U.S. approves new assistance to Venezuela.
Today's events
Venezuela aid.
A presidential determination clears new U.S. assistance to Venezuela, finding it in the national interest and waiving trafficking-related aid limits — the second such determination since November 2025, with the State Department to notify Congress.1Jul 5 · WHU.S.–Japan cyber.
At their 11th Cyber Dialogue in Washington, the two governments agreed to share threat intelligence, target Indo-Pacific scam centers, and speed adoption of post-quantum encryption and secure sovereign cloud.2Jul 3 · StateCartel sanctions.
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklisted Oscar Guillermo Juraidini Silva, a Mexican national tied to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, under U.S. drug-trafficking and counterterrorism sanctions authorities.3Jul 5 · TreasuryUSMCA review.
The U.S. Trade Representative said President Trump declined to rubber-stamp renewal of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada trade pact, faulting Mexican curbs on energy investors and Canadian dairy limits; the deal stays in force during talks.4Jul 3 · USTRChina steel duties.
Commerce opened a circumvention inquiry into whether Chinese corrosion-resistant steel finished in Thailand is dodging U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties, at Nucor and Steel Dynamics' request; it separately issued a new duty order on Algerian rebar.5Jul 5 · CommerceEbola surge.
The CDC said the Democratic Republic of Congo outbreak is nearing 1,000 confirmed cases across 31 health zones — plus 19 in Kampala, Uganda — the third-largest on record; it rated the risk to the United States low.6Jul 5 · CDCCounter-drone rule.
A Justice and Homeland Security interim rule implements the SAFER SKIES Act, letting state, local, tribal, and territorial police detect and bring down threatening drones under a two-tier certification system; it took effect July 1.7Jul 5 · DOJTicketmaster remedy.
The Justice Department filed a proposed final judgment against Live Nation and Ticketmaster requiring capped amphitheater ticket fees, divested venues, and looser exclusive contracts; a 60-day public-comment window opened.8Jul 5 · DOJCaribbean security.
The United States joined the inaugural Regional Security Conference in Martinique, convened by France under its G7 presidency; envoy Herschel Walker urged partners to counter narco-trafficking networks and join a regional anti-narcotics treaty.9Jul 3 · State
This week
Venezuela, from relief to backing.
A mission that began as earthquake relief after the June 24 quakes became open support for a new government. U.S. forces ran a hub from the USS Fort Lauderdale; on July 3 Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Dan Caine visited Caracas and pledged the Joint Force to a "three-phase stability plan"; and by July 5 a presidential determination cleared fresh aid to an interim government Washington calls aligned with it. First surfaced June 30.1Jul 3 · Joint StaffNorth American trade pact not renewed.
At its first joint review on July 1, the U.S. declined to renew the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement, faulting Mexican curbs on energy investors and Canadian dairy limits (July 3 brief). The pact stays in force during rolling talks — the next round with Mexico is set for the week of July 20 — but Washington's refusal to "rubber-stamp" the deal leaves North American trade rules unsettled for the first time since it took effect.2Jul 1 · USTRTrump met Xi in Beijing.
Newly published remarks confirmed the President met Xi Jinping on June 30 — a state banquet and tea before flying home (July 2 brief) — and Secretary Rubio followed with a call to top diplomat Wang Yi pressing for "strategic stability." No deliverable was announced, and the economic track cut the other way: Alibaba agreed to a $600 million U.S. settlement over illegal-drug imports, and Commerce opened a new inquiry into Chinese steel finished in Thailand.3Jun 30 · WHCartels treated as terrorists.
The drive to fold Mexican cartels into counterterrorism authorities ran through the week: on June 30 a Chinese national pleaded guilty to trafficking cocaine and giving material support to the Jalisco cartel; on July 2 a grand jury indicted two senior United Cartels members for "material support" to a terrorist group (July 3 brief); and on July 5 Treasury blacklisted another Jalisco figure. Washington also pushed partners toward a regional anti-narcotics treaty in Martinique.4Jul 2 · DOJIsrael–Lebanon war framework.
