Companies using heating oil have already begun rationing their fuel use, says Federation of Small BusinessesMiddle East crisis – live updatesThousands of independent businesses across the UK are braced for their energy bills to more than double owing to the sharp rise in heating oil costs as the war in Iran pushed Europe’s fuel market prices to fresh record highs.About 7% of all small and medium-sized companies warm their properties and provide hot water using heating oil, which in some cases has more than doubled in recent weeks. Continue reading...
• West Virginia lawmakers completed 306 bills (153 House, 153 Senate) out of 2,777 introduced in the 2026 session, with Senate Bill 1 launching the First Small Business Growth Act via Commerce Department incentives.
• Senate Bill 104 grants $5,000 salary increases to all state mine inspectors effective July 1, 2026, covering electrical, underground, and surface specialists.
• Additional measures include Senate Bill 44 regulating cottage foods and Senate Bill 137 raising second-degree murder sentences to 15-60 years with 15-year parole minimum.
Chancellor says the government is looking at ways they can support people based on household income Good morning. Keir Starmer is giving a press conference this morning where, according to No 10, he will discuss the Iran war, and how the government is supporting people at home. Now we are in April, the new financial year is starting, and the government is highlighting measures it has introduced that will help people with the cost of living. The Conservatives have an alternative list, and they are claiming this morning that “Keir Starmer and his chancellor have piled on extra costs leaving families almost £1,000 worse off this year”.The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has been doing her own media too. She is on the Jeremy Vine show later, but she has already given an interview to BBC Breakfast in which she gave a marginally clearer idea of what she is planning to do to help people with energy bills than she did when she made a statement to MPs last week.From July to September, gas usage, especially by families and pensioners, is the lowest of any months of the year because it is the summer months …It will be really from the autumn onwards that people’s gas usage starts increasing. So at the moment we are working on a range of contingencies. And we are looking at more targeted measures. We are looking at ways we can support people based on their household income.I want to learn the lessons of the past because when Russia invaded Ukraine, the richest, the best-off third of households got more than a third of the support. That makes no sense at all. Continue reading...
Consumers brace for ‘awful April’ and Iran war cost hikes, which have pushed UK’s gas market past three-year highs Households in Great Britain could see their energy bills increase by about £290 a year to almost £2,000 from this summer in a “tough pill to swallow” for consumers already braced for a volley of “awful April” cost hikes from Wednesday.A typical gas and electricity bill is now forecast to reach £1,929 a year from July under the industry regulator Ofgem’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by the energy consultancy Cornwall Insight. Continue reading...
• On March 26, 2026, President Trump signed H.R. 3377 authorizing Medal of Honor for Marine James Capers, Jr. for Vietnam War valor.
• H.R. 7194, the Nicholas Dockery Medal of Honor Act, authorizes award for Army soldier Nicholas Dockery's Afghanistan service heroism.
• H.R. 7211 authorizes Medal of Honor for John W. Ripley for Vietnam War acts, marking rare posthumous or delayed recognitions.
• Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed eight of nine AI-related bills passed by the legislature this year, advancing state-level AI governance.
• Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed four of five AI bills post March 12 adjournment, including measures on AI safety and implementation.
• These laws address AI in advertising, children's safety, and administrative use, signaling growing state regulation of AI technologies.
• U.S. Representative Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) led two bipartisan bills that passed the House unanimously on March 26, 2026, aimed at strengthening federal oversight and enhancing safety at federal facilities.
• The legislation targets improvements in regulatory compliance and security protocols across government properties nationwide.
• This rare unanimous support highlights cross-party consensus on bolstering federal infrastructure resilience amid rising security concerns.
• The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved five bipartisan bills on March 25, 2026, providing tax relief to natural disaster victims, sexual assault survivors, and pre-school teachers while enhancing IRS customer service and whistleblower protections.
• Key measures include the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act (H.R. 5366, passed 41-0) and the Supporting Early-childhood Educators’ Deductions Act (SEED Act, H.R. 5334, passed 43-0), allowing up to $350 annual deductions for classroom expenses for standard deduction filers.
• The IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act (H.R. 7959) strengthens protections for tax fraud informants; all bills received strong bipartisan support amid ongoing tax proposal discussions.
