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Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: Chip Packaging IP That Export Controls Cannot Reach
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 7, 2026, by Russ Wilcox, CEO of ArtifexAI and Policy Committee chair of the American Society for AI, in the foundation's China Brief Notes:
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The Chip Packaging IP That Export Controls Cannot Reach
Executive Summary:
* Semiconductor packaging giant Tongfu Microelectronics holds a permanent, royalty-free license to intellectual property from U.S. fabless manufacturer AMD. This license was granted in 2016 with PRC state backing from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund.
* U.S. export
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 7, 2026, by Russ Wilcox, CEO of ArtifexAI and Policy Committee chair of the American Society for AI, in the foundation's China Brief Notes:
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The Chip Packaging IP That Export Controls Cannot Reach
Executive Summary:
* Semiconductor packaging giant Tongfu Microelectronics holds a permanent, royalty-free license to intellectual property from U.S. fabless manufacturer AMD. This license was granted in 2016 with PRC state backing from the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund.
* U.S. exportcontrols on semiconductor packaging, introduced in 2025, cannot reach technology permanently transferred by contract nine years earlier.
* The license permits the use of AMD's technology for any customer at facilities in Suzhou, Zhejiang, and Penang, Malaysia, with no expiration, and survives termination of all other agreements.
During the Two Sessions on March 5, Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun repeated a claim made by both General Secretary Xi Jinping in his new year's speech and by Premier Li Qiang in his government work report that the country's chip development "has achieved new breakthroughs" (Xinhua, December 31, 2025, March 5; S&T Daily, March 5). None stated where the breakthroughs had come, but a securities industry report published the same week identified packaging capacity, not fabrication, as the binding constraint on the deployment of artificial intelligence chips, arguing that "advanced packaging and testing will determine the upper limit of computing power supply" (Fxbaogao, March 5).
Days later, Tongfu Microelectronic, one of the largest semiconductor packaging companies in the People's Republic of China (PRC), confirmed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange investor platform that it is "actively deploying Chiplet, 2D+, and other top-tier packaging technologies" Chiplet 2D) (Weibo/Stockstar, March 12). The foundation for that deployment is a permanent, irrevocable, royalty-free license to access intellectual property from AMD, one of the largest U.S. fabless semiconductor manufacturers. Tongfu heralded the deal as one that was not just good for the firm itself but was "even more so an embodiment of national strategy and will" (Tongfu Micoelectronics, May 3, 2016). The license permits the use of AMD's technology for any customer, at two facilities in Suzhou and Penang, with no expiration and no equity threshold.
As a result, Tongfu is beyond the reach of the current U.S. regulatory regime. The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) only released a whitelist of outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) companies approved for handling advanced chips in early 2025 (Federal Register, accessed April 6)./[1] As these controls are designed for the flow of items, they cannot address technology that has already been permanently transferred by contract.
Transaction Preceded Regulatory Focus on OSAT
In April 2016, AMD sold 85 percent of its only two semiconductor packaging facilities to affiliates of Tongfu for approximately $371 million. The buyer was backed by the PRC's National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, also known as the "Big Fund", which provided roughly three quarters of the total acquisition capital through two purpose-built investment vehicles (Cninfo, December 28, 2016)./[2] AMD retained 15 percent. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) did not conduct a review of the transaction, as it was classified as a routine restructuring from integrated device manufacturer to fabless model (SEC, October 15, 2015).
At the time, semiconductor packaging was merely a mature, high-volume manufacturing process. This is no longer the case. Advanced packaging techniques now enable chiplet architectures, where multiple dies are integrated into a single package, and 2.5D/3D stacking, where chips and memory are layered vertically. AMD's own MI300X accelerator, packaged by Taiwanese semiconductor foundry TSMC using advanced 2.5D techniques, illustrates the strategic value now embedded in the packaging layer. The IP that AMD licensed to Tongfu covers foundational processes upon which advanced packaging capabilities are built. Mastering these substrate-level processes is a prerequisite for scaling to the architectures that define current artificial intelligence (AI) chip packaging. The classification of this work as commodity labor was consistent with how Washington understood semiconductor packaging in 2016, but Beijing's state fund did not share that assessment. As far back as 2011, the State Council had called for extending tax benefits to packaging to "complete the integrated circuit industry chain" (State Council, January 28, 2011).
