Heritage Explains

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

Jonathan Butcher, acting director of the Center for Education Policy and a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, discusses the federal shift of student loan management to the Treasury. He explains the phased transition, implications for federal versus local control, debates over equity and funding, and next steps for Congress and state-level education reforms.

Lora Ries, Director of the Border Security and Immigration Center and DHS policy expert. She explains why Senate Democrats are withholding DHS funding and how that tactic aims to pressure ICE reforms. Short scenes cover unpaid TSA and Coast Guard staff, FEMA risks during severe weather, national security vulnerabilities, and debates over enforcement and deportation policy.

Marguerite Bowling, a senior communications manager and mother of three, shares how faith, family priorities, and marriage shaped her work and parenting. Emma Waters, a bioethics policy analyst and working mother, reflects on choosing motherhood, routines that boost productivity, and prioritizing family-friendly career choices. They discuss complementarity, practical support for parents, and rejecting extreme labels.

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

E.J. Antoni, Chief Economist at The Heritage Foundation and economic policy analyst, discusses the tradeoffs in federal financial policy. He assesses recent U.S. economic performance. He covers inflation drivers like spending and Fed policy. He evaluates tariffs as a negotiating tool and explains ‘Trump accounts’ for youth financial starts.

Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation with ~30 years on immigration and border security, discusses ICE operations in Minneapolis. She outlines how protests are organized, tactics used to obstruct federal agents, and different forms of immigration fraud. She also critiques local law enforcement responses and argues for stronger enforcement strategies.