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The world is being quietly rearranged by people who write very long documents.

Federal Register · April 16, 2026
The title they went with Removing Outdated Language From Regulatory Definitions of “United States” Noisy translates that to

The Commerce Department removed the Canal Zone from its definition of the United States

What happened
The Commerce Department updated its rules to remove references to the Canal Zone. This makes the department's regulations more accurate and consistent.
Why it matters
This is a housekeeping change. The Canal Zone has not been part of the United States since 1979. The department is simply cleaning up old language in its documents. It does not change any actual operations or legal boundaries.
The signal
There is nothing to watch here. This is a purely administrative change.
If you insist
Read the original →