AI投資と政府支出が牽引し、第1四半期の生産高は増加したが、オイルショックがインフレ懸念を煽っている。2026年第1四半期の米国内総生産(GDP)は2%加速したが、イランとの戦争がエネルギー価格に影響を及ぼし続けており、個人消費は減速している。2025年第4四半期の前回GDP統計では、昨年実施された連邦政府職員の大規模解雇に伴う政府支出の縮小を主因として、米経済成長は0.5%のペースに鈍化していた。労働統計局(Bureau of Labor Statistics)によると、連邦政府の職員数は2024年10月以降、労働力の11.8%に相当する355,000人減少している。続きを読む...
• 2026年3月17日に発表されたAxios/Ipsos American Health Indexによると、大多数の米国人が医療費の上昇に懸念を抱いており、これらの課題に対処するための連邦税による支出増額を支持している。
• この世論調査は、医療費の負担能力に対する政府の対応への超党派的な支持を示しており、医療費の高騰に対する米国民の広範な不安を反映している。
• また、米国人は子供のワクチン接種に関する政府の判断への信頼を高めており、保健政策上の介入に対する公衆の信頼が広がっていることを示唆している。
Minister tells Guardian Australia despite substantial changes to disability scheme, it will remain one of best support services ‘anywhere in the world’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMark Butler has defended the government’s decision to trim the NDIS just days after announcing $53bn in new defence spending, with the health minister conceding Australians may be “uneasy” but insisting it would remain one of the best support services “anywhere in the world”.The Coalition looks likely to back the proposed changes, despite alarm from the Greens and some in the disability sector about the 160,000 participants expected to be removed by 2030 and changes to who can access the scheme. Continue reading...
Shell Australia says campaign needed to ‘counter-balance’ claims by levy advocates – but Ed Husic urges industry ‘do not spend millions defending the indefensible’The gas giants are mounting a multi-million dollar advertising campaign to fight against a new export tax, prompting Labor MP Ed Husic to accuse the industry of “defending the indefensible”.Shell Australia is among half-a-dozen oil and gas companies contributing around $1m to an Australian Energy Producers (AEP) campaign that attempts to justify the amount of tax the industry pays, a parliamentary inquiry heard on Wednesday. Continue reading...
The trend has been accelerated by the US-Israel war on Iran, leaving households – and cafe owners – glum, surveys suggestFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFor many coffee drinkers, takeaway orders are changing from a habitual purchase to an occasional treat, as elevated petrol prices and other living costs leave households feeling glum.This rapid shift in behaviour has disappointed cafe owners and surprised economists, raising an uneasy question: if takeaway coffee sales are falling, is the economy next? Continue reading...
Health minister faces backlash from states as he announces major changes to scheme ahead of May budgetGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNational disability insurance scheme service providers will be required to undergo mandatory character checks and eligibility rules will be tightened further for children under 18, as Labor moves to curb growth in the $50bn program.But the health minister, Mark Butler, faces a backlash from state counterparts as he announces major changes on Wednesday, with Queensland accusing federal Labor of walking away from responsibilities to families dependent on long-term care. Continue reading...
Head of UN’s humanitarian agency frustrated $2bn a week cost of conflict comes amid dramtic cuts to aid budgetThe $2bn (£1.5bn) a week that Donald Trump was spending on his reckless war in Iran could have funded saving more than 87 million lives, the head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, Tom Fletcher, said on Monday.He also warned the normalisation of violent language, such as threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone ages, was very dangerous since it encourages every wannabe autocrat to use similar threats and tactics, including the destruction of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Continue reading...
• AI integration is delivering measurable spending momentum for Google Cloud, with enterprise technology research data confirming AI as a primary driver of cloud adoption.
• The ML/AI segment is pulling Google's broader cloud business forward, explaining significant improvements in Google Cloud's performance over the past two years.
• This trend indicates that AI is not merely a marketing narrative for Google but a concrete factor influencing enterprise purchasing decisions and cloud strategy prioritization.
Aviation fuel costs remain significantly elevated amid the US and Israel’s ongoing war with IranSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxAir Canada has announced a temporary suspension of flights from Toronto and Montreal to New York’s John F Kennedy airport, citing rising fuel prices.The move comes amid growing concerns that airlines worldwide may scale back services as aviation fuel costs climb in the wake of the US and Israel’s ongoing war with Iran, which entered a fragile ceasefire earlier in April. Although Iran announced on Friday that the strait of Hormuz had reopened, helping ease oil prices, fuel costs remain significantly elevated after weeks of disruption. Continue reading...
The defence minister insists that increases in spending did not happen because of thinktanks, retired generals ‘or washed-up bureaucrats’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIf there’s anyone who knows just how much pressure Donald Trump is heaping on allies to lift defence spending, it’s Richard Marles.The message was received loud and clear when he met his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, in Singapore nearly a year ago. Continue reading...