Good morning, Wilmington. Happy Friday — and what a morning to be here.

Quick bit of news before we get into it: Britt's Donuts is reopening on Friday, April 3. The Pleasure Island Chamber has confirmed the date, and there'll be a small ceremony before the first donuts come off the wheel. This will be the first season since the passing of longtime owner Bobby Nivens, who ran the shop for decades and died in October at 86. If you haven't made the annual pilgrimage yet, now you have a date to put on the calendar. Carolina Beach. Worth it.

Enjoy these WB sunrise pics from Karen. Just another reminder why we chose to live here.

In today's issue:

• The Battleship is turning 65 and launching a license plate campaign — they need 500 people to make it happen

• New Hanover County enters budget season with a $4 million deficit and a divided board

Battleship NC Launches Statewide License Plate Campaign to Fund Preservation

WWAY The Battleship North Carolina Memorial has launched a statewide campaign to create a specialty license plate, aiming to secure at least 500 pre-orders to unlock a custom design and support long-term preservation efforts. Proceeds from the plates will fund maintenance, educational programs, and public access, with the initiative coinciding with the ship’s 65th anniversary as a permanent Wilmington landmark.

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NHC Faces a $4 Million Budget Deficit — One Year After a Controversial Tax Cut

WECT — New Hanover County is entering budget season with a $4 million hole. County Manager Chris Coudriet revealed the shortfall at the county's first budget work session this month: projected spending exceeds expected revenue by roughly $4 million, even accounting for a projected 2.5% property tax base growth and 1% bump in sales tax.

The backdrop matters. Last year's budget — passed 3-2 along party lines — cut the property tax rate by 15 cents, dropping it to 30.6 cents per $100 of assessed value. Because property values across the region rose significantly, many homeowners still paid more in taxes despite the rate cut. But the lower rate left the county with less cushion heading into this cycle. And it's not just the county: New Hanover County Schools is separately working through an estimated $2.5 million deficit of its own.

Coudriet says he's confident he can balance the books without raising taxes — but the commissioners aren't all on the same page. Some insist the rate won't go up; others argue it's simply set too low to fund county services. Options on the table include service cuts and potentially tapping proceeds from the 2021 sale of New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health. The county manager's recommended budget is due June 1.

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News Roundup

Local News

If you're in a rural area of southeastern NC this week and you hear gunfire or see people in military gear — don't panic. It's the Army. The Robin Sage exercise, the U.S. Army's final qualifying test for Green Beret candidates, kicks off today (March 27) and runs through April 9. It spans 24 North Carolina counties, including Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus — all right in our backyard. Candidates will be role-playing an "unconventional warfare" scenario, which means blank gunfire and occasional flares are part of the deal. The Army asks residents not to interfere with personnel or equipment, and to call 910-432-1713 with questions. CBS17

What You Should Know

After 42 days of a partial DHS shutdown — and growing airport chaos — the Senate reached a deal overnight. In an unusual unanimous vote, senators passed funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security: TSA, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection inspection services. The carve-out: ICE and Border Patrol enforcement operations remain unfunded. The deal now heads to the House for a vote that could happen today. What broke the impasse? Trump's announcement that he'd declare a national emergency to pay TSA workers — which gave Senate leadership room to move. More than 480 TSA officers quit during the shutdown, with absence rates as high as 40% at some airports. NPR / Time

Also worth knowing: The FAA is investigating a close call between a United Airlines 737 and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter over Orange County, California on Tuesday night. The helicopter — a California National Guard aircraft on a training mission — crossed in front of the jet on final approach to John Wayne Airport, triggering a full collision avoidance alarm. At their closest, the aircraft were 525 feet apart vertically and 1,422 feet laterally. The FAA is specifically examining whether new safety protocols — implemented after last year's deadly collision near Reagan National — were properly followed. Flightradar24

What Might Surprise You

Starting this June, every new $100 bill will have Donald Trump's signature on it — the first time in 165 years a sitting president's signature has appeared on US currency. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the change this week, framing it as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration. Trump's signature will replace the Treasurer of the United States' signature on all new paper money, with other denominations to follow after $100s. Critics — including Democrats who've introduced legislation to block it — point out that federal law prohibits images of living presidents on currency, though the law technically applies to likenesses, not signatures. The distinction may be debated. US Treasury

A Washington Post investigation looks at Elon Musk's push to make human labor obsolete — and finds a growing coalition of billionaires is backing his vision. The piece centers on physical AI: robots like Tesla's Optimus, designed to perform all physical work currently done by humans. Musk's stated timeline is 10 to 20 years until work is "optional." Vinod Khosla and others have publicly backed the vision, arguing that governments are the key variable in whether it happens. The piece doesn't take a cheerful view of the transition. Washington Post

World News

UK police have reopened a rape and sexual assault investigation into Andrew Tate, after the Independent Office for Police Conduct found that a former detective may have failed to properly handle the original case, which was closed in 2019. Hertfordshire Constabulary says it will reinvestigate alleged offenses dating to 2014-2015. Separately, a civil trial brought by four women suing Tate is scheduled to begin June 22 in the Royal Courts of Justice. Court filings describe allegations including assault and threatening behavior. Euronews