Featured Stories
Manhattan Institute Issues Commentary to Wall Street Journal: Goodbye Darkness, My Old Friend
NEW YORK, July 17 -- The Manhattan Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on July 16, 2026, by senior fellow James B. Meigs to the Wall Street Journal:
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Goodbye Darkness, My Old Friend
A startup wants to light up the night using giant space mirrors. Do the rest of us get a say in this wild scheme?
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In Genesis, God said, "Let there be light," and then saw that "the light was good." Later this year, a satellite company called Reflect Orbital will attempt a similar miracle of illumination. Will it deliver too much of a good thing?
Last week, the Federal Communications
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, July 17 -- The Manhattan Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on July 16, 2026, by senior fellow James B. Meigs to the Wall Street Journal:
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Goodbye Darkness, My Old Friend
A startup wants to light up the night using giant space mirrors. Do the rest of us get a say in this wild scheme?
-
In Genesis, God said, "Let there be light," and then saw that "the light was good." Later this year, a satellite company called Reflect Orbital will attempt a similar miracle of illumination. Will it deliver too much of a good thing?
Last week, the Federal CommunicationsCommission approved the startup's plan to launch a small satellite that will unfold a 60-foot mirror designed to reflect sunlight down to the Earth's surface at night. The company wants to show it can focus the sun's rays on a precise three-mile-wide plot of land. If the test goes well, Reflect Orbital will start launching larger space mirrors, as many as 50,000 by 2035. It plans to charge clients--solar farms, sports venues, urban areas, even actual farms--roughly $5,000 per hour for the privilege of basking in the reflected midnight sun.
A single satellite would provide roughly the brightness of a full moon, but customers could pay more to have multiple mirrors aim at the same spot. Reflect Orbital brags it will be able to boost illumination "from full moon to full noon." The company says its core mission is to deliver "energy abundance," allowing solar panels to work at night and replacing streetlights and other conventional lighting sources. It also stresses humanitarian applications, such as illuminating search-and-rescue operations.
In a sense, Reflect Orbital wants to do God one better. Where the Almighty was content to separate day from night, this bold venture promises to banish night altogether with the flip of a switch. It'll offer customers sunlight as a service.
Continue reading the entire piece here at The Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/goodbye-darkness-my-old-friend-5e54cdbf?mod=author_content_page_1_pos_1)
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James B. Meigs is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a City Journal contributing editor.
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Original text here: https://manhattan.institute/article/goodbye-darkness-my-old-friend
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Georgia's Anaklia Pivots to State Ownership
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on July 16, 2026, by Salome Mamuladze, editorial assistant for the Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Georgia's Anaklia Pivots to State Ownership
Executive Summary:
* On July 6, the Georgian government announced that it will develop and own the Anaklia Deep Sea Port under a state-led "landlord model" after a People's Republic of China (PRC)-led consortium selected in 2024 withdrew from the project.
* The decision has raised concerns over financing, cargo demand, and Georgia's ability to sustain a project previously
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on July 16, 2026, by Salome Mamuladze, editorial assistant for the Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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Georgia's Anaklia Pivots to State Ownership
Executive Summary:
* On July 6, the Georgian government announced that it will develop and own the Anaklia Deep Sea Port under a state-led "landlord model" after a People's Republic of China (PRC)-led consortium selected in 2024 withdrew from the project.
* The decision has raised concerns over financing, cargo demand, and Georgia's ability to sustain a project previouslyexpected to rely on private investment. Anaklia's success also depends on regional infrastructure and partnerships beyond Tbilisi's control.
* Georgia is seeking greater regional participation, particularly from Central Asian states, to secure cargo flows and strengthen Anaklia's role in the Middle Corridor.
