InsideSources, Washington D.C., DC (2025)

07/09/2025

The Strategic Imperative of Domestic Gold Supply by Quentin Mai.

"Ray In today’s unpredictable global environment, marked by persistent inflation, volatile interest rates and shifting trade dynamics, it’s easy to focus on geopolitics as the main driver behind gold’s enduring appeal.

"However, deeper economic fundamentals are the real engine of its long-term strength. Structural deficits, sustained dollar weakness, mounting government budget deficits, and evolving global monetary policy are reshaping reserve strategies.

"Central banks are responding accordingly — not with knee-jerk reactions but with a deliberate shift toward the security and value gold provides.

"Although gold prices have experienced a recent dip, the metal has shown strong resilience over the past year, buoyed by economic pressures rather than short-term market fluctuations. Price fluctuations are expected in any dynamic market, but they don’t diminish gold’s role as a reliable store of value.

"Central banks, wary of inflation and weakening currencies, are shifting reserves away from U.S. Treasuries and buying gold at historic levels. In the first quarter of 2025, the U.S. acquired 600 tons of gold — an indication of growing institutional demand.

"These monetary policy shifts and economic challenges indicate a significant potential for gold, reinforcing its strategic importance for investors and nations.

"However, gold’s strategic significance raises a broader, urgent question: Who controls the critical resources that support economic and national security? The rare earth supply struggle offers a cautionary example. China’s near-total control of rare earth processing, which accounts for 85 percent of the global supply, has exposed serious vulnerabilities in the West’s supply chains, particularly in electronics and military manufacturing.

"While gold isn’t a rare earth, it remains strategically vital. Global gold production varies annually, with China producing 380 tons, Russia and Australia about 310 tons each, Canada 200 tons, and the United States 170 tons. Just like rare earths, long-term access and control are strategic concerns. ..."

Ray In today’s unpredictable global environment, marked by persistent inflation, volatile interest rates and shifting trade dynamics, it’s easy to focus

07/09/2025

End the Handset Unlocking Rule That Enables Criminals and Harms Consumers by Roslyn Layton and Steve Pociask.

"In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s hard to imagine a regulation designed to protect consumers that instead fuels billions of dollars in international crime. Yet, that’s the reality of the Federal Communications Commission’s nearly 2-decade-old phone unlocking rule imposed on Verizon as part of its C-Block spectrum license.

"This rule, adopted in 2007, requires Verizon to automatically unlock customers’ phones after 60 days for use on other networks. While it may seem benign on paper, this regulation has become a tool exploited by sophisticated criminal enterprises globally.

"Organized crime rings exploit the unlocking mandate to traffic stolen or fraudulently obtained subsidized phones internationally. These criminals acquire heavily discounted U.S. phones illicitly and resell them abroad for huge profits. This illicit trade costs Verizon and its customers hundreds of millions of dollars yearly and drains law enforcement resources that could be better spent tackling more pressing crimes.

"Meanwhile, consumers — especially seniors, lower-income families and typical workers — are caught in the crossfire. They face fewer options, more limited access to subsidized devices and higher costs as carriers try to mitigate the damage wrought by phone trafficking.

"The origins and continued existence of the unlocking rule illustrate a classic case of regulatory overreach gone wrong. The mandate was never the result of broad policy debate or consumer advocacy. Instead, it was imposed through a misguided 'open access' rule driven by a big tech company at a time when smartphones were emerging, and the app economy didn’t exist. The FCC acknowledged even then that this rule was a regulatory experiment that could harm consumers and should be revisited.

"The jury is in. These mandates have lined the pockets of international criminal rings at the expense of American consumers and companies. They have also consumed agency resources and generated regulatory battles that have done little to improve competition or consumer welfare. ..."

In today’s hyper-connected world, it’s hard to imagine a regulation designed to protect consumers that instead fuels billions of dollars in international

07/08/2025

About Extreme Heat, We Need to Prioritize Children by Hailey Gibbs.

