• The White House stated China steals US AI technology at industrial scale via joint ventures, cyber intrusions, talent poaching, and front companies targeting universities and labs.
• Tactics include spear-phishing, zero-day exploits in software pipelines, and supply chain diversion of AI hardware like GPUs, fueling China's surveillance and weapons programs.
• Impacts could erode US AI competitive advantage, raise R&D costs for cybersecurity, and devalue intellectual property incentives for American firms.
Claim of nefarious plot draws attention of lawmakers and president – but are disappearances and deaths really linked?Are the disappearances or deaths of at least 11 US scientists, each allegedly connected in some way to space, defense and nuclear research, really linked in a nefarious plot: one that involves the Chinese or other state enemies, or possibly links back to UFOs?A conspiracy theory positing exactly that has roared through sections of the US population in recent weeks, spreading rapidly from the internet into rightwing media and hence into the mainstream press and prompting an inquiry from Congress and questions from Donald Trump. Continue reading...
• President Trump is attending the White House Correspondents' Dinner, colliding politics and media in a highly charged event.
• Flashback highlights include Stephen Colbert roasting George W. Bush and Axios reporter Alex Thompson calling out colleagues.
• The dinner underscores ongoing media-political tensions, especially post-executive orders and impeachment talks.
Rising costs have continued to plague the company, now facing soaring fuel costs due to the war with IranSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe White House is finalizing a financing package to help ailing US budget carrier Spirit Airlines, which could receive as much as $500m in loans as rising costs continue to plague the company.News of the potential deal comes as Spirit and others struggle with soaring fuel costs due to the war with Iran. Continue reading...
• President Trump delivered an emergency announcement from the Oval Office, placing the US on high alert over unspecified national security threats.
• The speech called for public vigilance and federal coordination based on credible intelligence, stunning observers.
• Reactions poured in from Congress, the Pentagon, and global markets amid a developing situation.
• President issues executive order on April 18, 2026, to speed medical treatments for serious mental illness using psychedelic drugs including ibogaine compounds.
• Order highlights clinical studies showing potential for patients with persistent conditions unresponsive to standard therapies.
• Directs federal agencies to prioritize research, approvals, and access to innovative mental health interventions nationwide.
• The White House released a sequestration order for Fiscal Year 2027 under Section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act.
• The order enforces automatic spending cuts across federal budgets to address deficit concerns amid ongoing fiscal debates.
• It impacts discretionary spending in defense and non-defense categories, potentially affecting thousands of programs.
No injuries reported and no suspect found after a search of park and surrounding area, agency saysThe US Secret Service said on Sunday it was investigating reports of overnight gunfire near Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the White House.No injuries were reported and no suspect was found after a search of the park and the surrounding area after midnight, the agency said in an online post. Continue reading...
• Federal judges blocked Trump administration actions that canceled asylum appointments for hundreds of thousands of migrants and terminated temporary legal status for up to 900,000 immigrants, ruling the administration acted unlawfully.
• A federal judge threw out a Justice Department lawsuit against Denver and Colorado sanctuary laws, determining the federal government cannot override state and local decisions on resource allocation.
• Judge Leon ruled Trump cannot restructure the White House ballroom without Congressional authorization, stating the president is a "steward" of the building, not its "owner"—a decision Trump disputed on Truth Social.
US National Park Service lawyers cite materials that will be installed to make ‘heavily fortified’ facilityDonald Trump’s administration is arguing that a judge’s order to halt construction of a $400m White House ballroom creates a security risk for the US president as his team asks a federal appeals court to pause the ruling.In a motion filed on Friday, US National Park Service (NPS) lawyers say that the federal judge’s order to suspend construction of the new facility is “threatening grave national-security harms to the White House, the president and his family, and the president’s staff”. Continue reading...
Trump ordered data collection after raising concern about race being used as factor in college admissionsA federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren’t considering race in admissions.The ruling from the US district court judge F Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs’ states. Continue reading...
• The White House touted a robust March 2026 jobs report on April 3, signaling accelerating economic momentum under President Trump.
• Specific figures highlight gains in employment and wage growth amid policy implementations.
• The data bolsters Trump's economic narrative ahead of midterm elections.
Ballroom is likely to get blessing from the National Capital Planning Commission, which is chaired by ex-Trump lawyerSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump’s White House ballroom project is likely to get a blessing from Washington planning authorities on Thursday, two days after a judge ruled work cannot proceed without Congress’s approval.The National Capital Planning Commission, which is chaired by one of Trump’s former lawyers, will deliberate and then vote on the “East Wing Modernization Project” on Thursday, according to a meeting agenda. Continue reading...
