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Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Turkiye's Progress on Railway to Nakhchivan Alarms Moscow
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Jan. 22, 2026, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Turkiye's Progress on Railway to Nakhchivan Alarms Moscow
By Paul Goble
Executive Summary:
* Turkiye is pressing ahead with the construction of a new rail line to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, displacing the Baku-Tehran-Kars route as the primary east-west corridor in the South Caucasus and linking Turkiye more closely to Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and the People's Republic of China.
* When construction began in August 2025, Turkiye said it would take three
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Jan. 22, 2026, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Turkiye's Progress on Railway to Nakhchivan Alarms Moscow
By Paul Goble
Executive Summary:
* Turkiye is pressing ahead with the construction of a new rail line to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave, displacing the Baku-Tehran-Kars route as the primary east-west corridor in the South Caucasus and linking Turkiye more closely to Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and the People's Republic of China.
* When construction began in August 2025, Turkiye said it would take threeto five years to complete. Azerbaijan's reopening of lines that form the rest of the rail link between Turkiye and Azerbaijan may bring that deadline forward.
* The economic and geopolitical implications of that for the region and the world are alarming many in Moscow and prompting some in Armenia, Iran, and Georgia to consider how best to deal with this rapidly approaching fait accompli.
Ankara broke ground for the construction of a new 224-kilometer (140-mile) rail link from Kars to the border of the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan following the August 2025 U.S.-brokered agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan that calls for the reopening of traffic between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave. This project is scheduled to be completed before 2030 (Caspian Post, August 25, 2025). The route could displace Baku-Tehran-Kars as the primary east-west rail line through the South Caucasus. It would present a geopolitical challenge to Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and Iran by dramatically expanding Turkiye's links with Azerbaijan, Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Tehran (see EDM, September 19, 2024). Turkiye's progress in the construction of the rail line--along with the work that Baku has done in Azerbaijan proper and in the Nakhchivan exclave--mean that Russian and Iranian concerns are growing into alarm. Moscow and Tehran worry about losing influence, and Yerevan and Tbilisi are concerned about how to make the best of the new situation. There is also speculation that one or more of the negatively affected states could take radical moves to slow the completion of the Turkish project (Jnews, March 25, 2025; Zdmira, March 26, 2025; Eurasia Today, August 16, 2025; Amnews, August 22, 2025; Rail Target, August 27, 2025; Jam-News; Nikkei Asia, January 16).
Turkiye has long indicated a desire to expand links with Nakhchivan to strengthen its alliance with Azerbaijan and bolster ties with the Turkic states of Central Asia and the People's Republic of China (PRC). In 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev committed themselves to building a rail line between their capitals, something that Ankara mentioned as early as 2012 and Turkish commentators dubbed "the rail silk road." In the same year, Ankara built a pipeline to Nakhchivan (see EDM, August 10, 2021). In early 2025, the Turkish authorities announced that they had finalized plans for the construction of a new railway between Kars and Nakhchivan, one that would involve the building of five new stations (Caspian Post, February 7, 2025). Azerbaijan and the PRC welcomed these moves, which unsettled the other South Caucasus countries, Russia, and Iran (Caspian Post, August 25, 2025). (On such difficulties in that region and the ways that much-ballyhooed plans there have been repeatedly postponed or even killed off as a result, see EDM, May 16, 2022.) Turkiye, however, has shown itself committed to meeting its goals, views the construction of a rail line as essential to promoting its Turkic world agenda and opposing Iran, and enjoys the support of the PRC, which would benefit from the reduced time for cargo passing through the region by a week or more (Nikkei Asia, January 16). Perhaps especially important in Ankara's calculations, however, is just how much its ally Baku has already invested in the corridor project.
Azerbaijan has been working for more than five years to rebuild and modernize its rail line from Baku to the border of Armenia's Syunik oblast, which forms the eastern portion of the Azerbaijani-Turkish route through Nakhchivan (see EDM, April 5, 13, 21, 2021). In August 2025, Aliyev announced that Baku had completed a feasibility study for the modernization of the Azerbaijani railway in Nakhchivan, passing from the eastern border of the exclave to the western border with Turkiye. The rail line was kept alive, albeit less active, during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war by supporting trade with Iran to the south (Caspian Post, August 25, 2025; see EDM, October 15, 2025). Any Turkish delay in completing this corridor, now that the Washington accord has made it possible, would at a minimum annoy Baku and could raise questions about Turkiye's commitments to Azerbaijan.
