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Ifo Institute: Decline in Export Expectations in Germany (September 2026)
MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 26 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:
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25 September 2026
Decline in Export Expectations in Germany (September 2026)
Sentiment in the German export industry clouded slightly in September The ifo Export Expectations fell to 8.0 points, down from 9.8 points in August.
Nevertheless, the majority of companies remain confident. "The setback can be attributed primarily to the automotive industry," says Klaus Wohlrabe. "In many other industrial sectors, the signs continue to point to export growth."
The automotive industry took a significant hit. Following
... Show Full Article
MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 26 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:
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25 September 2026
Decline in Export Expectations in Germany (September 2026)
Sentiment in the German export industry clouded slightly in September The ifo Export Expectations fell to 8.0 points, down from 9.8 points in August.
Nevertheless, the majority of companies remain confident. "The setback can be attributed primarily to the automotive industry," says Klaus Wohlrabe. "In many other industrial sectors, the signs continue to point to export growth."
The automotive industry took a significant hit. Followingthe optimistic expectations in August, manufacturers now once again expect exports to decline. By contrast, the outlook in mechanical engineering has improved considerably.
Manufacturers of electrical equipment, as well as data processing equipment, and electronic and optical products also expect exports to rise. In the beverage industry, export expectations are particularly positive.
Companies in the metal production and processing sectors, as well as in the paper industry continue to expect exports to decline.
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More Information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-09-25/decline-export-expectations-germany-september-2026)
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Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-09-25/decline-export-expectations-germany-september-2026
[Category: ThinkTank]
Hudson Institute Issues Commentary: Why Trump Should Designate Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, posted the following commentary to The Hill:
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Sep 24, 2026
The Hill
Why Trump Should Designate Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally
Gill Guerra
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The Trump administration's National Security Strategy calls for restoring "American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere" by enlisting "regional champions" to stop drug flows and "neutralize cartels." No country has put that strategy into practice more clearly than Ecuador. Under President Daniel Noboa,
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, posted the following commentary to The Hill:
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Sep 24, 2026
The Hill
Why Trump Should Designate Ecuador as a Major Non-NATO Ally
Gill Guerra
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The Trump administration's National Security Strategy calls for restoring "American preeminence in the Western Hemisphere" by enlisting "regional champions" to stop drug flows and "neutralize cartels." No country has put that strategy into practice more clearly than Ecuador. Under President Daniel Noboa,Ecuador has restored extradition and expanded military, intelligence and law-enforcement cooperation with Washington.
The U.S. should reward this cooperation and lay the groundwork for deepening it further by designating Ecuador as a major non-NATO ally.
Ecuador's partnership has proven to be especially valuable at sea. Since Ecuadorian and American forces launched joint operations in March, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter James was able to conduct nine interdictions and seize more than 46,500 pounds of narcotics. Last month, Quito announced that two U.S. warships would patrol Ecuadorian waters. Three Black Hawk helicopters were already in Manta and are now poised to conduct additional operations. Together, those air and naval assets add American reach to operations Ecuador is already helping us carry out.
Extradition offers even stronger proof of Ecuador's commitment to the new American security doctrine. After Ecuadorian voters approved extradition in transnational organized crime cases by a margin of nearly 30 percent in a referendum, Ecuador sent three of its own nationals accused of major narcotics offenses to American courts.
Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar (aka "Fito"), the leader of the criminal group Los Choneros, became the first Ecuadorian national extradited by Ecuador to the U.S. under the 2024 reform. Two more Ecuadorian nationals accused of international drug trafficking followed this June. Cartel leaders now know that an arrest in Ecuador can end in an American jail cell, which is a prerequisite for long-term success against cartel leadership.
Ecuador's courts have also shown that they can prosecute both cartel finance and abuses by the country's own security forces. An Ecuadorian tribunal convicted six people and two companies for laundering more than $17 million through Macias Villamar's family network. In a separate case, a trial court convicted 16 servicemen of the forced disappearance of four boys (three of those convicted have filed appeals). Ecuador can balance a stringent crackdown on criminal groups with domestic accountability, which makes it a reliable partner.
Major non-NATO ally status would put that partnership on firmer footing. It would not create a NATO-style promise to defend Ecuador or write Quito a blank check. Instead, it would make Ecuador eligible for military training on reciprocal terms, cooperative defense research and testing and loans of materials or equipment for those joint projects
If Washington later provides military financing for an approved purchase, Quito could contract directly with an American defense firm. Used well, those authorities could improve maritime surveillance and aircraft maintenance, enhance secure communications and boost the ability of Ecuadorian and American forces to work together. The designation would make long-term cooperation easier to plan and help turn today's deployments into lasting Ecuadorian capacity.
The designation also makes strategic sense given Ecuador's location. Colombia is already a major non-NATO ally, and President Trump designated Peru in January. Ecuador lies between them on the Andean Pacific coast.
Giving all three the same status could make it easier for Washington to train their forces to work together and develop joint defense projects along a principal cocaine corridor. It would also show the hemisphere that Washington rewards governments that align with the United States and is willing to help them weather the short-term costs that come with confronting criminal groups more forcefully after years of resigned neglect.
Five House Republicans, led by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), have already urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to support the designation. President Trump can act without negotiating a treaty, and the statutory process requires him to notify Congress at least 30 days before designation but does not require Congress to approve the designation with a vote.
The administration has asked the region for governments willing to confront the cartels, share the burden of creating a secure hemisphere and align openly and unapologetically with the United States. Ecuador has answered that call. Designating it a major non-NATO ally would give the phrase "regional champion" concrete meaning and give other governments a reason to follow Ecuador's lead.
Read in The Hill (https://thehill.com/opinion/6106855-ecuador-major-non-nato-ally/).
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Gil Guerra is a fellow at Hudson Institute. He specializes in US strategy for the Western Hemisphere, with a focus on the political, economic, and security dynamics shaping Latin America and the Caribbean and their implications for US interests.
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Original text here: https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/why-trump-should-designate-ecuador-major-non-nato-ally-gil-guerra
[Category: ThinkTank]
Hudson Institute Issues Commentary: AI and the Growing Threat to Taiwan
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, posted the following commentary to the Wall Street Journal:
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Sep 24, 2026
Wall Street Journal
AI and the Growing Threat to Taiwan
China's drive to dominate the technology and the island nation is the biggest threat humanity faces.
Mike Gallagher
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The year is 2028, and America faces economic Armageddon.
Frontier artificial-intelligence development has been halted and data-center construction frozen while the market is in free fall.
America's
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- Hudson Institute, a research organization that says it promotes leadership for a secure, free and prosperous future, posted the following commentary to the Wall Street Journal:
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Sep 24, 2026
Wall Street Journal
AI and the Growing Threat to Taiwan
China's drive to dominate the technology and the island nation is the biggest threat humanity faces.
Mike Gallagher
-
The year is 2028, and America faces economic Armageddon.
Frontier artificial-intelligence development has been halted and data-center construction frozen while the market is in free fall.
America'sleading AI labs didn't decide to "pace the frontier." Instead the Chinese Communist Party paced the frontier for them: Beijing moved on Taiwan, the critical vulnerability in the U.S.-aligned AI supply chain, first through a blockade, then by invasion.
Read in the Wall Street Journal (https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ai-and-the-growing-threat-to-taiwan-277b48c9?mod=commentary_article_pos3).
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Mike Gallagher is a distinguished fellow at Hudson Institute. He is also head of defense at Palantir Technologies.
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Original text here: https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/ai-growing-threat-taiwan-mike-gallagher
[Category: ThinkTank]
America First Policy Institute Issues Commentary to Detroit News: Michigan Voters Still Deserve the Right to Decide on Election Integrity
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Sept. 25, 2026, to Detroit News:
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Michigan voters still deserve the right to decide on election integrity
This piece was authored by Tudor Dixon.
Just how much proof does a state need that a voter signed their own name? In Michigan, even a notarized affidavit apparently isn't enough. At least, it's not enough if you're defending election integrity.
Disputed signatures were at the center of a fight over whether Michiganians would get to vote on a much-needed constitutional amendment
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Sept. 25, 2026, to Detroit News:
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Michigan voters still deserve the right to decide on election integrity
This piece was authored by Tudor Dixon.
Just how much proof does a state need that a voter signed their own name? In Michigan, even a notarized affidavit apparently isn't enough. At least, it's not enough if you're defending election integrity.
Disputed signatures were at the center of a fight over whether Michiganians would get to vote on a much-needed constitutional amendmentto require proof of citizenship and strengthen voter identification requirements.
To read the full article, click here (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2026/09/24/votersdeserve-the-right-to-decide-on-election-integrity-opinion/91919026007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z11xx50p119450l004550c119450e1135xxv11xx50d--44--b--44--&gca-ft=149&gca-ds=sophi).
Originally published by The Detroit News (https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2026/09/24/votersdeserve-the-right-to-decide-on-election-integrity-opinion/91919026007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z11xx50p119450l004550c119450e1135xxv11xx50d--44--b--44--&gca-ft=149&gca-ds=sophi)
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Original text here: https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/michigan-voters-still-deserve-the-right-to-decide-on-election-integrity/
[Category: ThinkTank]
America First Policy Institute Issues Commentary to Bloomberg Law: ABA Shouldn't Accredit Law Schools If It Can't Follow the Rules
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Sept. 25, 2026, to Bloomberg Law:
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ABA Shouldn't Accredit Law Schools if It Can't Follow the Rules
At Penn State Dickinson Law School last year, a first-year student asked to be excused from a required course, "Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws." In July, he told a House oversight task force that it only took the school a day to say no.
