U.S. denies ordering Ukraine's Starlink slowdown.
Today's events
Starlink slowdown.
Rubio called reports that Washington throttled the Starlink links Ukraine flies its drones on “categorically false,” said Kyiv's request for military Starshield access is still pending, and tied the 60-day Russia sanctions pause to tariffs on India.1Oct 18 · StateSaudi nuclear deal.
Senators filed a joint resolution to disapprove the agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia, using the review procedure in the Atomic Energy Act.2Oct 17 · SenateChina duty docket.
Commerce found Chinese truck bed covers subsidized, pushed its graphite-electrode dumping decision to February while stretching provisional duties to six months, and opened an evasion inquiry into diamond sawblades.3Oct 19 · CommerceCanada lumber.
Commerce closed its 2024 dumping and subsidy reviews of Canadian softwood lumber, setting rates for Canfor, West Fraser and 220 non-selected exporters; the results apply from October 19.4Oct 19 · CommerceSatellite spectrum handover.
The Federal Communications Commission opened comment on what incoming mobile licensees must pay satellite operators to vacate 160 megahertz of the C-band, and on rebates for airlines retrofitting radio altimeters.5Oct 19 · FCCMail to Europe.
The Postal Service made mailers responsible for customs charges on parcels sent to the European Union, after Brussels scrapped its duty exemption for low-value goods on July 1.6Oct 19 · USPSSoftware merger cleared.
The Justice Department closed its investigation of the Seismic–Highspot merger, concluding that fast-growing artificial-intelligence entrants make harm to competition in sales software unlikely.7Oct 19 · DOJCivil-service overhaul.
The personnel office issued three final rules: administrative leave for deferred-resignation and workforce-realignment programs, removal of the time-in-grade promotion bar, and stricter appraisals for senior professionals.8Oct 19 · OPMPaying tax by card.
Final Treasury rules let the tax agency take credit and debit card payments directly instead of routing taxpayers through outside processors, and lift the limits on who absorbs the card fees.9Oct 19 · Treasury
This week
Russia sanctions waived.
A presidential order of October 16 implementing the Russia and Iran sanctions law set duties on Russian goods at 500 percent and at 100 percent for the five largest remaining buyers of Russian oil, then waived the sanctions Congress enacted in September.1 Secretary of State Rubio said two days later that the administration is using a 60-day window to weigh those measures against tariffs on India.2Oct 16 · WHGoogle ad-tech remedies.
A federal court in Virginia ordered Google on October 16 to open its advertising exchange, imposing interoperability and data-sharing duties, barring self-preferencing in its ad auctions, and requiring close integration with rivals including the open-source Prebid. It is the second case in which the Justice Department has won court-ordered relief against the company.3 Three days later the department closed its Seismic–Highspot merger inquiry, saying fast-growing AI entrants made competitive harm unlikely.4Oct 16 · DOJFees on Spanish ships.
The Federal Maritime Commission proposed on October 15 a $200,000 per-voyage fee on all Spanish vessels, plus limits on imports of certain Spanish goods, after Spain denied entry to U.S.-flagged ships carrying Israel-bound cargo. The remedy would apply to an entire NATO member’s merchant fleet rather than to named companies.5 Commerce separately closed antidumping reviews of Canadian softwood lumber covering 220 non-selected exporters on October 19.6Oct 15 · FMCA command for drones.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on October 14 that the department will stand up a four-star Autonomous Warfare Command, with hundreds of thousands of one-way attack systems to be fielded this year.7 Two days later an F-22 pilot directed an uncrewed YFQ-44A in flight. The Air Force wants 500 combat-ready by 2032 toward a 1,000-aircraft fleet.8 NIST, the National Security Agency and CISA also published ten practices for containing AI agents that act uninstructed.9Oct 14–16 · DODGrid money and orders.
The Energy Department committed $250 million on October 13 to 84 Tennessee Valley Authority transmission projects across eight states, a $581 million package adding about 2.5 gigawatts,10 and $50 million of Defense Production Act funding on October 16 for advanced conductors on Appalachian Power’s Virginia system, worth 290 megawatts.11 An October 12 emergency order had already directed Mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM to dispatch specified generators and backup power through October 16.12Oct 13–16 · DOENorth Korean laptop farms.
The Justice Department charged 14 people and arrested two Americans on October 13, seizing about 187 devices from more than 40 Texas “laptop farms” that let North Korean workers pose as employees at over 70 U.S. companies. Prosecutors say the revenue funds North Korean weapons programs.13 The same day, prosecutors charged an OpenAI engineer with hiding a recording device in the company’s executive conference room.14Oct 13 · DOJ
Voices
“No one at the White House ordered anyone to slow down internet or slow down speed so that certain drones couldn't use it.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Joint Base Andrews · Oct 181
“Merging companies often claim that AI is a disruptive force and rationale for consolidation among close competitors in industries subject to historically high barriers to entry.”
DAAG G. Charles Beller, DOJ Antitrust · Oct 197
“As of July 1, 2026, the European Commission eliminated the de minimis exemption for most low-value goods destined to the European Union customs territory.”
Postal Service interim final rule · Oct 196
“After a targeted review of key competitive questions, the Antitrust Division made the decision to close its investigation, reducing the Second Request compliance burden on the merging companies.”
Associate AG Stanley E. Woodward Jr. · Oct 197
“[N]ew 3.7 GHz Service licensees will provide rebates to defined classes of eligible aircraft owners and operators to facilitate their compliance with the FAA's radio altimeter retrofit requirements.”
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau public notice · Oct 195
“Commerce determines that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of truck bed covers from the People's Republic of China during the period of investigation.”
Commerce Dept. final determination · Oct 193
Sources
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to the Press” (Joint Base Andrews), October 18, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-remarks-to-the-press-18
- U.S. Senate, “S.J. Res. 221 — Providing for congressional disapproval of the agreement for civilian nuclear cooperation between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” introduced October 15, 2026. govinfo.gov/app/details/…/119sjres221is
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Truck Bed Covers From the People's Republic of China: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination,” October 19, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/truck-bed-covers-china-cvd
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Certain Softwood Lumber Products From Canada: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, Partial Rescission of Administrative Review, and Final Determination of No Shipments; 2024,” October 19, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/canada-softwood-lumber-ad-2024
- Federal Communications Commission, “Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Seeks Comment on Proposed Rebate Categories and Amounts for Radio Altimeter Retrofits To Support the Upper C-band Transition,” October 19, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/radio-altimeter-rebates
- U.S. Postal Service, “Customs Requirements and Payment Procedures for Certain Customs Charges” (interim final rule), October 19, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/customs-charges-payment-procedures
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on the Closing of Its Investigation of the Merger of Seismic Software Inc. and Highspot Inc.,” October 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/seismic-highspot-merger
- Office of Personnel Management, “Administrative Leave for Workforce Realignment and Other Purposes” (final rule; companion rules eliminating Time-in-Grade and revising senior-professional appraisals published the same day), October 19, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/administrative-leave-workforce-realignment
- U.S. Dept. of the Treasury / IRS, “Regulations Regarding Payment of Tax by Commercially Acceptable Means” (final rule), October 19, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/payment-of-tax-commercially-acceptable-means