Department

Discrepancy in forecasts raises questions over government planning for net zeroOne vision of the UK’s future involves a decarbonised economy powered by clean, renewable energy. Another involves making the UK an AI superpower.The government departments responsible for these two visions do not appear to have agreed on their numbers. Continue reading...

Move creates conflict between state and administration as Trump seeks federal framework over states handling issueSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US justice department said on Friday it had intervened in a lawsuit by Elon Musk’s xAI challenging a Colorado law aimed at regulating artificial intelligence systems.In its intervention, the justice department said the law violates the 14th amendment’s equal protection guarantee by requiring companies to guard against unintended discriminatory effects while allowing some discrimination aimed at promoting diversity. Continue reading...

Philip Rycroft says promises on issues from economics to immigration have not lived up to expectationsBritain should start talking about rejoining the EU, according to a former senior civil servant who ran the Brexit department.Philip Rycroft, who was permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said the “argument was there to be won” about going back into Europe, adding that a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests” was needed. However, he said rejoining the bloc could be a “long and windy” road. Continue reading...

The department of justice has refused to hand over key evidence from the Jeffrey Epstein files and could delay Scotland Yard’s criminal inquiry.Good morning. The UK criminal investigation into Peter Mandelson has reportedly ground to a halt after the US justice department refused to hand over evidence contained in the Epstein files.The documents relate to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which Scotland Yard believes could hold key evidence related to Mandelson, who served as business secretary and US ambassador. While the Met has asked for voluntary disclosure, the US department of justice is insisting on a Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) request, a legal back and forth between countries to obtain evidence, the Telegraph has reported. Continue reading...

• The acting Attorney General announced charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center alleging fraud in its informant program. • Authorities assert that the SPLC's informant program paid sources to "stoke racial hatred," suggesting deliberate misuse of funds and inflammatory activities. • The investigation remains ongoing with the possibility of future indictments naming SPLC executives as defendants.

Mandated release of files was marred by missed deadlines, leaked victims’ information and excessive redactionsUS politics live – latest updatesThe US Department of Justice’s office of the inspector general (OIG) announced on Thursday that it is launching an audit of the justice department’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.In a news release, the deputy inspector general William M Blier, who the statement said is performing the duties of the inspector general, said that the “preliminary objective” of the internal probe “is to evaluate the [justice department’s] processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records in its possession as required by the Act”. Continue reading...

Need something brilliant to read this weekend? Here are six of our favourite pieces from the last seven days Continue reading...

Democratic representative from California has suspended gubernatorial campaign and resigned from CongressThe US Department of Justice (DoJ) has opened an investigation into Eric Swalwell following his resignation from Congress, according to a source familiar with the matter.The news of a federal investigation comes days after the Democratic representative from California stepped down due to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against cartel-linked casinos and key associates operating on the U.S.-Mexico border on April 14, 2026. • The action represents a continued enforcement effort targeting financial networks connected to organized crime along the southwestern border. • The sanctions highlight the Treasury's commitment to disrupting illicit financial flows and money laundering operations tied to criminal organizations.

Three arrested by federal agents had family ties to Iranian military general, regime spokesperson or security chiefUnited States federal agents arrested three Iranian nationals – including the son of a revolutionary at the center of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis – after the US state department terminated their green cards, the department announced on Saturday.State department officials revoked the green card status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, whose mother was an Iranian revolutionary who served as the spokesperson for Iran’s regime during the hostage crisis that defined the late Jimmy Carter’s presidency. The state department also revoked the green card – or legal permanent resident – statuses of Hashemi’s wife and son. Continue reading...

• Initial jobless claims totaled 285,000 for the week ending April 5, slightly above expectations but remaining within the normal range, signaling continued labor market strength despite economic headwinds. • The four-week moving average for claims declined to 268,000, suggesting underlying labor market conditions remain robust with minimal layoff activity across major sectors. • Economists noted that while the labor market continues to generate positive employment data, wage growth pressures persist, complicating the Federal Reserve's inflation-fighting efforts.