"As another record-breaking hot summer looms, we need to focus on protecting the people who will be most vulnerable to extreme temperatures, including kids, outdoor workers, older adults, people experiencing housing insecurity, pregnant people, and low-income communities and communities of color. However, there’s one group of Americans who face unique and often overlooked risks to their health and development: babies and young children.

"There’s no question that extreme heat is intensifying. Children born in the United States today will experience 35 times more life-threatening extreme heat events than children born 60 years ago. More extreme heat events result in increased emergency room visits for children; heat-related hospital visits for infants have risen by 170 percent since 2012. Already, almost 90 percent of the societal and clinical burden of climate change falls on children under 5 years old. This means that young children worldwide will face the most profound consequences of extreme weather, including heat-related illness.

"While young children are at significant risk, babies face worse dangers. Extreme heat conditions significantly affect the health of a pregnancy and can result in premature births, stillbirths and low birth weight. Even after they’re born, babies’ biologies and environmental contexts make them particularly susceptible to high temperatures. Babies have fewer active sweat glands than adults, making it harder for them to cool off; their heart rates are naturally higher, making it harder to compensate for higher temperatures; and their tiny bodies can heat up to three to five times fasterthan adult bodies.

"Moreover, extreme heat exposure can cause long-term effects that extend well beyond infancy. Heat stress is found to affect infant growth up to two years of age. Breastfeeding and formula-fed babies can absorb water through their food, but they may be unable to consume enough to counteract the dehydration associated with high temperatures. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can also affect sleep quality, affecting everything from mental and behavioral health to higher obesity rates later in life.

"Babies can’t advocate for themselves; they rely on adults to ensure their safety and well-being. Policymakers play a critical role in protecting infants and promoting their healthy development, but the Trump administration’s and Congress’s environmental and climate protection rollbacks threaten generations to come. A nationwide effort is needed to address the climate crisis and safeguard our collective future. ..."

As another record-breaking hot summer looms, we need to focus on protecting the people who will be most vulnerable to extreme temperatures, including

07/08/2025

The Hidden Price of China’s Cheap Oil from Iran and Russia by Ken Silverstein.

"When I visited China in 2019, I had the opportunity to meet with officials from the foreign minister’s office, who assured me that no topic was off-limits. I had just watched the movie 'Midway,' which depicted Japanese aggression against China during World War II — a conflict rooted in Japan’s ambition to dominate East Asia and control China’s raw materials.

"Curious about how the relationship stood today, I asked. The officials responded that ties with Japan were 'excellent' and stressed that trade between the two was mutually beneficial.

"That exchange offered a glimpse into how Chinese diplomacy works: calm, pragmatic and intentionally non-confrontational. Beijing prioritizes stability and economic growth above ideological alignment or foreign entanglements. That approach also defines how China navigates its relationships with Iran and Russia, even while it maintains deep financial ties with the West.

"In both cases, China benefits from discounted oil. This allows it to fuel its economy while sidestepping the diplomatic fallout of aligning with countries under heavy international sanctions.

"Take Iran. China’s oil trade with Tehran is strategic and capitalizes on Iran’s global isolation. In June 2025, China imported a record 1.8 million barrels of Iranian oil daily, according to ship-tracking firm Vortexa. That accounted for 12 percent to 15 percent of China’s total daily oil imports, which stood at 12 million barrels. Nearly all of Iran’s oil exports now flow to China.

"As the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv noted, 'The sanctions leave Iran with no real alternative to China, and China is taking advantage of this situation to exert influence through trade and to purchase Iranian oil at substantial discounts.' In other words, Iran is a captive supplier, and China is making the most of it.

"Still, China treads carefully. During the recent Iran-Israel war, Beijing issued a restrained response. China has formal ties with Israel that are centered on economic and technological cooperation, not politics or ideology. The two countries signed an $18 billion bilateral trade deal in 2023. ..."

When I visited China in 2019, I had the opportunity to meet with officials from the foreign minister’s office, who assured me that no topic was

07/08/2025

Polling Suggests It’s Time to Rethink How We Fund Roads by Tirza Duren.

