Trump declassifies intelligence on foreign election interference.
Today's events
Election files.
Trump released declassified intelligence asserting China obtained personal data on 220 million American voters in 2020; Homeland Security found 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote across four states.1Jul 18 · WHGlobal counterterror push.
Washington convened officials from governments worldwide to treat far-left extremism as transnational terrorism; Treasury said it will examine charitable and nonprofit structures used as conduits for illicit finance.2Jul 18 · WHMediterranean oil corridor.
State welcomed an Iraq–Syria agreement to rebuild the crude pipeline linking Iraqi fields to Mediterranean export markets, executed by a U.S.-led consortium, with initial capacity of 2 million barrels per day.3Jul 17 · StateSolar circumvention.
Commerce opened a country-wide inquiry into whether Chinese-made solar cell components finished in Ethiopia and Vietnam evade existing duties, acting on a petition from First Solar, Hanwha Q CELLS, Suniva and five others.4Jul 17 · CommerceProducer prices.
Producer prices fell 0.3 percent in June as final-demand energy dropped 6.4 percent and gasoline fell 12.0 percent; over the twelve months to June the index is up 5.5 percent.5Jul 15 · BLSLos Alamos supercomputers.
The nuclear-weapons agency will build two systems, Mission and Vision, at Los Alamos with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and NVIDIA's Vera Rubin processors; full deployment is set for 2027 and 2028.6Jul 16 · DOEGuyana investment forum.
Deputy Secretary Landau opened a U.S.–Guyana investment forum in Washington aimed at energy and infrastructure contracts as Guyana's oil output expands, co-hosted with the Business Council for International Understanding.7Jul 17 · StateOral cholesterol drug.
FDA approved Lipfendra, the first pill in a cholesterol-lowering drug class previously available only by injection, for adults with high LDL cholesterol including inherited forms.8Jul 17 · FDABosnia denaturalization.
A federal court in Tennessee revoked the citizenship of Sead Miljkovic, who concealed a Bosnian war-crimes warrant and INTERPOL notice over the 1994 beating and confinement of twelve civilians.9Jul 17 · DOJ
This week
Iran oil network.
State and Treasury designated more than 50 individuals, entities, and vessels tied to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani’s shipping network, a major enabler of Iran’s oil exports, on July 14 — the week’s largest sanctions action and the lead of two consecutive daily briefs. The designations came amid continued Iranian attacks on Strait of Hormuz shipping; the same week, a Massachusetts dual national was convicted of exporting U.S. microelectronics to Iran’s drone-navigation program.1Jul 14 · StateBrazil tariffs.
A presidential memorandum directed a 25 percent tariff on all Brazilian goods on July 17, with an exemption annex, closing a trade investigation that drew 360 written comments and 77 hearing witnesses. It capped a week of trade actions: national-security tariffs on imported commercial aircraft, jet engines, and parts on July 15, and a Commerce inquiry into whether Chinese solar components finished in Ethiopia and Vietnam evade existing duties.2Jul 17 · Fed. Reg.Hormuz oil shock.
The Energy Information Administration reported July 15 that repeated disruptions to Strait of Hormuz flows drove Brent crude from $118 per barrel in April to $72 by late June and pushed U.S. distillate and jet-fuel exports to record highs. The quarterly review put official numbers on the market effects of the same conflict behind the week’s sanctions on Iran’s oil-shipping network.4Jul 15 · EIAICC campaign.
The State Department opened a whole-of-government campaign on July 13 to disable the International Criminal Court after the court moved against U.S. servicemembers, vowing visa bans, sanctions on court staff, and pressure on member governments to withdraw. State called the court “an intolerable threat to U.S. sovereignty”; the campaign led the July 14 daily brief.5Jul 13 · StateCaremark settlement.
The Federal Trade Commission settled its antitrust case against Caremark, the CVS-owned pharmacy-benefit manager, on July 14 — locking in up to $8.5 billion in consumer savings over ten years, another $4.5 billion from point-of-sale rebates, and a bar on interference with community pharmacies. It is the commission’s second settlement with a major drug middleman; the case first appeared in the July 15 daily brief.7Jul 14 · FTC
Allied Governments
Abuja security dialogue.
London and Abuja held the fourth UK–Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership dialogue, covering counter-terrorism, hybrid threats, illicit finance and civilian-harm accountability across West Africa.aJul 17 · UK FCDOTrade-rules warning.
Britain's permanent representative told the World Trade Organization's General Council that members are “not heading in a good direction,” and tabled a paper on level-playing-field rules.bJul 17 · UK FCDONATO procurement inquiry.
An independent investigation found allegations against senior leadership at the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, including General Manager Stacy Cummings, were not substantiated; the case is closed.cJul 17 · NATO
Voices
“Our counterterrorism doctrine has had a blind spot when it comes to extremist violence from the political left.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio · Jul 182
“Election integrity is not a partisan issue, it is an AMERICAN ISSUE.”
Vice President JD Vance · Jul 181
“Both countries recognize the strategic objective of restoring a critical energy corridor linking Iraqi oil production to Mediterranean export markets and beyond.”
State Dept. media note on the Iraq–Syria pipeline · Jul 173
“We will dismantle the networks that sustain political terrorism, however respectable their fronts may be.”
Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent · Jul 182
“We’re building the tools that will allow our scientists and engineers to reduce the time needed for discovery from months to minutes.”
NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams · Jul 166
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and elevated LDL cholesterol is one of its most important modifiable risk factors.”
Michael Davis, Acting Director, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research · Jul 178
Sources
- White House, “Setting the Record Straight: President Trump Declassifies Intel on Foreign Election Interference and Deep State Coverup,” July 18, 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/declassified-election-intel · companion release: whitehouse.gov/releases/…/what-they-are-saying
- White House, “Trump Administration Unleashes Global Campaign to Crush Radical Left Terrorism,” July 18, 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/global-campaign-left-terrorism
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Announcement of Cooperation Between the Government of the Republic of Iraq and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic on the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of the Iraq-Syria Crude Oil Pipeline,” July 17, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/iraq-syria-crude-oil-pipeline
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Circumvention Inquiry,” July 17, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/solar-cell-circumvention-inquiry
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, “PPI for Final Demand Declines 0.3% in June; Goods Fall 1.4%, Services Increase 0.2%,” July 15, 2026. bls.gov/news.release/…/ppi-june-2026
- U.S. Dept. of Energy — NNSA, “NNSA, LANL Codesign Next-Gen Supercomputers with Tech Partners,” July 16, 2026. energy.gov/nnsa/articles/…/lanl-next-gen-supercomputers
- U.S. Dept. of State, “United States Hosts U.S.-Guyana Investment Forum,” July 17, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/us-guyana-investment-forum
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Approves First Oral PCSK9 Inhibitor to Lower LDL Cholesterol in Adults with High Cholesterol,” July 17, 2026. fda.gov/news-events/…/first-oral-pcsk9-inhibitor
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Justice Department Complaint Leads to Revocation of Naturalized Citizenship of Bosnia War Crimes Suspect,” July 17, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/bosnia-war-crimes-denaturalization
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “Fourth UK–Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership Dialogue, June 2026: communiqué,” July 17, 2026. gov.uk/government/publications/…/uk-nigeria-security-dialogue
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “WTO General Council July 2026: UK Statements,” July 17, 2026. gov.uk/government/speeches/…/wto-general-council-july-2026
- NATO, “Conclusion of Investigation at NSPA,” July 17, 2026. nato.int/en/news-and-events/…/conclusion-of-investigation-at-nspa