U.S. commits $2 billion to critical minerals.
Today's events
American mining.
Trump announced over $2 billion in critical-minerals projects — $1.4 billion for silicon-carbon battery anodes, $400 million for the world's first primary scandium mine, and $150 million for rare-earth-free magnets.1Aug 7 · WHColombia's new president.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche led the U.S. delegation to Abelardo de la Espriella's inauguration; Washington intends to announce $1 billion in security assistance and welcomed Colombia into the Shield of the Americas.2Aug 7 · StateSouth China Sea.
The State Department rejected China's enforcement of a “national nature reserve” at Scarborough Reef, which bars Filipino fishermen from traditional grounds recognized in the 2016 arbitral award.3Aug 8 · StateIran sanctions.
The United States sanctioned six entities and one individual — two major digital-asset exchanges plus a network ringleader and his firms — and offered up to $15 million for information disrupting Revolutionary Guard finances.4Aug 7 · StateArmenia–Azerbaijan route.
Rubio announced the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund is operating with $201 million in U.S. funding, one year after Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a White House declaration opening a South Caucasus transit route.5Aug 8 · StateSenate war powers.
S.J. Res. 211, introduced in the Senate on August 6, would direct the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities against Iran that Congress has not authorized.6Aug 6 · CongressMineral price floors.
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer welcomed new S&P Global price benchmarks for gallium, germanium, tungsten, antimony, and rare earths, calling them a step toward border-adjusted price floors in a planned trade agreement.7Aug 7 · USTRJuly jobs report.
The Labor Department said private employers added 30,000 jobs in July and 426,000 this year, with gains concentrated in construction and manufacturing.8Aug 7 · DOLBattery storage.
U.S. utility-scale battery storage reached nearly 52 gigawatts after operators added 8.3 gigawatts in the first half of 2026; another 54 gigawatts are planned by 2028.9Aug 7 · EIA
This week
Polysilicon tariffs.
A presidential proclamation set a minimum import price for polysilicon — the base material for semiconductors and solar cells — plus a 15% tariff on downstream goods, effective in 120 days (August 7 brief). It landed inside a run of trade actions: Commerce moved to extend steel, aluminum and copper duties to fourteen more derivative products, and a separate proclamation imposed safeguards on imported quartz surfaces.1Aug 6 · WHNineteen missile submarines.
The Navy redesignated nineteen planned Virginia-class boats fitted with the Virginia Payload Module as guided-missile submarines; the first delivers in 2029, as the Ohio-class Georgia starts inactivation (August 4 brief). It was reported alongside the close of the thirtieth Rim of the Pacific exercise — 30 nations, more than 30,000 personnel — and days later the Marine Corps' first live-fire attack-drone series in South Korea.5Aug 3 · NavyCanceled chip research.
Government auditors found that Commerce canceled $7.8 billion of the $11 billion Congress appropriated for advanced semiconductor research and has no plan to meet its statutory obligations (August 7 brief). The money was for the research entities the CHIPS Act required Commerce to establish. It landed in the same week as $2 billion for mines and a $100 million science foundation program for state AI computing hubs.6Aug 6 · GAOAir-traffic datalink flaws.
Cybersecurity officials published five vulnerabilities in the unauthenticated, clear-text messaging link that carries controller-pilot clearances worldwide; rogue ground stations can inject false instructions or reset sessions, and no mitigation is available (August 8 brief). Separately, four actively exploited flaws entered the federal must-patch catalog over two days — JetBrains TeamCity, Apache Tomcat, IBM Langflow and N-able N-central.7Aug 7 · CISA
Allied Governments
Russian ships off Britain.
Royal Navy warships and helicopters spent 21 days in July monitoring Russian vessels in UK waters — activations up 25% year-on-year — shadowing the frigate Neustrashimy as it escorted shadow-fleet tankers.aAug 8 · UK MoDGeorgia's occupied regions.
Britain, France, Germany, and Italy marked 18 years since Russia's invasion of Georgia and warned that a May alliance pact with South Ossetia's authorities points toward annexation.bAug 7 · UK FCDONagasaki anniversary.
Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs attended the 81st Nagasaki Peace Ceremony, visited the atomic bomb museum, and heard requests from groups of survivors.cAug 9 · Japan MoFA
Voices
“We are taking these actions following Iran’s attacks against commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week.”
Spokesperson Thomas Pigott, State Dept. · Aug 74
“It is vital that the United States have sufficient and secure mining, processing, refining, manufacturing, and recycling to reduce reliance on foreign countries.”
White House Fact Sheet on American Mining · Aug 71
“This progress reflects a simple truth: peace and prosperity reinforce one another.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio · Aug 85
“As a result of non-market policies and practices, global prices for minerals lack the stability necessary for markets to function.”
Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer · Aug 77
“To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.”
S.J. Res. 211, 119th Congress · Aug 66
“The labor market is seeing continued growth in private sector employment, adding 30,000 jobs in July and 426,000 this year.”
Acting Labor Sec. Keith Sonderling · Aug 78
Sources
- White House, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Announces Billions in New Deals and Investments to Power American Mining,” August 7, 2026. whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/…/american-mining
- U.S. Dept. of State, “A New Era in U.S.-Colombia Relations,” August 7, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/u-s-colombia-relations
- U.S. Dept. of State, “China's ‘Administrative Measures' at Scarborough Reef,” August 8, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/scarborough-reef
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Targeting Digital Asset Exchanges Fueling the Iranian Regime,” August 7, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/iranian-digital-asset-exchanges
- U.S. Dept. of State, “The Anniversary of a Historic Breakthrough and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP),” August 8, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/tripp-anniversary
- U.S. Senate, “S.J. Res. 211 — To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress,” introduced August 6, 2026. govinfo.gov/app/details/…/BILLS-119sjres211is
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “Ambassador Greer Issues Statement Welcoming S&P Global's Release of Critical Minerals Pricing Benchmarks,” August 7, 2026. ustr.gov/press-releases/…/critical-minerals-benchmarks
- U.S. Dept. of Labor, “Acting Secretary Sonderling statement on July jobs report,” August 7, 2026. dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/…/osec20260807
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Battery storage capacity averaged 70% growth over the last three years,” August 7, 2026. eia.gov/todayinenergy/…/id=67925
- UK Ministry of Defence, “UK armed forces step up monitoring of increased Russian activity in UK waters,” August 8, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/russian-activity-uk-waters
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “18th anniversary of Russia's illegal invasion of Georgia: Joint Statement,” August 7, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/georgia-joint-statement
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “State Minister KUNIMITSU's Attendance at the 81st Nagasaki Peace Ceremony,” August 9, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/nagasaki-peace-ceremony