USA10 August, 20262 min read
Trump Extends Jones Act Waiver 90 Days for Foreign Ships Transporting Oil and Fertilizers
4outlets comparedA wider view of the story
1 Asian1 Local Western1 Other1 West AsianThis article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Trump extends Jones Act waiver for 90 days allowing ships to transport oil and fertilizers. Waiver aims to ease price pressures by facilitating oil and refined fuel movement.
Save coverage image
Jones Act waiver extended
President Donald Trump extended a 90-day waiver for foreign ships to transport goods, including oil and fertilizers, among U.S. ports, with the latest extension taking effect on August 17. The president first waived the Jones Act on March 17 so it would be easier to transport oil and refined fuels among ports, reducing price pressures after the start of the war with Iran.
The Delco Times report says the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed because of the war, and that unlike previous extensions, the Pentagon will consult with the Maritime Administration to decide which voyages are exempt from the 1920 law containing the Jones Act. The new waiver will only apply to cargo that are sources of energy and commodities related to agriculture such as fertilizers and soybean oil, and White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the administration extended the waiver “to ensure our military and key industries maintain uninterrupted access to critical resources.”
Blanche confirmed, sworn in
Todd Blanche, described as Trump’s former personal lawyer and a former American federal prosecutor, was confirmed as Attorney General by the U.S. Senate in a 50-49 vote on August 9, 2026.
The Al Jazeera net profile says the confirmation came after a fierce political battle and that opposition included all Democratic members of the Senate and Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.
The South China Morning Post adds that Blanche was sworn in on Monday at the White House after Emil Bove, now a federal appeal court judge, administered the oath following the Senate’s narrow confirmation vote.
The South China Morning Post also says Blanche was taking command of a Justice Department he had been leading in an acting capacity since Pam Bondi’s firing in April, and that the confirmation exposed bipartisan concerns about the Justice Department’s direction under Trump.
Legal controversies and Epstein files
The El Español report says Blanche signed an agreement on behalf of the Government despite having been Trump’s personal attorney, and it describes a fund of $1.776 billion intended for those who alleged political persecution. It also says Blanche traveled to a Florida prison to interrogate Ghislaine Maxwell for more than nine hours, after which Maxwell was moved from a low-security to a minimum-security facility.
El Español reports that the Department of Justice released three million pages, 180,000 photographs, and 2,000 videos, and that nearly a hundred survivors’ lawyers reported thousands of errors. The article says Blanche admitted the department failed and that he only met with affected individuals when a Republican senator conditioned his vote, while New Mexico sued the Justice Department to obtain the unredacted Epstein estate files.