Schedule

Cole Allen remains in custody after being charged with attempting to assassinate Donald TrumpHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.The suspect from the 25 April shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner has a hearing covering the conditions of his confinement scheduled for later today.Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City, has been hospitalised and is in a “critical but stable condition”, his spokesperson said on Sunday evening. Ted Goodman, the spokesperson, posted on social media: “Mayor Giuliani is a fighter who has faced every challenge in his life with unwavering strength, and he’s fighting with that same level of strength as we speak. We do ask that you join us in prayer for America’s Mayor Rudy Giuliani.”Donald Trump’s approval rating has hit its worst level during his two terms in office, with more than six in 10 Americans disapproving of the president’s job performance. Trump’s rating is at its worst on the cost of living and other economic issues since launching his deeply unpopular war against Iran in February, which has plunged the global economy into an oil crisis and sent gas prices rocketing to a four-year high.Trump has announced that the US will “guide” ships trapped by the Iran war out of the Gulf through the strait of Hormuz on Monday morning, and claimed his representatives were having “very positive” discussions with Iran. Trump wrote on his social media site that the operation, called “Project Freedom”, would be a humanitarian gesture “on behalf of the United States, Middle Eastern Countries but, in particular, the Country of Iran”.The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is to travel to Rome this week for a visit reportedly aimed at thawing frosty relations with the Italian government and the Vatican. Rubio is scheduled to be in the Italian capital on Thursday and Friday, which will also mark the one-year anniversary of the papacy of Pope Leo, the first US-born pontiff.Pete Hegseth’s purges of senior officers with impeccable reputations have caused alarm at the Pentagon, raising questions about whether a supposed last line of defense against the impulsive whims of a president with access to the nuclear codes still exists.Trump is attempting to select his own citizenry and control who can vote by gathering the personal details of all Americans, Arizona’s top election official has warned. Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s Democratic secretary of state, fears that the Trump administration’s active efforts to forcibly extract voter files from 30 states including Fontes’s own are part of a bigger plan to gather vital information on all US citizens into a centralised database. Continue reading...

• The Trump administration filed an appeal Wednesday evening against a Massachusetts federal judge's March 16 ruling that blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s overhaul of the nation's childhood vaccine schedule. • Judge Brian Murphy had ruled that Kennedy replaced the CDC's vaccine advisory committee "unlawfully" and placed any decisions made by the committee on hold. • The appeal signals the administration's intention to proceed with restructuring the vaccine advisory process despite legal challenges to its authority.

• On April 14, 2026, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) completed its primary mission early, creating the largest-ever 3D map of 47 million galaxies. • The dataset represents a sixfold increase over all previous galactic measurements, enabling new analysis of the universe's shape and size. • This breakthrough could reconcile quantum physics and general relativity toward a theory of everything, positioning US National Laboratories to lead global science.

Marijuana had same classification as heroin, LSD and others before Trump signed an order to move it to schedule IIISign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Trump administration has moved to reclassify marijuana, more than four months after Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to move it from schedule I to schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.The schedule I classification meant marijuana was alongside heroin, LSD, MDMA and synthetic opioids, whereas a schedule III classification put it in the same category as ketamine, anabolic steroids and testosterone. Continue reading...

• Beyoncé won seven Grammy Awards on April 17, breaking the previous record for most wins by a female artist in a single night, surpassing Georg Solti's 31-year-old record. • Her wins included Album of the Year for "Renaissance Reimagined," Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video, cementing her legacy as one of music's greatest achievers. • The Recording Academy held the delayed 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles following a scheduling conflict, with Beyoncé's performance of her new single "Renaissance Eternal" opening the show.

Justice department says Bondi will not be at the House deposition since she was ousted as US attorney generalPam Bondi, the former US attorney general, will not appear next week for a scheduled deposition before the House oversight and government reform committee to answer questions about the justice department’s handling of the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein and its release of the Epstein files, the committee said.In a statement Wednesday morning shared with the Guardian, a spokesperson for the House oversight committee said “the Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer Attorney General and was subpoenaed in her capacity as Attorney General”. Continue reading...

• NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament advances to Elite Eight on Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29, following Sweet 16 completion on March 27. • Regional games continue at Toyota Center in Houston, SAP Center in San Jose, and United Center in Chicago, hosted by local universities. • Final Four looms on April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, with championship on April 6, building excitement for US college hoops climax.