"America’s vast network of more than 4 million miles of public roadways connects cities, goods and people. Maintaining this essential infrastructure requires a patchwork of federal, state and local oversight — and an equally complex funding system. A large share of that funding comes from gas taxes, but as consumer behavior shifts, this model is becoming increasingly unsustainable. According to recent polling from the American Consumer Institute, consumers embrace shifting the tax toward those who cause the most damage.

"The 2025 Infrastructure Report Card gave America’s roads a D plus, noting that deteriorating road conditions increased consumer costs by $725 per motorist in 2023. Three-fourths of highway spending comes from state and local governments, while the rest is covered federally. Gas taxes — collected at the federal and state levels — play a significant role. At the state and local level, fuel taxes cover about 26 percent of expenditures, while they make up more than 80 percent of the federal highway fund.

"This system is showing its age. Because gas taxes are flat fees per gallon, their value erodes with inflation. Worse, they don’t account for modern vehicle trends. As more drivers switch to fuel-efficient hybrid or electric vehicles, gas tax revenues decline, even as road use and maintenance needs grow.

"According to recent ACI polling, 40 percent of Americans say highway conditions have worsened, while only 15 percent believe they’ve improved. Consumers also tend to underestimate the amount they pay in gas taxes. On average, gas taxes make up a third of the cost to fill a tank, yet only 22 percent of respondents could correctly estimate that amount.

"While gas taxes once resembled a user fee, the decline in revenues means states are increasingly drawing from their general fund to finance road maintenance and repairs. Only three states raise enough dedicated revenue to fund their transportation needs. This means that some non-drivers are forced to pay for services they don’t use, which is the opposite of the intended purpose of a user fee. Even consumers who drive could be paying more than their fair share. ..."

America’s vast network of more than 4 million miles of public roadways connects cities, goods and people. Maintaining this essential infrastructure

07/08/2025

Florida Expands Access to High-Performing Public Charter Schools by Kelly Garcia.

"This 2025 legislative session, Florida lawmakers demonstrated their commitment to providing high-quality education options for all students. After an extended legislative session, the legislature passed a bill making it easier for high-performing charters to serve students stuck in the state’s lowest-performing schools.

"The bill allows charter schools to operate in vacant space inside traditional public school buildings, expands the eligibility for schools to qualify as a 'School of Hope' and, most notably, provides an alternative pathway for charters to be authorized by the Florida Department of Education rather than the local school boards that have historically been hostile toward outside operators. Florida may be known for being the nation’s most private school choice-friendly state, but the new bill proves Florida’s commitment to its most vulnerable public school students, too. Lawmakers in other states should take note.

"In 2017, Schools of Hope became an official designation for a charter school operating within 5 miles of a failing public school after the public school earned a D or F on its school grade for three consecutive years. At the time, former Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran hoped to attract high-performing charter systems to the state. Today, eight years since the program’s inception, only 12 Schools of Hope operate in Florida.

"The new bill is an intentional expansion strategy, making it easier for the number of Schools of Hope to grow by eliminating the traditional barriers to entry for charter operators. With this new piece of legislation, any school ranking in the bottom 10th percentile in third-grade English or fourth-grade math in two of the three past years is now eligible. The welcome mat for high-performing charters has been laid.

"Now, charter school operators can seek approval from the state Department of Education. Critics argue that the change moves toward state overreach and ignores the desires of the local officials elected by their community, but clearing the path for new models to enter the market allows parents the ability to choose what is best for their children by voting with their feet, tipping the scales in the parents’ favor.

"The law requires that charters have access to underused or vacant district buildings rent-free. One critic of the new law argued: 'Public schools are being asked to underwrite their competition. It’s absurd.' ..."

This 2025 legislative session, Florida lawmakers demonstrated their commitment to providing high-quality education options for all students. After an

07/07/2025

Senate Bill Will Close Tax Loophole on Foreign Lawsuit Funders by Gerard Scimeca.

"The lack of regulation surrounding third-party litigation funding (TPLF) creates a significant legal loophole that could allow hedge funds, foreign investors and sovereign wealth funds to profit from U.S. lawsuits, delay justice and increase costs for taxpayers. What seems to be an obvious problem to fix has recently drawn scrutiny from 'consumer' groups that argue for no regulation or transparency. Allowing predatory litigation funders to go unchecked will only hurt, not help, the U.S. taxpayers.