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On July 6, Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili announced that the Anaklia Deep Sea Port on Georgia's Black Sea coast will be developed and owned by the Georgian state under a "landlord model," with various states and international companies invited to lease and equip individual terminals (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, July 6). Kvrivishvili said the project had attracted broad international interest from Central Asia, the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Gulf States, and the West, adding that she remained "optimistic and hoped to see the Chinese side participate as a partner in the Anaklia Deep Sea Port" (Business Media Georgia, July 7).
The decision marks the third iteration of a project that began as a Western-backed venture. The Anaklia Development Consortium--comprising Georgia's TBC Holding and the U.S.-based Conti Group--won the original contract in 2016 before Tbilisi canceled the deal in 2020. The China Communications Construction Company (CCCC)-led consortium selected in 2024 has now withdrawn without ever signing an investment agreement, despite its planned 49 percent stake in the project (see China Brief, June 21, 2024; Eurasianet, July 8). Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze framed the shift as a model that "will ensure the safety of our sovereign interest and diversity of partners" (1TV, July 7).
Kvrivishvili put the total cost of the project at approximately $1.1 billion, with the first vessel expected in 2029 (Business Media Georgia; Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, July 6). She also highlighted the recent growth in cargo transit through Georgia, noting that turnover increased by 21 percent year-on-year in January-April and by 46 percent over the past four years (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, July 6).
The financing gap remains the project's biggest challenge. The 2024 arrangement anticipated roughly $600 million in foreign direct investment, an inflow that no longer exists, while the state must mobilize an additional $200 million for berths and core infrastructure previously assigned to the CCCC-led consortium (CivicIDEA; Youtube/@Georgian Public Broadcaster, July 6). Kvrivishvili underscored that the project's funding would come from the state budget and international financial institutions. Head of the Georgian think tank Civic IDEA and former Georgian Minister of Defense Tinatin Khidasheli argued that declining confidence among Western lenders leaves PRC banks as the most likely source of the remaining capital. She added that the project would have benefited more from a strategic private investor capable of assuming commercial risks and guaranteeing cargo flows (Business Media Georgia, July 9). Economists and analysts have also questioned Georgia's ability to absorb the financial burden, citing limited borrowing capacity, strained relations with strategic partners, and the risk of increased public debt (Business Media Georgia, July 9, 10).
The port's viability will depend on the broader transport corridor that connects it to regional markets. Several analysts noted that a port cannot succeed without supporting rail links, which depend on modernization in Azerbaijan and Central Asia beyond Tbilisi's control (YouTube/@businessmediageorgia5018, July 10, 13). Paata Tsagareishvili of the Transport Corridor Research Center called the landlord model the only realistic alternative to the 2024 agreement, arguing that rapid transport development over the next two years could improve feasibility, though such projects are typically pursued by wealthier states (Business Media Georgia, July 9). The government has acknowledged this challenge, identifying Middle Corridor development as a strategic priority and outlining plans to mobilize $7 billion by 2032 for core transport and logistics infrastructure (Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, May 15). The plan includes a ten-year $1.7 billion Georgian Railway modernization project aimed at upgrading rolling stock and strengthening freight capacity (1TV, May 5).
Securing Central Asian engagement has become a key element of the government's strategy to ensure Anaklia's long-term viability. During her June visit to Kazakhstan, Kvrivishvili met with Kazakh Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev and highlighted Anaklia's role as a Middle Corridor hub connecting Central Asian states to European markets (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, June 29). The effort continued in July, when Kvrivishvili toured the construction site with Uzbek Investment, Industry, and Trade Minister Laziz Kudratov and Transport Minister Ilhom Mahkamov. The officials expressed Uzbekistan's interest in establishing a presence in Georgia's transport infrastructure and participating in strategic facilities, citing expected cargo growth from the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway (Imedi News, July 4). The visit followed Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's state visit, which elevated Georgia-Uzbekistan relations to the level of a strategic partnership (see EDM, July 15). For landlocked Central Asian states, access to dedicated Black Sea terminals could strengthen westward trade routes and provide Anaklia with the cargo commitments needed to sustain operations.