Licensing Deal Set Stage for Ongoing Entanglement
AMD's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) omitted the IP license agreement from its exhibits, disclosing only that the company had granted the joint ventures a non-exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable license to the technology owned and used by the company in its back-end processing business at existing facilities (SEC, October 15, 2015).
Tongfu's response to the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), prepared by the law firm King & Wood Mallesons and reviewed by China Merchants Securities, provided the operative detail. It describes the license as "non-exclusive, global, fully paid, free, non-transferable, permanent, and irrevocable". Its scope is facility-based--the joint ventures may use AMD's technology solely for conducting business at the TF-AMD Suzhou and TF-AMD Penang facilities--but has no restrictions on customers, simply stating that the joint ventures will use AMD's licensed technology "to provide services to AMD and other customers" (Cninfo, December 28, 2016)./[3]
Tongfu therefore can continue to license AMD's IP, despite not appearing on the BIS whitelist. This is because U.S. regulations do not address whether CFIUS retrospective review authority extends to IP licenses granted before the 2018 Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA) reform or whether BIS should condition future OSAT approvals on the absence of irrevocable IP licenses from U.S. companies. As the Tongfu-AMD CSRC filing confirms, the license "continues in effect after the agreement expires or terminates", even if AMD sells its entire remaining stake (Cninfo, December 28, 2016).
This could lead to U.S. technology being used to directly support the PRC's national technology strategy. The CSRC filing names Huawei's chip design subsidiary HiSilicon as an important customer of Tongfu, in a passage directly referencing the former AMD facilities. Whether Tongfu has used AMD's licensed technology specifically in work for non-AMD customers has not been documented in any subsequent public filing reviewed for this analysis, and whether TF-AMD Penang directly packages Ascend chips is a question Tongfu has declined to answer on investor platforms; but the co-location of AMD-licensed packaging capacity and Huawei's AI computing infrastructure in Malaysia raises questions about the relationship. TF-AMD Penang announced a Ringgit 2 billion ($454 million) new manufacturing site at Batu Kawan in 2022, bringing total Malaysian capacity past 2.3 million square feet (Invest Penang, June 2022). In May 2025, Malaysia also announced plans to host a Huawei Ascend AI deployment, although the announcement was retracted under U.S. pressure within 24 hours (Malay Mail, May 21, 2025). Malaysia is a useful third-country for PRC firms looking to avoid regulatory scrutiny, as it has no foreign direct investment security review mechanism--a fact documented in the PRC Ministry of Commerce's investment guide and confirmed in the filing.
Conclusion
No provision in the BIS rule or in existing technology controls restricts how a non-approved OSAT firm uses previously licensed American packaging technology for non-AMD customers. The nine-year lag between the 2016 AMD-Tongfu license and Washington's decision to recognize packaging as a strategic technology whose export was worth regulating speaks to a broader problem of failing to predict the future strategic significance of emerging technologies.
Any efforts to reverse AMD's entanglement--such as by sanctioning Tongfu--can no longer be achieved without causing significant disruption to the U.S. firm's product pipeline. Its purchases from the joint venture reached $1.5 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up 25 percent year-over-year (AMD, November 5, 2025). No alternative supplier can absorb this volume for AMD's core processor lines.
[1] An authorization deadline, which went into effect on April 13, 2025, requires all shipments of advanced computing integrated circuits through non-approved packagers to obtain a license. No PRC OSAT firm appears on the whitelist. It should be noted that Tongfu does not appear on any U.S. export control list.
[2] Tongfu Microelectronics, Response to the "Notice of First-Round Feedback on the Review of Administrative Licensing Projects by the China Securities Regulatory Commission"
(No. [163440]) (Revised Draft), December 28, 2016.
[3] TF-AMD Penang is also ineligible to appear on the whitelist, as the framework applies an ultimate-parent test that bars entities whose parent is headquartered a "Country Group D:5 destination", which includes the PRC (see 15 CFR Sec.748.16(a)(1)).
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Russ Wilcox is CEO of ArtifexAI and Policy Committee Chair of the American Society for AI.
