Trump proclaims outer space open to American settlement.
Today's events
Space proclamation.
Trump signed a proclamation declaring the solar system “the province of all humans” and open to exploration, development, use and a permanent presence by American citizens. It restates a return to the Moon by 2028.1Nov 3 · WHGlobal refinery slump.
The Energy Information Administration reported global crude runs fell 4.8 million barrels a day, or 6%, in the second quarter after the Strait of Hormuz closed; China's fell 2.1 million while U.S. runs rose.2Nov 3 · EIAElection monitors.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division deployed about 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states for the November 3 midterm elections — its largest such effort and the first to cover every state.3Nov 3 · DOJUkraine ceasefire.
The White House said Melania Trump secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region and will bring Russian and Ukrainian representatives together at the White House on November 5.4Nov 4 · WHEthiopia espionage.
Abraham Teklu Lemma, a former contractor at the National Reconnaissance Office, pleaded guilty to passing Top Secret material to Ethiopian officials and agreed to 120 to 262 months in prison.5Nov 3 · DOJWordPress flaw.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency added an actively exploited WordPress Core race-condition flaw, CVE-2026-119977, to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities, which federal civilian agencies must prioritize patching.6Nov 3 · CISAArctic dialogue.
The United States and Iceland held their annual Strategic Dialogue in Reykjavik, marking 75 years of defense ties and focusing on Arctic cooperation, NATO deterrence and protecting critical infrastructure.7Nov 2–3 · StateBorder surge.
Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border said illegal crossings and suspicious activity in Texas's Rio Grande Valley fell about 70% in the 30 days after hundreds of troops repositioned there.8Nov 3 · DODDrill-pipe dumping.
The Commerce Department preliminarily found oil-and-gas drilling pipe from the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan and Austria sold in the United States below fair value, with the findings applicable November 4.9Nov 4 · Commerce
Allied Governments
Asia-Pacific ministerial.
Japan's foreign minister joined a four-hour virtual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial hosted by China, calling early de-escalation in the Middle East vital to energy security.aNov 3 · Japan MoFAUndersea autonomy trial.
Two British firms demonstrated acoustic-modelling and autonomous-fleet software off San Diego last month at a maritime exercise under the Australia–U.K.–U.S. partnership's technology pillar.bNov 3 · UK gov
Voices
“The nation that leads in space will shape the future of humanity — and that nation will be the United States of America.”
The American Declaration of Freedom in Space · Nov 31
“This loss in refinery operations compounded reduced refining activity in Asia and the Middle East, contributing to diesel prices increasing to the highest nominal levels on record in September.”
Energy Information Administration, Today in Energy · Nov 32
“I am very proud we are deploying the largest monitoring effort in DOJ history, and pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.”
AAG Harmeet K. Dhillon, DOJ Civil Rights · Nov 33
“Clearance holders pledge undivided loyalty to the United States and bear a legal and moral responsibility to protect classified information.”
AAG for National Security John A. Eisenberg · Nov 35
“Mrs. Trump independently initiated engagement between the two warring nations and successfully secured a ceasefire in Oleshky and the surrounding Kherson region.”
White House statement · Nov 44
“To the criminal cartels operating along our border: we will not tolerate attacks on U.S. security forces or border agents…”
Army Lt. Gen. Curtis Taylor, Joint Task Force Southern Border · Nov 38
Sources
- White House, “The American Declaration of Freedom in Space” (proclamation signed November 3, 2026). whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/freedom-in-space
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Global refinery inputs fell sharply in the second quarter of 2026 before modest recovery,” November 3, 2026. eia.gov/todayinenergy/…/global-refinery-inputs
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “DOJ To Monitor Elections in All 50 States for First Time,” November 3, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/election-monitors-50-states
- White House, “First Lady Melania Trump to Convene Russian and Ukrainian Representatives at the White House,” November 2026. whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/…/russian-ukrainian-representatives
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Former U.S. Government Contractor Pleads Guilty to Spying for Ethiopia,” November 3, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/spying-for-ethiopia
- CISA, “CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog” (CVE-2026-119977, WordPress Core), November 3, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/…/kev-wordpress-core
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement on United States – Iceland Strategic Dialogue,” November 3, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/us-iceland-strategic-dialogue
- U.S. Dept. of War, “Operation Unified Resolve Sees 70% Drop in Rio Grande Valley Crossings,” November 3, 2026. war.gov/News/News-Stories/…/operation-unified-resolve
- Commerce Dept. / Federal Register, “Certain Oil Country Tubular Goods From the United Arab Emirates: Preliminary Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value,” November 4, 2026; companion determinations for Taiwan and Austria published the same day. federalregister.gov/documents/2026/11/04/…/octg-united-arab-emirates
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Foreign Minister MOTEGI's Attendance at the APEC Ministerial Meeting 2026,” November 4, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/apec-ministerial-2026
- UK Government, “Maritime Big Play showcases the strength of UKDI investment in AUKUS innovation,” November 3, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/maritime-big-play-aukus