All of the countries with interests in this region have begun to respond as construction of the new Turkish line has taken off. Georgia--through which the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route passes, currently the main east-west rail transit corridor--is clearly concerned about the potential loss of cargo and transit fees if the PRC and others shift to the Nakhchivan route. So far, at least, most officials in Tbilisi appear to believe that there will be so much trade that they will not suffer much (Eurasia Today, August 16, 2025; Zdmira, March 26, 2025). Armenia and Iran are more troubled by what they see as an expansion in Turkish and thus Western influence in the region. Armenia fears that the rail line represents yet another step toward Baku's seizure of the Zangezur corridor, although some in Yerevan are exploring how Armenia could benefit from the corridor by breaking with Moscow (Amnews, August 22, 2025; Jam-News, January 16). Iran is concerned that the new route opens the way for the West to put more pressure on Tehran and would kill off plans for an alternative east-west route through Iran (Window on Eurasia, September 24, 2024, August 12, 2025).
Moscow is the most alarmed by the Turkish construction effort. It sees the corridor as representing the expansion of U.S. influence in the South Caucasus, reducing Moscow's ability to keep rail lines open to Iran. The Kremlin believes the route eliminates one of the last levers the Russian government has in Armenia, given the problems with Russian Rail, which has controlled Armenia's railways since 2008 but is currently in a fragile position (Window on Eurasia, July 19, 2025; Rail Target, August 27, 2025; RITM Eurasia, January 8, 18; Jam-News, January 16). Moscow would come closer to losing its influence across the South Caucasus if it loses control over trade routes, something it would be hard-pressed to recover except by the use of force or threat of using force (RITM Eurasia, January 18). Some Azerbaijanis now fear this possibility, especially given the recent deterioration in relations between Moscow and Baku (Minval Politika, January 19).
Russian commentators are playing up how this latest expansion of Turkish influence in the South Caucasus will work against Armenia, Iran, and the "Russian World" that Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the centerpiece of his national strategy (RITM Eurasia, January 18). Russian observers have found this easy to do, given the expansive, even hyperbolic, interpretations Turkish writers have put on the meaning of the new railway and the possibilities it opens for Turkish and Azerbaijani dominance over Zangezur, which they call Armenia's Syunik oblast (Daily Sabah, August 15, 22, 2025). Such Russian concerns will undoubtedly grow as Turkiye continues to make progress in building its rail line to Nakhchivan, particularly if it receives assistance from the PRC. This concern could lead to Russian actions to prevent the August 2025 Armenian-Azerbaijani accord from being realized and to block any further expansion of U.S. and Turkish influence in the South Caucasus.
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Paul Goble is a longtime specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia.
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/turkiyes-progress-on-railway-to-nakhchivan-alarms-moscow/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Kremlin Views the Potential Loss of Cuba as Major Symbolic Blow
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Jan. 22, 2026, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Kremlin Views the Potential Loss of Cuba as Major Symbolic Blow
By Sergey Sukhankin
Executive Summary:
* Cuba emerged as a politically loyal but materially limited partner for Russia following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, providing Moscow with symbolic support amid Western isolation.
* Russia has derived some financial and technological benefits from this partnership, using Cuba to test non-Western payment infrastructure and positioning
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on Jan. 22, 2026, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Kremlin Views the Potential Loss of Cuba as Major Symbolic Blow
By Sergey Sukhankin
Executive Summary:
* Cuba emerged as a politically loyal but materially limited partner for Russia following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, providing Moscow with symbolic support amid Western isolation.
* Russia has derived some financial and technological benefits from this partnership, using Cuba to test non-Western payment infrastructure and positioningthe island as a regional hub for importing Russian information technology (IT) and digital solutions into Latin America.
* Economic and trade cooperation--including in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism--remains modest in scale, functioning more as a supplement to Russia's geopolitical narrative than as a source of profit.
* Russian experts view cooperation with Cuba, including the ratification of a military cooperation agreement, as a symbolic asset reinforcing a multipolar narrative. Moscow views potentially losing Cuba as a partner as a serious reputational and ideological blow, but not an economic setback.
