Hormuz traffic remains depressed as US claims mines cleared

Strait of Hormuz cleared, US says

President Trump said international waters in the Strait of Hormuz had been cleared of mines and said the United States would destroy vessels laying new mines. Oil transit was roughly 5 million barrels per day on Monday, compared with more than 20 million before the Iran war. Restored passage could ease the energy disruption, while traffic remains severely depressed. The demining statement is a presidential claim, and the slate provides no independent confirmation.

US-Canada tariff escalation

Washington imposed 50% levies on some Canadian goods after bilateral talks collapsed and announced higher automotive tariffs. Canada retaliated against about $20 billion in annual US imports and introduced support for affected workers and businesses. The measures place new pressure on North American automotive, energy and cross-border supply chains. Renewed negotiations could still reverse the tariffs.

Supreme Court ruling on mail ballots

The US Supreme Court overturned a lower-court block on an executive order restricting federal handling of some mail ballots. The Court ruled that the states challenging the order lacked standing and did not decide the order’s underlying legality. The decision opens a path for restrictions ahead of the November 3 midterms, with possible effects on ballot access and election administration. Litigation continues, and implementation before the election remains uncertain.

SpaceX proposes Louisiana Starship complex

SpaceX announced plans for a 125,000-acre Louisiana launch and industrial complex. The proposal includes methane production, power generation, deep-water shipping and infrastructure intended eventually to support thousands of Starship flights each year. If completed, the site would create industrial-scale infrastructure for high-volume reusable launch. Financing, environmental approval and unresolved Starship engineering challenges remain contingencies.

SCALP missile production plan for Ukraine

Britain agreed to release classified information on British components in the SCALP cruise missile, enabling France and Ukraine to pursue local assembly lines. The arrangement could provide Ukraine with a more durable deep-strike capability and reduce dependence on transfers from Western inventories. The expected production scale, timing and operational constraints were not specified.

Proposed H-1B fee

The Trump administration released a proposed regulation to establish a fee above $100,000 for new H-1B visas after courts blocked an earlier version. The rule could materially affect hiring of highly skilled foreign workers by technology companies and research institutions, with implications for where talent and investment are located. It remains a proposal and is likely to face further litigation.

Conditional AI-compute contract

RUM Group signed a conditional $13.7 billion agreement to provide GPU services over six years to an unnamed US cloud customer from a planned Georgia facility. The agreement signals continued large commitments to AI-compute infrastructure outside established hyperscalers. RUM still needs to raise the capital required to deliver the services, the customer is undisclosed, and significant portions of the contract are conditional.