U.S. says Ukraine talks open in Abu Dhabi.
Today's events
Abu Dhabi talks.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia–Ukraine talks open in Abu Dhabi, and cast the new U.S. strikes on Iran's Qeshm Island as defensive.1Nov 9 · StateSolar-cell duties.
Commerce imposed duties on subsidized solar cells from India, Indonesia and Laos after the trade commission found American producers materially injured, covering entries back to February.2Nov 9 · CommerceIran sanctions update.
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control applied secondary-sanctions information to names already listed under its Iran program, created by Executive Order 13902.3Nov 9 · TreasuryDrug-price negotiation.
The Medicare agency wrote its drug-price negotiation program into regulation, applying from 2029, and set how reformulated combination drugs count toward eligibility.4Nov 9 · HHSMichigan v. BP.
A federal court dismissed Michigan's antitrust suit against BP and other energy companies, after the Justice Department filed a statement of interest against the state's claims.5Nov 9 · DOJOversight fight.
The White House promoted the Attorney General's Sunday-show argument that the Justice Department will represent cabinet officials before Congress, calling Democrats' impeachment talk retribution, not oversight.6Nov 8 · WHSteel-pipe probes.
Commerce opened dumping investigations into seamless steel pipe from Georgia and India, petitioned by Tenaris, Vallourec and the steelworkers' union alongside a subsidy case against India.7Nov 9 · CommerceMobility modernization.
The Air Force chief of staff said a combat-tested airlift data network built in six months will become a formal program, and pressed industry for faster, software-defined systems.8Nov 6 · Air ForceOzone hole.
NASA reported the 2026 Antarctic ozone hole was the seventh largest in 48 years of monitoring, driven by an unusually strong polar vortex, though not the deepest on record.9Nov 9 · NASA
Allied Governments
Manila radar deal.
Japan and the Philippines signed a 4.3-billion-yen grant sending a coastal radar to the Philippine Navy and surveillance drones to its air force — Tokyo's first such defense transfer.aNov 9 · Japan MoFATitania in orbit.
Britain's second military satellite is in orbit, and the Defence Ministry began trialling a three-site sensor network to watch for threats to UK satellites under a £3 billion space plan.bNov 7 · UK MoDFinland call.
Britain's prime minister and Finland's president agreed Ukraine peace work must continue at pace, with the prime minister saying Putin has consistently failed to show he is serious about negotiations.cNov 8 · UK No.10
Voices
“If there's a clear and present threat to shipping or to our forces in the region, we have a right to defend ourselves.”
Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Homestead Air Reserve Base · Nov 91
“I would suggest [Rep. Garcia] read the Constitution. If he doesn't have a copy, I can arrange to send him one.”
Attorney General Todd Blanche · Nov 86
“This dismissal should make states rethink the use of lawfare to enact climate change policy.”
Associate AG Stanley E. Woodward Jr., DOJ · Nov 95
“We do not move, we do not sustain and we do not fight without air mobility.”
Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Air Force Chief of Staff · Nov 68
“[The trade commission] determined that imports of solar cells from India, Indonesia, and Laos are materially injuring a U.S. industry.”
Countervailing Duty Orders, Dept. of Commerce · Nov 92
“Measured by its mean size from September 7 to October 13, which is peak ozone depletion season, the 2026 hole was the seventh largest in 48 years of monitoring.”
NASA Earth Observatory · Nov 99
Sources
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to the Press,” November 9, 2026. state.gov/releases/…/rubio-remarks-to-the-press-21
- Federal Register, “Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules From India, Indonesia, and the Lao People's Democratic Republic: Countervailing Duty Orders” (Dept. of Commerce), November 9, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/solar-cells-countervailing-duty-orders
- Federal Register, “Notice of OFAC Sanctions Actions” (Dept. of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control), November 9, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/notice-of-ofac-sanctions-actions
- Federal Register, “Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program” (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), November 9, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Justice Department Issues Statements on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan's Decision in People of the State of Michigan vs. BP, P.L.C., et al.,” November 9, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/…/michigan-v-bp-decision
- The White House, “ICYMI: AG Todd Blanche Dismantles Democrats' ‘Oversight’ Charade on the Sunday Shows,” November 8, 2026. whitehouse.gov/releases/…/blanche-oversight-sunday-shows
- Federal Register, “Seamless Carbon and Alloy Steel Standard, Line, and Pressure Pipe From Georgia and India: Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations” (Dept. of Commerce), November 9, 2026. federalregister.gov/…/seamless-pipe-georgia-india-investigations
- U.S. Air Force, “CSAF Wilsbach emphasizes mobility modernization, readiness at 2026 A/TA Symposium,” November 6, 2026. af.mil/News/Article-Display/…/csaf-wilsbach-ata-symposium
- NASA, “Ozone Hole Reaches Its 2026 Maximum,” November 9, 2026. science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/…/ozone-hole-2026-maximum
- Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Signing and Exchanging of Notes for Official Security Assistance (OSA) FY2026 Project to the Republic of the Philippines,” November 9, 2026. mofa.go.jp/press/release/…/osa-fy2026-philippines
- UK Ministry of Defence, “UK military satellite Titania launches into orbit following £3bn space investment into defence of space,” November 7, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/uk-military-satellite-titania
- UK Prime Minister's Office, “PM call with President Stubb of Finland: 8 November 2026,” November 8, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/…/pm-call-president-stubb-finland