Trump says the United States controls a fifth of Venezuela's oil
Trump said the United States now holds majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan reserves, about 21 percent of the total. A United States official described 100 year concessions covering 63 billion barrels, two billion below the president's figure the same day. The official said the government takes 55 percent of output and more than half the venture's value, in equity and guaranteed offtake. No agreement text has been released, so every number traces to Trump or that one official.
A 90 day tariff break aims to hold down ground beef prices
A proclamation lets 100,000 tons of lean beef trimmings a month in at the in quota tariff rate for 90 days from September 1. That is roughly 11 percent of a quarter's projected output, backing the White House claim of a 10 percent supply bump. Its fact sheet encourages sales 25 percent below the import price without requiring it.
Customs officers can now board boats twice as far out
Customs and Border Protection has set up four enforcement areas off South Florida, Central and Southern California, Puerto Rico and the Texas Gulf Coast. Officers can board, search, seize and arrest out to 24 nautical miles under the Anti-Smuggling Act of 1935. They still cannot act against a foreign vessel where a treaty forbids it.
A national emergency is declared over foreign made grid equipment
Executive Order 14421 can block the purchase, import or installation of grid equipment tied to a covered foreign entity, at transmission voltages of 69,000 and up rather than local wires. Nothing is prohibited until the Energy Secretary finds a specific risk, and only deals started after the order qualify. Rules due within 120 days may name the countries covered.
Lake Ontario is renamed Lake America, on federal maps
Executive Order 14422 gives the Interior Department 30 days to rename Lake Ontario and delete the old name from the federal names database. The order rests partly on a claim that the deepest water is American and that most of the lake's volume is too. It binds federal maps and contracts only, and Canada still holds the northern shore.
- Trump endorsed Darline Graham, who beat Rep. Ralph Norman 52.5 to 47.5 in South Carolina's Republican Senate runoff. The Federalist →
- Gulfcoast Restaurant Group, Geishaville and Chopstix repaid $101,125 to 36 workers after servers had to share tips with cooks. Labor Department release →