U.S. strikes Iran to protect commercial shipping.
Today's events
Iran strikes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is striking Iranian assets used to attack commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, on what reporters put at the ninth consecutive day; he said diplomacy stays open but “has to be real.”1Jul 19 · StateBrazil tariffs.
A presidential memorandum directs a 25 percent tariff on all goods of Brazil, exempting an annex of raw materials and products the U.S. cannot source at home — the close of a yearlong trade investigation that drew 360 comments and 77 witnesses.2Jul 20 · Fed. Reg.Xi trip holds.
Rubio said Xi Jinping's September visit is still expected and that Chinese teams keep arriving to prepare it — days after the White House released declassified material alleging Chinese interference in U.S. elections.3Jul 19 · StatePublic-charge rule.
Homeland Security rescinded the 2022 rule governing when immigrants may be refused entry as likely dependents on public benefits, restoring broad case-by-case discretion to its officers. Effective September 18.4Jul 20 · Fed. Reg.Lebanon framework.
Rubio met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on implementation of the Trilateral Framework and backed Beirut's effort to disarm Hizballah and dismantle its infrastructure.5Jul 19 · StateChina dumping case.
Commerce opened an investigation into whether Chinese choline salts — a feed and pharmaceutical additive — are sold in the U.S. below fair value, on a petition from domestic producer BCP Ingredients, alongside a parallel subsidy case.6Jul 20 · CommerceStablecoin reporting.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation opened comment on weekly and quarterly reporting forms that payment-stablecoin issuers under its supervision would be required to file. Comments close September 18.7Jul 20 · FDICMedicare drug prices.
Medicare issued draft guidance setting how drugmakers must apply the program's negotiated maximum fair prices in 2028, and opened it for public comment through September 18.8Jul 20 · HHSDisability guidance voided.
Justice's Civil Rights Division declared its 2011 guidance on housing people with disabilities in community settings unenforceable, and will rewrite it against the Supreme Court's 2024 limit on agency interpretation.9Jul 20 · DOJ
This week
Iran's oil-shipping network designated.
State and Treasury designated more than 50 people, companies, and vessels tied to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani's shipping network, a major enabler of Iran's oil exports, on July 14. The Energy Information Administration put the market backdrop in numbers the next day: repeated disruptions to Strait of Hormuz flows took Brent crude from $118 in April to $72 by late June and pushed U.S. distillate and jet-fuel exports to record highs.3Jul 14 · StateElection interference declassified.
The White House released declassified intelligence asserting China obtained personal data on 220 million American voters in 2020, and Homeland Security reported 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote across four states. The next day Rubio said Xi Jinping's September visit is still expected and that Chinese teams keep arriving to prepare it.4Jul 18 · WHTrade cases widen.
A presidential proclamation invoked national-security trade law to adjust imports of commercial aircraft, jet engines, and parts, after Commerce found foreign supply threatens U.S. defense and industrial capacity. Commerce also opened an inquiry into whether Chinese solar components finished in Ethiopia and Vietnam evade existing duties, and began a below-fair-value investigation of Chinese choline salts, a feed and pharmaceutical additive.5Jul 15 · Fed. Reg.Iraq–Syria oil corridor.
State welcomed an agreement between Iraq and Syria to rebuild the crude pipeline linking Iraqi fields to Mediterranean export markets, with a U.S.-led consortium executing the work and an initial capacity of 2 million barrels per day. The route would carry Iraqi crude to market without transiting the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been attacking commercial shipping.6Jul 17 · StateTwo immigration rules.
Homeland Security ended open-ended admission for foreign students, exchange visitors, and foreign journalists, replacing it with fixed periods of stay and an extension procedure, effective September 15. Three days later it rescinded the 2022 public-charge rule, restoring broad case-by-case discretion over when immigrants may be refused entry as likely dependents on public benefits, effective September 18.7Jul 17 · Fed. Reg.
Voices
“As long as Iran insists on controlling an international waterway, we're going to have to respond to that.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Joint Base Andrews · Jul 191
“The Trade Representative shall impose a tariff of 25 percent on all goods of Brazil, with exemptions for certain goods.”
Presidential Memorandum to the U.S. Trade Representative · Jul 202
“Rescission restores broader discretion for DHS officers to evaluate all pertinent facts and aligns with long-standing policy that aliens in the United States should be self-reliant.”
Public Charge Final Rule, Homeland Security · Jul 204
“[The Secretary commended the courage of the Government of Lebanon] for their determined effort to reclaim Lebanon's sovereignty, disarm Hizballah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and move towards peace.”
Spokesperson Tommy Pigott, State Dept. · Jul 195
“[The] petitioner alleges that imports of choline salts from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the United States at less than fair value.”
Commerce Dept. initiation notice · Jul 206
“The Department will not rely upon the Olmstead Guidance in its enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
AAG Harmeet K. Dhillon, DOJ Civil Rights · Jul 209
Sources
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to the Press” (Joint Base Andrews — on the Iran strikes and the Strait of Hormuz), July 19, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-remarks-to-the-press-13
- Federal Register, “Action by the United States in the Investigation Under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 of Brazil's Acts, Policies, and Practices” (Presidential Memorandum), published July 20, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/section-301-brazil-action
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to the Press” (on China and the September visit), July 19, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-remarks-to-the-press-13
- Federal Register, “Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility” (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, final rule), published July 20, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/public-charge-ground-of-inadmissibility
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary Rubio's Meeting with Lebanese President Aoun,” July 19, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-meeting-lebanese-president-aoun
- Federal Register, “Certain Choline Salts From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation” (Dept. of Commerce), published July 20, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/choline-salts-china-ltfv
- Federal Register, “Reporting Forms and Instructions Associated With Requirements and Standards for FDIC-Supervised Permitted Payment Stablecoin Issuers,” published July 20, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/fdic-stablecoin-reporting-forms
- Federal Register, “Medicare Program; Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program Draft Guidance; Comment Request,” published July 20, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/medicare-drug-price-negotiation-guidance
- Federal Register, “Clarification on Department of Justice Guidance Titled, ‘Statement of the Department of Justice on Enforcement of the Integration Mandate of Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act and Olmstead v. L.C.’” published July 20, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/doj-olmstead-guidance-clarification