U.S. and China meet ahead of Washington summit.
Today's events
China trade talks.
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meet Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York on September 20, ahead of a U.S.–China summit in Washington.1Sep 18 · USTRDrug-transit list.
The President listed 23 countries as major drug transit or producing states — China and India among them — and designated Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, and Colombia as failing their counternarcotics obligations.2Sep 18 · Fed. Reg.Skilled-worker visas.
A proclamation extended the $100,000 fee on certain H-1B petitions another 12 months, to September 21, 2027; more than 700 petitions have paid it since 2025.3Sep 19 · WHLithuania minerals deal.
Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Budrys signed a U.S.–Lithuania critical-minerals framework to strengthen advanced-technology and defense supply chains; Lithuania met its defense-spending target ahead of schedule.4Sep 18 · StateSaudi arms sale.
A Senate joint resolution introduced September 16 would disapprove a proposed U.S. sale of defense articles and services to the government of Saudi Arabia.5Sep 19 · SenateIndiana coal plants.
Energy Secretary Wright ordered two Indiana coal plants kept available through December 18; units at the Schahfer and Culley stations had been scheduled to shut down at the end of 2025.6Sep 19 · DOEGambia corruption money.
The Justice Department returned $2.5 million forfeited from a Potomac, Maryland mansion bought with funds embezzled by former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, to compensate victims of his rule.7Sep 18 · DOJUnderwater drones.
The State Department removed uncrewed underwater vehicles up to 8,000 pounds from the U.S. Munitions List unless built for advanced navigation, moving them to Commerce Department export controls on October 19.8Sep 18 · Fed. Reg.Beretta and Ruger.
The Federal Trade Commission put a proposed consent order with the two gun makers on the public record, settling claims of unfair methods of competition; comments close October 19.9Sep 18 · FTC
This week
The Fed raised rates.
Federal Reserve policymakers voted 12-0 on September 16 to lift the benchmark rate a quarter point, to 3.75–4 percent, saying inflation remains elevated and the move supports a timelier return to the 2 percent goal.1 Two days later an independent review of the Silicon Valley Bank failure, delivered by the Fed's vice chair for supervision, found supervisors had known of the bank's vulnerabilities as early as March 2022 and did not act.2Sep 16 · FedCanada shut out twice.
Five proclamations published September 14 barred Canadian cars, dairy and alcoholic beverages from importation, the alcohol order citing Saskatchewan's new 50 percent levy on U.S. drinks.3 A presidential memorandum two days later directed budget and trade officials to strike Canadian-origin goods from federal civil procurement, a market in which Canadian firms can reach more than $280 billion in contracts.4Sep 14–16 · WHIran's money routes.
State sanctioned VTB Bank, one of Russia's largest lenders, on September 14 for opening offices in Iran and working to move billions of dollars in Iranian assets.8 Three days later it sanctioned two companies and three people over digital-asset exchanges that gave Iran's central bank and Revolutionary Guard a route into the global financial system.9 Commerce separately renewed the orders stripping export privileges from Aeroflot and two other Russian airlines.10Sep 14–17 · StateCoal kept, carbon rules cut.
The Environmental Protection Agency repealed most of the 2024 greenhouse-gas standards for fossil-fuel power plants on September 17, dropping carbon-capture requirements for coal and new gas units.11 Two days later the Energy Secretary ordered two Indiana coal plants kept available through December 18, units scheduled to close at the end of 2025.12 He had opened the week in Vienna backing 300 gigawatts of new U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050.13Sep 14–19 · EPA / DOEThe $100,000 visa fee.
Trump extended the $100,000 fee on certain skilled-worker petitions for another 12 months, to September 21, 2027, and ordered agencies to weigh an employer's recent layoffs of American workers when judging its applications.14 More than 700 petitions have paid the fee since it was introduced in 2025.15Sep 18 · WHKremlin murder-for-hire charges.