The National Capital Planning Commission had previously delayed the vote after thousands of negative public commentsHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The National Capital Planning Commission will meet this afternoon to decide on Donald Trump’s White House $400m ballroom project, after a federal judge halted construction earlier this week.House Republicans announced that they will pass a bill, advanced by the Senate last week, to end the record-breaking partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown after previously rejecting the measure.Democrats quickly celebrated the win with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer saying “House Republicans caved” after previously “[derailing] a bipartisan agreement, making American families pay the price for their dysfunction”.Nasa’s lunar rocket successfully launched and the astronauts on the first crewed lunar rocket in more than 50 years received praise from across the US.Attorney general Pam Bondi’s job with the Trump administration is reportedly at risk. The president is said to be unhappy with Bondi’s performance as the head of the justice department and the controversy surrounding the Epstein files, according to a New York Times report.Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida signed legislation on Wednesday to require documented proof of citizenship to register to vote and to begin a process that will eventually unenroll voters who have not provided citizenship documentation.Supreme court justices appeared skeptical of the Trump administration’s argument to restrict birthright citizenship for hundreds of thousands of children born to undocumented immigrants of temporary foreign nationals. Trump himself attended the hearing, widely considered to be the first time a sitting president has attended arguments at the supreme court. Continue reading...
• The White House issued 'A National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,' outlining legislative recommendations to advance U.S. AI priorities.
• This follows the July 2025 'America’s AI Action Plan' with over 90 policy actions across innovation, infrastructure, and international security, seeking business input on slowing regulations.
• The framework may limit funding to states with AI-restrictive rules, positioning the U.S. as the global AI leader.
US president demolished East Wing of White House last year to make way for 90,000-sq-ft projectSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA US judge has halted the construction of Donald Trump’s $400m White House ballroom.The US president demolished the historic East Wing of the White House last year to make way for the project. Continue reading...
• The White House issued its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence on March 20, 2026, guiding U.S. AI development.
• CSIS experts Navin Girishankar and Aalok Mehta discussed the framework's implications in a rapid round-up.
• The policy shapes U.S. AI leadership, influencing industry investments and regulations.
• White House technology advisor David Sacks has expanded his role to become co-chair of a newly formed presidential advisory council focused on guiding U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence.
• The council aims to shape national AI policy and strategy amid intensifying global competition.
• This development underscores the Biden administration's push to maintain U.S. dominance in AI innovation and deployment.
• President Trump extended the strike deadline on Iran's energy sector while warning that failure to accept current negotiation terms would result in "far greater military consequences," according to White House statements.
• The White House confirmed ongoing negotiations with Iranian leadership despite military operations continuing at historic levels, with Iranian leadership described by Trump as "desperate to negotiate."
• On March 20, 2026, the White House issued a four-page National Policy Framework on Artificial Intelligence, recommending Congress preempt state laws interfering with a minimally burdensome federal standard while protecting children and consumers.
• The framework prioritizes seven areas, including stronger parental controls for kids, letting courts decide AI training on copyrighted works, and requiring companies to cover data center energy costs without raising residential bills.
• It references the March 2026 Ratepayer Protection Pledge by tech firms and calls for streamlined permitting and resources for small businesses; Democrats responded with the GUARDRAILS Act to block a related Trump executive order.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on March 25, 2026, that President Trump will hit Iran harder if Tehran does not accept military defeat.
• The US is closely tracking efforts to secure oil tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz amid Iranian threats.
• This escalation threat underscores Trump's strategy to force Iran into capitulation, potentially prolonging the conflict without regime change.
Comedian who called Trump ‘gracious and measured’ will win humor award the White House dubbed ‘FAKE NEWS’Bill Maher will win the prestigious Mark Twain prize for American humor, the Kennedy Center said Thursday, less than a week after the White House forcefully denied that the comedian, who has had a hot-and-cold relationship with Donald Trump, would win it.“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy,” Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice-president of public relations, said in a statement. “For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse — one politically incorrect joke at a time.” Continue reading...
• First Lady Melania Trump appeared with Figure AI's Figure 03 humanoid robot at a White House education and technology summit on March 25, 2026.
• The Sunnyvale-based startup's third-generation robot is designed for household tasks like laundry, cleaning, and dishwashing.
• CEO Brett Adcock hailed it as the first humanoid robot in the White House, spotlighting AI's role in education and innovation.
• President issued an executive order on March 24, 2026, further continuing the FEMA Review Council established by Executive Order 14180.
• The council's term is extended until 10 days after its required report submission or May 29, 2026, whichever comes first.