Anaklia is Georgia's only planned deep-sea port capable of handling Panamax-class vessels. This capacity is unavailable at existing Georgian ports, positioning Anaklia as a potential maritime gateway for the Middle Corridor (Interpressnews, July 4). The port could strengthen Georgia's role as the corridor's western hub, but its success will depend on more than construction. Financing, cargo commitments, and regional coordination will determine whether Anaklia becomes a functioning logistics hub or another fragmented infrastructure project. While Tbilisi has secured state control, the port's long-term viability will depend on cooperation with Azerbaijan, Central Asia, and other transit states that can provide the connectivity and demand needed to strengthen the Middle Corridor as a more integrated and competitive transport route.
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Salome Mamuladze is an editorial assistant for the Eurasia Daily Monitor at the Jamestown Foundation.
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/georgias-anaklia-pivots-to-state-ownership/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: EU Sanctions Expose Funding Mechanism Behind Pro-Russian Influencer
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on July 16, 2026, by Communications Director Schuyler Van Tassel in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
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EU Sanctions Expose Funding Mechanism Behind Pro-Russian Influencer
Executive Summary:
* The European Union sanctioned Russian influencer Alexandra Jost on June 15 for disseminating disinformation about Russia's war against Ukraine. Influencers such as Jost are essential to the Kremlin's goals of pushing falsely historicized narratives of Russian and Ukrainian unity.
* The Kremlin is pushing more resources
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on July 16, 2026, by Communications Director Schuyler Van Tassel in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
* * *
EU Sanctions Expose Funding Mechanism Behind Pro-Russian Influencer
Executive Summary:
* The European Union sanctioned Russian influencer Alexandra Jost on June 15 for disseminating disinformation about Russia's war against Ukraine. Influencers such as Jost are essential to the Kremlin's goals of pushing falsely historicized narratives of Russian and Ukrainian unity.
* The Kremlin is pushing more resourcestoward information operations to manufacture justifications for Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the repression of the occupied territories, and the posturing of Russia as a great power.
* Jost's platform is an example of Russia leveraging a native English-speaking U.S. citizen whose casual format lowers viewer suspicion while delivering paid-for narratives directly to the Anglophone information space.
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On June 15, the European Union sanctioned Russian influencer and U.S. citizen Alexandra Jost (Sasha meets Russia) for "disseminating disinformation and supporting Russia's neo-colonial territorial claims about Ukraine and the military invasion of Ukraine" (European Union, June 15). Jost, based in Russia, received approximately $2,000 per month from TV-Novosti, the owner of RT, as well as "grants provided by the Russian Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives (PFCI) funnelled through the Public Relations agency 'Limitless.'" Limitless Director Maria Dudko was similarly sanctioned for her activities, acting as a key conduit for funds from the PFCI (European Union, June 15). The ecosystem surrounding Russia's narrative laundering runs deep. Movements such as the Russian World (Russkiy mir) leverage these organizations and platforms in their civilizational framings used to justify Russia's invasion of Ukraine and present a morally superior Russia.[1]
Messaging from Russia's PFCI has been explicit in pushing falsely historicized narratives of Russian and Ukrainian unity, offering institutional funding to support influencers that recycle its philosophy. In a message for the initiative's fifth anniversary on June 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin commended the efforts of staff, saying that the integration of "the historic regions of Donbas and Novorossiya into the nation's unified cultural space commands our deep respect" (President of Russia, June 15). In late November 2025, the PFCI approved a new national policy strategy through 2036 that calls for strengthening Russian identity, with explicit goals to consolidate a unified cultural and civic consciousness across Russia's regions (President of Russia, November 26, 2025). Earlier, in 2023, the organization awarded more than $16 million to pro-war and "patriotic" cultural projects, including films, festivals, and digital content, designed to advance Kremlin-approved narratives (The Moscow Times, September 29, 2023). Through a different mechanism, a 54 percent budget increase was allocated this year to "state-run media," providing outlets such as RT an additional $458 million for their operations (see EDM, November 6, 2025). The direct funding from the PFCI, with the approximately $2,000 per month from RT, provides two linkages for Jost as a Russian state-backed actor.
