• On March 31, 2026, the New York Legislature passed and Governor Hochul signed the first budget extender bill, funding government operations through April 8 amid stalled budget talks.
• The extender ensures state workers remain paid as negotiations continue over policy differences, pushing past the April 1 deadline for the SFY 2026-27 budget.
• This signals ongoing delays in finalizing New York's $239 billion state budget, with key disputes on spending priorities and reforms.
PM to focus on European defence and economic partnership for ‘dangerous world’ in pivot away from USUK politics live – latest updatesBritain’s long-term national interest requires closer partnership with the EU, Keir Starmer has said, citing war in the Middle East and the increasingly “volatile” international situation.The prime minister indicated that the conflict had re-focused the government on “ambitious” new ties with Europe, economically and in defence, and said that how Britain emerged from the crisis “would define us for a generation”. Continue reading...
Tabloid outlet has covered Republicans and Democrats relaxing at places like Disney World as shutdown drags onWhen US federal workers were missing paychecks and the partial government shutdown entered its seventh week, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina, was doing what any responsible lawmaker would do: riding Space Mountain and carrying a bubble wand at Disney World in Florida.Naturally, TMZ had photos of the vacationing senator on its homepage a few days later. Continue reading...
John Healey says extra deployment is response to ‘expanding threat’ from IranMiddle East crisis – live updatesUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK is sending more military support to the Gulf taking the total deployment to 1,000 troops, amid more jibes from Donald Trump about Britain’s refusal to get involved in offensive operations against Iran.Speaking from Qatar where he met UK troops, the defence secretary, John Healey, said the extra deployment was in response to an “expanding threat” from Iran. Continue reading...
• JPMorgan Chase authorized a $5 billion share repurchase program, effective immediately, following a strong first quarter in which net income exceeded $6.2 billion and return on equity reached 15.3%.
• CEO Jamie Dimon stated that the buyback reflects management confidence in the bank's capital position and long-term earnings trajectory despite macroeconomic headwinds.
• The announcement signals investor-friendly capital allocation policies among major financial institutions, supporting bank stock valuations and demonstrating the sector's resilience amid ongoing rate cut speculation.
• Bitcoin price fell to $66,710.43 at 8:45 a.m. ET on March 31, 2026, down $1,112 from prior day and $15,830 from recent peak.
• Decline reflects ongoing cryptocurrency market pressures in US trading.
• Highlights volatility impacting tech investment sectors tied to digital assets.
National average hit $4.02, according to AAA data, capping an extraordinary rise from $2.98 just a month agoAverage US fuel prices have crossed $4 per gallon for the first time in four years, piling pressure on drivers as Donald Trump’s war on Iran continues to boost oil markets.The nationwide average climbed to almost $4.02 on Tuesday, according to AAA data, capping an extraordinary rise from $2.98 just a month ago. It has not been this high since August 2022. Continue reading...
Kuwait says fire broke out after Iranian attack on giant tanker and warns of possible oil spill in surrounding watersHello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy.Iran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Monday while Donald Trump warned the US would obliterate Iran’s energy plants and oil wells if it did not open the strait of Hormuz.Blasts were heard in Tehran and power cuts hit some areas of the capital, Iranian media reported on Tuesday. Israel earlier carried out missile strikes on what it called military infrastructure in Tehran and infrastructure used by Iran-backed Hezbollah in Beirut, leaving black smoke hanging over the Lebanese capital.Two successive Iranian missile launches targeted central Israel, the Times of Israel reported, quoting the emergency service as saying it had not received any reports of injuries.Turkey reported a ballistic missile launched from Iran had entered Turkish airspace before being shot down by Nato air and missile defences.Oil prices were headed on Tuesday for a record monthly rise while Asian shares were headed for their steepest fall since 2022, capping a tumultuous month as the war fanned fears of higher inflation and slower growth. Bonds were headed for their largest decline in months, while the dollar recorded its strongest gain in eight months.The US national average retail price of fuel crossed $4 a gallon for the first time in more than three years on Monday, data from price-tracking service GasBuddy showed, as tightening global supplies pushed US crude prices above $101 a barrel.Three UN peacekeepers from Indonesia were killed in two separate incidents in southern Lebanon.Thousands of soldiers from the US Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division have started arriving in the Middle East, two US officials told Reuters. , as part of a reinforcement that would expand Trump’s options to include the deployment of forces inside Iranian territory, even as he pursues talks with Tehran.The White House later said talks with Iran were progressing and Trump wanted to reach a deal with Tehran before a 6 April deadline he set last week after extending an earlier deadline he had set for Iran to open the largely blocked strait of Hormuz oil route.Trump had told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the strait or Hormuz remains largely closed and leave a complex operation to reopen it for a later date, the Wall Street Journal later reported.Iran said on Monday it had received US peace proposals via intermediaries and that they were “unrealistic, illogical and excessive”. Continue reading...
• President Trump's approval rating dropped to 41% in a Fox News poll released last week, with 59% of voters disapproving, marking the lowest point of his second term.
• A war abroad and stalled domestic agenda are colliding with weakening polls, raising alarms inside the GOP as midterm fears grow.
• The declining ratings underscore challenges for Republicans heading into elections, potentially impacting party strategy and legislative priorities.
• President Trump is pressing Congress to cut short its two-week recess and return to fund the Department of Homeland Security, now over 40 days into the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump offered to host a big Easter dinner if lawmakers return to fight Democrats on the issue.
• The House passed a bill to fund DHS through May 22, but top Democrats called it 'dead on arrival' in the Senate; Senate partially funded DHS except ICE and border protection last Friday.
