China's oil imports fall to decade low.
Today's events
China's oil imports.
China imported 8.1 million barrels a day last quarter, 32 percent below the first, after Strait of Hormuz disruption lifted prices; May and June fell under 8 million for the first time since 2016.1Jul 31 · EIACivil service rewritten.
Four final rules rank federal workers by performance, not tenure, in layoffs and shift layoff, probationary and suitability appeals from the Merit Systems Protection Board to the personnel agency itself. Ninety-nine percent of comments opposed.2Jul 31 · OPMLebanon and Israel talk.
Rubio told the Cabinet that a U.S.-brokered arrangement produced the first official-level contact between Israel and Lebanon in close to 30 years, and that Trump had announced a Hamas disarmament deal the night before.3Jul 31 · WHMilitary-grade drones.
The Federal Communications Commission opened comment on barring the import and sale of foreign-made military-grade drones and critical components, including swarming systems, to buyers outside the U.S. government. Comments close September 2.4Jul 31 · FCCQuantum firm buys a foundry.
The Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of its antitrust review of quantum-computing developer IonQ's purchase of SkyWater Technology, a U.S. quantum-chip fabricator; the chairman and one commissioner issued separate statements.5Jul 31 · FTCTech policy delegation.
State convened 47 technology policymakers from 30 countries in San Francisco and launched a program placing experts from Palantir, Anduril and two policy institutes inside the department's digital-freedom work.6Jul 31 · StateBolivia blockades.
The United States and six other governments, after visiting La Paz and Santa Cruz, said seven weeks of blockades aimed at unseating President Rodrigo Paz cut off food, fuel and medicine and caused civilian deaths.7Jul 30 · StateBomber upgrade slips.
The Air Force means to fly the 1955-vintage B-52 to 2050 on $21 billion of upgrades, but ten of thirteen efforts are late or over cost; new engines have added about $3 billion.8Jul 31 · GAOCartel founder's brother.
Antonio Oseguera Cervantes, 67, pleaded guilty to two decades of moving cocaine and methamphetamine into the United States for the Jalisco cartel his late brother founded; he faces up to two consecutive life sentences.9Jul 31 · DOJ
This week
The war resumed inside Iran.
Central Command struck dozens of Revolutionary Guard command centers, missile and drone plants and coastal defenses on July 29, a day after Iran's ballistic-missile salvo on U.S. bases was intercepted.1 The salvo followed more than 30 Iran-directed drone attacks on American forces and Saudi energy infrastructure in 72 hours, which drew U.S. and Saudi strikes on militia sites in eastern Iraq (July 29 brief). The previous announced U.S. strike had been July 23.2Jul 28–29 · CENTCOMGrowth slowed, rates held.
Real gross domestic product grew at a 1.5 percent annual rate in the second quarter, down from 2.1, while the price index for gross domestic purchases rose 5.7 percent against 3.6 (July 31 brief).4 The Federal Reserve held its benchmark at 3.50 to 3.75 percent on July 29, tying elevated inflation partly to energy supply shocks; three of twelve voters wanted a quarter-point increase.5Jul 29–30 · Fed / BEAExport controls on recycled minerals.
Trump signed a determination under the Defense Production Act on July 30 finding recoverable critical minerals essential to national defense, and gave the Commerce Secretary authority to restrict their export — black mass, end-of-life rare-earth magnets and scrap (July 31 brief).6 Italy signed the Pax Silica declaration on critical-minerals and semiconductor supply chains the next day, the 25th country to join.7Jul 30–31 · WH / State43 more Chinese companies barred.
State added 43 China-based producers of seafood, metals, tomatoes, cotton and garments to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act entity list on July 31, bringing it to 187 companies blocked from the U.S. market (August 1 brief).8 The same week, the White House published declassified findings that China and its proxies obtained as many as 220 million American voter-registration records.9Jul 30–31 · State / WH$76.6 billion in submarines.