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/the-chip-packaging-ip-that-export-controls-cannot-reach/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Putin Seen Making Ever More Mistakes, Sending Approval Rating Down
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on April 7, 2026, by Paul Goble, specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Putin Seen Making Ever More Mistakes, Sending Approval Rating Down
Executive Summary:
* As Russian anger about President Vladimir Putin's moves against the internet grows, Russian commentators are pointing to other mistakes the Kremlin leader has been making and to polls showing his approval rating is falling, suggesting he faces "a perfect storm."
* There are growing signs that opposition
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on April 7, 2026, by Paul Goble, specialist on ethnic and religious questions in Eurasia, in its Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Putin Seen Making Ever More Mistakes, Sending Approval Rating Down
Executive Summary:
* As Russian anger about President Vladimir Putin's moves against the internet grows, Russian commentators are pointing to other mistakes the Kremlin leader has been making and to polls showing his approval rating is falling, suggesting he faces "a perfect storm."
* There are growing signs that oppositionto Putin's policies is spreading within Russian elites, increasing the likelihood that they will coalesce into groups that will seek and perhaps even succeed in blocking Kremlin policies that they do not like.
* None of this means Putin is about to be gelded, let alone overthrown--all of it could lead him to take even more repressive and aggressive steps. Taken together, these developments suggest he is now less able to act as if opposition to his policies is irrelevant.
Russian anger over President Vladimir Putin's moves against the internet is growing and spreading even to groups long thought to be his most loyal supporters (The Moscow Times; Kavkaz Realii; Vazhnye Istorii, April 3; see EDM, April 6). Russian commentators are pointing to other mistakes the Kremlin leader has been making, and polls show that his approval rating is falling to the lowest level since before he launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine (The Moscow Times; Agentstvo; Radio Svoboda, April 3). He now faces a buildup of negativity that one Russian sociologist calls "a perfect storm" (Echo, April 5). There are even signs--and this is surely more important in the Russian system--that opposition to Putin's policies is spreading within Russian elites, increasing the likelihood that they will coalesce into groups that will seek and perhaps even succeed in blocking Kremlin policies that they do not approve of (Agentstvo, April 4). None of this, to be sure, means Putin is about to be overthrown--all of it could lead him, as it has in the past when he felt at all cornered, to take even more repressive and aggressive steps. This combination of factors, however, does suggest that he will no longer be able to act as if opposition is irrelevant and will likely have to devote more time to rebuilding his authority among elites and in the population than he has in recent times.
Putin's moves against the internet are increasingly unpopular because they have affected the lives of so many Russians, including members of the elite in government, the military, and business, who have grown accustomed to using various internet channels (see EDM, April 2; Agentstvo, April 4). Recent polls show that support for and trust in the Kremlin leader have fallen to seven-year lows. The decline reflects anger over his internet policies, a flood of bad news at home and abroad in recent months, and signs that Putin does not intend to change course. This marks a shift from the past, when he often backed away from the more extreme aspects of his policies or sought to isolate unpopular ones by restricting their impact, as was the case with his war against Ukraine, where, instead of general mobilization, he relied on huge bonuses to encourage enlistment (see EDM, September 11, 23, October 9, 21, November 5, 2025, February 12, March 2). That policy, however, is also failing. In 2022, only 15 percent of Russians had a close relative in the war. Now more than twice that share do (Echo, April 5). Russian analysts argue that popular anger over Putin's moves against the internet is compounded by other concerns, including the lack of progress in Ukraine toward either victory or peace, failures in Venezuela and Iran, and deteriorating economic and social conditions at home (The Moscow Times, April 3).
Putin has responded to protests about the internet in two ways--repression and silence. He has ordered widespread arrests and detentions of those who have taken to the streets to protest his actions. He has not spoken out about the internet restrictions or any of these other problems in recent times, reducing his public appearances in the last quarter by a significant amount compared to a year ago (see EDM, April 6). The Kremlin leader may assume that repression is enough, but his failure to address various issues may result in an even larger problem, analysts say, as it contributes to the sense that he is out of touch (The Moscow Times, April 3).