The "Sasha Meets Russia" account on X has garnered roughly 67,400 followers since the page's launch in April 2025. She frames the account's relaunch as a recovery effort after losing a prior audience it claims once numbered "300k followers" across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, which it says was taken down for recycling pro-Kremlin narratives (X/@SashaMeetsRus, April 2, 2025). Jost's posts are highly propagandistic. In one, she asserts that "Ukraine targets civilians" and "Russia has defeated Nazis before, and needs to do it again" (X/@SashaMeetsRus, May 23). In another, she characterizes Ukraine as a dictatorship and Russia as a truly free and democratic nation since it holds "elections" (X/@SashaMeetsRus, May 26). While not unique to Russian disinformation, her videos, in English and in an easily shareable format, are more likely to reach international audiences. The medium also reduces the format's susceptibility to detection by presenting it as casual travel and commentary videos rather than overt propaganda. Conversely, frequent call outs of both journalists and international leaders drives the page's engagement, including publications like CNN and the BBC, as well as French President Emmanual Macron and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas, allowing for a wider audience to be exposed to the narratives designed and paid for by the Russian government, while attempting to debase Western outlets, and garnering more than 1.5 million views between posts in the process (X/@SashaMeetsRus, May 24, June 4, 5, 15).
This is not the first time the European Union has sanctioned Russian-linked influencers and individual personalities. Military bloggers and news presenters are regular targets of direct designation, such as sanctions against Mikhail Zvinchuk, a Russian Telegram military blogger, and Diana Panchenko, a Ukrainian Russian TV pundit (European Union, June 23, 2023, December 15, 2025; Kyiv Post, December 15, 2025). Furthermore, lifestyle influencers tailored to specific audiences have been sanctioned before, such as Natalie Yamb, who targeted French and Francophone African audiences (European Commission, June 26, 2025).
Jost's visibility of the support mechanisms behind her distinguishes her from other sanctioned figures. By naming both RT's direct payments and the grant pipeline running through the PRCI, the designation exposes the operational machinery through which Russian narratives are funded, recycled, and broadcast. Her profile as a native English-speaking U.S. citizen serves as a signifier of legitimacy toward a Western audience, allowing her to frame narratives in a cultural context accepted by anglophone viewers.
While the sanctions further constrain Jost's ability to shape sentiment around Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it was the earlier deplatforming that produced the sharpest collapse in her reach. The fall from a claimed 300,000 followers across three platforms to 67,400 on X narrowed the avenues where her messaging could propagate. Even after the reset, her rebuilt audience is not negligible, with posts regularly drawing 20,000 to 40,000 views, spurring consistent account growth. At times, posts reach 700,000 to even 1.9 million views, indicating that a single relaunched account can still deliver Russian-funded narratives to a substantial international audience. This points to the central limitation of designation and sanctions as a tool against influencers. Sanctions raise the financial and reputational cost of the activity, but platform access, not legal status, governs reach. Jost claimed the sanctions were "a badge of honor" on a video that garnered more than 745,000 views (X/@SashaMeetsRussia, June 15).
Even though Jost has been named as a principal influencer in recycling Moscow's civilizational narratives and justifications for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the model and its operability may spread. Especially as more resources are pushed toward information operations to manufacture consent for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the repression of the occupied territories, and Russia's posturing as a great power, casual and cultural content could serve as another medium of influence.
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Schuyler Van Tassel is the Director of Communications at The Jamestown Foundation, where he supports the Foundation's scholars in amplifying their research and ensuring it reaches key policymakers, analysts, and the wider foreign policy community.