Chancellor says package offered by Liz Truss’s government was unaffordable and any future help will be targetedRachel Reeves has ruled out universal support to deal with any future rise in energy bills, saying any government help would be targeted, and criticised the support offered by Liz Truss’s government as unaffordable and irresponsible.The chancellor also said she would review the planned fuel duty rise in September, but she did not commit to delaying or postponing it. Continue reading...
Practices must publish price lists, cap prescription fees and reveal if they are part of a large group, watchdog saysBusiness live – latest updatesThe UK’s competition watchdog has ordered vets to cap prescription fees at £21 and proposed a price comparison website, after finding consumers had faced huge price rises and been “left in the dark” over bills.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said public satisfaction with the cost of services was “low” after an investigation into the £6.3bn market found “there is not strong competition between veterinary businesses”, with large chains dominant. Continue reading...
PM indicates he would prefer to focus taxpayer-funded help on poorest households, rather than universal bailoutMinisters are looking at providing support for household bills next winter, Keir Starmer said, as he suggested the energy price shock unleashed by the Iran conflict could continue for months to come.The prime minister indicated he would prefer to focus any taxpayer-funded help on the poorest households, rather than an expensive universal bailout, ahead of an emergency meeting on the economic fallout of the Middle East crisis. Continue reading...
Consultancy’s forecast of £1,972 annual dual fuel bill follows conflict pushing UK’s gas market past three-year highsBusiness live – latest updatesHousehold energy bills in Great Britain could soar by more than £330 a year to almost £2,000 from this summer after the war in Iran pushed the UK’s gas market past three-year highs.A typical combined household gas and electricity bill is now forecast to reach £1,972 a year from July under the UK government’s quarterly price cap, according to analysis by Cornwall Insight, an energy consultancy. Continue reading...
• Washington legislators adjourned sine die on March 12 after passing five significant AI-related bills, including SB 1786 requiring provenance data in AI-generated video, image, and audio content, and HB 2311 establishing safety standards for chatbots targeting children.
• SB 1786 was approved by the full Senate on March 3 and is nearing third reading in the House, while HB 2311 passed its second Senate reading on March 9 with a "Do pass" recommendation from the Senate ATT Committee on March 17.
• The bills represent growing legislative momentum on AI regulation across states, with additional measures addressing false advertising claims for health products and algorithmic transparency still in committee hearings.
• The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform advanced nine bills on March 19, 2026, to safeguard American taxpayers and ensure efficient use of federal funds.
• Key measures include H.R. 7934 requiring agencies to publish settlement agreements online, doubling whistleblower cash awards to $20,000, and mandating Treasury reports on fiscal risks from crises amid $38 trillion debt.
• Legislation reforms FFATA for accurate USAspending.gov data and recognizes special districts for federal aid, addressing unreported funds including national security spending.
• Lawmakers reviewed 27 bills on March 18, 2026, in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to update VA health care, accountability, education, and workforce programs, many unchanged for 30 years.
• Proposals include 12 Republican-led and 15 Democrat-led bills expanding dental coverage, VA mental health for incarcerated veterans with PTSD, and aligning drug formularies with industry standards.
• Chairman Bost stressed reauthorization as a tool to fix underperforming programs; bills also update leasing, contracts, and protect 30% veteran VA staff from layoffs via Rep. Tim Kennedy's act.
Iran war has increased gas price, with effects on UK energy bills that could be avoided, Common Wealth saysHousehold energy bills could be reduced by up to £203 a year by stopping expensive fossil gas setting the price of energy in the UK, according to a report.Under the existing system, gas – the most expensive form of electricity production in the UK system – set the price of energy 85% of the time in 2024 in the UK, even though it generates only about a quarter of Britain’s electricity. Continue reading...
Increased output from wind generation and batteries, and falling electricity contract prices, are expected to deliver lower energy billsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastPower prices on Australia’s east coast are predicted to fall from July due to increased output from wind generation and batteries, and falling electricity contract prices, with potential savings up to $1,320 for some small businesses.In a draft decision on Thursday, the Australia Energy Regulator (AER) proposed a price reduction for customers on standing electricity plans - known as the “default market offer” - of between 1.3% to 10.1% for residential customers, and between 8.5% and 21.2% for small businesses, depending on the region. Continue reading...
As Iran war drives up cost concerns, thinktank says £3.7bn discount system should be developed before next winterThe UK government is facing calls to spend almost £4bn to launch a “social tariff” providing cheaper energy for poor households amid growing concerns over the Iran conflict.As households brace for an increase in living costs, the Resolution Foundation said ministers should develop a system of discounted domestic energy bills in time for next winter to protect the most vulnerable households. Continue reading...
