In Case You Missed It … This Week in News

A lot happened in the world this week – Make sure you didn’t miss it with Generation Liberty’s weekly news roundup!

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Canada to Impose Retaliatory Tariffs After Abandoning Trade Talks

Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods after Ottawa negotiators walked away from trade talks with their American counterparts. The United States imposed a 50% tariff on about $20 billion in Canadian goods, impacting a broad array of products. Prime Minister Mark Carney said at an August 22 news conference that Ottawa will match America’s new levies “dollar for dollar in order to protect Canadian workers, farmers, families, and businesses” beginning Sept. 8.

Judge Rules Against Trump’s 75-Nation Visa Pause

A federal judge ruled against President Donald Trump’s pause on visas for 75 countries. US District Judge Jeannette Vargas issued a 61-page decision, determining that the administration’s efforts were “contrary to law” and exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s legal authority.

Trump Touts Ballroom Construction ‘Under Budget,’ ‘Ahead of Schedule’

President Trump touted the construction of the White House ballroom as “under budget” and “ahead of schedule.” The president shared a photo of the construction site on Truth Social. His remarks come after Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ruled that the administration could resume work on the ballroom.

Report: Paramount to Meet California AG’s Office on Monday

Representatives from Paramount-Skydance are planning a meeting with the California attorney general’s office on Monday, The New York Times reported on August 22. The studio, which is seeking to acquire the Warner Bros. Discovery empire, has faced regulatory pushback from California and other states on competition concerns. While an increasing number of public officials have requested a settlement, it is unclear if Monday’s meeting will reach this conclusion.

Oil, Gas Output at Record High: Chris Wright

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a weekend social media post that US crude oil and gas production is at a record high. US energy firms have helped ease global energy prices by boosting crude output, which has reached nearly 14 million barrels per day. Natural gas is also on track for record production in the second half of 2026.

Monday, August 24, 2026

USPS Makes New Rules for Mail-In Ballot Delivery

The United States Postal Service (USPS) “has released a new rule adding verification requirements to all mail-in ballots,” ABC News reports. “The changes will not go into effect until a court lifts its current injunction. The mail service said the changes would occur immediately if given the go-ahead.”

Iran President Defends Memorandum of Understanding With US

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has defended the memorandum of understanding “signed with the US in June as the best way for the country to move beyond what he described as a situation of ‘neither war nor peace,’” CBS News reports.

Zelensky Again Firmly Rejects Call for Wartime Elections

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected calls for wartime elections, “saying such political contests at a critical moment in his country’s war with Russia would ‘split Ukraine’ apart,” The Washington Times reports.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

SCOTUS Backs Trump Executive Order to Limit Mail-In Ballots

The Supreme Court on Monday “cleared the way for President Donald Trump to move ahead with his executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much his administration can implement before the fast-approaching midterm elections,” The New York Post reports.

Bessent Rolls Out ‘Economic Onslaught’ Against Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday announced the unveiling of Operation Economic Outcast, the White House’s push to rely on harsh economic measures to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and bring its conflict with the US to an end.

Trump Threatens to Hike Canada Tariffs Even Higher

President Donald Trump on Monday ripped Canada’s trade negotiating approach and threatened to substantially increase a slew of tariffs of Canadian goods exported into the US in response to recent hostile trade comments made by Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Trump Admin Proposes New $103K Fee For H-1B Visas

The Department of Homeland Security on Monday proposed “to establish a $103,265 fee for all H-1B cap-subject petitions, including those eligible for the advanced degree exemption. The proposed fee would be paid at the time of filing and would be imposed in addition to all other applicable fees or payments,” a DHS news release states.

Arbitrator Orders Washington Post to Rehire Fired Columnist

An independent arbitrator has “ruled that The Washington Post must rehire columnist Karen Attiah after it fired her last year for online comments she made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk,” UPI reports. “The [George Soros-funded] Democracy Defenders Fund, which backed Attiah in the case alongside the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, announced the decision Monday.”

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

WH Warns Kennedy Center May Be Razed If Renovations Not Approved

The Trump administration says, “it may need to demolish the Kennedy Center if a plan to close the building for two years as part of a controversial renovation project pushed by President Trump and the organization’s board of trustees is blocked by a federal judge,” CBS News reports.

Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies at 80

Singer-songwriter-actress Dolly Parton, “whose glittering country music stardom was matched by her pop fame and popular parallel careers in film and TV, died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80. Her reps said that she died after a ‘brief battle’ with cancer,” Variety reports.

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Boston Judge Clears Path for Trump’s Mail Voting Rules – For Now

A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday canceled her own nationwide order that had blocked the US Postal Service from carrying out President Trump’s directive limiting mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterms. US District Judge Indira Talwani said she was “compelled” to lift the injunction after the Supreme Court ruled that her earlier decision had come too soon, before USPS finalized a rule spelling out how mail ballots would be handled.

Rubio Freezes Visa Interviews Worldwide for Retraining

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered every US embassy and consulate to pause immigrant visa interviews while consular officers undergo new training on how to screen out applicants likely to become a “public charge.” The freeze follows a court defeat for the administration days earlier.

CIA Chief’s Secret Moscow Trip Reportedly a Warning to Putin

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced trip to Moscow this week – his first as spy chief – reportedly to warn Russia against testing NATO as the war in Ukraine grinds into a fifth year, according to people familiar with the matter.