WashingTone

US Midterm Campaign Spending Expected to Reach Record Levels

Political strategists expect spending by super PACs and other outside groups to break previous midterm records as early voting begins in battleground states and control of the House remains contested.

Democrats Attack Trump’s Proposed $5,000 Payments Over Fiscal and Election Concerns

Democratic leaders including California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized President Donald Trump’s proposed direct payments, arguing that the plan would use taxpayer funds for electoral advantage and worsen federal finances.

White House Considers Means-Testing Proposed $5,000 Payments

Senior administration advisers and Republican allies are considering income limits for President Donald Trump’s proposed direct payments in an effort to reduce the estimated $1 trillion cost.

Lawmakers Raise Debt Concerns as US Borrowing Tops $40 Trillion

Republican fiscal conservatives and moderate Democrats are warning about additional stimulus and tax-cut proposals after the national debt surpassed $40 trillion.

Senate Appropriators Stall Fiscal 2027 Spending Bills Ahead of Election Recess

The Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to advance any of its 12 regular fiscal 2027 spending bills, leaving lawmakers with a compressed timetable for negotiations after the election.

IRS Faces Nearly 9% Budget Cut Under Stopgap Funding Deal

The temporary government funding measure holds the Internal Revenue Service budget at $11.2 billion, nearly 9% below the previous fiscal year and reducing resources available for enforcement and modernization.

US Authorities Seize Chinese-Operated Illicit Digital Marketplaces

Federal prosecutors and the FBI carried out coordinated domain seizures against online marketplaces allegedly operated by transnational Chinese criminal groups as part of a wider crackdown on financial fraud and cybercrime.

Justice Department Launches National Fraud Detection Center

The Justice Department created a prosecutor-led interagency center bringing together personnel from the FBI, Treasury Department and Homeland Security Investigations to target complex fraud involving federal programs.

US Customs Agency Proposes Tougher Supply-Chain Traceability Rules

Customs and Border Protection proposed requiring importers to retain more foreign export records and disclose additional information about overseas manufacturers as authorities target transshipment and customs evasion.

Trump Orders Creation of United States Space Academy

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation directing the establishment of a dedicated United States Space Academy to train officers for the Space Force and future military aerospace operations.

Pentagon Invests $174 Million to Build Domestic Gallium Supply Chain

The Defense Department announced a $174 million investment in US gallium processing and manufacturing, seeking to reduce reliance on Chinese supplies of a critical material used in military radar and microelectronics.

Pentagon Approves $4 Billion F-35 Sale to Singapore

The Defense Department disclosed a proposed sale of 20 F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft to Singapore valued at just over $4 billion as Washington strengthens allied air capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

US Imposes 10% Surcharge on International Postal Imports

The Trump administration introduced a 10% baseline tariff on inbound international postal shipments under Section 122, closing a duty exemption that had allowed large volumes of low-cost foreign e-commerce goods to enter the country with...

US 10-Year Treasury Yield Climbs Above 4.9% Amid Inflation and Borrowing Concerns

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield rose above 4.9% as investors reacted to persistent inflation and the prospect of additional federal borrowing associated with proposed stimulus measures.

US Imposes Section 338 Tariffs on Canada as Ottawa Retaliates

The Trump administration imposed new tariffs on a broad range of Canadian goods, prompting retaliatory measures from Ottawa against US exports and escalating a trade dispute covering dairy products, vehicles and alcoholic beverages.

Congress Approves Stopgap Funding to Avert Government Shutdown

Congress approved temporary government funding through December 11, avoiding a shutdown weeks before the midterm elections while postponing disputes over fiscal 2027 spending until the post-election lame-duck session.

US Treasury Signals Continued Cooperation on Pillar Two Global Minimum Tax Rules

Treasury officials welcomed updated international guidance from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and signaled continued coordination with foreign tax authorities on implementation of global minimum tax standards.

US Trade Representative Defends Canadian Import Restrictions Despite USMCA Preferences

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the administration’s restrictions on selected Canadian agricultural, automotive and beverage imports are justified economic countermeasures and apply regardless of preferential treatment under ...

OECD Updates Global Minimum Tax Information Return

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a revised Global Minimum Tax Information Return incorporating new administrative provisions, prompting a positive response from the US Treasury Department.

House Returns for Brief Session Before Midterm Campaign Break

The House of Representatives is back in Washington for a shortened legislative period focused largely on suspension bills and federal agency measures before lawmakers leave through November to campaign for the midterm elections.

US Senate Returns Facing Compressed Calendar for Government Funding Decisions

Senators are returning from the August recess with limited time to address stopgap spending measures and policy disputes before current federal appropriations expire in December.

Trump Revises Tariffs and Bans Selected Canadian Imports as Trade Tensions Escalate

President Donald Trump issued five proclamations under Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 revising 50% tariffs on selected Canadian goods and barring imports of Canadian alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motor vehicle components.

