U.S. declines to renew North American trade deal.
Today's events
North American trade deal.
The United States declined to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement at its first joint review, keeping it in force while it renegotiates trade deficits; a third round of talks with Mexico is set for the week of July 20.1Jul 1 · USTRU.S.–Japan cyber pact.
The two governments closed the 11th U.S.-Japan Cyber Dialogue in Washington, agreeing to trade threat intelligence on state and non-state hackers, jointly disrupt Indo-Pacific scam centers, and accelerate post-quantum cryptography.2Jul 2 · StateInternational Criminal Court.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote the tribunal's president that the United States rejects its jurisdiction over Americans anywhere in the world, and will not cooperate with or extradite anyone to its proceedings.3Jul 2 · DOJCartel terror charges.
A federal grand jury indicted two high-ranking members of Mexico's United Cartels — a designated foreign terrorist organization — for trafficking tons of methamphetamine into U.S. cities and providing material support to terrorism.4Jul 2 · DOJU.S.–China call.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with China's top diplomat Wang Yi about building “a constructive relationship of strategic stability based on fairness and reciprocity,” as outlined by President Trump.5Jul 2 · StateVenezuela earthquake relief.
U.S. forces directed by Southern Command are delivering food, water, and medical care after the June 24 earthquakes, with the USS Fort Lauderdale berthed at La Guaira as a State Department–led relief hub.6Jul 1 · DODSharePoint flaw.
CISA added an actively exploited Microsoft SharePoint Server vulnerability (CVE-2026-45659) to its catalog, ordering federal agencies to patch a deserialization bug that can hand attackers full control of exposed servers.7Jul 1 · CISACuban influence operative.
The State Department revoked the legal status of a Cuban national tied for over a decade to Havana's main U.S. influence front, ICAP — sanctioned last month — placing him and his family in federal custody for removal.8Jul 1 · StateSupersonic flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration proposed repealing the decades-old U.S. ban on civil supersonic flight over land, replacing it with a noise-based certification standard to clear the way for next-generation supersonic aircraft.9Jul 2 · FAA
This week
Trump–Xi summit.
President Trump met Xi Jinping in Beijing over a state banquet before flying home, according to presidential remarks published June 30. Two days later Secretary of State Rubio and China's foreign minister spoke by phone about building a stable, reciprocal relationship. The week's defining bilateral produced ceremony and an open channel, but no announced movement on trade or Taiwan.1Jun 30 · WHIsrael–Lebanon framework.
The United States, Israel, and Lebanon signed a trilateral framework on June 26 to formally end their war and verifiably disarm Hizballah in phased steps, with Lebanon's army restoring authority as Israeli forces redeploy. Washington pledged $100 million in humanitarian aid and more than $30 million to rebuild the Lebanese army, and created a joint Military Coordination Group to oversee it.2Jun 26 · StateStrategic oil reserve.
A GAO report on June 26 warned that Congress and the Energy Department still lack a long-term plan for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, even as DOE's 172-million-barrel emergency release — begun in March in response to the war in Iran — kept drawing down stocks. The warning landed the same week Washington reaffirmed safe Strait of Hormuz transit and recast Justice's environment division around energy security.5Jun 26 · GAOBolton espionage plea.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton pleaded guilty to willfully retaining national-defense information, the Justice Department said on June 26. He had copied top-secret war plans into diary notes sent to relatives, and an Iran-linked cyber actor later hacked the account. The plea is a rare Espionage Act conviction of a former top White House official.6Jun 26 · DOJPax Silica summit.
The State Department's second Pax Silica summit added ten signatories on June 26, reaching 24 nations, and produced a joint statement on AI and critical-mineral supply chains backed by roughly three dozen economies. A Panama pilot will vet semiconductor and critical-mineral shipments — an effort to build allied leverage over the chip and mineral chokepoints China dominates in processing.7Jun 26 · State
Allied Governments
Gulf shipping.
The United Kingdom condemned Iran's attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, backing a French-led naval reassurance mission and the U.S.-Iran agreement to restore free transit.aJul 2 · UK FCDOVenezuela field hospital.
Britain scaled up its earthquake response with a deployable field hospital and an additional £3.8 million, treating up to 100 patients a day in the worst-hit areas after the June 24 quakes.bJul 2 · UK FCDONATO summit preview.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met Germany's chancellor and defense minister in Berlin ahead of next week's Ankara summit, pressing for higher defense spending, more weapons production, and continued support for Ukraine.cJul 1 · NATO
Voices
“The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. As a result, the USMCA is not renewed.”
U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer, USMCA Joint Review · Jul 11
“Its record of selective enforcement and credible allegations of internal misconduct raise serious doubts about the ICC's impartiality, credibility, and legitimacy.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, DOJ · Jul 23
“The United States and Japan reaffirmed their shared commitment to addressing threats in cyberspace directly.”
U.S.–Japan Joint Statement on Cybersecurity Cooperation · Jul 22
“[The two defendants] are charged with trafficking immense amounts of methamphetamine into the United States and supporting a foreign terrorist organization.”
AAG A. Tysen Duva, DOJ Criminal Division · Jul 24
“This type of vulnerability is a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors and poses significant risks to the federal enterprise.”
CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog · Jul 17
“The general ban on civil supersonic flight is outdated and no longer appropriate due to advancements in technology, flight techniques … and increased interest in civil supersonic flight.”
FAA, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking · Jul 29
Sources
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “Ambassador Greer Issues Statement on the USMCA Joint Review,” July 1, 2026. ustr.gov/…/ambassador-greer-usmca-joint-review
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement of the United States and Japan on Cybersecurity Cooperation,” July 2, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/us-japan-cybersecurity-cooperation
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Justice Department Rejects International Criminal Court Jurisdiction Over U.S. Persons,” July 2, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/icc-jurisdiction-over-us-persons
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Two High Ranking Members of the United Cartels Charged with Drug Trafficking and Providing Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” July 2, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/united-cartels-material-support
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary Rubio's Call with China's Director of the Office of the CCP Central Foreign Affairs Commission and Foreign Minister Wang,” July 2, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-call-with-china-wang
- U.S. Dept. of War, “U.S. Military Supports Venezuela Earthquake Response,” July 1, 2026. war.gov/…/us-military-venezuela-earthquake-response
- CISA, “CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog” (CVE-2026-45659, Microsoft SharePoint Server), July 1, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/…/cisa-adds-one-kev-catalog
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary Rubio Terminates Legal Status of Cuban Communist Foreign Influence Operative,” July 1, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/cuban-influence-operative
- Federal Register (FAA), “Enabling Supersonic Overland Flight” (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking), July 2, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/enabling-supersonic-overland-flight
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “We Stand in Solidarity with Bahrain, Kuwait, and All Our Partners Across the Gulf: UK Statement at the UN Security Council,” July 2, 2026. gov.uk/…/uk-statement-gulf-un-security-council
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “UK Steps Up Support for Venezuela Following Devastating Earthquakes,” July 2, 2026. gov.uk/…/uk-steps-up-support-for-venezuela
- NATO, “NATO Secretary General in Berlin: Germany Leads and Germany Delivers,” July 1, 2026. nato.int/…/nato-secretary-general-in-berlin