US Foreign Policy
Rigorous, nonpartisan analysis of American diplomacy, defense, sanctions and trade, and congressional oversight — sourced, cited, and refreshed daily.
Latest Briefing
U.S. UN Dues Strategy in 2026
Peacekeeping arrears, congressional caps, and burden-sharing math are no longer accounting details. They are now shaping U.S. leverage at the United Nations.
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Foreign Aid Reset Meets Budget Reality
Washington's aid overhaul is now a congressional appropriations test, as State seeks to absorb USAID functions while lawmakers rewrite FY2026 and FY2027 funding lines.
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U.S.-Iran Sanctions Reset Hits Limits
Washington is signaling sanctions relief to secure Iran diplomacy while expanding OFAC designations, exposing legal, congressional, and enforcement limits.
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U.S.-Japan-Philippines Deterrence Test
Washington's trilateral with Tokyo and Manila moved from summit optics to alliance architecture. The next test is funding, posture, and legal durability.
Live Wire — latest foreign-policy news
Aggregated daily from public news and government RSS feeds, with attribution and links back to each source.
Last updated August 30, 2026
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Live updates: US-Venezuela oil deal sparks debate; Doug Ford mocks Trump's Lake Ontario renaming
Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Sunday mocked President Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario to “Lake America,” saying the move resembled “something out of ‘Saturday Night Live.'” Ford has traded barbs with the president many times…
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Canada claps back at Trump's efforts to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America'
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has unveiled a giant billboard reading: "Lake Ontario — Now and Always." But tech giant Google has said it is renaming the lake for U.S. users, as President Trump demanded.
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Ford says Trump renaming Lake Ontario is 'something out of Saturday Night Live'
Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Sunday said that President Trump's executive order renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" resembled "something out of 'Saturday Night Live.'" Ford slammed Trump's trade war with Canada that placed a 50 percent…
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Venezuelan interim president offers details on US oil deal
Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez on Saturday provided details on her country's new oil deal with the U.S., after President Trump said much of Venezuela's oil reserves will be under "majority U.S. control." "This 25-year…
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The Trump administration claims America will soon get a majority of its oil from Venezuela with new deal
There are many reasons to be skeptical of the Trump administration's announcement that the U.S. will develop Venezuelan oil.
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Politics chat: more tariffs, mail-in voting order, Kushner-Jeffries meeting
Real economic sanctions on Canada and economic threats to countries trading with Iran may work against Republicans in the midterm elections.
Global economic indicators
Foreign-policy-relevant economic series, refreshed daily.
Last updated August 30, 2026
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Nominal Broad U.S. Dollar Index
118.0628 Index Jan 2006=100
▼ -0.19
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Trade Balance: Goods and Services, Balance of Payments Basis
-73261 Millions of Dollars
▲ +4386.00
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Crude Oil Prices: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) - Cushing, Oklahoma
83.9 Dollars per Barrel
▼ -2.44
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Imports of Goods and Services
4628.087 Billions of Dollars
▲ +299.43
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Exports of Goods and Services
3752.265 Billions of Dollars
▲ +243.56
Recent Analysis
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U.S. UN Dues Strategy in 2026
U.S. strategy at the UN now hinges on peacekeeping dues, congressional caps, and burden sharing. The diplomatic cost of arrears is rising in 2026.
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Foreign Aid Reset Meets Budget Reality
Washington's aid overhaul is now a congressional appropriations test, as State seeks to absorb USAID functions while lawmakers rewrite FY2026 and FY2027 funding lines.
-
U.S.-Iran Sanctions Reset Hits Limits
Washington is signaling sanctions relief to secure Iran diplomacy while expanding OFAC designations, exposing legal, congressional, and enforcement limits.
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U.S.-Japan-Philippines Deterrence Test
Washington's trilateral with Tokyo and Manila moved from summit optics to alliance architecture. The next test is funding, posture, and legal durability.
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Intelligence Community Revises China-Taiwan Timeline, Warns of Escalating Homeland Threats
The 2026 IC report no longer projects a 2027 Taiwan invasion, but warns China, Russia, and North Korea are developing missiles that can reach U.S. soil.
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Pentagon's AUKUS Review Raises Doubts About Virginia-Class Submarine Deliveries
A Pentagon review and CRS report raise questions about whether Australia will receive Virginia-class submarines under the $240 billion AUKUS pact.
About US Foreign Policy
US Foreign Policy provides rigorous, nonpartisan analysis of American diplomacy and global strategy — State Department initiatives, defense and security policy, sanctions and trade regimes, and congressional oversight of foreign affairs. Independent site — not a government website. Displays public data with attribution to its sources.