Rising

• Florida's KidCare expansion remains stalled in legal limbo since February 2024, preventing coverage for more children. • Uninsured children in the state have risen to 400,000, one of the highest tallies nationwide. • Delay exacerbates access issues as federal funds await resolution, impacting low-income families significantly.

• President Trump was evacuated from the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner due to a nearby shooting incident on April 25, 2026. • NBC News' Garrett Haake questioned Trump on the trend of political violence in the U.S., to which he replied, 'No country is immune'. • The event highlights ongoing concerns about security at political gatherings and increasing incidents of violence.

• OpenAI and Microsoft announced an expanded cybersecurity partnership aimed at combating emerging cyber threats in the AI era. • The two companies plan to deploy advanced artificial intelligence tools to enhance security capabilities across their platforms. • This collaboration reflects the growing recognition that AI-powered security solutions are essential to address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Data shows the market is at its tightest ever with rents going up in most capitals. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.Mark Butler told the ABC last night that the Albanese government’s sweeping changes to the national disability insurance scheme are expected to save the federal budget $35bn over four years. More coming up. Continue reading...

Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024Democracy is under mounting threat from the climate crisis, with new analysis documenting how elections are increasingly shaped not only by political forces but also by floods, wildfires and extreme weather.At least 94 elections and referendums across 52 countries have been disrupted by climate-related impacts over the last two decades, researchers found. Continue reading...

• A fragile US-Iran ceasefire is set to expire on April 22, 2026, with diplomatic talks stalled and tensions escalating over competing demands and military posturing. • Iran's spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticized the US position as unrealistic, while Tehran condemned Washington's naval blockade as provocative and a potential trigger for ceasefire violations. • Pakistan continues mediating indirect talks between the two nations, though no date has been set for the next round of negotiations as fears of renewed escalation mount.

Health secretary and chef Robert Irvine claim Americans could eat healthier and more cheaply if they shopped betterSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe first episode of the new Secretary Kennedy Podcast, produced by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), opens with this quote from guest Robert Irvine, who creates meal plans for the US military: “We talk about food being expensive. If you’re buying expensive food, it’s expensive. But if you’re buying food and you know what to do with it, it’s not expensive.”The episode is titled Fixing America’s Food System – Robert Irvine, and features a 45-minute conversation with the HHS secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the host of the show, and guest Irvine. Best known as a celebrity chef, Irvine has collaborated with the US military to launch Victory Fresh, a program that offers healthy grab-and-go meals on military bases, during the Biden administration. The program’s Biden-era origins are never acknowledged during the show. Continue reading...

Guardian readers describe how their lives have been upended by cost hikes stemming from Trump’s Iran warWith the US and Israel’s war on Iran now in its seventh week, with a fragile ceasefire in place since earlier this month, Americans are continuing to feel the effects at the pump as global fuel prices rise.For several readers who spoke to the Guardian, the impact has forced difficult trade-offs – from accessing essential medicines and groceries to facing the brink of homelessness amid an already rising cost of living. Continue reading...

More landlords having to cut prices to secure tenants, Rightmove data showsAverage private rents have stopped rising in Great Britain after almost a decade of increases, as more landlords cut their prices to secure a tenant, data shows.The typical advertised private rent outside London for properties coming on to the market remained flat at £1,370 a calendar month in the first three months of 2026, according to the property website Rightmove. Continue reading...

• CDC data reveals sexually transmitted disease rates fell among US adults last year, but congenital syphilis in newborns kept increasing. • This trend highlights persistent challenges in prenatal screening and treatment access for at-risk pregnant women. • Rising newborn syphilis threatens infant health outcomes, prompting calls for enhanced public health interventions.

• A Gallup poll reveals 61% of Americans are 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about rising healthcare costs and insurance premiums, now topping all other domestic issues. • Concern spans parties: 89% of Democrats, 80% of independents, and 72% of Republicans express high worry over healthcare affordability. • The finding surpasses fears about the economy or inflation, highlighting healthcare as a unifying voter priority ahead of elections.

• U.S. stocks edged higher on March 30, 2026, with the S&P 500 rising 0.2% in afternoon trading after its worst week since the war with Iran began. • The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 257 points, or 0.6%, while the Nasdaq and Russell 2000 also advanced amid ongoing market volatility. • Oil prices continued climbing due to uncertainty over the timeline of the U.S.-Iran war, contributing to swinging trading sessions on Wall Street.

Fears grow that Tehran may start activating sleeper cells across Middle East as part of war with US and IsraelMiddle East crisis – live updatesGulf countries have raised concerns over the prospect of attacks by Iran-backed militias and proxy armed groups in the region, which they fear could destabilise their regimes and escalate the war in the Middle East.In a joint statement this week, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan condemned Iranian attacks on their soil, both as strikes carried out directly from Iran and “through their proxies and armed factions they support in the region”. Continue reading...

• Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation Wednesday to pause new data centers in the United States until national safeguards are established for worker protection, consumer safety, and environmental impact. • A typical AI-focused data center consumes as much electricity as 100,000 households, contributing to record U.S. electricity consumption hit in 2024 that is expected to continue rising as data centers expand. • The bill is unlikely to advance in either chamber but signals deep progressive concerns about AI infrastructure's rapid expansion and its effects on working families, democracy, and technology equity.