Justice charged five Russian intelligence operatives on September 15 with financing terrorism and murder-for-hire, alleging they paid people to surveil and kill targets inside the United States and to attack infrastructure in European states backing Ukraine. All five remain at large.16 The same week a Russian, Estonian and Swiss citizen pleaded guilty to routing nearly $2 million of export-controlled U.S. aerospace parts to Russia.17Sep 15 · DOJ
Allied Governments
NATO chiefs of defence.
Thirty-two allied chiefs of defence met in Copenhagen on September 18–19 and elected Germany's General Carsten Breuer as the next chair of NATO's Military Committee, from summer 2027.aSep 19 · NATOFalklands pressure.
Britain's overseas territories minister said Argentina has threatened businesses supplying the Falkland Islands, including in the hydrocarbons sector, and called the charges legally unjustified.bSep 18 · UK FCDOPeacekeeping review.
At the Security Council, Britain backed the Secretary-General's review of UN peace operations and pressed member states to pay assessed contributions in full, on time, and without conditions.cSep 18 · UK FCDO
Voices
“[The] United States and China are deepening their engagement to facilitate mutually beneficial trade between the two largest economies in the world.”
U.S. Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer · Sep 181
“While my Administration has successfully secured our borders from invasion, Canada and Mexico need to do far more to stop the flows of deadly drugs into our country.”
Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit Countries · Sep 182
“[The H-1B program] has been exploited to replace, not supplement, American workers with lower-paid labor.”
Proclamation, Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers · Sep 193
“Forcing reliable, dispatchable coal generation off the grid would compromise energy reliability and needlessly raises energy costs for Americans.”
Energy Sec. Chris Wright · Sep 196
“This case is an important example of international cooperation to hold accountable those who use our financial system to attempt to hide illicit criminal proceeds.”
AAG A. Tysen Duva, DOJ Criminal Division · Sep 187
“The Department maintains the [U.S. Munitions List] such that it comprises those defense articles or defense services that provide a critical military or intelligence advantage.”
Interim final rule, International Traffic in Arms Regulations · Sep 188
Sources
- USTR, “Ambassador Greer to Travel to New York,” September 18, 2026. ustr.gov/…/greer-travel-new-york
- Federal Register, “Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for Fiscal Year 2027,” September 18, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/drug-transit-countries-fy2027
- White House, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers” (Proclamation), September 19, 2026. whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/…/restriction-on-entry
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary Rubio's Meeting with Foreign Minister Budrys,” September 18, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-budrys
- U.S. Government Publishing Office, “S.J. Res. 216 — Providing for congressional disapproval of the proposed foreign military sale to the Government of Saudi Arabia of certain defense articles and services,” introduced September 16, 2026. govinfo.gov/app/details/…/119sjres216is
- U.S. Dept. of Energy, “Trump Administration Moves to Keep Indiana Coal Plants Operating to Support Grid Reliability,” September 19, 2026. energy.gov/articles/…/indiana-coal-plants
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Department of Justice Returns Approximately $2.5 Million in Corruption Proceeds for Victims of the Ex-President of The Gambia,” September 18, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/gambia-corruption-proceeds
- Federal Register, “International Traffic in Arms Regulations: Modification of U.S. Munitions List Category XX(a),” September 18, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/itar-munitions-list-xx-a
- Federal Trade Commission, “Beretta and Ruger; Analysis of Proposed Agreement Containing Consent Order To Aid Public Comment,” September 18, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/beretta-and-ruger-consent-order
- NATO News, “NATO Chiefs of Defence in Copenhagen met for the Military Committee Conference,” September 19, 2026. nato.int/news/…/military-committee-conference
- UK Foreign Office (FCDO), “Minister for Overseas Territories statement on the Falkland Islands: 18 September,” September 18, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/falkland-islands-statement
- UK Foreign Office (FCDO), “UK statement at the UN Security Council on UN Peacekeeping Operations,” September 18, 2026. gov.uk/government/speeches/…/un-peace-operations