News when you want it with Bloomberg News now.

I'm Nathan Hager. And I'm Alexis.

Christopher is Alexis one of the latest developments in the Iran war in a

moment. But we begin with a major developing

story on Capitol Hill. After six weeks of both sides digging

in, the Senate has passed a bill to end the Department of Homeland Security shut

down. Majority Leader John Thune made the

announcement just after two in the morning Wall Street time just a few

minutes ago, Republicans funded the Department of Homeland Security

piecemeal. It's not the way to fund the department.

Majority Leader John Thune spoke on the Senate floor.

And we get more from Bloomberg Deputy Washington bureau chief Laura Davison.

This bill would essentially extend government funding for most of the

Department of Homeland Security, with the exception of ICE and Border Patrol,

those sort of being the two most controversial pieces that will will

continue to be negotiated in Congress. I'll note this is just one step in a

process. This bill needs to go to the House next

and then Donald Trump's desk for signature.

So this is, you know, still something that is tenuous and could take several

more days, if not a couple of weeks. Bloomberg's Laura Davison reports.

President Trump had said he would sign an executive order to pay TSA workers

before the Senate vote. Democrats are now poised to walk away

from the shutdown debate with the immigration reforms they wanted left

behind. While Republicans face a high stakes

fight to fund their immigration agenda through a partisan budget bill.

And now to the latest on the Iran war. President Trump is once again pushing

back his deadline for Tehran to reach a deal with the U.S..

In a social media post, the president said he'll hold off on attacking Iran's

energy infrastructure for ten days. At a White House cabinet meeting heard

live here on Bloomberg Radio, the president said talks are going very well

and the U.S. war effort is extremely ahead of

schedule. They are beginning to make a deal that

maybe they're backing to make a deal. And anybody that saw what was happening

over there would understand why they want to make a deal.

President trump there at the White House.

Bloomberg Middle East correspondent Jomana Versace reports.

It's still unclear who the U.S. is talking with.

A lot of this is rhetoric, but what we do know is that there are no physical

meetings that have been decided on yet and Pakistan has been put forward as a

key mediator in that regard. But nothing has been confirmed.

And yet the language that continues to come out of Iran is one of defiance.

They seem to not be in the mood of compromising and continue to strike

back. And Bloomberg's Ramani Versace reports

the extended deadline also gives the U.S.

more time to build up forces. The Wall Street Journal is reporting the

Pentagon is considering sending up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle

East. Well, this U.K.

Prime minister, Keir Starmer, says he won't be bullied by President Trump and

won't change his mind due to pressure from the president.

Starmer spoke with Sky News. I have been clear I am not going to join

the war. There's a clear difference, therefore,

of opinion between me and President Trump.

My own view is that a lot of what is said and done has been to put pressure

on me to change my mind. But I'm not going to do so because the

British Prime Minister and I have to act in the British national interest.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been repeatedly insulted by President

Trump. He says Starmer has made a big mistake.

And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking to offer his

nation's anti-drone expertise in exchange for defence support during a

surprise visit to the Gulf region. The offer comes on news Ukraine risks

running out of money to pay for its defense against Russia within two

months, according to estimates shared by both domestic and foreign officials.

Kiev currently has only enough funds to cover spending until June.

Well, this morning, Alexis, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in France meeting

his group of seven foreign minister counterparts.

This comes just hours after President Trump complained bitterly about NATO

countries not stepping up to help the U.S.

and Israel in the Iran war. Rubio may have a hard time trying to

sell the other diplomats on the U.S. strategy.

Almost all nations have raised objections to it.

$200 oil. Macquarie Group says that's the price it

may hit if the Iran war drags on until June.

The conflict has seen Tehran oversee a near complete closure of the Strait of

Hormuz. Brent crude is on pace for a record

monthly gain in March. Checking right now, it's about $110 a

barrel and futures are mostly unchanged as we close out the trading week.

Right now, S&P futures down just fractionally or about eight points

lower. Yesterday, stocks suffered their worst

loss since January. The S&P 500 fell one and three quarters

percent. The tech heavy NASDAQ 100 slid 2.4%.

Well, we may be seeing tensions escalate between the U.S.

and China this morning, Alexis. China's Ministry of Commerce says it's

begun to trade investigations against the U.S.

They involved supply chains and renewable products.

It's retaliation to U.S. trade probes ahead of an expected

presidential summit in Beijing in May. And three Fed officials are expressing

growing concern over the economic outlook due to the Middle East war.

Fed Governor Lisa Cook says the spike in oil prices means inflation is now a

bigger concern than the labor market. I see the balance of risks as being

largely unmet in balance. But I would argue that the inflation

risk is greater right now as a result of the Iran war.

Fed Governor Lisa Cook made those comments yesterday in a speech in

Connecticut. Two of her colleagues, Fed Governor

Michael Barr and Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson, say they preferred to keep

rates on hold while they assess the length of the conflict and its impact on

energy prices. And that's news when you want it with

Bloomberg News now. I'm Alexis Crystal for us.

I'm Nathan Hager and this is Bloomberg.