President Trump has a characteristically understated message for communities resisting AI data centers: Accept them or risk becoming “backwards and poor.” He says the facilities will bring jobs, prosperity, and lower taxes, while opposition will please China and kill America’s technological “Golden Goose.” Subtle it’s not. Still, beneath the presidential megaphone is a serious question.…
Oil, Power, and the New U.S.–Venezuela Agreement
President Trump announced what he calls the biggest oil deal in history: an agreement that could give the United States a controlling interest in the output from 17 Venezuelan oil fields containing a reported 65 billion barrels. The arrangement could reshape American energy security, revive Venezuela’s battered petroleum industry, and shift influence in the Western…
Trump’s Bulk-Power Emergency Order and the Security of the U.S. Grid
President Trump has declared a national emergency involving foreign-made equipment used in America’s bulk-power system. The executive order seeks to prevent certain equipment associated with foreign governments or entities from being purchased, imported, installed, or operated when federal officials determine that it presents an unacceptable security risk. Despite the more dramatic headlines, this isn’t a…
The Senate’s New Sanctions Push Against Russia and Iran
The Senate has taken a major step toward dramatically increasing economic pressure on Russia, the countries purchasing its energy, and Iran. In an 86–12 procedural vote, senators advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, although the measure still requires additional votes before it can pass the Senate and move to…
Weighing Trump’s Federal Gas Tax Holiday Proposal
President Trump’s proposal to suspend the federal gas tax comes at a politically obvious moment. Gas prices have surged amid the Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz remains under Iranian pressure, and ordinary Americans are getting clobbered at the pump. Trump floated the idea after prices rose past $4.50 per gallon, while the federal gas…
Gas Prices, Political Promises, and the $3 Mirage
There are few things in American life more emotionally charged than the number glowing on a gas station sign. It’s basically our national mood ring, except instead of telling us how we feel, it causes how we feel. So, when Energy Secretary Chris Wright and President Trump start publicly disagreeing about when gas will dip…
When Oil Prices Rise, Do “We” Actually Make Money?
During a recent discussion about rising energy costs, President Trump offered a characteristically blunt assessment of the situation. The United States, he argued, is now the world’s largest oil producer, so when oil prices go up, “we make a lot of money.” On the surface, that sounds logical enough. If you sell something and the…
Restoring Accountability: A Pauline Diagnosis for America
If the Apostle Paul were alive today — which, theologically speaking, he most certainly is, just not in Washington, D.C. — he would probably take one long look at our national headlines, sigh deeply, and begin writing another epistle. Not to the Corinthians this time, nor the Galatians, nor the Thessalonians, but perhaps “Paul, an…
Freedom on Four Wheels: Why Repealing the EV Mandate in the OBBBA Upholds Liberty, Stewardship, and Common Sense
America has always stood apart because we trust everyday folks more than we trust faraway bureaucrats. Our freedom to work, build, buy, and live as we see fit is the lifeblood of this great nation, and, for millions of us, it’s also an expression of our faith. When government oversteps and tries to dictate how…
Should We Pull the Plug Early? A Look at the OBBBA’s Clean Energy Provision
Today we’re going to take a look at a provision in the OBBBA that puts an early expiration date on federal tax credits for wind, solar, and battery storage projects, pushing them off Uncle Sam’s payroll years sooner than many in the industry expected. Under the old Inflation Reduction Act, these tax perks were set…
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