U.S. proposes $103,265 fee for skilled-worker visas.
Today's events
Skilled-worker visa fee.
Homeland Security proposed a $103,265 filing fee on every cap-subject H-1B petition, payable on top of all existing fees; public comments close September 24.1Aug 25 · Fed. Reg.Canada trade breakdown.
The White House said Canada rejected an offer of the most preferential U.S. market access of any country and answered with $27.6 billion in new tariffs, including 50% on American steel and aluminum.2Aug 25 · WHSyria terror delisting.
Rubio rescinded Syria's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism and delisted Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a global terrorist, removing what State called the final major barriers to private-sector investment there.3Aug 24 · StateIran sanctions.
Treasury blocked nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels; State designated two Iran-based entities and seven individuals, including a startup that used Chinese commercial satellite imagery to help target U.S. forces.4Aug 24 · StateSpace launch policy.
A presidential memorandum set a goal of more than 1,000 launches and reentries a year from federal ranges by 2030, ordering the War Department and NASA to publish range schedules and speed permitting.5Aug 25 · Fed. Reg.Atomic information.
Presidential Determination 2026-22, signed August 21, covers the provision of atomic information to Finland and Sweden, NATO's two newest members; the Federal Register posted it for publication.6Aug 25 · Fed. Reg.Drone import ban.
The Federal Communications Commission sought comment on barring further importation and marketing of foreign-made drones, drone components and video-surveillance gear already on its national-security covered list; comments close September 23.7Aug 24 · FCCX-ray trade secrets.
A Chicago jury convicted a former Philips engineer of conspiring to steal proprietary CT X-ray-tube technology for a China-based competitor; two colleagues pleaded guilty and three Chinese defendants remain unarraigned.8Aug 24 · DOJTruck brake flaw.
CISA warned that a buffer overflow in Bendix EC80 truck brake controllers could let an attacker remotely disable anti-lock brakes, steering assist and shifting; six other industrial advisories published the same day.9Aug 25 · CISA
This week
Iran sanctions campaign.
Treasury opened Operation Economic Outcast on August 24 with sectoral determinations covering Iran's digital-asset, technology, gold, aviation and shipping industries.1 Treasury blocked nearly 60 entities, individuals and vessels, and State designated two Iran-based entities and seven individuals, including a startup that used Chinese commercial satellite imagery to help target U.S. forces.2 Sectoral determinations reach foreign firms trading with Tehran, not only Iranian ones.Aug 24 · WHFederal energy overrides.
A federal court in California upheld the Energy Department's Defense Production Act order restarting 50,000 barrels a day through the offshore Santa Ynez pipeline on August 21, rejecting the state's effort to shut it down.9 The same day the Energy Secretary ordered PJM Interconnection and Constellation to keep two Eddystone units in Pennsylvania available through November 20; the units had been slated to close in May 2025.10Aug 21 · DOJ / DOE
Allied Governments
Ukraine battlefield data.
Britain became the first foreign partner granted access to Ukraine's Avengers AI Labs, a database of battlefield camera and infrared imagery used to train targeting models, under a deal signed in Kyiv.aAug 24 · UK MoDIndo-Pacific link.
The chair of NATO's Military Committee met New Zealand's prime minister and defence chiefs in Wellington on sea-lane security, calling Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific security “one conversation held in two time zones.”bAug 25 · NATORohingya anniversary.
Australia marked nine years since Myanmar's military attacked Rohingya communities, citing more than 1.2 million now displaced in Bangladesh and reports that 530 people were lost at sea.cAug 25 · Australia DFAT
Voices
“Canada is easily the most difficult and unreasonable. They feel entitled, but they are not a State, and will be entitled no longer!”
President Donald J. Trump · Aug 252
“[Rescinding Syria's terrorism designations] eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria's economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio · Aug 243
“[The sanctions restrict] the revenue that the Iranian regime uses to attack its neighbors, support terrorism abroad, brutally oppress its own people, and hold the global economy hostage.”
U.S. Dept. of State fact sheet · Aug 244
“This fee would serve as a dedicated revenue mechanism to help recover a portion of the federal government's costs of administering the lawful immigration system…”
Homeland Security proposed rule · Aug 251
“When individuals, corporate entities, or nation states steal proprietary information, they are threatening our country's technological edge.”
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros, N.D. Illinois · Aug 248
“Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow an attacker to cause the loss of ABS functions, steering assist, speedometer, shifting capabilities, or disable automatic traction control.”
CISA Advisory ICSA-26-237-05 · Aug 259
Sources
- Federal Register, “Fee for Certain H-1B Petitions” (DHS notice of proposed rulemaking), August 25, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/fee-for-certain-h-1b-petitions
- White House, “President Trump Is Finally Ending Canada's Free Ride,” August 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/ending-canadas-free-ride
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Rescission of Syria's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism,” August 24, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rescission-of-syrias-designation
- U.S. Dept. of State, “United States Implements Operation Economic Outcast with Sanctions Targeting Iran's Military Activities and Procurements, and Petroleum and Petrochemical Product Traders” (Fact Sheet), August 24, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/operation-economic-outcast-fact-sheet
- Federal Register, “The National Space Transportation Policy” (Presidential memorandum), August 25, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/national-space-transportation-policy
- Federal Register, “Finland and Sweden; Presidential Determination on Provision of Atomic Information” (Presidential Determination No. 2026-22 of August 21, 2026), public inspection August 25, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/finland-and-sweden-atomic-information
- Federal Communications Commission, “Comment Sought on Prohibiting the Importation and Marketing of Certain Covered UAS and UAS Critical Components and Equipment,” August 24, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/covered-uas-importation
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Engineer for Stealing Trade Secrets from Philips Medical Systems on Behalf of Chinese Competitor,” August 24, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/philips-trade-secrets
- CISA, “Bendix EC80 Brake ECU” (ICS Advisory ICSA-26-237-05), August 25, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-237-05
- UK Ministry of Defence, “New partnership set to see the UK and Ukraine develop battle winning technology as Britain secures access to Ukraine's Avengers AI Labs,” August 24, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/ukraine-avengers-ai-labs
- NATO, “The Chair of the NATO Military Committee visits New Zealand,” August 25, 2026. nato.int/news/…/military-committee-chair-new-zealand
- Australia DFAT, “Statement to mark the ninth anniversary of the Myanmar military's attack against Rohingyas,” August 25, 2026. dfat.gov.au/news/media-release/…/rohingya-ninth-anniversary