Research suggested resurgence in Christianity, especially among young people, but some respondents found to be ‘fraudulent’A YouGov survey showing a significant rise in church attendance in parts of the UK has been withdrawn after some respondents were found to be fraudulent.The poll was central to a Quiet Revival report, published by the Bible Society last year, which prompted news stories about an apparent resurgence in Christianity, particularly among young people. Continue reading...

Senate nominee in Texas James Talarico says ‘Christian nationalism kills’ in response to Brooks Potteiger remarkJames Talarico, the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, has said he forgives Pete Hegseth’s pastor for praying for his death. On Tuesday, Texas’s popular Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat pushed back against comments from Brooks Potteiger, the defense secretary’s closest spiritual adviser, who said: “We want him crucified with Christ.”Talarico said on X: “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.” Continue reading...

Vehicle numbers on key Sydney and Melbourne roads have held steady, as calls grow for free or cheaper public transport to encourage people to drive lessFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralians appear to have kept driving despite soaring petrol prices, as calls grow for free or discounted public transport to help people save fuel and get off the road.Traffic and public transport usage are holding steady, with experts warning the country needs to change travel methods or start working from home if fuel costs keep rising.Do you know more? Email [email protected] Continue reading...

• United Airlines Holdings (UAL) announced plans to reduce scheduled capacity by approximately 5% in the second and third quarters of 2026, citing economic pressures. • The airline's stock fell 1.95% in pre-market trading on Monday following the capacity reduction announcement. • The move reflects broader market concerns about supply chain disruptions and financial contagion stemming from escalating geopolitical tensions and rising energy costs impacting corporate profitability.

PM will chair Cobra meeting with key ministers and Bank of England on Monday, as experts warn of economic shockUK politics live – latest updatesMiddle East crisis – live updatesKeir Starmer has promised to look at using “every lever that’s available to the government” to help with the cost of living impacts of the US-Israel war against Iran, ahead of an emergency meeting with senior ministers later on Monday.The prime minister is to chair a meeting of the Cobra committee on Monday afternoon, joining Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, as well as Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, and the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, among others, to discuss possible contingency measures. Continue reading...

• New national polls from KFF and West Health-Gallup show Americans cutting back on health care, including rationing medications, to afford rising costs affecting daily living and access. • Millions express worry about affording emergency services, routine visits, and prescription drugs, leading to dangerous health trade-offs. • US physicians report higher burnout, stress, and dissatisfaction than international peers, with female doctors at greater risk and shortages projected at 40,000 primary care doctors by 2036.

• Health workers in Massachusetts lobby for bill making assaults on staff felonies, approved by House last November awaiting Senate vote by July 31. • Violence surged post-COVID per surveys; bill mandates hospitals assess risks and implement ongoing safety policies. • "Health care workers don't feel supported," says Cambridge Health Alliance nursing officer; Sen. Joan Lovely optimistic for passage to reduce assaults.

The luxury property surge fuels growth in Miami, but a poll finds many residents weighing an exit over housing and living costsTo a casual observer, everything in south Florida’s real estate garden is looking rosy. There’s a “gold rush” in Miami as ultra-wealthy buyers snap up mega-mansions and luxuriously appointed condos as soon as they hit the market; and the Guardian has also reported recently on the “Mamdani effect” of elite New Yorkers arriving in the sunshine state with bulging pocketbooks in search of a high-priced escape from the city’s new mayor.Yet alongside the boom, there are rumblings of a more troubling parallel reality. Undoubtedly, the billionaire class is helping to pump even more dollars into an already thriving Florida economy. But as prices rise and the less affluent find everything from housing and insurance to gas and groceries increasingly expensive, many are considering doing something about it. Continue reading...

Figuring out what really counts as a galaxy could give us insights into dark matter and potentially shake up astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics, says columnist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

Calls for Alexandra Căpitănescu’s Choke Me to be banned as campaigners say lyrics are ‘dangerous’ and ‘reckless’Romania’s Eurovision entry Choke Me has been labelled “dangerous” and “reckless” for appearing to glamorise sexual strangulation, an unsafe practice that can lead to brain injury and death.Campaigners against sexual violence said the entry, in which the words “choke me” are repeated 30 times during the three-minute song, was “playing fast and loose with young women’s lives”. Continue reading...

The US announced a 30-day easing of Russian oil sanctions on March 13, 2026, following a joint international release of record oil reserves that failed to curb barrel prices amid the Iran conflict. This move aims to alleviate rapidly rising energy costs for American consumers as global volatility persists. Despite the releases, oil prices remain elevated due to Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of world traded oil passes. Analysts warn that prolonged war could exacerbate inflation and economic pressures in the US.

The United States announced a 30-day easing of sanctions on Russian oil on March 13, 2026, following a joint international release of record oil reserves that failed to lower barrel prices amid the Iran war. Global volatility from the conflict, now in its third week, exacerbates inflation pressures worldwide. This temporary measure aims to alleviate rapidly rising US fuel costs, though experts warn it may not suffice as Iran's Strait of Hormuz closure disrupts 20% of global oil trade.

The United States announced a 30-day easing of sanctions on Russian oil exports on March 13, 2026, aiming to alleviate skyrocketing fuel costs amid global supply disruptions from the Iran conflict. Despite a joint international release of record oil reserves this week, barrel prices remain elevated due to the Strait of Hormuz closure. The move seeks to stabilize markets affecting American consumers, where gasoline prices have surged 25% in two weeks. Energy Secretary cited 'extraordinary circumstances' in justifying the temporary relief, with monitoring for compliance.