U.S. imposes tariffs on chip and solar material.
Today's events
Polysilicon tariffs.
A presidential proclamation sets a minimum import price for polysilicon — the base material for chips and solar cells — plus a 15% tariff on downstream goods, effective in 120 days.1Aug 6 · WHVenezuela transition talks.
Venezuela's 2015 National Assembly delegation, led by Dinorah Figuera, arrived in Caracas for the start of in-person talks with the interim government under Trump's three-phase transition plan.2Aug 6 · StateCuba arms sanctions.
State designated five Cuban entities and eight individuals for procuring weapons abroad; targets include two subsidiaries of the military conglomerate GAESA that imported Russian and Chinese military equipment.3Aug 6 · StateCitizenship orders.
One order denies citizenship documents to U.S.-born children — where neither parent is a citizen — of alien enemies, foreign officials, and paid birth arrangements; another directs State and Homeland Security to stop birth tourism.4Aug 6 · WHFed on inflation.
Governor Lisa Cook said inflation is too high, with prices up 3.7% over the twelve months through June and core up 3.3%, citing Middle East energy costs and AI capital spending.5Aug 5 · FedEbola response.
State intends to provide another $242 million for the outbreak in Congo and Uganda, taking its assistance past $512 million; Congo, Uganda and South Sudan remain at do-not-travel.6Aug 5 · StateGhana bribery verdict.
A federal jury convicted Asante Kwako Berko, a former Goldman Sachs executive director, of foreign-bribery and money-laundering charges for paying over $1 million to Ghanaian officials to secure a power-plant deal for a Turkish company.7Aug 6 · DOJChip research canceled.
Commerce canceled $7.8 billion of the $11 billion Congress appropriated for advanced chip research and has no plan to meet its statutory obligations, government auditors found.8Aug 6 · GAOExploited software flaw.
CISA added an actively exploited JetBrains TeamCity flaw (CVE-2026-63077) to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, requiring federal civilian agencies to patch exposed systems.9Aug 5 · CISA
This week
Forced-labor list.
The U.S. added 43 China-based companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List on July 31, bringing it to 187 entities whose goods are barred from the U.S. market. The additions covered seafood, gold, copper, aluminum, tomatoes, cotton and garments; importers must rebut a presumption of forced labor to bring listed goods in. (Aug 1 daily.)2Jul 31 · StateChina's crude imports.
China imported 8.1 million barrels a day in the second quarter, 32 percent below the first, federal energy analysts reported July 31. May and June each fell below 8 million barrels a day, the first months under that line since 2016. The decline followed the price rise that came with Strait of Hormuz disruption; China is the world’s largest crude importer. (Aug 2 daily.)3Jul 31 · EIANineteen submarines reclassified.
The Navy redesignated nineteen planned Virginia-class boats fitted with the Virginia Payload Module as guided-missile submarines on August 3, with the first delivery due in 2029 as the Ohio-class Georgia begins inactivation. The release came the same day the Pentagon reported the close of the thirtieth Rim of the Pacific exercise, which drew 30 nations, more than 30,000 personnel and 197 aircraft. (Aug 4 daily.)7Aug 3 · Navy
Allied Governments
Russia sanctions.
The UK sanctioned 19 targets — six Russian banks, six shadow-fleet tankers, and four importers of tantalum and niobium — in the foreign secretary's first Russia package.aAug 6 · UK FCDOBali bombings trial.
Australia opened registration for survivors and victims' families ahead of the U.S. military trial at Guantanamo Bay of Hambali over the 2002 Bali and 2003 Jakarta bombings; registrations close August 20.bAug 6 · Australia DFATHiroshima ceremony.
Japan's state minister for foreign affairs attended the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony and met representatives of atomic-bomb survivors.cAug 6 · Japan MoFA
Voices
“Polysilicon is the base material underpinning the security of America's semiconductor and solar-power supply chains.”
Presidential Proclamation on Polysilicon Imports · Aug 61
“[T]he United States will not tolerate a rogue state harboring hostile foreign military, intelligence, and terror operations just ninety miles from the American homeland.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio · Aug 63
“The privilege of United States citizenship remains a priceless and profound gift.”
Executive Order, Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship · Aug 64
“Thinking first of the price-stability side of our mandate, my assessment is simple: Inflation is too high.”
Fed Gov. Lisa D. Cook, Anchorage · Aug 55
“We live in a global economy that American companies must be able to compete in fairly. This defendant corrupted that fair competition.”
AAG A. Tysen Duva, DOJ Criminal Division · Aug 67
“Without a detailed plan for reestablishing these entities in line with statute, Commerce may miss opportunities to advance U.S. semiconductor technologies, leaving the U.S. reliant on other countries.”
Government Accountability Office, GAO-26-109121 · Aug 68
Sources
- White House, “Adjusting Imports of Polysilicon and its Derivatives into the United States,” August 6, 2026. whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/polysilicon-imports
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Welcoming Talks in Caracas to Advance Venezuela's Political Transition,” August 6, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/talks-in-caracas
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Targeting Enablers of the Cuban Regime's Arms Imports and Foreign Military Cooperation,” August 6, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/cuban-arms-imports
- White House, “Continuing to Protect the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” August 6, 2026. whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/american-citizenship
- Federal Reserve, “Cook, Outlook for the U.S. and Alaskan Economies,” August 5, 2026. federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/…/cook20260805a
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Ebola Response Update – August 5, 2026,” August 5, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/ebola-response-update
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Former Banker Convicted for Scheme to Bribe Ghanaian Officials,” August 6, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/bribe-ghanaian-officials
- U.S. Government Accountability Office, “Semiconductors: Commerce Needs Plan to Meet CHIPS for America R&D Requirements” (GAO-26-109121), August 6, 2026. gao.gov/products/gao-26-109121
- CISA, “CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog” (CVE-2026-63077, JetBrains TeamCity), August 5, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/…/kev-cve-2026-63077
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “UK continues crackdown on Russia with tough new sanctions,” August 6, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/russia-sanctions
- Australia Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade, “Hambali Trial – Registration of Interest for Australians Affected by the 2002 Bali and 2003 Jakarta Terrorist Attacks,” August 6, 2026. dfat.gov.au/news/media-release/…/hambali-trial
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “State Minister KUNIMITSU's Attendance at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony,” August 6, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/hiroshima-ceremony