Pushes

• President Trump verklaarde op 8 mei 2026 dat hij hoopt dat de bijeenkomst van vrijdag zal leiden tot een tweede gesprek met deelname van Volodymyr Zelenskyy van Oekraïne. • Trump temperde de verwachtingen voor dit diplomatieke initiatief te midden van aanhoudende spanningen in het Rusland-Oekraïne-conflict. • Het initiatief onderstreept de Amerikaanse inspanningen om een vredesakkoord te bemiddelen, wat mogelijk de Europese veiligheidsdynamiek en de toewijzing van hulp zal veranderen.

Amerikaanse minister van Buitenlandse Zaken stelt dat de VS er beter voor staat dan andere landen die getroffen worden door verstoringen in de olievoorziening

De Japanse leider Sanae Takaichi heeft opgeroepen tot discussies over de herziening van de grondwet, waarbij zij stelt dat deze 'de eisen van de tijd moet weerspiegelen'.

• A new POLITICO‑Citrin Center‑Possibility Lab survey released Friday shows that strong majorities of both Republicans and Democrats favor an independent commission to draw U.S. House district lines, weakening arguments against ending partisan gerrymandering. • The Trump administration is weighing proposals to codify independent redistricting panels by tying federal funds to states that adopt such commissions, a strategy that could reshape battleground districts in 2026 and beyond. • Civil‑rights groups and voting advocates cheered the poll findings, arguing that independent commissions would reduce partisan manipulation of maps that currently skew toward both parties.

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is urging the state House to approve a revived AI Bill of Rights before a special session, following Senate passage of sweeping AI restrictions. • The legislation would remove from office local officials violating the rules and prohibit companion chatbots from interacting with minors without parental consent. • This move addresses rising concerns over AI safety, governance, and potential misuse in public and private sectors amid generative AI's rapid adoption.

Justice department has already identified 384 foreign-born people whose US citizenship it wants to revokeThe Trump administration is reportedly pushing the justice department to pursue hundreds of denaturalization cases, in which Americans born outside of the US are stripped of their citizenship.The justice department has already identified 384 foreign-born US citizens, whose citizenship it wants to revoke and will begin the process in the coming weeks, according to the New York Times. Continue reading...

Farmers have been calling for higher prices for weeks, amid soaring diesel and fertiliser costs and limited supplyGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastColes has increased home-brand milk prices by up to 20c a litre, with Woolworths set to follow as war in the Middle East starts to hit Australian grocery costs.The price rise will support the company’s bottom line against pressure from higher fuel and operating costs, while some of the revenue will be temporarily passed on to dairy farmers. Continue reading...

Scheme cutting bills by up to 25% expanded to cover 10,000 firms, but they will not be paid until next yearRachel Reeves has announced an expansion of support for the most energy-intensive UK businesses, as they face soaring bills as a result of the Middle East conflict.The chancellor said the long-promised British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) would be expanded to cover 10,000 companies, up from the 7,000 originally announced. Continue reading...

Attempt by independent senator set to test Democratic support for longtime US ally amid Trump’s war on IranAn attempt set for Wednesday by senator Bernie Sanders to block sales to Israel of bombs and bulldozers will serve as the latest litmus test of support for the longtime US ally among Democrats.Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Senate Democrats, plans to call up for a vote a resolution halting a $151.8m sale of 12,000 1,000lb bombs to Israel’s military, as well as a second resolution that would prevent the sale of $295m in bulldozers. Continue reading...

Sheinbaum has recently been taking a firmer stance with the US, defying pressures where other countries have cavedThe Mexican government has voiced concern about the deaths of its citizens in US custody, with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum also pushing back against the Trump administration’s decision to impose an energy blockade on Cuba.The progressive Mexican leader has walked a careful line with Trump for more than a year, addressing provocations with a measured tone and meeting US requests to crack down on cartels more so than her predecessors, in an effort to offset threats of tariffs and US military action against gangs. Continue reading...

Democratic representative Yassamin Ansari says the war has only more deeply entrenched the Iranian regimeSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump is an “evil human being” who “wants to be an emperor” and should be removed from office over the war in Iran, Yassamin Ansari, an Iranian American member of the US Congress, has told the Guardian.Ansari, the daughter of Iranian immigrants who decades ago fled the regime, spoke out after the president threatened to wipe out Iran’s civilisation before backing down and announcing an uncertain two-week ceasefire. Continue reading...