The Kremlin leader may not care very much about popular opposition to his internet policies. He still has reliable security forces to control the situation, and his popularity ratings are above 60 percent in polls released by his regime (Echo, April 5). Putin certainly has reason to worry about the appearance of opposition to his internet policies among members of his elite, especially technocratic groups that favor development over tighter control. Ever more members of these groups have been speaking out, contributing to the sense, not only among other elite groups but also in the Russian population, that splits are developing in the Kremlin. This perception encourages others to resist, in the hope of tipping the political balance away from Putin and toward those who share their views (Echo, April 5)./[1]
The question now is how far this process, involving the alienation of the Russian population and of Russian elites beyond the super-loyalist siloviki segment, will go. Russian commentator Sergey Shelin suggests that Putin has been committing more mistakes and angering more ordinary people and members of the elites than at any time since he began his expanded war against Ukraine. While the situation has not yet reached a critical level and, as a result, Putin may be able to ride out this storm, it will come with increased difficulty, especially if he does not return to the tactics he used in earlier crises his regime has faced (The Moscow Times, April 3).
In six earlier crises since Putin became president, Shelin says, the Kremlin leader not only took public positions to seize the propagandistic high ground but also modified his policies. This signaled that he was paying attention to the population and would avoid angering it more than he felt necessary. Now Putin is doing neither, however, appearing in public far less frequently and showing no signs of being willing to modify his original decisions. This increasingly sclerotic approach has come to a head over the last three months, as the Kremlin has suffered a series of policy defeats abroad amid a rising tide of problems at home. Dictators fail when the number of problems grows too large for them to handle. Such rulers, however, risk serious problems if they do not show themselves responding to crises and act as if they are not required to (The Moscow Times, April 3). That is where the Putin dictatorship now stands. The number of problems is growing, although likely not yet to the point where they alone will be enough to bring the Kremlin leader down, Shelin suggests. Putin's failure to react now is undermining his rule, perhaps not enough to lead to his ouster in the immediate future but likely reducing the number of additional crises that could prove sufficient to produce that outcome.
[1] For a detailed, heavily footnoted survey of who among the Russian elites has spoken out on Putin's moves against the internet, see, in particular, the compilation at Agentstvo, April 4.
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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/putins-increasing-mistakes-sending-approval-rating-down/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Ifo Institute: Business Climate in German Automotive Industry Deteriorates
MUNICH, Germany, April 8 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Business Climate in German Automotive Industry Deteriorates
The business climate in the German automotive industry deteriorated somewhat in March. The indicator fell to minus 18.7 points, down from minus 15.7* points in February. "Companies assessed their current business situation as considerably worse than in the previous month, but raised their business expectations," says industry expert Anita Wolfl.
Companies once again assessed their order backlog as better, although it was still in negative
... Show Full Article
MUNICH, Germany, April 8 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Business Climate in German Automotive Industry Deteriorates
The business climate in the German automotive industry deteriorated somewhat in March. The indicator fell to minus 18.7 points, down from minus 15.7* points in February. "Companies assessed their current business situation as considerably worse than in the previous month, but raised their business expectations," says industry expert Anita Wolfl.
Companies once again assessed their order backlog as better, although it was still in negativeterritory: The indicator had risen continuously since September 2025 and reached minus 13.5 points in March. It's a similar story for export expectations: They improved for the fourth time in a row compared to the respective previous month and reached 30.7 points in March.
Job cuts could also slow down in the coming months: Employment expectations rose to minus 19.8 points, up from minus 44.0* points in February. That's also indicated by initial signs in the official statistics: In the first quarter of 2026, more new jobs for professions that are relevant for the automotive industry were reported again at Germany's Federal Employment Agency. "The decline in new jobs, which could be observed since 2022, seems to have come to a halt," says Wolfl.
*Seasonally adjusted
Further information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-04-07/business-climate-german-automotive-industry-deteriorates)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-04-07/business-climate-german-automotive-industry-deteriorates
[Category: ThinkTank]
Hudson Institute Issues Commentary to Times of Central Asia: Trump Has Golden Opportunity to Launch C6+1 on Sidelines of UN
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following commentary on April 7, 2026, by senior fellow Ken Moriyasu to the Times of Central Asia:
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Trump Has Golden Opportunity to Launch C6+1 on Sidelines of UN
Representatives of the five Central Asian states -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan -- along with Azerbaijan, are expected in New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Historically, meetings between the Central Asian states
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, issued the following commentary on April 7, 2026, by senior fellow Ken Moriyasu to the Times of Central Asia:
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Trump Has Golden Opportunity to Launch C6+1 on Sidelines of UN
Representatives of the five Central Asian states -- Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan -- along with Azerbaijan, are expected in New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September.
