U.S. Congress

Rule Changes

Failed to pass the Clarity Act

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) proposed rules Monday for crypto exchanges offering leveraged or margined trading to retail customers. The plan creates a new category of CFTC-regulated venues called 'crypto asset markets.' These would face anti-manipulation controls and proof-of-reserves requirements.

Updated 5 hours ago

Money Moves

Inserted the human rights certification requirement

Secretary of State Marco Rubio waived a human rights restriction that had blocked $320 million in military aid to Egypt. He acted on national security grounds, citing Egypt's role as a mediator in the US-Iran war that has run more than seven months.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Debating war powers resolutions; no authorization vote held

The US-Israeli campaign against Iran, launched February 28, 2026, is in its seventh month. An April 7 ceasefire collapsed in July and US forces resumed daily strikes. The Pentagon's inspector general reported September 15 that 18 US troops died between February and July, 417 were wounded through June, and the war cost $33.4 billion. On September 23 the Army identified a 19th death, Capt. Bianca C. Wilkerson, bringing the disclosed toll to 19.

Updated Sep 24

Rule Changes

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

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

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

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

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

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 May 21

Force in Play

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

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

Force in Play

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

What began as a made-for-video "counterdrug" campaign is now a full-blown oversight fight. The U.S. military has publicly acknowledged additional lethal actions that pushed reported deaths past 100 across roughly 28 known strikes since Sept. 2.

Updated May 15

Rule Changes

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