing hundreds of productions and transforming the local economy. But spending has tumbled from a peak of $4.4 billion in 2022 to just $2.3 billion the last fiscal year. The 2023 writers and actors strikes accelerated the decline, and Marvel has since shifted its productions to the United Kingdom. Many crew members say they’ve struggled to find film work, forcing some to get second jobs or leave the industry entirely. State officials say things are improving and that tax incentives were recently widened to cover newer types of content.

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