Historically, meetings between the Central Asian statesand the United States - the C5+1 - have taken place on the sidelines of the United Nations. It is the most natural and logistically efficient venue for President Donald Trump to re-engage with the C5 partners he hosted at the White House last November.
As of now, only foreign ministers are expected to attend the UNGA. But this could change if Trump extends an invitation to the leaders, according to a Central Asian diplomatic source.
This time, however, he has the opportunity to add Azerbaijan, transforming the format into a C6+1. Baku has already been invited to participate as a full member in Central Asian gatherings, and Washington should build on that momentum.
Azerbaijan is uniquely positioned: close to both Israel and Turkey - two of America's most important regional partners - it sits astride one of the most important connectivity corridors linking Europe and Asia. Its inclusion would turn the C5+1 into a genuinely trans Caspian framework that reflects the emerging realities of Eurasian integration.
The move would also link two major diplomatic achievements of Trump's second term: the launch of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a 43-km strategic transit corridor connecting mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia, and Trump's elevation of the C5+1 to a White House-level summit. While TRIPP was discussed at the C5+1 meeting in November, bringing Azerbaijan into the next gathering would allow the administration to present itself as the architect of a new Eurasian trade and energy map.
Strategically, a C6+1 format carries significant implications for great-power competition with China.
This is because Central Asia is so crucial to Beijing's grand strategy. In its recently adopted 15th five-year plan, neighborhood diplomacy is listed as the top priority -- ahead of relations with major powers or developing countries. Beijing seeks to build a "community with a shared future" with 17 neighboring states, including all five in Central Asia, to "create a favorable external environment" for national rejuvenation, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stated.
For China, Central Asia is a vital "hinterland" for energy and resource security, and a buffer against maritime disruptions.
The United States does not need to dominate the Eurasian Heartland or force Central Asian states to choose between Washington and Beijing. It simply needs to ensure that any Chinese westward access runs through a vast landmass of countries that maintain constructive relations with the United States.
A C6+1 format helps shape that environment without confrontation.
A stable Middle Corridor - the energy and trade route running through Central Asia, across the Caspian Sea and through Azerbaijan to Turkey and the Mediterranean - also benefits America's energy-hungry allies in Asia, such as Japan and South Korea. Both increasingly look to Kazakhstan as an alternative oil supplier as they seek to reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.
Several proposals have emerged for how to follow up on Trump's engagement with the Central Asian leaders. At the November White House dinner, Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev suggested holding the next C5+1 summit in Samarkand, the ancient Silk Road hub, with Trump becoming the first sitting American leader to visit Central Asia. At a seminar in March, Kazakhstan's Ambassador to the United States, Magzhan Ilyassov, proposed hosting the first C6 and United States Summit in his country's capital, Astana.
Both would be historic. But a meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. in New York this September would be the true low-hanging fruit.
Furthermore, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan are all members of Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza reconstruction and are willing partners of the American leader. Deepening engagement through a C6+1 format reinforces his "peace through connectivity" narrative and adds coherence to the Board of Peace's purpose.
With Russia to the north, China to the east, and Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India to the south, the greater Central Asia region is emerging as the next frontline of great power competition - especially as countries seek alternatives to vulnerable maritime energy routes, a trend underscored by the severe disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
By strengthening trans-Caspian links through a C6+1 framework and building on initiatives like TRIPP, the United States can help the region diversify its partnerships and reduce over-reliance on any single power, advancing stability through expanded economic options rather than confrontation.
The United States should use TRIPP as a springboard to pivot toward this critical region. A C6+1 summit at UNGA would be the simplest, most strategic way to begin. This is America leading through deals, not dominance -- turning geography into opportunity.
Read in The Times of Central Asia (https://timesca.com/opinion-trump-has-golden-opportunity-to-launch-c61-on-sidelines-of-un/).
