Over the last few decades, serious concerns have arisen about the fitness of our Navy to counter America’s enemies, most importantly China. This has led the Trump Administration to announce a vision for a "Golden Fleet". Here to talk about that is Brent Sadler, former Naval Officer and a Senior Research Fellow here at Heritage.

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Have thoughts, questions, or suggestions? Email us at heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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Follow Brent on X: https://x.com/brentdsadler

"To Build the Golden Fleet" report at Heritage.org: https://www.heritage.org/defense/report/build-the-golden-fleet

Last week, the Trump administration announced major changes to the way that student loan debt will be managed, specifically moving that management from the Department of Education to the Department of the Treasury. I sat down with Jonathan Butcher, Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy here at the Heritage Foundation, to talk about why this is a huge step in the movement to return education to local control.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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Jonathan Butcher on X: https://x.com/JM_Butcher

The refusal of Democrat leaders in the senate to pass funding for the Department of HOmeland Security has had ramifications across the country. It has affected employees of FEMA, the Coast Guard, the TSA, and many other agencies. To explain why this happening and what to expect in the coming weeeks, I sat down with Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center, here at the Heritage Foundation.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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Lora Ries on X: https://x.com/lora_ries

This week, on March 8, people around the world celebrated International Women’s Day. Too often, we’ve been conditioned to see the complementary of the sexes more as a conflict, and that has ramifications for all of society. At the Heritage Foundation, we believe that there is a better way, where the contributions and uniqueness of men and women are recognized and honored. This week, I wanted to introduce you to one of our most experienced team members, Marguerite Bowling, a Senior Communications Manager here at the Heritage Foundation, who is herself a mother of three, including one daughter. We also recognize the work of Emma Waters, Policy Analyst in the Center for Technology and the Human Person.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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Emma Waters on X: https://x.com/emlwaters

On Saturday, after a third round of failed negotiation with the aspiring nuclear state of Iran, the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation called Epic Fury.

Those strikes were successful in eliminating the majority of Iranian Senior leadership, including Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. War is never a decision to be taken lightly, as lives and nations hang in the balance. I sat down with Victoria Coates, Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy here at Heritage, to talk about what has led up to this conflict in Iran and what she hopes to see going forward.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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More on Defense from Heritage: https://www.heritage.org/defense

Victoria Coates on X: https://x.com/VictoriaCoates

The State of the Union Address is one of the most anticipated political events of the year. Of course, it’s surrounded by tradition and ceremony. All three branches of the federal government gather in the House Chamber, the galleries pack with guests from every walk of life, the pundits gather their audiences, and the cameras all focus on one carefully crafted message from the leader of the free world.

But it’s not just custom or tradition that gives rise to this historic event every year. It actually goes all the way back to the American founding, to the Constitution itself. Article II, Section 3, Clause 1 of the constitution reads as follows:

The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

George Washington, then, was the first to give an address to congress. His eventual successor, Thomas Jefferson, submitted his remarks in writing, which set a precendent of written States of the Union. Over a century later, in 1913, Woodrow Wilson restored the practice of giving the speech in person. And that custom has stood to this day.

Last night, we heard President Donald Trump give the first State of the Union address of his second term. The speech covered many of his accomplishments over the first year of this administration. Here to walk us through it is Dan West, Government Relations Director at Heritage Action for America.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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More from Heritage Action for America: https://heritageaction.com/

Dan West on X: https://x.com/Dan_J_West

Business is not just about making money. It’s about making opportunity. Supporting families. Making culture. That’s why the Heritage Foundation is standing up the Free Enterprise Initiative, to support merit and integrity in business. To Explain what the Free Enterprise Initiative is up to these days, I sat down with the Senior Advisor to the project, Allen Mendenhall.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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The Free Enterprise Initiative at Heritage: https://www.heritage.org/free-enterprise-initiative

Allen Mendenhall on X: https://x.com/allenmendenhall

Washington is abuzz with talk of the SAVE America act, a piece of legislation that is designed to secure American elections and ensure that only American citizens have the right to vote.

The proposed law is experiencing a groundswell of popular support, but also opposition. To understand what makes this law consequential, I sat down with Chip Wyatt and Dan West, both ofHeritage Action for America.

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Thoughts? Questions? Email us at: heritageexplains@heritage.org.

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More from Heritage Action for America: https://heritageaction.com/

Chip Wyatt on X: https://x.com/ChipTWyatt

Dan West on X: https://x.com/Dan_J_West