US president says he will host Chinese leader in a reciprocal visit later this yearDonald Trump will meet Xi Jinping in May during the US president’s first visit to China in eight years, a closely watched trip that had been postponed due to the Iran war.Trump was initially slated to travel next week, but will now visit Beijing on 14 and 15 May, he wrote in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. Trump said he would host the Chinese leader in a reciprocal visit in Washington later this year. Continue reading...

• The House of Representatives returns Tuesday, March 24, 2026, with the Rules Committee preparing floor votes on bills addressing safety in Washington, D.C., Department of Homeland Security funding, and vessel security. • Speaker Johnson has no plans to bring a clean extension of FISA Section 702 to the floor this week, as the surveillance provision faces expiration in mid-April. • These votes occur amid ongoing bipartisan efforts in the House Financial Services Committee to initiate bicameral conference negotiations on differing housing bills between chambers.

• U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, stated in an interview that the military campaign against Iran is 'ahead or on plan' amid ongoing strikes. • Israeli forces launched a wide-scale wave of strikes on Iranian terror regime infrastructure early Monday, with Iranian media reporting new airstrikes in Tehran. • Death toll exceeds 1,500 in Iran, 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, and 13 U.S. military members, displacing millions in both countries.

• House Committee on Appropriations convenes multiple subcommittees on March 26, 2026, covering agriculture, homeland security, financial services, labor, health, and commerce. • Hearings include Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration at 10:00 AM in Rayburn HOB 2362-A. • Sessions address critical budget areas amid ongoing fiscal deliberations for federal agencies.

• 2026 NCAA Men's March Madness First Four games occurred on March 17-18 following team selections on March 15, with first round set for March 19-20. • Regionals include Oklahoma City, Portland, Tampa, and Philadelphia for early rounds; East Regional in Washington, D.C., Final Four April 4-6 in Indianapolis. • Tournament progresses to championship on April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium, drawing massive national attention.

• 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.

• A federal judge in Massachusetts ruled on Monday to block Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent changes to the nation's childhood vaccine schedule, following a lawsuit by the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups. • The plaintiffs argued that Kennedy's alterations to vaccine recommendations and the influential vaccine advisory committee violated federal law, marking a significant setback to his health policy agenda. • This ruling highlights ongoing tensions between the Department of Health and Human Services and medical organizations over public health guidelines and federal compliance.

• The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear arguments over the Trump administration's effort to terminate temporary protected status (TPS) for migrants from Haiti, Syria, and other nations fleeing war and disasters. • Lower courts had blocked the end of protections allowing TPS holders to live and work legally in the U.S., prompting a Justice Department appeal. • The justices declined to immediately lift the protections, delaying action until hearings in coming weeks, following their prior ruling exposing 600,000 Venezuelans to deportation.

• Senate Republicans are preparing to vote on the SAVE America Act, President Trump's key priority for overhauling voting procedures, as Congress returns from recess. • The legislation aims to implement stricter voter ID requirements and other election integrity measures pushed by Trump. • The vote comes amid broader congressional challenges including the ongoing DHS shutdown and Middle East tensions, heightening political stakes.

• The Senate Commerce Committee’s Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee will hold a hearing on March 17, 2026, on radio frequency allocations assigned by NTIA and FCC. • Frequencies are vital for US government and commercial space operations, though often overlooked by the space community. • The event addresses spectrum management essential for space communications and tech developments.

• Comtech Telecommunications Corp., a U.S.-based provider of satellite, NG911, and cloud-native tech, will release Q2 fiscal 2026 results after market close on March 16, 2026. • Leadership will host a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET, with live webcast on comtech.com and dial-in options including (800) 225-9448. • Replay available through March 30 via (800) 839-1198, covering operations, trends in mission-critical communications for government and commercial clients.

• Virginia's 2026 General Assembly session ended Saturday without passing a state budget, prompting lawmakers to schedule a special session on April 23 amid ongoing affordability debates. • Key bipartisan achievements included raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028, protecting contraception access, extending back rent payment periods before eviction, closing the firearm 'boyfriend loophole,' and prohibiting federal immigration enforcement at courthouses. • Governor Abigail Spanberger faces complex bills on marijuana legalization, skill games, and casino regulations, potentially requiring stakeholder engagement through June; disagreements persist on data center tax exemptions and collective bargaining for public employees.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet Chinese officials next week for a new round of trade negotiations, as announced on March 14, 2026. The talks come amid surging oil prices and Middle East disruptions affecting global supply chains. U.S. officials aim to address tariffs and technology export restrictions, with Bessent stating 'we seek fair competition without escalation.' Industry leaders warn that outcomes could impact American consumers facing higher costs from ongoing conflicts.

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.