Federal Reserve holds rates as inflation stays elevated.
Today's events
Rate decision.
The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.5–3.75% by a unanimous vote, saying inflation remains elevated — partly from energy and Middle East supply shocks.1Jun 17 · FedBosch declination.
The Justice Department announced its national-security division's first-ever declination, sparing Germany's Bosch prosecution for $70 million in banned exports to China's Huawei; Bosch forfeits $11.4 million.2Jun 17 · DOJChip materials.
Commerce signed a $500 million CHIPS award to SandboxAQ for AI-driven discovery of chip materials like rare-earth-free magnets, taking an equity stake, and pledged up to $50 million to Coherent for data-center photonics.3Jun 17 · CommerceTrade duties.
Commerce issued antidumping orders on container-chassis imports from Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam, plus anti-subsidy duties on Mexican and Thai chassis, after the trade commission found U.S. producers materially injured.4Jun 18 · CommerceCountering China.
Auditors found State and USAID spent about $1.2 billion on roughly 470 projects to counter Chinese influence since 2020 but never assessed whether any of the spending worked.5Jun 17 · GAOCaribbean nuclear pact.
The State Department and the Dominican Republic signed a civil-nuclear cooperation memorandum to expand peaceful nuclear ties — from power generation to medical isotopes — and open the market to U.S. industry.6Jun 17 · StateHumanitarian awards.
The State Department announced more than $1 billion in new aid — $800 million to the World Food Program, $218 million to UNICEF — for life-saving support across more than 40 countries.7Jun 16 · StateWhite House plot.
The FBI arrested five men in four states over an alleged plot to fly explosive-laden drones at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the White House grounds, then shoot fleeing officials with snipers.8Jun 16 · DOJExploited flaw.
CISA added an actively-exploited access-control bug in the widely-used Joomla Content Editor to its catalog, ordering federal agencies to patch it quickly under a new risk-based directive.9Jun 16 · CISA
Allied Governments
G7 statement.
G7 leaders backed the U.S.-brokered Iran deal and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, pledged more air defence and long-range weapons for Ukraine, and agreed to tighten sanctions on Russian oil and gas.aJun 17 · UK No.10NATO spending.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said European allies and Canada raised core defence spending by over $90 billion in 2025 — nearly 20% in a single year — as defence ministers met in Brussels.bJun 17 · NATOPakistan's role.
The UK Foreign Office thanked Pakistan for helping broker the U.S.-Iran deal and committed £8 million to joint work against people-smuggling and visa fraud during a ministerial visit to Islamabad.cJun 16 · UK FCDO
Voices
“Inflation remains elevated relative to the Committee's 2 percent goal, in part reflecting supply shocks that have driven price increases in certain sectors, including energy.”
Federal Open Market Committee statement · Jun 171
“This first-of-its-kind decision by NSD highlights the important role of transparency in safeguarding U.S. technology and national security.”
AAG for National Security John A. Eisenberg, DOJ · Jun 172
“This award will accelerate the discovery and innovation of critical materials and reduce our reliance on foreign-controlled materials.”
Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick · Jun 173
“We will take immediate and aggressive action to identify and prosecute those who incite and plan acts of violence.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, DOJ · Jun 168
“The working group has not assessed the results of efforts to counter Chinese influence across the portfolio of projects.”
GAO report GAO-26-107822 · Jun 175
“These awards reflect a new model of humanitarian assistance built on speed, accountability, measurable impact, and the elimination of bureaucratic waste.”
State Dept. media note · Jun 167
Sources
- Federal Reserve, “Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement,” June 17, 2026. federalreserve.gov/…/monetary20260617a
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “National Security Division Announces First Declination Under the Department-wide Corporate Enforcement Policy,” June 17, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/nsd-first-declination
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Commerce Announces Definitive Agreement with SandboxAQ for a $500 Million CHIPS R&D Award,” June 17, 2026. nist.gov/news-events/…/sandboxaq-500-million
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Certain Chassis and Subassemblies From Mexico, Thailand, and Vietnam: Antidumping Duty Orders,” June 18, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/chassis-antidumping-orders
- U.S. GAO, “Countering China: Agencies Provided Over $1 Billion but Have Not Assessed Overall Results of Projects,” June 17, 2026. gao.gov/products/gao-26-107822
- U.S. Dept. of State, “United States and the Dominican Republic Sign Nuclear Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding,” June 17, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/dominican-republic-nuclear-mou
- U.S. Dept. of State, “United States Announces More Than $1 Billion in Assistance to UNICEF and World Food Program,” June 16, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/unicef-wfp-humanitarian-awards
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Five Men Arrested and Charged in Plot to Attack and Kill Government Officials and Others Attending the Ultimate Fighting Championship at White House,” June 16, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/ufc-white-house-plot
- CISA, “CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog” (CVE-2026-48907, Joomla Content Editor), June 16, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/…/kev-cve-2026-48907
- UK Prime Minister's Office, “G7 leaders' statement on geopolitical issues: 17 June 2026,” June 17, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/g7-leaders-statement-geopolitical-issues
- NATO, “NATO Secretary General previews defence ministers' meeting: Building a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO,” June 17, 2026. nato.int/…/secretary-general-previews-defence-ministers-meeting
- UK Foreign Office (FCDO), “UK deepens joint migration efforts and marks Pakistan's role in brokering US-Iran peace deal,” June 16, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/uk-pakistan-us-iran-peace-deal