White House Revives Presidential Fitness Test and Creates Los Angeles Olympics Task Force

The administration restored the presidential physical fitness assessment for schoolchildren and established an interagency group to coordinate federal security, infrastructure and funding preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

U.S. Expands Sanctions Powers Against Officials Involved in Hostage Detentions

The State Department has broadened authorities available to the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, allowing stronger economic measures against foreign officials and entities involved in the wrongful detention of Americans.

Federal Construction Rules Shift Toward Classical Architectural Design

The General Services Administration is revising standards for billions of dollars in planned federal projects to comply with an executive order favoring traditional and classical architecture for new government buildings.

Federal Prosecutors Told to Seek Maximum Penalties for Flag Burning on Government Property

The Justice Department issued guidance directing U.S. attorneys to pursue the strongest available charges against people who burn the American flag on federal property, setting up potential tests of established free-speech protections.

Justice Department Challenges Cashless Bail Policies in Washington

Federal prosecutors are pushing for wider pre-trial detention and tougher sentencing in the District of Columbia, intensifying a jurisdictional dispute between the administration and local officials over criminal justice policy.

Trump Administration Opens More Federal Land to Drilling and Mining

The Interior Department rolled back conservation restrictions across millions of acres of federally managed land, expanding access for commercial oil, mining and other resource-extraction projects.

White House Orders Federal Investigation Into Food Industry Price Fixing

The Domestic Policy Council directed agriculture and antitrust agencies to investigate alleged price fixing and monopolistic behavior among major meatpackers and agricultural companies while expanding support for precision-farming techno...

Trump Presses Smithsonian for Washington Statue and Revised Historical Exhibits

President Donald Trump has asked the Smithsonian Institution to install a 30-foot statue of George Washington and revise historical exhibitions to reflect a more conservative interpretation of U.S. history.

White House Intervenes to Avert Long Island Rail Road Strike

A presidential emergency board halted a looming Long Island Rail Road work stoppage and ordered federal mediation between unions and management to avoid major transport disruption in the New York metropolitan area.

United States Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Agricultural and Industrial Goods

The U.S. Trade Representative introduced new duties on Brazilian products under reciprocal tariff authorities as Washington seeks market-access concessions for American exporters.

United States Begins Building Strategic Reserve of Critical Drug Ingredients

Federal health officials have started bulk purchases of active pharmaceutical ingredients under an executive order aimed at reducing U.S. dependence on Chinese manufacturing for essential medicines.

U.S. Prepares Federal Retirement Platform With Up to $1,000 Saver Match

Treasury officials are developing a federal retirement initiative intended to widen retail access to alternative assets and provide matching contributions of up to $1,000 for eligible private-sector savers.

Better Markets Sues Federal Reserve Over Alleged Wall Street Backchannel Talks

Financial reform group Better Markets sued the Federal Reserve and Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman, alleging undisclosed communications with bank executives improperly influenced changes to capital requirements.

State Department Advances Terrorist Designations for Muslim Brotherhood Branches

U.S. officials are preparing legal and intelligence frameworks to designate selected regional branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations, a move that could create friction with Middle Eastern partners.

White House Removes Collective Bargaining Rights From More Federal Workers

The administration has excluded thousands of additional employees in national security, intelligence and border agencies from federal labor-management protections, citing national defence requirements.

Trump Administration Expands Political Control Over Senior Federal Workforce

The administration is moving thousands of policy-related federal positions into a new excepted-service category, giving political appointees greater authority to dismiss career employees over performance or policy disagreements.

U.S. Extends TikTok Enforcement Delay as Divestment Talks Continue

The Commerce Department granted another temporary reprieve to TikTok while negotiations continue over divestment and algorithm restructuring with U.S. technology partners, postponing an outright ban ahead of the elections.

White House Orders Federal Transition to Post-Quantum Cryptography

The Office of Management and Budget set deadlines for agencies and contractors to adopt encryption standards approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to protect federal systems against future quantum-computing threats.

U.S. Defence Procurement Tightens Restrictions on Critical Minerals From Adversaries

The Department of War ordered federal contractors to map critical-mineral supply chains, screen suppliers for foreign influence and eliminate waivers for materials sourced from designated geopolitical adversaries.

Trump Threatens New Canadian Tariffs Over Dairy and Poultry Policies

President Donald Trump said a revised agreement with Canada could come soon but threatened reciprocal tariffs over Ottawa’s agricultural supply-management system, adding to trade tensions between the North American neighbors.

Trump Administration Prepares Court Fight Over Birthright Citizenship Documents

The Justice Department is preparing to defend an executive order directing agencies to deny passports and citizenship documents to children born in the United States to certain non-citizens, setting up a constitutional fight over the Fou...

Federal Reserve Officials Split Over September Rate Hike as Inflation Data Loom

Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said the September interest-rate decision remains closely contested, putting added focus on upcoming inflation data as Chair Kevin Warsh seeks consensus over whether to raise borrowing costs.