Here are some of the latest developments from the White House and other cabinet departments.
White House
WH Announces Import Adjustments of Processed Minerals and Derivatives into the US:
The proclamation, issued pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, determines that imports of processed critical minerals and their derivative products are occurring in quantities and under circumstances that threaten to impair the national security of the United States. The President concurs with the findings of the Secretary of Commerce that these materials are essential to national defense, critical infrastructure, and key economic sectors, and that the United States is significantly dependent on foreign sources for their processing and supply. This import reliance has contributed to vulnerabilities in supply chains, insufficient domestic processing capacity, and increased exposure to foreign market distortions. As a result, the current level and conditions of imports are deemed inconsistent with the maintenance of a secure and resilient industrial base necessary for national security.
To address this threat, the proclamation directs the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to pursue negotiations with foreign trading partners to adjust imports in a manner that
strengthens domestic supply chains and reduces national security risks. Such negotiations may include the use of trade measures designed to promote secure and diversified sourcing of processed critical minerals and derivative products. The proclamation further provides that, if negotiations do not adequately mitigate the identified risks, the President may consider additional actions to adjust imports consistent with applicable law.
The Secretary of Commerce is instructed to continue monitoring import conditions and to report any developments that may warrant further action. Federal agencies are authorized to take all necessary steps, consistent with law, to implement the proclamation.
WH Announces Import Adjustment of Semiconductors, Manufacturing, and Other Derivatives into the US:
The Presidential proclamation titled Adjusting Imports of Semiconductors, Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment, and Their Derivative Products into the United States is issued under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and responds to a Department of Commerce investigation that found imports of semiconductors, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and their derivative products in present quantities and circumstances threaten to impair the national security of the United States. The Secretary determined that United States capacity to manufacture semiconductors and certain advanced manufacturing equipment is insufficient to meet domestic demand, that semiconductors are essential to economic, industrial, and military systems, and that heavy reliance on foreign supply chains creates a national security vulnerability. The President concurs with these findings and concludes that action to adjust such imports is necessary and appropriate to address this threat.
The proclamation adopts a two-phase plan of action. In the first phase the President directs the Secretary of
Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to negotiate or continue negotiations of agreements with foreign jurisdictions to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry and address the national security risk.
An immediate ad valorem tariff of 25 percent is imposed on a narrowly defined category of advanced computing chips and specified derivative products that do not contribute to the build-out of the United States technology supply chain or domestic manufacturing capacity. This tariff does not apply to imports of the covered products for use in United States data centers, for research and development, for use by startups, for repairs or replacements performed in the United States, for non-data center consumer or civil industrial applications, for United States public sector use, or for other uses that the Secretary determines contribute to strengthening the United States technology supply chain or domestic manufacturing capacity. The proclamation authorizes necessary adjustments to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule and other administrative measures to effectuate these actions and allows for further measures if the negotiated agreements are not effective in addressing the national security threat.
Department of Labor:
USDOL Announces 2026 National Apprenticeship Week for April 26-May 2
U.S. Department of Labor today announced the 2026 National Apprenticeship Week will take place from April 26-May 2, marking the nationwide celebrations move to spring.
National Apprenticeship Week is an annual nationwide celebration for employers, educators, state agencies, unions, and many others to showcase how Registered Apprenticeship improves and expands career pathways for American workers, while helping employers drive economic growth across all industries. Since its inception in 2015, more than 2 million people participated in more than 10,000 National Apprenticeship Week events, and over 3,250 proclamations have been issued in support of Registered Apprenticeship.
Nationwide events to promote Registered Apprenticeship in skilled trades and other high-growth, high-demand industries include an Apprenticeship Appreciation Week celebration hosted by Pinellas Community College ; Zurich American Insurance Co.s webinar, Embedding Apprenticeships as Part of your Early Career Strategy ; and a National Apprenticeship Week hosted by the Central South Carpenters Regional Council.
The department encourages employers, educators, apprentices, state agencies, unions, and other Registered Apprenticeship system stakeholders to host events and engage in National Apprenticeship Week 2026 activities.
Find a National Apprenticeship Week 2026 event near you and learn how to participate.
USDOL Issues 6 Opinion Letters on Addressing Employee Classification, Bonuses, Overtime Exemptions, and FMLA:
U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour Division issued six opinion letters designed to promote clarity, consistency, and transparency in the application of federal labor standards under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act.
The opinion letters issued today are:
FLSA2026-1 : Whether an employees role meets the criteria for the learned professional exemption under section 13(a)(1) of the FLSA, and, if so, whether an employer is nevertheless permitted to
reclassify the employee as non-exempt.
FLSA2026-2 : Whether section 7(e) of the FLSA permits an employer to exclude certain bonus payments from an employees regular rate of pay. The letter also addresses how to include these payments in the
calculation of employee overtime premiums if the payments must be included in an employees regular rate of pay.
FLSA2026-3 : Whether a union and employer can enter into a collective bargaining agreement that
mandates a 15-minute roll call prior to each scheduled shift but excludes that time when calculating overtime premiums under the FLSA.
FLSA2026-4 : Whether, for purposes of the overtime exemption for certain commissioned employees in section 7(i) of the FLSA, an employer in a jurisdiction in which the state minimum wage exceeds the
federal minimum wage must use the federal minimum wage, or alternatively, the higher state minimum wage, to determine whether it has satisfied the minimum pay standard in section 7(i)(1), and whether
tips are deemed compensation for purposes of section 7(i)(2)s requirement that more than half the employees compensation consist of commissions.
FMLA2026-1 : How a school closure of less than a full week impacts the amount of leave a school employee uses under the FMLA.
FMLA2026-2 : Whether FMLA leave may be used for time spent traveling to or from medical
appointments, including where an employee provided the employer with medical certification from a health care provider that confirms the employees need for the appointment, but the certification does not address travel to or from the appointment.
The public is encouraged to use the divisions new opinion letters page to explore past guidance and submit new requests. The division will exercise discretion in determining whether and how it will respond to each request, which will focus primarily on attempting to address issues of broad-based concern.
USDOL Announces Notice of Funding Opportunity of $145 million To Support Pay-For-Performance Registered Apprenticeship Expansion:
The U.S. Department of Labor released a forecast notice announcing the upcoming availability of $145 million in funding to support a pay-for-performance incentive payment program to further expand the national apprenticeship system. The department will award up to five cooperative agreements for a four-year period of performance, focusing on expanding newly developed Registered Apprenticeships and growing existing programs across industries. The program will also place...