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At A Glance:
Ken Moriyasu is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute.
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Original text here: https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/trump-has-golden-opportunity-launch-c61-sidelines-un-ken-moriyasu
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center for American Progress: Trump Budget Imposes Deepest Domestic Cuts in Modern History While Fueling Massive Military Expansion
WASHINGTON, April 8 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Trump Budget Imposes Deepest Domestic Cuts in Modern History While Fueling Massive Military Expansion
Today, the Center for American Progress released a new analysis (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-budget-request-cuts-programs-that-help-ordinary-americans-and-sinks-that-money-toward-war/) of President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget request, finding that it would enact historic cuts to programs that support working families while directing hundreds
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 8 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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Trump Budget Imposes Deepest Domestic Cuts in Modern History While Fueling Massive Military Expansion
Today, the Center for American Progress released a new analysis (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-budget-request-cuts-programs-that-help-ordinary-americans-and-sinks-that-money-toward-war/) of President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2027 budget request, finding that it would enact historic cuts to programs that support working families while directing hundredsof billions of dollars toward military funding and the ongoing war in Iran.
The proposal would reduce nondefense discretionary funding to its lowest level as a percentage of the economy since at least the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration while increasing military funding by $445 billion, marking the largest annual increase outside of a ground war in U.S. history.
"This budget makes a clear statement that this administration is not prioritizing American families," said Bobby Kogan, senior director of federal budget policy at CAP and author of the analysis. "At a time when costs are high and families need support, this proposal would take resources away from programs people rely on every day and redirect them toward immoral and expensive military funding."
CAP's analysis finds:
* Historic cuts to domestic investments: The budget would slash funding for core services--including education, housing, public health, and workforce development--pushing nondefense discretionary funding to historic lows as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).
* Elimination of critical support programs: The proposal would fully eliminate programs that serve millions of Americans, including Community Services Block Grants, which serve more than 10 million people annually; the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helped 5.9 million households afford heating and cooling in FY 2024; and the HOME program, which has supported more than 1.3 million affordable homes since 1992.
* Deep cuts to health and nutrition programs: The budget would cut National Institutes of Health funding by $6 billion, or 13 percent, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding by $2.5 billion, or 32 percent, while reducing Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits by $1.4 billion, affecting a program that serves roughly 40 to 50 percent of U.S. infants.
* Severe reductions in education and workforce programs: Federal K-12 funding would be cut by $4.5 billion, or 69 percent, while higher education programs would be reduced by $2.7 billion, or 81 percent. This includes the elimination of TRIO and GEAR UP, which together support hundreds of thousands of students. Job Corps would also face a 90 percent cut.
* Higher costs for workers and small businesses: The budget cuts enforcement of wage protections, despite wage theft costing workers more than $50 billion annually, and reduces Small Business Administration funding by 51 percent while introducing new fees likely to be passed on to borrowers.
* Massive increases in military funding: The proposal includes a $445 billion increase in military funding, alongside billions more for projects such as the "Golden Dome" missile defense system and expanded naval procurement.
Taken together, the budget reflects a clear shift in national priorities--away from investments that lower costs and expand opportunity for American families and toward increased military funding and prolonged conflict abroad.
Read the column: "Trump's Budget Request Cuts Programs That Help Ordinary Americans and Sinks That Money Toward War" (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-budget-request-cuts-programs-that-help-ordinary-americans-and-sinks-that-money-toward-war/) by Bobby Kogan
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at cunkenholz@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-trump-budget-imposes-deepest-domestic-cuts-in-modern-history-while-fueling-massive-military-expansion/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center for American Progress: Iran War Has Caused Enormous Human and Financial Toll for No Apparent Gain
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Center for American Progress issued the following statement on April 7, 2026:
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Iran War Has Caused Enormous Human and Financial Toll for No Apparent Gain
Today, President Donald Trump announced that the United States agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran and that this period would be used to negotiate a larger agreement to potentially end the war. In response, Damian Murphy, senior vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This war has come at a terrible human cost for
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Center for American Progress issued the following statement on April 7, 2026:
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Iran War Has Caused Enormous Human and Financial Toll for No Apparent Gain
Today, President Donald Trump announced that the United States agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran and that this period would be used to negotiate a larger agreement to potentially end the war. In response, Damian Murphy, senior vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
This war has come at a terrible human cost forthe people of Iran and an enormous financial cost for American taxpayers that could last for months. It began without clear objectives or coherent planning. Tens of billions of dollars later, and after needless loss of life, the American people are no safer--and certainly no more prosperous--than they were when this started.