On January 15, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow is concerned about the escalation of the situation around Cuba and considers the "language of U.S. blackmail" unacceptable (Interfax, January 15). These comments were a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks that Cuba needs to begin cooperating with Washington "while it's not too late" following the U.S. ouster of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Russian commentators, however, do not believe that Russia has recourse should the U.S. decide to take decisive steps in Cuba. Russia's resources are focused on its war against Ukraine, and the Kremlin is abandoning its strategic allies around the world (Newsru.co.il, January 14).
Cuba emerged as one of Russia's key foreign policy partners following the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Russia's consequent isolation from the West. Russia's March 2023 Foreign Policy Concept named Cuba, Brazil, Nicaragua, and Venezuela as Russia's "priority" partners in Latin America and the Caribbean (Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 31, 2023). It is becoming clear, however, that if the United States takes more decisive action against Cuba, Russia's response is likely to remain rhetorical, with no practical steps taken (Smotrim, January 12). If Cuba's political situation changes, Russia could lose its long-term strategic partner in Latin America.
In 2023, Moscow and Havana agreed to work toward operating Russian banks in Cuba and transitioning project settlements to rubles (TASS, May 18, 2023). Using rubles in transactions meant a reduction in the risks of using dollars or euros, greater manageability of project financing, and the ability to use Cuba as a platform for Russian companies in the region. Cuba also enabled Russia to expand its domestic payment instruments, such as Mir cards, a Central Bank of Russia card for electronic fund transfers (RIA Novosti, April 23, 2023). This expansion allowed Russia to test how well the Russian payment ecosystem can operate in friendly jurisdictions without reliance on Western networks. Russian experts also found it useful in developing circumvention of Western sanctions (Cyberleninka, accessed January 17).
Cuba has emerged as Russia's "hub" of information technology (IT) and digital technology exports in Latin America. After 2022, Russia began actively promoting the export of its IT solutions and digital platforms to friendly countries beyond its traditional partners and former Soviet republics, with Cuba becoming the key market in Latin America. Cuba has been positioned as a strategic regional hub where Russian products can be adapted and distributed more broadly, enhancing Russia's economic and technological influence in the region (RIAC, December 25, 2024). Cuba serves as Russia's "entry point" into the Spanish-speaking world, a testing ground for cooperative formats with friendly states, and a partner that is less sensitive to Western restrictions.
Economic cooperation between Russia and Cuba has remained limited to a few sectors because of the dire state of the Cuban economy and Russia's limited resources (RIAC, May 23, 2025). They have, however, cooperated in the energy sector. Between 2024 and 2025, Russian sources reported on the implementation and discussion of energy-related projects with Cuba, ranging from the modernization and restoration of Cuba's power system to broader cooperation in energy supplies (TASS, April 3, 2025). Even though Russian-Cuban economic cooperation nominally encompassed sectors including agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, and heavy industry, its practical impact remained largely symbolic. Economic cooperation is best understood as a supplement to Russia's broader geopolitical and ideological objectives (The Caribbean Council, May 8, 2023).
Moscow's relationship with Cuba demonstrated that it retains partners in the Western Hemisphere in close proximity to the United States. Russia's ability to maintain ties with Cuba fits into its broader approach to engagement with Latin America, reinforcing Moscow's narrative and strategic thesis of an emerging multipolar world (Cyberleninka, accessed January 15).
Russian-language media have reported that between 1,000 and 5,000 Cuban citizens have fought on Russia's side against Ukraine since 2022 (Nastoyashee Vremya, October 7, 2025). Some sources claim that up to 10,000 Cubans may have been involved (EXO, November 28, 2025). Cooperation in the paramilitary domain fits a longer-term pattern of the Kremlin outsourcing violence, though the Cuban authorities deny the involvement of Cuban citizens in Ukraine. The Soviet Union relied on Cuban personnel in conflicts across the developing world, using them as proxies, and the reported involvement of Cubans on Russia's side is consistent with this legacy.
In October 2025, Russia institutionalized military cooperation with Cuba by ratifying an agreement on bilateral military cooperation (Interfax, October 8, 2025). The agreement creates a stable legal framework for regular exchanges of military specialists, the conduct of exercises, consultations, and coordination in the security sector (@ Novosti, October 7, 2025). Russian experts viewed this step as part of Russia's broader foreign policy strategy aimed at strengthening military and political ties with allies in Latin America. In their assessment, cooperation with Cuba may enhance the flexibility of Russian defense diplomacy and create additional channels of interaction in global security politics, especially "against the backdrop of a changing international environment" (TASS, October 8, 2025). Some ultra-nationalist Russian experts subsequently theorized that Russia could deploy the Oreshnik missile system to Cuba if Washington makes unfriendly gestures toward Moscow, anticipating shock and "hysteria among American politicians" (@ Vfokuse, October 8, 2025).
Russia's gains from its post-2022 collaboration with Cuba have been largely confined to the rhetorical geopolitical sphere. Cooperation has been primarily symbolic, with Moscow viewing Cuba as an element of Russia's strategy to promote a multipolar world (RIAC, May 15, 2024). The potential loss of Cuba would nevertheless have negative domestic implications for Russia despite its limited practical significance and meager returns on economic investment. Russian militaristic and nationalist analysts are increasingly focused on Cuba. One recent article by Ruslan Pankratov, published in Moskovskii Komsomolets, argues that Russia losing Cuba would be a major reputational loss for Moscow:
The fall of Cuba would be perceived by the Global South as final proof of the inability of Russia, China, or anyone else to function as an alternative center of power. In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, everyone will understand a simple thing: engaging with 'multipolarity' is risky because it cannot protect its allies from American pressure. BRICS ... all of this will turn into empty rhetoric. Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia will draw conclusions. The domino effect is inevitable. For Russia, Cuba is first and foremost a geopolitical symbol, not an economic asset. The loss of a symbol is often more painful than the loss of resources. If Cuba falls, the concept of multipolarity will be finally discredited. For [Russia], this is a question of choosing between strategic ambition and strategic capitulation, because Cuba historically symbolizes resistance. But symbols fall if no one protects them (MK.RU, January 16).
Coupled with Russia's deteriorating economic situation and Moscow's bloody and largely unsuccessful war of conquest against Ukraine, the loss of Cuba as a partner could add to a cumulative effect that deepens divisions within the Russian elite, intellectual circles, and the military-political leadership.
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Dr. Sergey Sukhankin is a Senior Fellow at The Jamestown Foundation, and an Advisor at Gulf State Analytics (Washington, D.C.).
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/kremlin-views-the-potential-loss-of-cuba-as-major-symbolic-blow/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Empire Center Reacts to Governor Hochul's Budget Address
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 23 -- Empire Center, a non-profit think tank, issued the following news release:
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The Empire Center Reacts to Governor Hochul's Budget Address
In response to the release of Governor Hochul's executive budget proposal for fiscal 2027, the Empire Center issued the following comment:
"It should go without saying that rejecting further tax hikes - in what's already the most heavily taxed state in the country - was the right thing for Governor Hochul to do.
"Her proposals to streamline the regulatory process for housing construction and cracking down on auto insurance
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 23 -- Empire Center, a non-profit think tank, issued the following news release:
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The Empire Center Reacts to Governor Hochul's Budget Address
In response to the release of Governor Hochul's executive budget proposal for fiscal 2027, the Empire Center issued the following comment:
"It should go without saying that rejecting further tax hikes - in what's already the most heavily taxed state in the country - was the right thing for Governor Hochul to do.
"Her proposals to streamline the regulatory process for housing construction and cracking down on auto insurancefraud are also welcome ideas that would make the state more affordable.
"Unfortunately, her plan would also continue a pattern of excessive spending growth, especially an 11.5 percent increase in Medicaid. This being an election year, the state legislators will almost certainly push to hike taxes and increase spending even more. Taxpayers can only hope that the governor imposes a modicum of discipline."
-Bill Hammond, senior fellow
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The Empire Center, based in Albany, is an independent, not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to promoting policies that can make New York a better place to live, work and raise a family.
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Original text here: https://www.empirecenter.org/publications/the-empire-center-reacts-to-governor-hochuls-budget-address/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center of the American Experiment Issues Commentary: When Teachers' Unions Turn Schools Into Political Stages
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, Jan. 23 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary:
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When teachers' unions turn schools into political stages
By Catrin Wigfall
Classrooms should be places where students are not pressured or guided to support one side of current political disputes, but teachers' unions have long struggled to adhere to upholding this standard.
A recent email circulated by the Wayzata Education Association illustrates the troubling trend of union infrastructure within
... Show Full Article
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minnesota, Jan. 23 -- The Center of the American Experiment, a civic and educational organization that says it creates and advocates policies, issued the following commentary:
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When teachers' unions turn schools into political stages
By Catrin Wigfall
Classrooms should be places where students are not pressured or guided to support one side of current political disputes, but teachers' unions have long struggled to adhere to upholding this standard.
A recent email circulated by the Wayzata Education Association illustrates the troubling trend of union infrastructure withinschool culture to take political stances.
Greetings colleagues,
You may have heard that some local organizations have called for a January 23rd "ICE Out Day." The action is meant to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and to call for ICE to leave Minnesota, and it includes a request for people to stop work, school, and spending for the day.
We want to acknowledge that current situations may bring up concern, fear, or uncertainty for some staff members, students and families in our community. We want to offer support in any way that we are able to. Please don't hesitate to reach out. Whether it's for yourself, a colleague, or help connecting families with resources.
We also share the concern that ICE should not be present in or around schools, and we recognize the impact immigration enforcement has had on members of our community and may have had on students and staff. We support policies that help keep schools safe and welcoming for all students, staff and families. We also understand that many staff are wanting to know how they can help or show care or solidarity during this time.
There have been questions about whether public school educators or unions can participate in the January 23rd ICE Out Solidarity Strike. Because we are under contract, Minnesota State Statute does make it illegal for us as state employees to participate in a one day solidarity strike (Statute 179A.18,179A.19).
If you are wanting to participate in the ICE Out Day activities, you would need to use a personal day on Friday, January 23rd. Employees do still have First Amendment rights to free speech and political expression on their own time.
You may have heard that the St. Paul Federation of Educators (SPFE) Local 28 plans to participate in the January 23rd action. We don't have details about their legal or contractual situation, and their circumstances may be different from the WEA.
Education Minnesota has encouraged locals to show solidarity in other lawful ways. One option is wearing blue on Friday, January 23rd, as a visible sign of empathy and support for keeping ICE away from public schools. The WEA encourages teachers to wear blue this Friday, January 23rd, as a way to show support, empathy, and solidarity.
Thank you for everything you do for our students, families, and each other. Please reach out if you have questions or need support.
The message is a political call to action surrounding a so-called "ICE Out Day," a protest aimed at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), whose enforcement actions are generally not conducted inside and around schools. While the union stops short of explicitly endorsing an illegal work stoppage -- acknowledging that Minnesota law prohibits solidarity strikes by public employees -- it nonetheless encourages political participation and symbolic protest under the banner of the school community.
That should concern parents, taxpayers, and educators alike.
First, the email blurs the line between education and partisan activism. Immigration enforcement is a contentious national political issue, governed by federal law and debated vigorously in Congress and the electorate.
Yet the union presents opposition to ICE not as one viewpoint among many, but as a shared moral stance. There is no acknowledgment that reasonable people -- including parents of students in the district and educators the union represents -- may disagree. When a union speaks this way, it implicitly claims to represent a consensus that simply does not exist.
Second, the union's message leverages the authority and trust of educators to advance a political narrative. Teachers occupy a unique and respected role in society. Families entrust them with their children not to advocate political causes, but to educate. When unions encourage symbolic acts like coordinated clothing colors to signal "solidarity" on a political issue, they risk turning schools into arenas of political signaling rather than neutral places of learning. Students should not be placed in an environment where one political viewpoint is modeled as the morally approved position by authority figures.
Third, the email highlights a deeper contradiction. On the one hand, the union admits that participating in a strike would be illegal under state law. On the other, it goes out of its way to promote alternative forms of protest, including wearing specific colors to make a political statement during the school day.
Public schools are funded by taxpayers of all political beliefs. That funding comes with an obligation for classrooms to maintain political neutrality. Educators, like all citizens, absolutely retain their First Amendment rights on their own time, but should exercise restraint in promoting partisan or ideological causes in their classrooms.
Finally, there is a basic reality the email avoids: Immigration enforcement exists because laws exist. One can argue for changes to those laws through the democratic process, but encouraging public employees to symbolically oppose lawful federal agencies sends the wrong message to students.
Educators can demonstrate care for students without aligning with partisan campaigns and without using their classrooms as platforms for political activism. Schools should be places where students learn how to think, not what to think. When unions forget that distinction, it's not just inappropriate, it's irresponsible.
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Catrin Wigfall is a Policy Fellow at Center of the American Experiment.
catrin.wigfall@americanexperiment.org
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Original text here: https://www.americanexperiment.org/when-teachers-unions-turn-schools-into-political-stages/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Capital Research Center Issues Commentary: NGO Weaponized a Classroom Tool Into an ICE Watch Map
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary on Jan. 22, 2026:
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NGO weaponized a classroom tool into an ICE watch map
A teacher explains how technology that helped her students in the classroom evolved into a nonprofit tool for helping violent criminals evade ICE agents. Is this what tax exempt nonprofits are for?
By Kali Fontanilla
I was known as the techy teacher. If there was an educational tool that helped my students collaborate, speak up, or grasp a concept that would have been harder to explain without technology, I used it. Nearpod for interactive
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary on Jan. 22, 2026:
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NGO weaponized a classroom tool into an ICE watch map
A teacher explains how technology that helped her students in the classroom evolved into a nonprofit tool for helping violent criminals evade ICE agents. Is this what tax exempt nonprofits are for?
By Kali Fontanilla
I was known as the techy teacher. If there was an educational tool that helped my students collaborate, speak up, or grasp a concept that would have been harder to explain without technology, I used it. Nearpod for interactivePowerPoint-style lessons. Edpuzzle, which allowed me to turn a YouTube video into a fully interactive presentation with embedded questions and recorded interjections (which was perfect for sub days). And one of my personal favorites was Padlet, an interactive digital bulletin board where students could share ideas, media, and feedback in real time. It facilitated everything from group brainstorming to formative assessments. It was easy to use and intentionally designed to lower communication barriers, especially for my shy students who would usually hesitate to speak up in class.
It was never meant to be a tactical tool for tracking federal law enforcement.
That changed when activists repurposed Padlet to host "People Over Papers," a crowdsourced map tracking ICE activity in real time. Padlet eventually pulled the project for violating their safety policies, a wise decision. A digital whiteboard used as a tool for education and a professional work environment shouldn't double as a real-time surveillance system.
But the project didn't disappear. It rebranded and relaunched as iceout.org. And this time, it came with the backing of a sophisticated nonprofit infrastructure.
The Pueblo Project: funding evasion as "charity"
iceout.org is now operated by the Pueblo Project Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Within just three days of launching its fundraising campaign, the organization set a $200,000 goal and raised nearly $10,000. Concurrently, the group ran a separate "50 States, 50 Days" fundraiser that reached its stated goal in a matter of days, signaling a rapid monetization push tied to the platform.
According to their own fundraising materials, these tax-deductible donations go toward:
* High-traffic server infrastructure to handle real-time reporting surges.
* Cybersecurity and data protection.
* Developing new features to make the site more accessible.
Most Americans see "nonprofit status" as a shorthand for "public good." But here, the IRS is essentially subsidizing a live-tracking system designed to help people dodge federal agents. When a tool's primary purpose is to help individuals evade the law, we have to ask why it's being treated as a tax-deductible charity.
The site frames itself as an informational resource. In reality, it is live operational awareness. The Department of Justice and officials such as the U.S. Attorney General have repeatedly warned that these types of "watch" apps (like the now-removed ICEBlock) place a target on the backs of federal officers. Tech giants like Apple and Google didn't remove these apps because of politics; they removed them because they violated "public safety" policies by facilitating interference with law enforcement.
This isn't just about "knowing your rights." When you provide the exact GPS coordinates and timestamps of officers in the field, you are creating a dangerous tool for disruption. We have seen this pattern before. Real-time tracking enables activists to mobilize, block vehicles, and physically confront officers attempting to execute lawful warrants. Seems like the definition of obstruction of justice.
The "Worst of the Worst"
Supporters of these maps often claim they are protecting vulnerable families. But the data tells a much grittier story. Roughly 70% of ICE arrests involve individuals who have been charged with or convicted of a crime in the U.S. In just the last month, ICE operations have removed the following individuals (that these watch maps would have helped hide):
* Leonel Antonio Carranza Nunez: Convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child.
* Eduardo Salgado-Martinez: Convicted of first-degree rape of a child.
* Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto: An MS-13 leader wanted in Honduras for a quadruple homicide.
* Desmond Woodburn: Convicted of murder in Queens, NY.
When iceout.org pings a location, it doesn't ask the illegal monitoring the site for a rap sheet, it alerts the "worst of the worst" just as quickly as it alerts anyone else. It doesn't weigh public safety. By providing a shield for everyone, they are providing a shield for child predators, murderers, and gang leaders.