The Department of War awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding contracts for five Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines and nine Virginia-class attack boats on July 30, putting seven Columbia boats under contract (July 30 brief).10 It landed in a week when the Air Force said retirements are outpacing production, with nearly half its aircraft over 40 years old, and auditors found ten of thirteen B-52 modernization efforts late or over cost.11Jul 30 · Navy / GAO
Allied Governments
London and Amman.
Britain's prime minister told King Abdullah II the UK would support Jordan's self-defence, pressed for de-escalation in the Middle East, and said he would weigh further measures against Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.aAug 1 · UK No.10Taiwan air-raid drills.
Britain's Foreign Office told travellers Taiwan will run island-wide resilience exercises on August 7, 10 and 13, with air-raid warnings, traffic stops and temporary 4G and 5G outages in northern and central cities.bJul 31 · UK FCDOJapanese doctors leave Venezuela.
Japan's disaster relief medical team returned home on August 1 after treating more than 1,600 cases following the Venezuelan earthquake; Tokyo has also sent relief goods and a $3.5 million emergency grant.cAug 1 · Japan MoFA
Voices
“In 2Q26, we estimate record-high global inventory draws of 5.1 million b/d that would have been even larger if global demand hadn't decreased.”
U.S. Energy Information Administration · Jul 311
“We've now begun an effort to really try to bring that court to heel.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio, on the International Criminal Court · Jul 313
“Less than 1 percent of the overall comments were supportive, neutral, or mixed, and 99 percent opposed the proposed regulation.”
Office of Personnel Management, final rule on layoff appeals · Jul 312
“[W]e have identified $230 billion of fraud that's being perpetrated against the American people — and we have halted already $56 billion of that.”
Vice President JD Vance · Jul 313
“A minority acting outside the law attempted to disregard the will expressed by the majority of Bolivians at the polls less than one year ago.”
Joint statement of the United States, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Panama, Peru and Uruguay · Jul 307
“By building engines before doing this testing, the Air Force increases the risk that the system will not operate as intended.”
Government Accountability Office, B-52 modernization review · Jul 318
Sources
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “China's crude oil imports fell in the second quarter,” July 31, 2026. eia.gov/todayinenergy/…/china-crude-imports
- Office of Personnel Management, “Reduction in Force” (with companion final rules on Reduction in Force Appeals, Streamlining Probationary and Trial Period Appeals, and Suitability Action Appeals), filed July 31, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/reduction-in-force
- White House, “President Trump Hosts Historic Cabinet Meeting at Camp David,” July 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/cabinet-meeting-camp-david
- Federal Communications Commission, “Seeking Comment on Prohibiting the Importation and Marketing of Certain Foreign-Produced Military-Grade Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) and UAS Critical Components,” filed July 31, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/foreign-produced-uas
- Federal Trade Commission, “Statements on the Grant of Early Termination of the FTC's Investigation of IonQ's Proposed Acquisition of SkyWater,” July 31, 2026. ftc.gov/news-events/…/ionq-skywater
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Under Secretary Rogers Hosts Digital NEXT Delegation with FTC Chairman Ferguson and Elon Musk and Announces New Tech Industry Partnership to Advance Digital Freedom,” July 31, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/digital-next-delegation
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Statement by Members of the High-Level Mission of OAS Member States to Bolivia,” July 30, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/oas-mission-bolivia
- Government Accountability Office, “B-52 Bomber: Air Force Actions Needed to Improve Major Modernization and Sustainment Efforts” (GAO-26-109272), July 31, 2026. gao.gov/products/…/gao-26-109272
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Brother of Notorious Mexican Cartel Leader Pleads Guilty to International Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses,” July 31, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/cjng-guilty-plea
- UK Prime Minister's Office, “PM call with His Majesty the King of Jordan Abdullah II: 1 August 2026,” August 1, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/pm-call-king-of-jordan
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “Taiwan travel advice,” July 31, 2026. gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/taiwan
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Return of the Japan Disaster Relief Medical Team in Response to the Earthquake Damage in Venezuela,” August 1, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/jdr-venezuela