The president's barbaric threat to destroy the civilization of Iran cannot be taken lightly, as it will have a lasting moral impact on the reputation of the United States and our ability to protect our people in the future. The Trump administration should fully commit to a peaceful negotiation process and bring this unnecessary conflict to a complete close in the coming days.
For more information, or to talk to an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at shananel@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/statement-iran-war-has-caused-enormous-human-and-financial-toll-for-no-apparent-gain/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center for American Progress: 2025 Likely Marks Safest Year in U.S. History as 17 Major Cities See Gun Violence Plunge More Than 50 Percent Since 2021
WASHINGTON, April 8 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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2025 Likely Marks Safest Year in U.S. History as 17 Major Cities See Gun Violence Plunge More Than 50 Percent Since 2021
2025 is likely the safest year in recorded U.S. history, and the national homicide rate is estimated to have seen the largest single-year drop (20 percent) ever recorded from 2024 to 2025. A new Center for American Progress report details why a whole-of-government approach is necessary to achieve sustainable public safety.
While cities nationwide experienced
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 8 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 7, 2026:
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2025 Likely Marks Safest Year in U.S. History as 17 Major Cities See Gun Violence Plunge More Than 50 Percent Since 2021
2025 is likely the safest year in recorded U.S. history, and the national homicide rate is estimated to have seen the largest single-year drop (20 percent) ever recorded from 2024 to 2025. A new Center for American Progress report details why a whole-of-government approach is necessary to achieve sustainable public safety.
While cities nationwide experienceddeclines in gun victimization rates, the report identifies five common, evidence-based strategies in 17 of the 50 most populous cities that saw their rates plummet by more than half since the 2021 peak--outpacing the national average by nearly double--including:
1. Community violence intervention (CVI): Baltimore's Safe Streets program is estimated to have reduced homicides by an average of 32 percent in the first four years of operation.
2. Focused deterrence: Portland Ceasefire and Baltimore's Group Violence Reduction Strategy identify high-risk individuals and provide resources to divert them from crime.
3. Modern investigative technology: San Jose and Fresno (which had 100 percent and 97 percent murder clearance rates, respectively, in 2024) credit tools such as NIBIN ballistics forensics, license plate readers, and forensic technology for solving crimes quickly and deterring future offenders.
4. Coordinated violence prevention responses: All 17 cities that have seen the greatest declines in gun violence since 2021 have a standing office of violence prevention or a multi-agency task force coordinating strategies to reduce gun violence in the community.
5. Strong state gun laws: 15 of the 17 top cities are in states with at least a B- grade. Colorado also saw immediate dividends after passing a suite of gun safety laws in 2024, with Denver's victimization rate dropping by 33.5 percent.
Despite these historic gains, CVI programs face a budgetary crisis following the Trump administration's termination of $500 million in federal grants and the U.S. Department of Justice's new rules that disqualify community-based organizations from direct grants, as well as the expiration of American Rescue Plan Act and Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) funds in 2026.
"The Trump administration's move to defund the very solutions that are working is a big mistake," said Chandler Hall, associate director for Public Safety at American Progress and author of the report. "Local leaders have demonstrated that they know how to work together with their communities to improve public safety infrastructure. Congress must step in to stabilize critical support these communities need to be safe and ensure the recent safety gains across the nation become the new American standard."
Read the report: "What City Leaders Say is Helping Drive Down Gun Violence in Their Communities" (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/what-city-leaders-say-is-helping-drive-down-gun-violence-in-their-communities/) by Chandler Hall
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Rafael Medina at rmedina@americanprogress.org.
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Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-2025-likely-marks-safest-year-in-u-s-history-as-17-major-cities-see-gun-violence-plunge-more-than-50-percent-since-2021/
[Category: ThinkTank]
