President addresses nation on America's 250th.
Today's events
America's 250th.
President Trump addressed the nation for America's semiquincentennial from the National Mall; Vice President Vance marked the day aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge at New York Harbor's International Naval Review.1Jul 4 · DODChina steel duties.
Commerce opened a circumvention inquiry into whether Chinese corrosion-resistant steel, finished in Thailand with Chinese components, is evading U.S. antidumping and countervailing orders — one of a dozen duty actions it filed the same day.2Jul 6 · CommerceCartel sanctions.
Treasury's OFAC blacklisted Oscar Juraidini Silva, a Tamaulipas operative tied to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, under both drug-trafficking and counterterrorism authorities — freezing any U.S. assets and barring American dealings.3Jul 6 · OFACVenezuela assistance.
The President formally determined that anti-trafficking assistance to Venezuela serves the U.S. national interest, publishing the finding in the Federal Register and directing State to send it and a justification memo to Congress.4Jul 6 · WHProcurement bribery.
The Justice Department arrested two Florida defense contractors on charges they bribed a U.S. Army employee roughly $1.25 million and inflated costs to corrupt bidding for the Army's Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus.5Jul 6 · DOJBayer seed deal.
The Antitrust Division secured commitments from Bayer CropScience to strip anticompetitive terms from its corn- and soybean-seed loyalty program and not reinstate them for seven years, easing pressure on farmers and independent seed firms.6Jul 6 · DOJCounter-drone rule.
Homeland Security and Justice issued an interim final rule implementing the SAFER SKIES Act, letting state, local, tribal, and territorial police detect and disable threatening drones under a two-tier training-and-certification framework.7Jul 6 · DHSKratom compound.
The DEA moved to place 7-hydroxymitragynine, a potent compound derived from kratom, into Schedule I above a set threshold; HHS opened a parallel public docket on the limit, with comments due July 31.8Jul 6 · DEAForever chemicals.
The EPA released draft, non-binding guidance for wastewater plants, farmers, and landowners on reducing PFOA and PFOS — two “forever chemicals” — in sewage sludge spread as fertilizer, opening a 60-day comment window.9Jul 6 · EPA
Allied Governments
NATO summit security.
The UK Foreign Office updated its Turkey guidance ahead of the July 7–8 NATO summit in Ankara — flagging airport closures and road restrictions around the venues — and warned that the U.S.–Iran ceasefire could break down at short notice.aJul 4 · UK FCDO
Voices
“For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light and the glory among all of the nations of the world.”
President Donald J. Trump, Salute to America · Jul 41
“The criminal conduct uncovered in this investigation represents a profound betrayal of the public trust.”
SAC David Porter, FBI Honolulu · Jul 65
“American farmers deserve competitive markets, not contractual restrictions that limit choice and innovation.”
Assoc. Atty. Gen. Stanley Woodward, DOJ · Jul 66
“Providing the assistance described in [the Trafficking Victims Protection Act] to Venezuela would promote the purposes of the Act or is otherwise in the national interest of the United States.”
Presidential Determination on Assistance to Venezuela · Jul 64
“We celebrate 250 years of proving what a free people can achieve by the providence of our almighty creator.”
Vice President JD Vance, USS Kearsarge · Jul 41
“When defense contractors obtain government-funded work through bribery and fraud, they rob our military and the American people of the benefits of a fair, competitive procurement process.”
Acting DAAG Daniel W. Glad, DOJ Antitrust · Jul 65
Sources
- U.S. Dept. of War, “President, Vice President Address Nation in Celebration of America's 250th Birthday,” July 5, 2026. war.gov/News/…/americas-250th-birthday
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce, “Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products From the People's Republic of China: Initiation of Circumvention Inquiry,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/corrosion-resistant-steel-china
- U.S. Treasury / OFAC, “Notice of OFAC Sanctions Actions,” July 6, 2026 (action issued June 30, 2026). federalregister.gov/…/ofac-sanctions-actions
- Federal Register, “Presidential Determination on Assistance to Venezuela Consistent With the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/assistance-to-venezuela
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Two Defense Contractors Arrested for Bribery and Major Fraud Conspiracy Scheme Affecting Department of War Technology Innovation Contracts,” July 6, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/defense-contractors-arrested
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Antitrust Division Secures Seed Tying and Loyalty Program Commitments from Bayer,” July 6, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/bayer-seed-commitments
- DHS / U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Counter-UAS Authority for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Law Enforcement and Correctional Agencies” (SAFER SKIES Act, interim final rule), July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/counter-uas-authority
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, “Schedules of Controlled Substance: Temporary Placement of 7-Hydroxymitragynine Above a Specified Threshold in Schedule I,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/7-hydroxymitragynine-schedule-i
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Draft Guidance for Reducing Risk From PFOA and PFOS in Biosolids,” July 6, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/pfoa-pfos-biosolids
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “Foreign Travel Advice: Turkey,” July 4, 2026. gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey