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What Is on Voters’ Minds? Three Issues Shaping the 2026 Midterm Elections

October 27, 2026

On November 3, voters will fill all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate, along with governorships and state legislatures across the country.1 Republicans now hold the White House and narrow majorities in both chambers of Congress; Democrats would need a net gain of four seats in each chamber […]

Should States Tax Their Richest Residents More? California and Washington Decide in November

October 09, 2026

When voters go to the polls on November 3, they will decide about 27 statewide tax measures, according to MultiState, a firm that tracks state legislation.1 Most would cut property taxes. Four, in California and Washington, ask a different question: Should a state’s richest residents pay more? California voters will decide whether to make a […]

Big Tech Goes to School: Who Decides How AI Enters the Classroom?

September 16, 2026

“The next major AI battleground is the classroom,” Axios reported this year, as Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic race to make their tools the ones teachers and students reach for. “Whoever wins schools now could shape how Gen Alpha learns, studies and interacts with AI for years to come.”1 The money confirms that framing. A […]

Who Should Pay for the Electricity That Powers AI?

May 06, 2026

As artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models like ChatGPT become more ubiquitous in American life, “tech giants such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon are predicted to spend $364 billion this year to accelerate the construction of new data centers” across the United States.1 Data centers are facilities that house servers, storage systems, networking […]

Economic Issues

Should the Federal Poverty Line Be $140,000?

December 16, 2025

In late November 2025, a viral essay by financial strategist Michael W. Green sparked intense debate about how America measures poverty. Writing in his Substack newsletter, Green argued that the federal poverty line—currently set at approximately $31,200 for a family of four—is dangerously outdated. His provocative claim? The real poverty threshold should be closer to […]

President Trump’s Tariffs Go to Court

November 05, 2025

This morning, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, a case which was consolidated with Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc. The cases challenge whether a president can use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a Cold War-era statute—to impose sweeping tariffs on imports by declaring an economic “emergency.”1 Here’s how […]

Economic Issues

Steel, Soybeans & Security: The Debate on Tariffs Continues

March 14, 2025

On February 25, President Donald Trump announced that new tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico would go into effect on March 4.1 President Trump revived the use of tariffs in 2018, ending seven decades of emphasis on free trade economic policies. Since 2018, both Presidents Trump and Joe Biden have enacted several major tariffs, […]

A Marshall Plan for Tribal Nations

March 04, 2025

“The United States should do whatever it can to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. –Secretary of State George C. Marshall1 A Marshall Plan for Tribal Nations has gained support as tribal leaders and advocates call on the […]

USAID and Cutting International Aid

February 24, 2025

On his first day back in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that implemented a 90-day freeze on aid to other countries. Since then, the offices of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have closed, staff have been furloughed, and there have been more funding freezes. The formerly semi-autonomous agency is now […]

Economic Issues Executive Branch

Tariffs and Trade: The Potential Impact on the Economy

February 14, 2025

During his first administration, President Donald Trump made tariffs and trade a major part of his economic policy. As he campaigned for another term, he further emphasized how he would use tariffs and trade if reelected. His strategy of issuing tariffs would be used to create more manufacturing jobs for Americans, shrink both the federal […]