• The Center for Technological Responsibility, Reimagination, and Redesign (CNTR) at Brown University has created a new portal to help the public, journalists, researchers, and policymakers understand the complex landscape of AI-related legislation in the United States.
• The portal contains 5,000 bills with detailed profiles on 100, created with a framework evaluating policies on transparency, data protection, bias, education, content, and labor.
• More than 1,000 AI-related bills have been introduced in the US over the past three years, with the majority of Americans favoring greater AI regulation despite the overwhelming volume of proposals.
• The House scheduled multiple environmental and natural resource bills for floor consideration under suspension of the rules during the week of March 16, 2026, including forest restoration and park management legislation.
• Bills on the schedule include the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025, Save Our Sequoias, the Chiricahua National Park Act, and the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program Amendment Act.
• The legislation also includes the DIGITAL Applications Act, the Small Cemetery Conveyance Act, and the Shivwits Band of Paiutes Jurisdictional Clarity Act, reflecting bipartisan work on diverse policy issues.
Experts say Nigel Farage’s party is not being transparent about how it will use data it collects on people’s voting habitsReform UK risks breaching data protection laws with its competition to win free energy bills for a year, lawyers and data experts have warned.Nigel Farage announced the lottery on Tuesday as a way to advertise his latest policy to cut energy bills. The Reform leader encouraged British people to sign up via a website, nigelcutmybills.com, for a chance to have their energy bills paid for a year, as well as those of their entire street. Continue reading...
But Michael Shanks says government will not be rushed into plans to reduce costs faced by households due to war in IranBritain’s energy minister has said “every penny” levied on household energy bills will be scrutinised after suppliers warned that households could face a price hike of £250 a year due to the war in Iran.Michael Shanks told MPs that the government would stand ready to provide support wherever needed, but it would not be rushed into plans to reduce the costs faced by households or offer direct financial support. Continue reading...
Average arrears for housing, utilities and council tax for low-income households all rose last yearHigh levels of debt on essential bills have become the “new normal” for many low-income households, the charity StepChange said on Monday, with average arrears for housing, utilities and council tax all going up last year.People’s budgets have been stretched in recent years as they have faced higher prices for many goods and services, and the crisis in the Middle East has led to concerns over a new wave of increases. Continue reading...
• West Virginia Senate on March 14, 2026, passed Senate Bill 947 providing free certified birth certificates to homeless individuals under 18, waiving fees up to $12.
• Senate Bill 906 allows prescription, distribution, and marketing of federally approved psilocybin-based medications, reclassifying from Schedule I status.
• Bills advance women's collegiate sports via endowments at NCAA Division I public universities under Senate Bill 502.
Lawmakers in nine states introduced more than fifteen tariff disclosure bills in 2026, requiring businesses to display tariff costs on receipts or vehicle labels amid midterm election pressures. Oregon's HB 4061 would provide grants to small businesses affected by federal tariffs, while both Democrats and Republicans target algorithmic pricing software in states like Illinois (HB 4717), Ohio (SB 328), Tennessee (SB 1807), and Utah (SB 293). These measures aim to address constituent concerns over rising living costs by promoting transparency in pricing practices potentially enabling price collusion. Additional bills in Colorado (HB 1210) and Maryland (HB 148) extend restrictions to workplace algorithms used for wage setting.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced a full committee markup on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 10:00am ET, to consider multiple bills aimed at protecting taxpayer dollars and improving government accountability. The legislation includes reforms to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) requiring annual reporting on unreported funds, including national security spending, and mandates federal agencies to publish settlement agreement details like dates, payments, and attorney fees in public databases. These measures address long-standing concerns over inefficient federal spending and lack of transparency, potentially saving billions by ensuring accurate data on USAspending.gov. The Special District Fairness and Accessibility Act would also define special districts in law and require OMB guidance for their eligibility for federal grants.
High-net-worth residents of UAE heading to Ireland and France to wait out missile attacks before tax year endsWealthy UK nationals fleeing war in the Gulf are seeking sanctuary in countries such as Ireland and France to avoid hefty tax bills back home.In the face of possible demands from HM Revenue and Customs, high-net-worth individuals who had been living in the United Arab Emirates and neighbouring countries are hoping to wait out the missile and drone attacks elsewhere rather than return to the UK. Continue reading...
