Trump orders childhood vaccine schedule realigned.
Today's events
Vaccine schedule.
Trump signed an order directing the CDC's immunization advisers to realign the childhood vaccine schedule with peer, developed nations, after an HHS review found the U.S. recommends more than twice as many doses as some European countries.1May 29 · WHNorth Korea sanctions.
The U.S., nine allied governments and the EU pressed the UN's North Korea sanctions committee to designate twelve vessels tied to banned coal and iron-ore exports, citing satellite imagery and ship-tracking manipulation from a Security Council briefing.2May 29 · StateCritical minerals.
Trump approved pay of up to $400,000 for as many as 400 federal hires to staff critical-minerals and advanced-materials investment programs, part of a push to cut U.S. dependence on foreign supply chains.3May 29 · WHVietnam trade probe.
The U.S. Trade Representative opened a trade-law investigation into Vietnam's intellectual-property enforcement, after naming the country a “priority foreign country” in April — a step that can lead to tariffs or other penalties.4May 29 · USTRDirty-bomb material.
The National Nuclear Security Administration removed the last cesium-137 blood irradiator from Lebanon, eliminating radioactive material that could fuel a “dirty bomb,” completing a cleanout begun in 2019 amid intensifying regional conflict.5May 29 · DOEEbola response.
State said U.S. assistance to the Congo–Uganda Ebola outbreak has topped $162 million, as Washington, Mexico City and Ottawa imposed aligned screening for arrivals from the affected region ahead of the FIFA World Cup.6May 29 · StateUnmanned warships.
The Navy selected seven companies to send medium unmanned surface vessels to at-sea trials next month; each that passes wins $15 million and a path to production, opening fleet-building to non-traditional shipyards.7May 29 · NavyIran procurement network.
State and Treasury blacklisted an Iran-based network, led by Ali Majd Sepehr, that posed as American firms to buy restricted technology for Iran's defense ministry; a $15 million reward was offered over Revolutionary Guard finances.8May 29 · StateExploited firewall flaw.
CISA added an actively exploited authentication-bypass flaw in Palo Alto Networks' PAN-OS firewall software (CVE-2026-0257) to its catalog, ordering federal civilian agencies to patch it.9May 29 · CISA
This week
A $20 billion minerals pact.
On May 26 the U.S., Japan, Australia and India launched a Critical Minerals Initiative Framework to mobilize up to $20 billion across mineral mining, processing and recycling (US daily, May 27). The target was explicit: China's near-monopoly on rare-earth processing. The same statement backed open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, tying the minerals push to the week's Iran pressure.1May 26 · StateIran's shadow-oil economy hit.
On May 28 State and Treasury sanctioned a Hong Kong–based network that has moved tens of millions of barrels of Iranian crude worth billions, naming eight entities and eight vessels (US daily, May 29). It was the week's clearest escalation of the "maximum pressure" campaign, aimed at the oil revenue funding Iran's Revolutionary Guard and armed forces.2May 28 · StateA South Caucasus corridor.
In Yerevan on May 26 the U.S. and Armenia signed a strategic-partnership charter, a critical-minerals agreement, and a framework for the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity," a multimodal transit corridor across the region (US daily, May 28). It builds on the 2025 Armenia–Azerbaijan peace deal and extends U.S. reach into a corridor long shaped by Russia and Iran.3May 26 · StateBrazil's gangs named terrorists.
On May 28 the State Department designated Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital — Brazil's two largest criminal organizations, with thousands of members — as global terrorists, with foreign-terrorist-organization designations to follow June 5 (US daily, May 29). It extends the administration's use of counterterrorism tools against Western Hemisphere criminal networks.5May 28 · StateA Revolutionary Guard commander charged.
Federal prosecutors unsealed an eight-count indictment against Mohammad Baqer Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi commander of the Iran-backed militia Kata'ib Hizballah, tied to nearly 20 attacks across Europe and the United States (US daily, May 29). It was one of several Iran-directed plots the U.S. moved against this week, alongside a 10-year sentence in a New York plot to kill a journalist.6May 28 · DOJ
Allied Governments
Underwater drone pact.
In Singapore, the AUKUS defence ministers launched their first joint technology-pillar project — payloads for uncrewed underwater vessels, due in service by 2027 — and split £3 million among British innovation winners.aMay 30 · UK MoDJapan joins Ukraine command.
Japan finalized a deployment of personnel to NATO's Wiesbaden-based command coordinating training and equipment for Ukraine, deepening Tokyo's ties to the alliance across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.bMay 29 · NATOTokyo funds Ukraine kit.
Japan contributed about $14.7 million to NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, financing non-lethal, U.S.-made equipment for Ukrainian forces.cMay 29 · Japan MoFA
Voices
“[The] core childhood vaccine schedule should be aligned with scientific evidence and best practices from peer, developed countries while preserving access to vaccines currently available to Americans.”
Executive Order on childhood vaccines · May 291
“As regional pressures and threats intensified, clearing Lebanon of radioactive material became a vital step in denying adversaries its use in a dangerous conflict.”
Matthew Napoli, Deputy Administrator, NNSA Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation · May 295
“Prompt designations are essential to preserving the credibility and effectiveness of the UN sanctions regime.”
Joint Statement on DPRK Sanctions Accountability · May 292
“IP infringement in Vietnam continues to impair the competitive position of U.S. innovators and creators.”
Amb. Jamieson Greer, U.S. Trade Representative · May 294
“The United States will continue to impose maximum pressure against the Iranian regime to severely constrict its ability to advance its destabilizing activities.”
Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, U.S. Dept. of State · May 298
“This initiative represents a strategic shift in naval acquisition, designed to rapidly field unmanned technologies by leveraging mature, existing commercial solutions.”
U.S. Navy · May 297
Sources
- White House, “Realigning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations with Best Practices from Peer, Developed Countries,” May 2026. whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/childhood-vaccine-recommendations
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement on DPRK Sanctions Accountability,” May 29, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/dprk-sanctions-accountability
- White House, “Approving Critical Position Pay Authority for National Security Investment Workforce,” May 2026. whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/critical-position-pay-authority
- USTR, “USTR Announces Section 301 Investigation of Vietnam's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Intellectual Property Protection and Enforcement,” May 29, 2026. ustr.gov/…/section-301-investigation-vietnam
- U.S. Dept. of Energy, “NNSA Removes High-Risk Cesium from Lebanon Through Strong Interagency and International Partnerships,” May 29, 2026. energy.gov/nnsa/articles/…/removes-cesium-lebanon
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Ebola Response Update – May 29, 2026,” May 29, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/ebola-response-update
- U.S. Navy, “U.S. Navy Announces Seven Companies Selected for MUSV Marketplace At-Sea Demonstrations,” May 2026. navy.mil/Press-Office/…/musv-marketplace-at-sea
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Sanctioning Iranian-Affiliated Fraud Network Targeting American Companies,” May 29, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/iranian-affiliated-fraud-network
- CISA, “CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog” (CVE-2026-0257, Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS), May 29, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/…/kev-cve-2026-0257
- UK Ministry of Defence, “Cutting-edge Underwater Tech for AUKUS Forces to be Developed Through Landmark Partnership,” May 30, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/underwater-tech-aukus-forces
- NATO News, “Japan Deploys Personnel to NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine,” May 29, 2026. nato.int/…/japan-deploys-personnel-nsatu
- Japan MoFA, “Japan's Contribution to NATO's Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL),” May 29, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/purl-ukraine-contribution