Bank of England survey in March shows chief financial officers foresee 3.7% increase over coming yearBusiness live – latest updatesCompanies in the UK expect to raise their prices more rapidly over the coming months as the war in the Middle East drives up costs, Bank of England research shows.The Bank’s regular survey of more than 2,000 chief financial officers conducted last month, after the Iran conflict began, shows they now expect to raise their prices by 3.7% over the coming year. Continue reading...

California governor contender not accused of wrongdoing in decade-old inquiry into suspected Chinese agentThe Trump administration has reportedly been pushing to release records from an FBI investigation related to Eric Swalwell and alleged links to a Chinese agent as the Democratic congressman makes gains in the California governor’s race.The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing “three people familiar with the effort”, that the FBI director, Kash Patel, is pushing to release the files, even though there is no public evidence of wrongdoing on Swalwell’s part. The records stem from a decade-old investigation into a suspected spy who had developed relationships with US politicians and assisted Swalwell with fundraising. Continue reading...

State legislation due to be introduced on Tuesday will give authorities powers to seize high-powered e-motorbikes. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live politics blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Krishani Dhanji with the main action.International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol told 7.30 last night that the “world is facing the greatest global energy security threat in its history” and Australians are feeling the pain at the petrol pump. We’ll have more coming up. Continue reading...

• All major central banks adopted hawkish stances last week as energy market disruptions reignited inflation concerns, prompting global reassessment of monetary policy outlooks and eliminating prior rate-cut expectations. • U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut bets over the next 12 months have been priced out entirely, while most other advanced economies have begun pricing in additional rate hikes; the December Monetary Policy Report that implied a 25 basis point rate cut to 3.75% by Q4 2026 is now obsolete. • The combination of persistent energy price shocks and hardening central bank stances creates a "brutal combo for risk assets," with the dollar index remaining anchored in the 96.00-100.00 range as USD risks remain skewed to the upside during periods of financial market stress.

• President Trump demands passage of the SAVE Act, which requires passport or birth certificate for voter registration, photo ID at polls, and in-person citizenship proof for mail-in ballots, refusing to sign other legislation until it passes. • The bill would compel states to share voter rolls with the federal government; Senate Majority Leader John Thune refuses to eliminate the filibuster, dimming prospects. • Political history professor Nolan Higdon warns it could disrupt midterms by forcing separate state and federal elections if rules can't be implemented in time.

Closure of strait of Hormuz – a key fertilizer production and transportation route – has squeezed farmers as prices jumpRodney Bushmeyer has been farming as long as he can remember. Bushmeyer’s father was a farmer, as was his grandfather.The family-run Bushmeyer Farms in Illinois dates back more than 100 years, when his ancestors came to the US from Germany. They acquired the first 80 acres cost-free as homesteaders, cleared the land, and worked it. Continue reading...

California, Nevada and Arizona face record highs, with heat alerts and park trail closures as temperatures spikeStates across the US south-west recorded blistering temperatures at the tail end of winter, with forecasts indicating hotter days are still to come.California, Nevada and Arizona were all under heat warnings on Thursday amid record-breaking temperatures. Continue reading...

President Trump is urging Congress to pass the Save America Act next week, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and limiting mail-in ballots. The proposal faces contentious debate on Capitol Hill amid broader diplomatic strains from the Iran war. Lawmakers prepare for votes as Trump backs stricter election integrity measures post-2024. The bill could reshape US voting access if approved.

The US Senate passed a broad bipartisan housing bill on March 12, 2026, aimed at increasing construction and curbing institutional home purchases amid affordability woes. The bill's path in the House remains uncertain despite White House support announced March 2. Complementing President Trump's recent executive orders, it addresses voter concerns over home prices five times median income heading into midterms. Implementation hinges on state policies and market rates, with potential construction boosts eyed for relief.

US Treasury yields increased during the week of March 13, 2026, after oil prices briefly exceeded $100 per barrel, prompting investors to delay expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts into later 2026. Markets now price in only one rate cut for the year, down from prior forecasts, as February CPI data appears outdated amid March's energy inflation spike. The bond market showed unhinged behavior amid fears of higher headline inflation, slower growth, and stagflation risks from sustained high oil prices. A prolonged oil elevation could pair high inflation with unemployment rises, complicating Fed policy.

Utah State Rep. Doug Fiefia introduced HB 286 on January 2026, requiring frontier AI models to publish safety and child protection plans, report issues, with civil penalties and whistleblower safeguards. The Trump administration opposed the bill via letter, calling it 'unfixable' against its AI agenda, backed by executive order preempting state regs and AI czar David Sacks' anti-regulation stance. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and AG Derek Brown lead aggressive tech oversight, clashing with Big Tech. This positions Utah as a red-state battleground for AI governance.