The U.S., Israel, and Lebanon issued a trilateral framework on June 27 to formally end their war (June 29 brief): Lebanon's army is to restore authority over all its territory as Israeli forces redeploy from two agreed pilot zones. Unlike the Beijing summit, the framework set out a concrete mechanism — a staged, zone-by-zone handover of security control — whose implementation across those pilot zones is the next test.5Jun 27 · StateFertilizer emergency.
President Trump declared a national emergency over fertilizer supplies and suspended U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Moroccan phosphate for eight months (Proclamation 11038, July 1; first in the June 30 brief). The order frames crop nutrients as a food- and national-security input, citing disrupted global supply chains ahead of planting — a resource move alongside the week's other energy strains, from a Carolinas grid emergency order to a reported 1% drop in U.S. refining capacity.6Jul 1 · WH
Allied Governments
Hormuz transit.
Britain and France called the Strait of Hormuz “a vital artery for the global economy,” said Oman will help keep its waters safe, and offered to deploy a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation.aJul 3 · UK No.10Sixth-gen fighter.
The UK signed a £4.6 billion contract with Italy and Japan to advance the Global Combat Air Programme's stealth fighter, targeted for 2035 service and supporting around 4,500 British jobs.bJul 3 · UK MoDUkraine.
At the UN Human Rights Council, Britain condemned Russia's continued aggression and this week's attack on Kyiv, reaffirming support for Ukraine's territorial integrity “including Crimea” and backing accountability efforts.cJul 3 · UK FCDO
Voices
“[Assistance] to Venezuela would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.”
Presidential Determination · Jul 51
“Mexico and Canada have in several cases not lived up to their existing commitments under the USMCA.”
Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith · Jul 34
“The United States and Japan reaffirmed their shared commitment to addressing threats in cyberspace directly.”
U.S.–Japan Joint Statement · Jul 32
“This is already the 3rd largest Ebola outbreak on record and the 17th Ebola outbreak identified in DRC since 1976.”
CAPT Satish K. Pillai, CDC · Jul 56
“[The] United States will not allow transnational criminal organizations or narco-terrorist networks to threaten the sovereignty and prosperity of nations in our hemisphere.”
U.S. Dept. of State · Jul 39
“[The rule] authorizes State, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement or correctional agencies to conduct counter-unmanned aircraft system operations.”
DOJ & DHS Interim Final Rule · Jul 57
Sources
- Federal Register · White House, “Presidential Determination on Assistance to Venezuela Consistent With the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/presidential-determination-venezuela
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Joint Statement of the United States and Japan on Cybersecurity Cooperation,” July 3, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/us-japan-cybersecurity
- U.S. Dept. of the Treasury · OFAC, “Notice of OFAC Sanctions Actions,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/notice-of-ofac-sanctions-actions
- USTR, “American Farmers, Ranchers, Manufacturers, and Businesses Applaud President Trump for Not Rubber Stamping the USMCA,” July 3, 2026. ustr.gov/…/not-rubber-stamping-usmca
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Circumvention Inquiry,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/core-china-thailand-circumvention
- CDC, “Update on Ebola Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda and CDC's World Cup 2026 Activation,” July 2026. cdc.gov/media/releases/…/ebola-drc-uganda
- U.S. Dept. of Justice · DHS, “Counter-UAS Authority for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement and Correctional Agencies,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/counter-uas-sltt-authority
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “United States et al. v. Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.; Proposed Final Judgment and Competitive Impact Statement,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/us-v-live-nation-final-judgment
- U.S. Dept. of State, “U.S. Participation in the Inaugural Regional Security Conference in Martinique,” July 3, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/regional-security-conference-martinique
- UK Prime Minister's Office (No.10), “Joint statement on the Strait of Hormuz: 3 July 2026,” July 3, 2026. gov.uk/…/joint-statement-strait-of-hormuz
- UK Ministry of Defence, “Over £4 billion invested in next-generation fighter jet with new international contract,” July 3, 2026. gov.uk/…/next-generation-fighter-jet
- UK Foreign Office (FCDO), “UN Human Rights Council 62: UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue on Ukraine,” July 3, 2026. gov.uk/…/uk-statement-ukraine-hrc62