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兩黨措施包含 Secret Service 與 TSA 的經費，但排除了移民執法行動 Congress 投票資助 DHS 後，政府局部停擺宣告結束 US House of Representatives 已投票資助 Department of Homeland Security 的大部分經費（不含移民執法行動），並結束了該機構史上最長的政府停擺。 週四達成的這項協議旨在終結長達 75 天的僵局，該僵局曾威脅造成機場混亂，並顯露了 Republican 黨內新的分歧。 繼續閱讀...

• 國會在共和黨人利用程序工具通過為 ICE 及邊境巡邏隊提供高達 750 億美元的撥款後，推進了國土安全部的資金方案 • 訂閱 Breaking News US 電子郵件，在您的收件匣中接收即時新聞通知 • 在眾議院於深夜共和黨集會後以微弱優勢投票推進 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 的撥款以提振 GOP 預算藍圖後，一場長達 75 天且具歷史意義的政府局部停擺宣告結束

• 美國眾議院於 2026 年 4 月 29 日通過了參議院核准的 Budget Resolution，為 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 及 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 提撥數十億美元資金。 • 共和黨人利用規避 filibuster 的程序來推進該方案，遭到如 Congresswoman Doris Matsui 等民主黨人的批評，指責其將 enforcement 優先於其他需求。 • 此舉在邊境安全爭議持續及 midterm election 壓力下，支持了 Trump 政府的移民政策。

• 與美國市場相關的跨境支付科技新創公司 Latitude 於本週正式亮相，獲得由 NEA 領投的 800 萬美元種子輪融資，旨在解決緩慢且昂貴的企業匯款問題。 • 該筆資金將支持 Latitude 簡化國際支付的使命，在 B2B 高效轉帳需求日益增長的背景下，將其定位為金融科技領域的挑戰者。 • 其推出正值 2026 年 4 月金融科技浪潮之際，突顯了儘管面對能源價格與 Fed 政策帶來的經濟不確定性，投資者仍對支付科技創新充滿信心。

• 一位具政治野心的康乃狄克州民主黨人在黨內要求參與的壓力下，退出了關於政府撥款的跨黨派談判。 • 此次退出行動加劇了在聯邦預算優先事項和開支削減問題上的緊張局勢。 • 這可能會推遲對即將到來的財政期限至關重要的撥款法案。

• Skye AI 是一款由人工智慧驅動的 iPhone 主螢幕應用程式，在仍處於私測階段時便籌集了 358 萬美元的 Pre-Seed 資金。 • 此筆資金將用於支持該應用程式的開發，其目標是透過可直接從主螢幕存取的 AI 驅動功能來提升 iPhone 的使用者體驗。 • 在智慧型手機生態系統的競爭中，此次投資凸顯了投資者對行動 AI 應用程式日益增長的興趣。

Companies are now seeking refunds on tariffs after supreme court ruled Trump’s emergency levies were illegalSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxGeneral Motors is expecting a $500m tariff refund after the US supreme court struck down some of Donald Trump’s most sweeping levies.That has boosted the Detroit automaker’s outlook for 2026. On Tuesday, GM said it’s now looking to rake in $13.5bn-$15.5bn in earnings before interest and taxes this year – up from previous forecasts of $13bn-$15bn. Continue reading...

• SkyfireAI Inc., a US-based autonomous drone startup, raised $11 million in new funding to advance dual-use technology. • The investment targets AI autonomy for public safety, defense, and commercial drone applications. • This funding accelerates development amid rising demand for intelligent unmanned systems in critical sectors.

• Google announced a $750 million fund on April 27, 2026, targeting startups developing AI agents. • The fund aims to accelerate innovation in AI agent technologies amid intensifying competition. • This initiative underscores Google's commitment to fostering the AI ecosystem, potentially challenging rivals like OpenAI and Anthropic.

• Months after restoring federal family planning funding, Missouri's only Title X grantee program now confronts fresh challenges from U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. • The program provides essential reproductive health services amid ongoing political debates over federal support for family planning initiatives. • This development underscores persistent tensions in U.S. public health policy regarding access to contraception and reproductive care funding.

• A leading AI startup focused on enterprise AI solutions secured $150 million in Series B funding on April 25, 2026. • The round was led by Lightspeed Ventures and SoftBank, signaling strong investor confidence in scalable AI technologies for businesses. • This funding underscores accelerating growth in the US enterprise AI sector amid rising demand for efficient AI deployment tools.

• Toronto-based Cohere Inc. and Germany's Aleph Alpha GmbH announced plans to merge, supported by a $600 million structured financing commitment from Schwarz Group. • Cohere, which has raised $1.6 billion since 2019 from Nvidia and others, offers multiple AI models; the Series E deal expects additional investors and closure later in 2026. • The merger combines expertise in enterprise AI, potentially accelerating development amid US-China tech tensions and boosting competitive edge for Western AI firms.

• Anthropic announced a $4 billion Series E funding round on April 25, 2026, with lead investments from Amazon and Google, valuing the AI safety firm at $61.5 billion post-money. • The capital will accelerate development of Claude 4 models and expand enterprise AI infrastructure across US data centers in California and Virginia. • This funding underscores intensifying competition in AI amid regulatory scrutiny, positioning Anthropic as a key challenger to OpenAI's dominance.

