State Department calls Cuba an espionage superpower.
Today's events
Cuba report.
Secretary Rubio, asked about the department's 100-page report on Cuba, called the island an espionage and influence superpower and said its protest network is funded and organized, not organic.1Aug 2 · StateHospital drug discounts.
Federal health officials opened a revised pilot letting drugmakers meet discounted 340B prices through rebates instead of upfront discounts. The program covers 15,249 hospitals and clinics and reached $100 billion in purchases in 2025.2Aug 3 · HHSPrecursor chemical.
The Drug Enforcement Administration proposed extending controls on PMK glycidic acid to cover its esters, a class not currently listed under the Controlled Substances Act. Comments close September 2.3Aug 3 · DOJSubmarine command.
Submarine Squadron 20 relieved Cmdr. Joseph Sammur of command of the ballistic-missile submarine USS West Virginia at Kings Bay, Georgia, citing loss of confidence in his ability to command.4Jul 30 · NavyGerman paper duties.
Commerce found Koehler Paper sold thermal paper in the United States at fair value for the year to October 2024, setting a zero dumping margin; two Mexican converters get 0.76 percent.5Aug 3 · CommerceIntel's Arizona zone.
Phoenix asked the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to add three Chandler, Arizona sites to Intel's duty-free subzone; the application was docketed July 30 and comments close September 14.6Aug 3 · CommerceConstruction runoff permit.
All ten Environmental Protection Agency regions proposed a five-year permit for stormwater from construction sites where the agency is the permitting authority, replacing the 2022 version expiring February 17, 2027.7Aug 3 · EPAHospice payment.
Medicare set fiscal 2027 hospice rates and detailed a spending-variation index scoring providers on nine claims-based metrics to produce a ranking beneficiaries can use. Effective October 1.8Aug 3 · CMSNew destroyer.
The Navy set an August 1 christening at Bath Iron Works in Maine for the future USS William Charette, a guided-missile destroyer named for a Korean War medic awarded the Medal of Honor.9Aug 1 · Navy
This week
Strikes inside Iran.
Central Command hit dozens of Revolutionary Guard command centers, missile and drone plants and coastal defenses inside Iran on July 29, a day after an Iranian ballistic-missile salvo on American bases was intercepted (July 30 brief). It followed a July 28 American and Saudi operation against Iran-aligned militias in eastern Iraq, itself an answer to more than 30 drone attacks on U.S. forces and Saudi energy infrastructure in 72 hours.1Jul 29 · CENTCOMHormuz sanctions.
State designated two Revolutionary Guard-backed Iranian firms that charge ships for “insurance” against the seizures Iran threatens, along with eight carriers hauling Iranian crude to China and the United Arab Emirates (July 30 brief). The designations back the Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports and were followed a day later by sanctions on a Mahan Air network running through China, India, Russia and Iran.2Jul 29 · StateChina’s crude imports.
China imported 8.1 million barrels a day in the second quarter, 32 percent below the first, after Strait of Hormuz disruption lifted prices; May and June fell below 8 million for the first time since 2016 (August 2 brief). The Energy Information Administration also estimated record global inventory draws of 5.1 million barrels a day, which it said would have been larger had world demand not fallen.3Jul 31 · EIARates and growth.
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark at 3.50 to 3.75 percent on July 29 by a 9–3 vote, tying still-elevated inflation partly to energy supply shocks; three officials wanted a quarter-point increase (July 30 brief).4 The next day the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported second-quarter growth of 1.5 percent, down from 2.1, while the price index for gross domestic purchases rose 5.7 percent against 3.6.5Jul 29–30 · Fed, BEAMinerals export authority.
Trump signed a determination on July 30 finding recoverable critical minerals essential to national defense and giving the Commerce Secretary authority to restrict their export — black mass, end-of-life rare-earth magnets and scrap, all recovered material rather than mined ore (July 31 brief). Italy signed the U.S.-led Pax Silica declaration on critical-minerals and semiconductor supply chains the next day, becoming its 25th signatory.6Jul 30 · WHForced-labor additions.
The United States added 43 China-based companies to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List on July 31 — producers of seafood, gold, copper, aluminum, tomatoes, cotton and garments — bringing to 187 the number of firms whose goods are barred from the American market (August 1 brief). It was the week’s second action reaching into Chinese supply chains, after the minerals determination.7Jul 31 · State
Allied Governments
Tokyo and Ottawa.
Japan and Canada held their fourteenth political-military dialogue in Ottawa on July 31, agreeing to deepen security cooperation under the comprehensive strategic roadmap set at their March summit.aAug 3 · Japan MoFABritain's skills push.
National Grid put £5 million behind the prime minister's education reforms, funding a programme to move 5,000 young people into work.bAug 2 · UK No.10
Voices
“Cuba is the only country that consistently has implanted and embedded spies in our system without even paying them.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio · Aug 21
“Consistent with HRSA's longstanding statutory authority, rebates will be used instead of upfront discounts.”
340B Rebate Model Pilot Program notice, HRSA · Aug 32
“Serving as the shield of the Fleet … this premier surface combatant will be a cornerstone of America's new Golden Fleet.”
Acting Sec. of the Navy Hung Cao · Aug 19
“[Commerce] determines that thermal paper from Germany was not sold in the United States at less than normal value during the period of review.”
Commerce Dept., final results of administrative review · Aug 35
“Commander, Submarine Squadron 20 relieved Cmdr. Joseph Sammur as commanding officer of USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) (Blue Crew) due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.”
Commander, Submarine Forces · Jul 304
“This final rule updates the hospice wage index, payment rates, and aggregate cap amount for fiscal year 2027.”
Medicare hospice final rule, CMS · Aug 38
Sources
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio On Fox News Channel's My View with Lara Trump,” August 2, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-my-view-lara-trump
- Health Resources and Services Administration, “Notice Regarding 340B Rebate Model Pilot Program,” August 3, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/340b-rebate-model-pilot-program
- Drug Enforcement Administration, “Amendment to 3,4-MDP-2-P Methyl Glycidic Acid, a List I Chemical,” August 3, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/pmk-glycidic-acid-esters
- U.S. Navy, “Navy Relieves USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) (Blue Crew) Commanding Officer,” July 30, 2026. navy.mil/Press-Office/…/uss-west-virginia-co-relieved
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Thermal Paper From Germany: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2023-2024,” August 3, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/thermal-paper-from-germany
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Foreign-Trade Zone 75; Application for Subzone Expansion; Intel Corporation; Chandler, Arizona,” August 3, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/ftz-75-intel-chandler
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 2027 Issuance of General Permit for Stormwater Discharges From Construction Activities,” August 3, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/2027-construction-general-permit
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Medicare Program; FY 2027 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Program Requirements,” August 3, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/fy-2027-hospice-wage-index
- U.S. Navy, “U.S. Navy to Christen Future USS William Charette,” August 1, 2026. navy.mil/Press-Office/…/christen-uss-william-charette
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “The 14th Japan-Canada Political-Military (PM) Dialogue,” August 3, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/japan-canada-pm-dialogue
- UK Prime Minister's Office, “National Grid backs PM's education reforms with new £5 million jobs programme to help 5,000 young people into work,” August 2, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/national-grid-jobs-programme