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Monday, August 31, 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026
Biggest Oil Deal in World History + America Controls the Strait of Hormuz + Lake Ontario Is Now Lake America - micheletkearney@gmail.com - Gmail
Biggest Oil Deal in World History + America Controls the Strait of Hormuz + Lake Ontario Is Now Lake America - micheletkearney@gmail.com - Gmail
The White House
WEEKLY BRIEFING
Biggest Oil Deal in World History: U.S. Secures Majority Control of 65 Billion Barrels in Venezuela, America Controls the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Space Academy Commission Established, and Lake Ontario Renamed Lake America
In a bombshell announcement, President Trump declared that the United States has entered into the biggest oil deal in world history. At his direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth — working with Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and through a partnership with private business — secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela at no cost to the American taxpayer. The deal more than doubles American oil reserves, greatly increases domestic oil supply, and is projected to substantially lower gas prices for Americans long into the future, while setting Venezuela on a course toward prosperity. The administration called it a Historic Transaction that strengthens the growing relationship between Venezuela and the United States.
On August 28, the White House released a comprehensive accounting of the administration’s naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most critical oil chokepoint — confirming that the United States, not Iran, controls the passage. Since the blockade’s resumption in July 2026, U.S. forces have cleared Iranian mines from international shipping lanes, turned away 75 vessels attempting to breach the blockade, and facilitated the movement of nearly 1,500 commercial ships carrying 750 million barrels of crude oil — maintaining the free flow of global commerce while cutting off Iran entirely. Zero Iranian oil has been exported through the Strait since the blockade began. Iran is losing approximately $13 billion per month in revenue, triggering a domestic fuel crisis, currency collapse, and cascading inflation inside the Islamic Republic. Gulf oil exports have recovered to two-thirds of pre-operation levels under U.S. protection.
On August 28, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a Presidential Commission to design the United States Space Academy — a new NASA-led federal institution that will prepare the next generation of Americans for careers in space. Modeled after the nation’s military service academies, the Space Academy will combine rigorous technical education with leadership development, preparing graduates for military, civilian, and commercial space enterprise careers. The Commission — chaired by the NASA Administrator — will recommend governance structure, curriculum, service requirements, location, and a pilot program framework. The initiative directly supports the administration’s goal of achieving more than 1,000 annual space launches by 2030.
On August 26, President Trump declared a national emergency to secure the United States bulk-power system from foreign sabotage, invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The executive order cites foreign actors creating and exploiting cybersecurity vulnerabilities across the nation’s electricity infrastructure — threatening national defense, emergency services, and economic stability. The order generally prohibits foreign-produced bulk-power equipment and associated software, directing the Secretary of Energy to publish implementing rules. A prior complementary order preserved an estimated 17,000 megawatts of generating capacity — enough to power 12.75 million American homes.
Also on August 26, President Trump signed a proclamation to temporarily expand lean beef trimmings imports at lower tariff rates to reduce ground beef prices amid supply shortages. The 90-day measure — effective September 1 — caps imports at 100,000 tons per month of lean beef trimmings to be combined with domestic U.S. beef, and is projected to increase the overall beef supply by roughly 10%. American cattle herds are at their lowest level in 75 years, driven by drought conditions, wildfire-related feed shortages, and live animal import restrictions imposed to prevent New World Screwworm spread.
Immigration enforcement reached new heights. ICE made nearly 50,000 arrests in July — the highest monthly total of President Trump’s second term — as maximum enforcement operations continue to accelerate. Southern border apprehensions have fallen 94% below Biden-era monthly averages with 15 straight months of zero releases. The State Department is moving forward with what officials describe as the largest mass visa revocation in American history, targeting up to 200,000 foreign nationals. And in a sweeping terror action, the State Department publicly revealed that Portland Antifa groups have direct connections to Hamas and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, triggering a broad terrorism designation action against the network.
The General Services Administration disclosed more than $13 billion in suspected fraud involving approximately 1,000 federal contractors — a sweeping audit uncovering waste and deliberate deception on a historic scale. President Trump visited Texas, where his second-term results are dramatic: violent crime is down 13%, border apprehensions near zero, no overtime taxes on approximately 25% of Texas workers, and average tax refunds reached $4,344 — second highest in the nation. Treasury Secretary Bessent warned that an “economic D-Day is coming for Iran,” as Operation Economic Outcast sanctions target Iranian military procurement and petroleum traders.
On August 27, President Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America, directing the Secretary of the Interior to update all federal references within 30 days. The order notes that the United States supplies 9 of the 11 icebreaking vessels on the Great Lakes and has invested nearly $4 billion in the Great Lakes ecosystem over the past decade. Also on August 27, Karoline Leavitt completed her final day as the 36th White House Press Secretary — the youngest person ever to hold the position. President Trump called her “one of the best” ever to serve in the role, honoring her historic tenure and unwavering defense of the administration’s agenda.
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