Auditor found Sarah Wedl-Wilson approved payments of public money to groups that had not been fully vettedBerlin’s top culture official, British-born Sarah Wedl-Wilson, has stood down over a funding scandal involving the the irregular distribution of €2.6m in public money for programmes to fight antisemitism.As culture senator for the Berlin regional government, Wedl-Wilson had already sacked a state secretary in her department, Oliver Friederici, over the affair this week, but the opposition called him a mere scapegoat. Continue reading...

• VisionWave Holdings (NASDAQ: VWAV) closed a $20 million senior loan in late February and subsequently completed a $60 million–valued acquisition of AI video intelligence intellectual property, strengthening its technology portfolio. • The acquisition adds significant video AI capabilities to VisionWave's platform and positions the company for expanded market presence in computer vision applications. • These transactions demonstrate continued investor confidence in AI video technology sectors and emerging opportunities in automated visual intelligence.

Bill clears 50–48 vote to boost ICE and CBP funding as Democrats oppose and shutdown continuesUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailSenate Republicans on Thursday approved a plan to fund Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants for the remainder of his term and pave the way for an end to the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).The budget resolution adopted along a near party line vote in the early morning hours sets the stage for Congress to craft legislation allocating as much as $140b to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), two agencies at the forefront of Trump’s mass deportation agenda that have been without funding since mid-February, when the DHS shutdown began. Continue reading...

• Port, an AI startup in cybersecurity, raised $100 million in its third funding round led by General Atlantic, achieving an $800 million valuation. • The funding supports expansion in cloud infrastructure protection technologies. • This round reflects investor confidence in AI-driven defenses against evolving cyber threats in the US market.

Program portrayed efforts to wean Australia off fossil fuels as morally bankrupt, trashing rainforests and enslaving Australia to ChinaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastChildren sieve mud, workers drop down claustrophobic hand-cut mine shafts, men grimace while others carve out rock with chisels in bare feet to recover cobalt “for our renewable green dream”.These were the dramatic scenes from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a “special investigation” from Channel Seven’s Spotlight program, aired in prime-time on Sunday evening. Continue reading...

Labor says cuts to disability scheme mean elderly will get more help. 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 Nick Visser will be your guide through the morning.Today the health minister, Mark Butler, will detail major changes to the NDIS including significant funding “savings”. The government says the savings, in part, from the national disability insurance scheme will go to funding improved aged care including showering and dressing. Continue reading...

Victory for abortion rights groups as court finds state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortionA Pennsylvania court on Monday said that the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs.The ruling by a divided seven-judge panel of the appellate-level commonwealth court is a major victory for Planned Parenthood and abortion clinic operators who first sued Pennsylvania over its Medicaid funding restrictions in 2019. Continue reading...

Schools say Colorado violated their rights by excluding them from state-funded program over admission policiesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe supreme court will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over their admission policies.The court agreed on Monday to take up the appeal from St Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration. Continue reading...

Bets placed on Middle East conflict has led to US firm experiencing big increase in volumePolymarket, the online prediction platform that hosts bets on events such as the Iran war, is in talks to raise $400m (£296m) at a valuation of up to $15bn.The company has gained notoriety in recent months over wagers placed on the Middle East conflict, including on the timing of US-Israel strikes against Iran, and on a US-Iran ceasefire, some of which appeared to bear signs of insider trading. Continue reading...

Claims system launches months after supreme court ruled Trump had no legal authority to impose tariffsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Trump administration began on Monday accepting applications from businesses seeking refunds for more than $166bn in tariffs, months after the supreme court ruled that the president had no legal authority to impose them.The administration launched on Monday the digital claims system, named Cape, which they said in court filings could handle about 63% of affected import filings, with the remainder to follow. Continue reading...

Trump administration to launch online portal on Monday after supreme court struck down tariff policy earlier this yearDonald Trump said US negotiators will be in Pakistan on Monday, and he again threatened to destroy its power plants and bridges if no deal is reached.Trump did not say who would lead the delegation, but a White House official said it was vice-president JD Vance. Continue reading...

• A partial U.S. government shutdown continues, with furloughed federal workers facing delayed paychecks amid congressional deadlock on funding. • The standoff centers on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations, affecting air travel and federal operations. • Senators discuss a potential deal pairing government funding with long-term bills and a vote on health care tax credit extensions.

• Databricks announced a Series H funding round of $10 billion at a $43 billion valuation on April 18, led by existing investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, to accelerate development of its AI and data platform. • The funding will support expansion of Databricks' lakehouse architecture, which integrates data warehousing and data lakes, and fund aggressive hiring in engineering and sales across North America. • The round positions Databricks as one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies and signals strong investor confidence in the competitive data infrastructure market dominated by Snowflake and others.

• Perplexity AI announced a Series D funding round of $500 million at an $8.5 billion post-money valuation on April 19, led by prominent venture capital firms and strategic investors including Nvidia and Saudi PIF. • The funding will support expansion of Perplexity's AI search engine capabilities, development of enterprise API offerings, and geographic expansion into European and Asian markets with localized language models. • The round positions Perplexity as a serious challenger to Google Search and reflects growing investor confidence in AI-powered search alternatives and conversational information retrieval platforms.

• Satark AI, an India-based cybersecurity startup, raised pre-seed funding at a $4 million valuation to develop an AI-driven decision layer for reducing security alert noise. • The startup focuses on a critical enterprise security challenge: alert fatigue from excessive false positives that can slow incident response and waste analyst resources. • Satark AI's funding demonstrates investor confidence in AI-powered solutions targeting operational efficiency within security operations centers across global enterprises.