U.S. Congress

Rule Changes

Bipartisan senators say the imports violate the 2022 ban; tankers are diverting and no Russian diesel has landed

The first Russian diesel cargo sent to the United States under President Donald Trump's deal with Vladimir Putin has stalled off the East Coast, and no tanker has unloaded at an American port. The Malta-flagged Agioi Fanendes, carrying 40,000 metric tons, stopped off the coast on Nov. 10 after New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill and lawmakers warned that accepting the fuel could bring legal penalties.

Updated 9 hours ago

Rule Changes

Lame-duck session underway; Democrats take control Jan. 3

Democrats won the House and Senate in the 2026 midterms and will take control on Jan. 3. They hold at least 54 Senate seats, with Alaska and Mississippi still uncalled, and passed the 218-seat House threshold. Hakeem Jeffries is set to become the first Black speaker; Chuck Schumer will run the Senate floor.

Updated 2 days ago

Force in Play

Debating war powers resolutions; no authorization vote held

The US struck an Iranian air-defense device on Qeshm Island on November 6, and President Donald Trump called the operation 'minor.' Iran said its air defenses destroyed an American MQ-9 drone over the island, while US Central Command described the situation as 'relatively calm.'

Updated 4 days ago

Money Moves

Will be controlled by Democrats after the 2026 midterms

Democrats' midterm sweep first sent the Dow up 3% on Nov. 4, but the rally faded fast. A day later, artificial-intelligence shares dragged the Nasdaq down 5.5% into correction territory. The Dow gave back more than 1,800 points as Democratic governors-elect promised data-center limits.

Updated 4 days ago

Rule Changes

Democrats will control both chambers in January 2027; two Senate races remain uncalled

Democrats won the House and at least seven Senate seats in Tuesday's midterms, giving them a Senate majority of at least 54–44 when the new Congress is sworn in January 3. Alaska and Mississippi are still counting; Democratic wins there would push the margin to 56–44. Before the handover, the lame-duck Congress must pass government funding by December 11 or risk a shutdown.

Updated 6 days ago

Force in Play

Escalating oversight using the NDAA to compel delivery of strike footage and authorizing orders to armed-services committees

The U.S. military's boat-strike campaign in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific has run for more than a year. An independent tally counted 72 strikes and at least 240 deaths by the Oct. 27 attack, which killed five people on a go-fast vessel in the eastern Pacific.

Updated Oct 28

Rule Changes

Democrats plan an investigation into the diesel deal, and Rep. Jamie Raskin has warned oil companies against importing the fuel

The first Russian diesel cargo under Trump's deal is at sea. The tanker Agioi Fanendes left Primorsk on October 22 with about 40,000 metric tons, roughly 298,000 barrels, and lists New York as its destination, with arrival expected in early November.

Updated Oct 27

Rule Changes

Failed to pass the Clarity Act

The CFTC's proposed federal framework for crypto trading is in its public comment period. The advance notice, published in the Federal Register on October 13, sets no binding rules. Comments are due December 14, and the notice asks how to design a new category, 'crypto asset markets,' for exchanges that offer leveraged or margined trading to retail customers.

Updated Oct 26

Force in Play

Expressing bipartisan opposition to Trump's Greenland approach

The United States has operated military bases in Greenland since 1941, under agreements with Denmark. On January 15, 2026, NATO allies deployed troops to the island to counter U.S. pressure after American-Danish talks collapsed. On January 17, President Trump announced 10% tariffs on eight European countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The tariffs will rise to 25% by June unless 'a deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.' On January 20, Trump declared on Truth Social that 'there can be no going back' on Greenland, calling it 'imperative for National and World Security.' That same day, Denmark deployed its Army Chief, General Peter Boysen, alongside 58 additional troops to Greenland, bringing total Danish military presence to approximately 178 personnel for Operation Arctic Endurance.

Updated Oct 23

Rule Changes

Considering several Flock-related bills

A federal judge in Oklahoma ruled on Oct. 1 that a warrantless search of Flock Safety's license plate database was 'indiscriminate mass surveillance' and violated the Fourth Amendment. Judge Sara Hill suppressed 91 pounds of meth found after a Tulsa County deputy ran a California plate without a warrant.

Updated Oct 21

Money Moves

Wrote a $320 million withholding into the fiscal 2026 spending act

Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off on September 21 on releasing $320 million in military aid to Egypt, setting aside human rights conditions Congress had attached. The State Department cited Egypt's help in the US war with Iran, where Cairo has carried messages between Washington and Tehran. Egypt's government welcomed the decision on October 2.

Updated Oct 20

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Enacted the Corporate Transparency Act in 2021

Beginning in January 2024, nearly every U.S. business had to tell the federal government who owned it. On August 14, 2026, that obligation ended for domestic companies and U.S. individuals.

Updated Sep 20

Rule Changes

As of September 2026: Provided funding but declined to mandate camera use

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says it now has enough body cameras to equip every officer and agent. The announcement follows five years of delays, a February count of 3,000 cameras for 13,000 officers, and more than two dozen shootings as ICE arrests climbed under the Trump administration.

Updated Sep 3

Rule Changes

As of August 2026: Considering the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act

A federal judge has ruled that a crypto protocol can be a money transmitter even when its operators never control users' funds. Judge Katherine Polk Failla rejected the no-custody defense at the center of the Tornado Cash and Samourai Wallet cases, letting the prosecutions proceed.

Updated Aug 31

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Has not authorized states to adopt permanent DST

British Columbia sprung its clocks forward on March 8, 2026, but will not fall back in November—it adopted permanent daylight saving time at UTC-7. The five-million-person province is the first major North American jurisdiction to lock its clocks since Arizona and Hawaii opted out in the late 1960s.

Updated May 30

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Passed one-year AGOA extension

For a quarter century, the African Growth and Opportunity Act let 32 sub-Saharan African countries ship goods to America duty-free—supporting roughly 1.3 million jobs across the continent. When Congress let the program expire in September 2025, textile workers in Lesotho lost their livelihoods, Kenyan jeans manufacturers laid off a thousand workers, and African governments scrambled to negotiate. Four months later, President Trump signed a one-year extension through December 2026.

Updated May 27

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Bipartisan opposition to Greenland acquisition

The United States has not acquired sovereign territory since 1917, when it purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark for $25 million. On January 17, President Trump announced 10% tariffs on eight European nations starting February 1, escalating to 25% by June 1 unless a deal is reached for Greenland.

Updated May 21

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Used the CRA to invalidate the 2022 NPR-A management plan; boosted leasing durability

BLM's rollback of the 2024 NPR-A protections isn't new news—but today is when it becomes real. As of December 17, 2025, the rescission is officially in effect, wiping out the Biden-era rule that tried to hardwire stronger guardrails into how the Western Arctic gets developed.

Updated May 15

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Completed enactment of the FY2026 NDAA after House passage (Dec. 10) and Trump’s signature (Dec. 18), shifting the fight to appropriations and implementation oversight.

Congress passed the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act in December 2025, authorizing a record $901 billion in national security spending. The House approved the final compromise 312–112 on December 10, and Trump signed it December 18 without an Oval Office ceremony.

Updated May 10