After one semester, he withdrew and forfeited his scholarship.
In an April 1 complaint to the Department of Education, the America First
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following excerpts of a commentary on Sept. 25, 2026, to Bloomberg Law:
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ABA Shouldn't Accredit Law Schools if It Can't Follow the Rules
At Penn State Dickinson Law School last year, a first-year student asked to be excused from a required course, "Race and the Equal Protection of the Laws." In July, he told a House oversight task force that it only took the school a day to say no.
After one semester, he withdrew and forfeited his scholarship.
In an April 1 complaint to the Department of Education, the America FirstPolicy Institute reported that the school tied the course to a requirement from the only federally recognized accreditor of law degree programs, the American Bar Association's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar: ABA Standard 303(c), which since 2022 has required accredited law schools to teach "bias, cross-cultural competency, and racism."
To read the full article, click here (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/legal-exchange-insights-and-commentary/aba-shouldnt-accredit-law-schools-if-it-cant-follow-the-rules).
Originally published by Bloomberg Law (https://news.bloomberglaw.com/legal-exchange-insights-and-commentary/aba-shouldnt-accredit-law-schools-if-it-cant-follow-the-rules)
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Chad Mizelle
Chair of Litigation
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Original text here: https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/aba-shouldnt-accredit-law-schools-if-it-cant-follow-the-rules/
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI Files Civil Rights Investigation of Illinois School District
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release:
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AFPI Files Civil Rights Investigation of Illinois School District
September 25, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has filed a civil rights complaint asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate whether Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 in Illinois is using race or sex to determine access to jobs, educational resources and scholarships.
The complaint cites the district's goal of increasing teachers of color to 35% of its faculty and
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release:
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AFPI Files Civil Rights Investigation of Illinois School District
September 25, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) has filed a civil rights complaint asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate whether Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 in Illinois is using race or sex to determine access to jobs, educational resources and scholarships.
The complaint cites the district's goal of increasing teachers of color to 35% of its faculty andSeptember board materials that measure its workforce against that target. AFPI is asking the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to determine whether those goals influence decisions about individual applicants and employees.
The complaint also questions the district's support for scholarship programs with race or sex restrictions and its plans to use demographic information in allocating educational resources. It asks OCR to examine the district's role in administering or facilitating those scholarships and whether race affects individual students' access to educational opportunities.
"A student's race should never disqualify that student from a scholarship, and a teacher's race should never count against a job application," said Chad Mizelle, AFPI's Chair of Litigation. "Oak Park's own records raise serious questions about equal treatment. The Department of Education should investigate and require the district to correct any unlawful discrimination it finds." AFPI Discrimination Complaint Against Oak Park and River Forest High School
The complaint follows AFPI's June request that the district review its compliance with federal civil rights law. It includes new district records presented at the Sept. 10 board meeting.
Read AFPI's complaint (https://americafirstpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AFPI-Discrimination-Complaint-Against-Oak-Park-and-River-Forest-High-School.pdf).
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Original text here: https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-files-civil-rights-investigation-of-illinois-school-district/
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI Celebrates Win for Parental Rights in N.M.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release:
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AFPI Celebrates Win for Parental Rights in N.M.
September 25, 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, NM - AFPI-New Mexico applauds a legal challenge to Albuquerque Public Schools' policy of withholding critical information about children from their parents. Jeanette Martinez, an Albuquerque Public Schools social worker, represented by the Center for American Liberty, filed a federal lawsuit against the Albuquerque Public School Board of Education challenging the policy on First Amendment grounds.
The United States
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release:
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AFPI Celebrates Win for Parental Rights in N.M.
September 25, 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, NM - AFPI-New Mexico applauds a legal challenge to Albuquerque Public Schools' policy of withholding critical information about children from their parents. Jeanette Martinez, an Albuquerque Public Schools social worker, represented by the Center for American Liberty, filed a federal lawsuit against the Albuquerque Public School Board of Education challenging the policy on First Amendment grounds.
The United StatesSupreme Court has long recognized parents' fundamental right to direct the care and upbringing of their children, a principle reaffirmed this year in Mirabelli v. Bonta. Schools should never undermine the parent-child relationship by keeping families in the dark about matters involving their own children.
"Parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening in their children's lives, especially at school," said Vince Torres, AFPI-New Mexico Executive Director. "Albuquerque Public Schools should be working with parents, not creating policies that shut them out. We commend Jeanette Martinez for having the courage to speak up and defend the simple principle that parents, not government institutions, are the primary decision makers for their children."
AFPI recently filed an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit defending these same fundamental principles. No parent should be sidelined from important decisions involving their child, and no school employee should be forced to choose between following district policy and respecting the rights of families.
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Original text here: https://americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-celebrates-win-for-parental-rights-in-nm/
[Category: ThinkTank]