• Jefferson Abington hospital closed its behavioral health unit to accommodate overflow from the emergency department, citing capacity pressures. • The facility will continue providing crisis services and outpatient behavioral health through alternative arrangements, ensuring continuity of care for patients. • The closure reflects broader challenges in the healthcare system regarding bed capacity, mental health service demand, and emergency department overcrowding.

Trump announced deputy attorney general, who was his former personal attorney, would act up until permanent replacement is confirmedPam Bondi’s swift dismissal on Thursday underscores a reality that has met Trump loyalists from Jeff Sessions to Kristi Noem – no amount of loyalty is enough to save oneself from being dumped by Donald Trump.Since the president assumed office last year, there have been few people more important to his effort to remake government than Bondi, his longtime friend. Continue reading...

• Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced HR 8167, the Diplomatic Reserve Corps Act of 2026, on March 31, authorizing a 1,000-member ready reserve for U.S. diplomatic efforts. • Co-led by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and endorsed by the American Academy of Diplomacy, the bill addresses heightened demand periods for diplomacy. • The reserve would enable rapid deployment of experienced personnel to support State Department operations globally.

• On March 26, 2026, Education Secretary McMahon announced the Department of Education will vacate its longtime headquarters at the Lyndon B. Johnson building in August 2026, relocating to 500 D St SW. • The Department of Energy will move into the Lyndon B. Johnson Building, with the administration projecting annual savings of $4.8 million in operating costs on a building that is 70% vacant. • The relocation reflects broader changes to the Department of Education under the Trump administration and represents a significant restructuring of federal agency real estate use.

Treasury department said Financial Times article about Scott Bessent’s views on Fed oversight was ‘manufactured’ The US treasury department demanded on Friday that the Financial Times (FT) retract a report on treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s views on the Federal Reserve, accusing the newspaper of publishing “false claims” in a formal complaint that was escalated to the news outlet’s parent company, Nikkei Inc.The email from treasury officials, addressed to senior editors at the FT and Nikkei, disputed multiple claims in the story and criticized the headline as misrepresenting the underlying reporting. Continue reading...

• The US Treasury Department is preparing to place President Donald Trump's signature on every new US paper bill, marking the first time for a sitting president, according to an anonymous Treasury official speaking to the Associated Press on Thursday. • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's signature will also appear, with Bessent stating 'there is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country' than with dollar bills bearing Trump's name. • This initiative coincides with efforts to feature Trump's image on a 24-karat gold commemorative coin for America's 250th birthday on July 4, approved earlier this month by a federal arts commission.

Attorney general decries ‘outrageous federal overreach’ after government restarted pipeline closed over 2015 spillCalifornia attorney general Rob Bonta said he has sued the US energy department to stop it from using a cold-war era law to restart the long-disputed Sable Offshore pipeline system linking the Santa Ynez offshore platform to California refineries.US energy secretary Chris Wright earlier this month restarted the pipelines using powers granted to him by Donald Trump through an executive order that invoked the Defense Production Act to supersede state laws. Continue reading...

About 65% of US firefighters are volunteers, as New York state says number has fallen to lowest level in 40 yearsOfficials have warned of serious consequences after the number of volunteer firefighters, the bedrock of firefighting in the US, plunged, leading to entire departments to close in some states.About 65% of American firefighters are volunteers, serving in their free-time alongside regular jobs. In 2008 there were 827,000 volunteers nationwide, but that figure dropped to 635,000 in 2023, the last year data is available. Continue reading...

DHSC corrects statements after regulator intervenes as experts say smoking causes far more cancer casesThe Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has had to retract a misleading claim that sunbeds are as dangerous a cancer risk as smoking.In January, health officials announced stricter rules for sunbeds, incorrectly claiming they were “as dangerous as smoking”. The comparison was repeated in social media posts shared by the health secretary and NHS England and was reported by a number of media outlets. Continue reading...