Americans should be subsidizing through the tax code tools designed to undermine the rule of law. Building and funding a real-time surveillance map of federal agents crosses a line, and such organizations should lose their tax-exempt status. The purpose of our nonprofit system is to serve the public good, and a tool which assists in obstruction of justice does not fit that definition. I guess it should not be surprising that the left has taken a tool used to help middle school students communicate more freely and has twisted it into a tax-free ICE evasion system. Radicalizing education is what they do. But that transformation isn't an act of charity. It's a threat to public safety and the safety of our federal agents.
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Kali Fontanilla
Kali is serving as CRC's Senior fellow, particularly focusing on topics related to K-12 public education.
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Original text here: https://capitalresearch.org/article/ngo-weaponized-a-classroom-tool-into-an-ice-watch-map/
[Category: ThinkTank]
American Action Forum: Private Credit - What's the Fuss?
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The American Action Forum issued the following news release:
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Private Credit: What's the Fuss?
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Private credit has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. financial system, totaling more than $1.7 trillion in assets under management. In a new insight, Director of Competition Policy Fred Ashton provides an overview of the U.S. private credit market and discusses its benefits and risks.
Key points:
* Unlike publicly traded securities, private credit involves debt that is directly issued to borrowers by nonbank lenders and
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The American Action Forum issued the following news release:
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Private Credit: What's the Fuss?
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Private credit has become one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. financial system, totaling more than $1.7 trillion in assets under management. In a new insight, Director of Competition Policy Fred Ashton provides an overview of the U.S. private credit market and discusses its benefits and risks.
Key points:
* Unlike publicly traded securities, private credit involves debt that is directly issued to borrowers by nonbank lenders andis not traded on open markets.
* While private credit is a small fraction of the fixed-income market, its rapid growth, illiquidity, opacity, and interest rate structure have raised concerns about risks to broader financial stability.
* Continuing to monitor the sector, specifically during periods of financial stress, can help regulators and market observers better understand the economic benefits to the economy as well as the systemic risks posed by private credit.
Read the analysis (https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/private-credit-whats-the-fuss/).
***
Original text here: https://www.americanactionforum.org/press-release/private-credit-whats-the-fuss/
America First Policy Institute: Putting Patients First - New Reforms Give Patients Their Money, Their Prices, and More Options
WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSrep) -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on Jan. 22, 2026:
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Putting Patients First: New Reforms Give Patients Their Money, Their Prices, and More Options
Today, Hannah Anderson, Director of Healthy America Policy and Senior Director of Policy at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), issued the following statement in response to congressional passage of a government funding package that includes pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms:
"This legislation takes an important step towards putting patients--not middlemen--in charge
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WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 (TNSrep) -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on Jan. 22, 2026:
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Putting Patients First: New Reforms Give Patients Their Money, Their Prices, and More Options
Today, Hannah Anderson, Director of Healthy America Policy and Senior Director of Policy at the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), issued the following statement in response to congressional passage of a government funding package that includes pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms:
"This legislation takes an important step towards putting patients--not middlemen--in chargeof their healthcare dollars and decisions. For too long, patients have been forced to navigate a system where costs are hidden, competition is distorted, and intermediaries profit. Meanwhile, as PBMs operate in the shadows, the patient has no idea how much of a cut middlemen are receiving from their medication, or that another nearby pharmacy may offer a lower-cost option.
Simply, the bill requires PBMs to provide an itemized receipt for claims information, like the price of the drug dispensed. The idea that companies--employers--who are purchasing PBM services but are not allowed to know the cost of what they're buying is simply anti-competitive. It also requires PBMs to provide 100% of the discounts provided by the drug manufacturer (a rebate) to the employer, rather than hiding these discounts away from companies and their employees.
AFPI's research report (https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/middlemen-favor-unaffordable-prescription-drugs) mentions an analysis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32730906/) that states that in 2019, PBMs accounted for up to 40 percent of the cost of a prescription drug. They often refuse to provide itemized cost data, keep rebates, and steer patients toward their PBM pharmacies and higher-priced medicines. This isn't a rare occurrence--it's an unconscionable norm in healthcare.
AFPI applauds patient-first reforms that give them more of their money, their prices, and their options--and that ultimately makes America healthy again. This bill, along with the Great Health Care plan, is a strong start to doing just that. For more information, please visit AmericaFirstPolicy.com."
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/putting-patients-first-new-reforms-give-patients-their-money-their-prices-and-more-options
[Category: ThinkTank]
