Measure that would fund homeland security but exclude money for ICE could conclude lengthy funding lapseAn end to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may be in sight, after Congress’s Republican leaders on Wednesday agreed to advance legislation that would fund the majority of the agency’s operations, with the exception of those involved in immigration enforcement.The pact may conclude the longest such funding lapse in US history, which last month caused security lines to stretch for hours at some airports as employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a subagency of DHS, quit their jobs or called out of work after going weeks without pay. Continue reading...
• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on April 1, 2026, that state bans on conversion therapy for minors violate counselors' First Amendment rights.
• The decision overturns California's pioneering 2012 law and similar measures in over 20 states prohibiting practices aimed at changing sexual orientation.
• Chief Justice Roberts wrote the majority opinion, emphasizing licensed professionals' speech protections in private counseling.
Government keen to avoid panic as oil price surges, but perhaps households need advice on reducing consumptionLabour ministers sent out in recent days to respond to the looming energy crisis sparked by the Iran war have essentially stuck to that reassuring wartime slogan: keep calm and carry on.“I think people should go about their lives as normal, knowing that the government is taking action to bring energy bills down,” James Murray, the chief secretary to the Treasury, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday. Continue reading...
• S&P 500 rises 1.12% or 71 points, with SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) up 0.91% or $5.78, on March 31, 2026, amid news President Trump may end the war.
• Dow Jones climbs 1.14% or 512 points, Nasdaq advances 1.09% or 252 points, as futures explode on the development.
• Oil increases 25 cents to $103.13 per barrel, gold jumps $51.39 to $4,579 an ounce, while Bitcoin falls $173 to $66,554.
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...
Union boss says workers have received some, but not all, of their paySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Security lines have eased at airports, clearing the worst of the bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) officers began receiving backpay for working during the government shutdown.Allegations swirl that a broker for Pete Hegseth inquired into an investment in key defense companies before the Iran war began. The Morgan Stanley broker allegedly made an inquiry with BlackRock regarding an investment into a defense-focused equity fund. The Pentagon denied the allegations calling them “entirely false and fabricated”.Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to rename the Palm Beach International Airport after Donald Trump. This would make the airport the latest in a long list of institutions, government programs, buildings and even money named after the president.The US government has directed all of its embassies and consulates to launch coordinated campaigns against foreign propaganda. Marco Rubio signed a cable on Monday directing the embassies to coordinate with the US military’s psychological operations unit to address disinformation. It suggested using Elon Musk’s social media platform X to carry out the campaign.José Guadalupe Ramos, a Mexican national, becomes the 14th known person to die in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the beginning of the year. He was found unconscious in his bunk last week at the Adelanto detention center in California and pronounced dead after being taken to a nearby medical center.The army is investigating a helicopter fly-by at Kid Rock’s hillside swimming pool in Tennessee on Saturday. Two army choppers on a training run visited and hovered by the rocker’s house as he saluted them. According to the army, there was no official request for the fly-by, which triggered the administrative review. Continue reading...
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite have officially entered correction territory, each falling more than 10% from their recent peaks, signaling sustained market weakness across major indices.
• The S&P 500 declined 25.13 points to close at 6,343.72, down 0.4%, while deepening losses to 9.1% below its record set in early 2026; the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7% to 20,794.64.
• Wall Street has recorded its fifth consecutive week of losses, driven by rising geopolitical tensions from the US-Iran conflict combined with aggressive Trump administration tariff measures heightening market uncertainty.
Price of typical UK home increased by 0.9% in March, but surging mortgage rates amid conflict in Middle East is expected to put break on activityBusiness live – latest updatesUK house prices increased at the fastest rate in almost 18 months in March, although surging mortgage rates amid the Iran war is likely to lead to a slowdown in the market, according to Nationwide.The UK’s biggest building society said the price of a typical UK home increased by 0.9% month-on-month in March, the largest increase since December 2024. Continue reading...
• 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.
• UConn defeated top-seeded Duke 73-72 in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament with Braylon Mullins' desperation 3-pointer at 0.4 seconds left, rallying from a 19-point first-half deficit to advance to the Final Four.
• Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to tie the game at three points down before Mullins' shot; Duke led by three entering the final moments.
• This marks the second straight season Duke suffers a huge collapse in the tournament as the top overall seed, while UConn now boasts a 54-game winning streak heading into the Final Four.