• The State Department announced a new Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response with 12 regional hubs to coordinate emergency aid, replacing functions of the dismantled USAID. • Hubs will be located in Miami, Bogota, Guatemala City, Santo Domingo, Kyiv, Amman, Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dakar, Bangkok, Dhaka, and Manila, with 200 staffers based in Washington. • The move follows Trump administration cuts to foreign aid, especially climate and social justice programs, amid criticism from aid organizations, though a $2 billion UN contribution was made last year.

HHS is looking into the states for ‘alleged disregard of, or confusion about’ the federal Weldon amendmentSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said on Thursday that it is investigating 13 states that require state-regulated health insurance plans to cover abortion services.HHS officials said in a news release that the department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is looking into the states for allegedly violating the federal Weldon amendment, which prohibits federal funding for programs or state or local governments that “subjects any institutional or individual healthcare entity to discrimination on the basis that the healthcare entity does not provide, pay for, provide coverage of, or refer for abortions”. Continue reading...

• The State Department announced on March 18 that effective April 2, 2026, citizens from 12 additional countries—Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia—must post bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for U.S. visas. • After April 2, the total number of countries subject to the visa bond requirement will expand to 50, primarily targeting nations with high overstay rates, particularly in Africa; visa applicants must post bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on their circumstances and consular officer discretion. • The Trump administration program, rolled out last year to combat visa overstays and illegal migration, has demonstrated effectiveness, with the State Department reporting that nearly 97% of almost 1,000 bond-posting applicants have not overstayed their visas.

Margaret Hodge, who led report into arts funder, tells DCMS committee that grant recipients have lost confidence in the bodyArts Council England (ACE) requires a “radical” overhaul so that it is able to respond to the challenges of the culture sector, according to Margaret Hodge, who said if ACE leaders did not heed her warnings it would be a “disaster”.The Labour peer, who led a wide-ranging and critical report into ACE, made the comments at a Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee, where she reiterated her calls for the organisation to embrace reform. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Department of Energy announced $293 million in funding to advance the Genesis Mission's efforts to tackle the nation's most complex science and technology challenges. • The funding represents a significant federal commitment to supporting breakthrough scientific research and innovation across multiple fields.

• The U.S. Department of Defense designated Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance (Q-BID) as one of six critical technology areas in November 2025, with the Quantum Applications Program receiving $59.5 million in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. • Quantum computing, sensing, and networking have advanced at the research level, but substantial gaps remain between laboratory demonstrations and industrial deployment, particularly in miniaturization, durability, and production cost reduction for quantum sensors. • The United States maintains classical computing leadership but faces gaps in quantum-supercomputer deployment compared to international competitors, with Europe and Japan reaching operational quantum-supercomputer deployment stages that U.S. initiatives have not yet achieved.

The US Commerce Department withdrew a planned rule on artificial-intelligence chip exports on Friday, marking the latest policy reversal by the Trump administration regarding technology trade controls. The withdrawal represents a significant shift in the administration's approach to regulating AI semiconductor exports, which had been a contentious issue affecting companies like Nvidia and other chipmakers. This decision follows earlier statements from administration officials indicating a more flexible stance on AI chip distribution policies compared to previous regulatory frameworks. The reversal signals potential changes in how the US will manage competition with foreign nations in advanced semiconductor and AI technology sectors.

The US Commerce Department withdrew a planned rule on Friday that would have required permits for exports of advanced AI chips from companies like Nvidia and AMD to global customers. The abandoned Trump administration proposal aimed to involve case-by-case reviews by the Commerce Department's licensing office, contingent on factors such as government agreements and end-user computing power needs. Commerce officials rejected returning to the prior administration's 'burdensome, overreaching and disastrous' AI diffusion framework. This decision eases restrictions on the semiconductor industry amid ongoing trade tensions.