• Extension ensures ongoing assessment of FEMA operations amid disaster preparedness concerns.
President also held on to record from his first term so sensitive only six people had access, says letter from leading Democrat on House judiciary committeeHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The White House says Donald Trump “did nothing wrong”, amid reports that he showed off a classified map on a 2022 flight to his New Jersey golf club.Violence continued across much of the Middle East a day after Donald Trump said the US was in “very good” talks with Iran to end the war in the region soon. Iranian barrages targeted Israel, Gulf Arab states and northern Iraq on Tuesday, while Israeli and US warplanes continued to carry out strikes across Tehran and on other targets in the Islamic Republic. More here.Democrats managed to flip a seat in the Florida state house in the district that is home to Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. Emily Gregory, a Democrat, defeated Republican Jon Maples, who had an endorsement from the US president, in the special election in Florida’s 87th state house district. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening, with Gregory, a public health expert and small business owner, leading by more than 2 percentage points. More here.Donald Trump on Tuesday swore in Markwayne Mullin as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), while Senate Republicans unveiled a compromise that would restart funding to most of the agency but appears to exclude reforms to immigration enforcement Democrats have demanded. More here.Donald Trump has described voting by mail as “cheating” at an event in Memphis, Tennessee, just days after casting a mail‑in ballot himself. “Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all,” the US president said on Monday, in remarks to a roundtable on his administration’s crime taskforce. More here.Workers with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are reeling from the White House’s deployment of immigration law enforcement into airports as TSA workers enter their sixth week without pay as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown continues. More than 400 TSA workers have quit since the shutdown began in February, with major US airports reporting high call-out rates among workers, leading to longer security wait times. More here.The California governor, Gavin Newsom, backtracked on earlier remarks likening Israel to an “apartheid state” in a new interview with Politico published on Tuesday. In the interview, the Democrat, who is widely expected to launch a presidential bid in 2028, said that when he used the term three weeks ago, he meant it to apply to Israel’s future should it continue on its present trajectory. More here. Continue reading...
Monument made from shattered pieces of original statue tossed into Baltimore’s inner harbor by protesters in 2020US politics – live updatesA statue of Christopher Columbus has been installed in the grounds of the White House in the latest attempt by Donald Trump to position the controversial explorer as a foundational hero of the US.The president had the 13ft statue, which weighs one ton, placed outside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on Pennsylvania Avenue. It is a replica of a monument to Columbus that was torn down and tossed into Baltimore’s inner harbor by protesters in the city amid widespread anti-racism protests in 2020. Continue reading...
• On March 20, 2026, the Trump administration unveiled a policy framework for AI governance, organized around seven pillars emphasizing child protection, free speech, U.S. innovation, and workforce development.
• The framework calls on Congress to preempt state and local AI laws, arguing AI development is an interstate issue with national security implications, and opposes new federal agencies.
• It recommends sector-specific applications via existing regulators, industry standards, and AI resources like grants and tax incentives for small businesses to boost deployment.
• White House released a national AI legislative framework on March 20, 2026, proposing federal preemption of state AI regulations while carving out exceptions for child safety, fraud, consumer protection, zoning, and government procurement.
• The framework defers copyright issues to courts rather than codifying the administration's position that training AI on copyrighted material constitutes lawful fair use, contradicting Senator Blackburn's bill that would categorically exclude copyrighted works from fair use.
• Provisions address energy costs for data centers, government censorship via AI platforms, and workforce displacement studies, though the line between 'AI development' preemption and preserved 'consumer protection' authority remains contentious.
• White House border czar Tom Homan met with bipartisan senators on Friday evening, March 20, proposing additional immigration enforcement concessions to resolve the ongoing Homeland Security shutdown now entering its fifth week.
• Republicans offered fresh draft legislation addressing Democratic concerns, though judicial warrant requirements for immigration raids and identification masking policies remain contentious points between parties.
• Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins called the latest GOP offer 'very fair and reasonable,' while Democratic aides indicated 'a ways to go' in securing reforms necessary for Democratic caucus support.
• The Trump administration on Friday unveiled a sweeping legislative blueprint for regulating artificial intelligence, pressing Congress to establish a clear federal framework as the administration has threatened broadband and internet funding restrictions on states with overly restrictive AI regulations.
• OpenAI signaled support for state-level alignment around California and New York models in the absence of national framework, while Google's Kent Walker flagged pro-big tech governor-backed legislation as exemplary.
• Despite the White House push for swift action, the legislation faces a challenging path in Congress, with two previous attempts by the administration to enshrine federal preemption having failed.
Image: QUE.com