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Original text here: https://jamestown.org/eu-sanctions-expose-funding-mechanism-behind-pro-russian-influencer/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Capital Research Center Issues Commentary: Enemies of Energy - Hewlett Foundation
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- (TNSrpt) -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary on July 16, 2026, by Managing Editor and Director of Content Ken Braun:
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Enemies of Energy: Hewlett Foundation
Hewlett is also one of three big donor foundations that created the Climateworks Foundation, one of the major pass-through donors to anti-energy NGOs.
Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from Enemies of Energy, a research report created for the Capital Research Center.
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Donor type: direct grant maker
In November 2025 the Capital Research Center's Mike Watson profiled the grantmaking
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- (TNSrpt) -- The Capital Research Center issued the following commentary on July 16, 2026, by Managing Editor and Director of Content Ken Braun:
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Enemies of Energy: Hewlett Foundation
Hewlett is also one of three big donor foundations that created the Climateworks Foundation, one of the major pass-through donors to anti-energy NGOs.
Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from Enemies of Energy, a research report created for the Capital Research Center.
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Donor type: direct grant maker
In November 2025 the Capital Research Center's Mike Watson profiled the grantmakingof the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and provided this description of the late founders and funders:[i]
The Hewlett Foundation owes its existence to Hewlett-Packard, a major electronics (and later computer- and computer-peripherals) firm founded by William R. Hewlett and David Packard in 1939. Its founders, who by the late 1960s had proven quite successful in the electronics industry and had become wealthy, both founded major philanthropic institutions: William Hewlett's William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and David Packard's David and Lucile Packard Foundation.[ii]
According to the Hewlett Foundation's most recent publicly available IRS report, covering 2024, the fortune had grown to more than $13.8 billion in net assets and raked in more than $784 million in investment revenue just for that year. All that loot, and the loot that will continue to grow in the future, is now under the control of left-wing philanthropy bureaucrats. In 2024 alone they disgorged grants totaling more than $620 million.[iii]
Watson made this observation after reviewing Hewlett's so-called "climate" donations:[iv]
Climate: By the foundation's own accounting, it made $240.9 million in grants for environmentalist causes and advocacy in 2024, with focuses on climate change mitigation and western-lands conservation in the United States.
Hewlett's "U.S. Climate Strategy" sites it comfortably within the "watermelon" environmentalist coalition. It focuses on the power of government to enforce decarbonization through central planning (under the euphemism "industrial policy"), government purchasing, and regulatory programs. And it presses for extremely aggressive policies such as the war on cars, endorsing "binding commitments for 100% clean energy or clean car and truck standards that are more ambitious than those promulgated by the federal Environmental Protection Agency." (This would be the Biden administration's EPA, which was in power at the time of the strategy's publication.)[v]
Hewlett is also one of three big donor foundations that created the Climateworks Foundation, one of the major pass-through donors to anti-energy NGOs that is profiled on this list.[vi]
According to Hewlett's most recent publicly available IRS report, covering 2024, the foundation provided grants totaling nearly $48.6 million to seven of the anti-energy NGOs profiled in the previous section of this report and three of the major anti-energy pass-through donors profiled in this section.[vii]
The anti-energy NGOs received a combined total of more than $6.6 million from Hewlett in 2024:[viii]
* World Resources Institute: $2.8 million
* Rocky Mountain Institute: $1.2 million
* Environmental Defense Fund: $1 million
* Earthjustice: $825,000
* Natural Resources Defense Council: $666,667
* Sierra Club Foundation: $125,000
* League of Conservataion Voters Education Fund: $60,000
The pass-through donors to anti-energy NGOs profiled in this section received a combined $41.8 million from Hewlett in 2024: [ix]
* Climateworks Foundation: $24.6 million
* Windward Fund: $8.9 million
* S. Energy Foundation: $8.2 million
And there's more where that came from. A section in the 2024 IRS report listing Hewlett grants "approved for future payment" already lists an additional $50.6 million in combined grants pre-scheduled for many of these same recipients: Rocky Mountain Institute ($24.3 million), Climateworks Foundation ($12.2 million), Natural Resources Defense Council ($6.3 million), Windward Fund ($5.4 million) and the World Resources Institute ($1.4 million).[x]
