Business news today spans political scrutiny, strategic dealmaking and transport policy. In Washington, a Senate parliamentarian has thrown into doubt funding that critics say could help pay for Donald Trump’s proposed White House ballroom, while separate reports are shining a harsher light on a burst of Trump-linked stock trading involving companies with ties to his administration. Elsewhere, companies are betting on scale and data: Prudential is buying a 75% stake in Bharti Life Insurance for ₹3,500 crore, deepening its push into India even as it trims its holding in ICICI Prudential to satisfy regulatory requirements. In advertising, Publicis is moving to acquire LiveRamp for roughly $2.2 billion, underscoring the industry’s race to build stronger data and AI-driven marketing platforms. And in Delhi, the metro system is adding Monday services to coax commuters out of private cars and support fuel-saving, lower-emission urban travel.