United States: The Trump administration issued Monday an emergency waiver that makes it possible to market a higher-ethanol fuel blend across the nation throughout the summer period because it expands supply while cutting fuel expenses, as reported by Reuters. 

Boost for Biofuel Producers and Corn Farmers 

The new policy will produce advantages for biofuel producers and corn farmers because it increases their market reach. Both industries advocate making E15 available across all states throughout the entire year, as the blend includes 15% ethanol. 

“This move to allow the summer sale of E15 will provide immediate relief to consumers, provide more choices at the pump, and drive demand for corn grown, processed, and used right here in America,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said. 

E15 gasoline distribution remains limited by governmental oversight during summer seasons because of alleged environmental dangers to the smog that biofuel representatives consider baseless. 

President Trump is working to unleash American energy dominance, and homegrown #IA04 biofuels are part of his America First energy strategy.

That’s why we must allow for #E15 to be sold this summer across all 50 states to lower gas prices & reduce our dependence on foreign oil. pic.twitter.com/5O6x8Nckg4

— Rep. Randy Feenstra (@RepFeenstra) April 26, 2025

Overcoming Environmental Restrictions 

The emergency waiver begins operation on May 1. The Environmental Protection Agency plans to keep the waiver active as long as it is determined to be essential. During summer months, the EPA has consistently granted these types of waivers to the public. 

“With geopolitical conflict roiling energy markets worldwide, we applaud President Trump and Administrator (Lee) Zeldin for acting quickly to combat potential fuel shortages and help keep a lid on gas prices this summer,” said Geoff Cooper, president of the Renewable Fuels Association, a biofuels trade group. 

Building on Previous Biofuel Policy Progress 

In early 2019, the EPA decided to respect the April 28 deadline established by Midwestern governors to enable year-round E15 sales, as reported by Reuters. 

The EPA issued waivers through its Monday action, which maintained E10 gasoline standards and requirements below those for conventional fuel in the seven-state region of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. 

United States: The U.S. Department of Education conducted a probe of foreign funding disclosures from the University of California, Berkeley, following a Friday announcement, as reported by Reuters. 

The investigation seeks to obtain records about foreign university funding following an assessment that showed Berkeley submitted “inaccurate or incomplete” data to federal regulators. This information came from a statement issued by the Department of Education. 

Millions in Foreign Support Unreported 

Media reports in 2023 demonstrated that Berkeley did not properly reveal hundreds of millions in funding from a foreign authority. 

President Trump conducted an executive order to castigate existing university laws, which necessitated complete disclosure of foreign funding sources during his efforts to confront potential foreign university meddling. 

The University of California has not provided a statement regarding this request. 

🚨BREAKING🚨: The Department of Education has opened an investigation into UC Berkeley over its alleged "deep involvements with Chinese entities" pic.twitter.com/3AYqeudY7L

— Jaryn Crouson (@Jaryn_Crouson) April 25, 2025

The department started an identical investigatory process against Harvard University recently. 

Trump-Era Oversight Measures Resurface 

“The Biden-Harris Administration turned a blind eye to colleges and universities’ legal obligations by deprioritizing oversight and allowing foreign gifts to pour onto American campuses,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. 

The Trump government conducts a broad enforcement action against leading American educational institutions because of Palestinian activist student demonstrations and additional matters encompassing transgender movements and diversity programs, as reported by Reuters. 

The president has established an ultimatum that blocks federal funding from specific academic institutions. Several rights organizations criticize what they view as a destructive attack against academic freedom together with speech rights. 

United States: The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office predicted America’s nuclear force operating and modernization expenses through 2034 will reach $946 billion, which represents a 25% increase from 2023 estimates, as reported by Reuters. 

The new projection leaves out the 81% cost overrun of the Sentinel program, which represents the advanced intercontinental ballistic missile designed to replace the Trident III missiles used in U.S. ICBM forces, per the report. 

Challenges for the Trump Administration 

According to experts, the significant budget escalation needed to operate and modernize this nuclear force poses challenges for President Donald Trump as he increases defense spending to $1 trillion in fiscal 2026. 

The U.S. government splits its nuclear weapons expenses between the Department of Energy while the Pentagon manages a separate portion. 

Escalating Nuclear Modernization Costs 

“The costs of the existing nuclear modernization program are skyrocketing beyond all expectation, said Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association, an advocacy group. 

🇺🇸💣📈 U.S. Nuclear Modernization Costs Soar to $946B, Up 25% From 2023 Estimate

🔹 Summary:

The CBO now projects U.S. nuclear force operations and modernization will cost $946 billion through 2034, a 25% jump from last year’s estimate, excluding major overruns in the Sentinel… pic.twitter.com/skMQqfLSVI

— PiQ (@PiQSuite) April 24, 2025

The CBO cautioned that Congress will have to make a decision in the upcoming years over “what nuclear forces the United States should field in the future and, therefore, the extent to which the nation will modernize.” 

Trump’s Stance and Global Nuclear Strategy 

Trump has not revealed his nuclear weapons strategy, and he has not selected key personnel to direct this strategy. Both nations fail to establish a dialogue about arms control negotiations despite the imminent expiration of mandatory restrictions on strategic force deployment between U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. 

Trump revealed during his February speech that he disapproved of new U.S. nuclear weapon development while pointing out the excessive costs of nuclear force maintenance. 

Trump showed interest in launching deals to regulate nuclear arms along with Beijing as China expanded its atomic stockpile beyond the U.S. and Russia but smaller in scale, as reported by Reuters. 

🇺🇸 U.S. NUCLEAR BUDGET BLOWS PAST $900B

New CBO projections reveal America will spend $946B from 2025–2034 on nuclear forces, up 25% from last year’s estimate.

The Defense and Energy Departments are driving this surge with modernization plans and expanded capabilities,… pic.twitter.com/35RLF4JuSK

— DOGE Tracker (@Tracking_DOGE) April 25, 2025

What’s Behind the $946 Billion Estimate? 

Current plans established by the Department of Energy and the Pentagon to run U.S. strategic and tactical nuclear forces and purchase new bombers, submarines, and ICBMs will cost $946 billion until 2034, according to the CBO. 

According to the report, the CBO projected expenses to be $756 billion from 2023 through 2032. 

The CBO explained that program costs for the development of the Sentinel ICBM and Pentagon nuclear systems modernization, along with DOE production facility upgrades, determined this cost variation in their report. 

The updated projection reaches a higher amount because analysts now extend their analysis by an additional two years compared to the earlier projection.