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Endnotes
[i] Watson, Michael. "The Hewlett Foundation's mission to divide and rule the right." Capital Research Center. November 20, 2025. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-hewlett-foundations-mission-to-divide-and-rule-the-right/
[ii] Watson, Michael. "The Hewlett Foundation's mission to divide and rule the right." Capital Research Center. November 20, 2025. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-hewlett-foundations-mission-to-divide-and-rule-the-right/
[iii] William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. (EIN: 94-1655673). 2024 IRS Form 990. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202523189349102727/full
[iv] Watson, Michael. "The Hewlett Foundation's mission to divide and rule the right." Capital Research Center. November 20, 2025. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-hewlett-foundations-mission-to-divide-and-rule-the-right/
[v] Watson, Michael. "The Hewlett Foundation's mission to divide and rule the right." Capital Research Center. November 20, 2025. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://capitalresearch.org/article/the-hewlett-foundations-mission-to-divide-and-rule-the-right/
[vi] History. ClimateWorks Foundation. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20150309034613/https://www.climateworks.org/about-us/our-history/ (Previously: https://www.climateworks.org/about-us/our-history/)
David And Lucile Packard Foundation. (EIN: 94-2278431). Propublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/942278431
Mcknight Foundation. (EIN: 41-0754835). Propublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/410754835
William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. (EIN: 94-1655673). Propublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673
[vii] William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. (EIN: 94-1655673). 2024 IRS Form 990. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202523189349102727/full
[viii] William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. (EIN: 94-1655673). 2024 IRS Form 990. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202523189349102727/full
[ix] William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. (EIN: 94-1655673). 2024 IRS Form 990. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202523189349102727/full
[x] William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. (EIN: 94-1655673). 2024 IRS Form 990. Accessed April 8, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/941655673/202523189349102727/full
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Ken Braun
As managing editor and director of content of CRC, Ken Braun edits Capital Research magazine. He also conducts investigative research and drafts profiles for InfluenceWatch.org.
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REPORT: https://capitalresearch.org/app/uploads/FINAL-PDF_CRC_EnemiesofEnergy.pdf
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Original text here: https://capitalresearch.org/article/enemies-of-energy-hewlett-foundation/
[Category: ThinkTank]
American Action Forum: Reconciliation 3.0 - House FY 2027 Budget Resolution
WASHINGTON, July 17 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The American Action Forum issued the following news release:
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Reconciliation 3.0: The House FY 2027 Budget Resolution
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The Trump Administration has requested that Congress adopt a new fiscal year 2027 budget resolution, which would permit it to enact key policy changes through the budget reconciliation process. Director of Fiscal Policy Jordan Haring reviews the recently introduced draft resolution to address the administration request.
Key points:
* House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) has released a fiscal year (FY)
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 17 [Category: ThinkTank] -- The American Action Forum issued the following news release:
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Reconciliation 3.0: The House FY 2027 Budget Resolution
*
The Trump Administration has requested that Congress adopt a new fiscal year 2027 budget resolution, which would permit it to enact key policy changes through the budget reconciliation process. Director of Fiscal Policy Jordan Haring reviews the recently introduced draft resolution to address the administration request.
Key points:
* House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) has released a fiscal year (FY)2027 budget resolution intended to serve as the pathway for budget reconciliation legislation to enact some of President Trump's policy agenda.
* The budget would address the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and servicemember pay, farm aid, and state efforts to implement voter ID requirements in elections; it includes reconciliation instructions to four House committees to increase budget deficits by no more than a combined $95 billion over the FY 2027-2036 budget window.
* The budget does not instruct any committees to craft reconciliation measures to reduce budget deficits, nor does it prescribe what specific policy changes the committees should include in their measures.
Read the analysis (https://www.americanactionforum.org/insight/reconciliation-3-0-the-house-fy-2027-budget-resolution/).
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Original text here: https://www.americanactionforum.org/press-release/reconciliation-3-0-the-house-fy-2027-budget-resolution/
America First Policies Are Easing Inflation
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on July 16, 2026:
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America First Policies are Easing Inflation
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has released the following statement from Michael Faulkender, co-chair for American Prosperity, in response to positive new Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports released this week:
"The recent inflation numbers tell the same story: inflation pressures are easing across key categories. The drop in the Consumer Price Index extends beyond just gasoline, with core inflation flat for
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on July 16, 2026:
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America First Policies are Easing Inflation
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has released the following statement from Michael Faulkender, co-chair for American Prosperity, in response to positive new Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index reports released this week:
"The recent inflation numbers tell the same story: inflation pressures are easing across key categories. The drop in the Consumer Price Index extends beyond just gasoline, with core inflation flat forthe month and easing to 2.6% for the year.
The deceleration extended broader than one sector alone. At the same time, the Producer Price Index Report is encouraging. This points to more relief still working its way through the pipeline."
"Taken together, easing consumer inflation, falling producer prices, and sustained job growth show that the underlying economy is resilient and moving in the right direction.
The Administration's focus on pro-growth, deregulatory policies, tax relief, and American energy is delivering."
Read AFPI's new seven-point economic plan here (https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/affordable-abundance-a-seven-point-america-first-economic-plan).
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/america-first-policies-are-easing-inflation
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI Condemns Media Censorship and Deep State Secrecy, Applauds President Trump's Swift Action to Protect the Republic and Restore Election Integrity
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on July 16, 2026:
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AFPI Condemns Media Censorship and Deep State Secrecy, Applauds President Trump's Swift Action to Protect the Republic and Restore Election Integrity
Tonight, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement:
"It is shameful that certain media outlets chose to censor the President of the United States' speech, denying the American people the opportunity to hear directly from their elected leader. This blatant suppression of information undermines the bedrock
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 17 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following statement on July 16, 2026:
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AFPI Condemns Media Censorship and Deep State Secrecy, Applauds President Trump's Swift Action to Protect the Republic and Restore Election Integrity
Tonight, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement:
"It is shameful that certain media outlets chose to censor the President of the United States' speech, denying the American people the opportunity to hear directly from their elected leader. This blatant suppression of information undermines the bedrockprinciples of free speech and an informed citizenry that define our nation."
"Tonight's speech revealed an alarming revelation that elements of the deep state intelligence community deliberately hid critical information from both the President and Congress. Such actions represent a direct assault on transparency and accountability in government, eroding public trust and threatening the very foundations of our constitutional republic.
"AFPI commends President Trump and the dedicated task force for acting quickly and decisively to address these failures. Their swift response demonstrates the leadership and resolve needed to restore integrity to our institutions. As the most transparent president in American history, President Trump has consistently fought to deliver the truth to the American people, exposing what others sought to conceal.
"The SAVE America Act must be passed without delay. This vital legislation is essential to safeguarding the sanctity of our republic, securing our elections, protecting our sovereignty, and ensuring that government serves the people, not the entrenched interests of the administrative state.
"AFPI will leverage the Office for Fiscal and Regulatory Analysis (OFRA) to further explore and publicly share findings from the millions of documents now coming to light. The American people deserve full transparency, and we remain committed to illuminating the truth wherever it leads.
"As Benjamin Franklin wisely warned at the close of the Constitutional Convention: 'It's a republic, if you can keep it.' Today, that charge falls to each of us. AFPI will continue to advance policies and initiatives that empower We the People to preserve our republic for generations to come."
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Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-condemns-media-censorship-and-deep-state-secrecy-applauds-president-trumps-swift-action-to-protect-the-republic-and-restore-election-integrity
[Category: ThinkTank]