"In less than 20 years, TPLF has grown into a $15 billion investment industry. Investors are often hedge funds or other money management firms looking to profit from a settlement or court award. TPLF investors are not “local” groups posing a threat; foreign actors using the TPLF may pose a national security threat.

"These adversaries benefit from funding U.S. lawsuits, which enables them to gain access to business trade secrets through our courts and manipulate the market in ways that harm American innovation and competitiveness. This system comes at a cost for consumers, contributing to the soaring 'tort tax' that all Americans pay. The 2025 'tort tax' is in excess of $1,600 annually per person, higher than in prior years. If lawmakers don’t get TPLF under control and properly regulated, America’s 'tort tax' will continue to increase.

"We hope that law firms voluntarily disclose outside involvement in their cases. Without mandatory disclosure requirements, there’s no way for judges, juries or defendants to know who’s behind a lawsuit, what their financial interests are, or whether a foreign entity is influencing the litigation for profit or political leverage.

"State-level TPLF involvement has grown in recent years, with several states enacting or introducing legislation aimed at curbing abusive litigation finance practices. In 2023, Montana passed a law requiring TPLF disclosure, joining West Virginia and Indiana. More recently, legislatures in Texas, Florida and Louisiana introduced bills to impose stricter regulations or mandatory disclosure on outside litigation financiers.

"In 2025, Georgia’s governor signed the state’s TPLF reform bill, which will go into effect in 2026.

"These state-level actions show growing bipartisan concern about the influence of outside funding and further reinforce the need for a federal solution. ..."

The lack of regulation surrounding third-party litigation funding (TPLF) creates a significant legal loophole that could allow hedge funds, foreign

07/07/2025

Let’s Bet on American Business by Mike Lemon.

"Have you visited a retailer’s website in the last week? Searched for items or read product reviews? Or have you checked out using your mobile device at the store? These basic features that consumers take for granted are all being targeted by opportunistic patent suits in litigation campaigns filed by non-practicing entities (NPEs), sometimes referred to as patent trolls.

"NPEs are in the business of buying bad patents and suing as many companies as possible. These bad patents often claim to cover basic functions such as online shopping or mobile payments, and NPEs use them to sue retailers, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels and others.

"Main Street has been the target of bad-patent suits for years. Congress attempted to address the issue in 2011 by establishing an efficient, cost-effective, and expert process known as Inter Partes Review (IPR), which enables businesses to request the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to correct errors it made in granting patents. The IPR process made abusive litigation less lucrative while incentivizing better overall quality in our patent system. In recent years, that progress has begun to unravel.

"Litigation by NPEs is again on the rise, driven by changes the PTO has made to the IPR process that have made it challenging for retailers to get bad patents invalidated. These suits are usually super-charged by litigation investment entities that pour money into patent cases, expecting a payout. These investors often remain anonymous, and no federal law requires them to disclose their involvement. The result: more cases against more companies in more industries.

"In 2024, 29 litigation campaigns targeted nearly 200 retailers. Unfortunately, 2025 appears to be just as busy. One current campaign has already gone after 100 companies, including retailers.

"Part of the problem lies with the PTO. In recent years, the agency has made it difficult to use the system Congress created to w**d out bad patents. One example is the so-called Fintiv rule, which allows the PTO to reject IPR petitions simply because a parallel lawsuit is moving quickly, regardless of whether the patent is invalid. This means businesses can be denied access to review just because they’ve already been sued. ..."

Have you visited a retailer’s website in the last week? Searched for items or read product reviews? Or have you checked out using your mobile device at

07/03/2025

Don’t Let America’s Copyright Crackdown Hand China Global AI Leadership by Saxby Chambliss and Kent Conrad.

"China is racing to outpace the United States in artificial intelligence development and deployment, and it is making progress. To stay ahead, America needs a national innovation strategy that strengthens all the pillars of our leadership, from data and infrastructure to talent and adoption. Thankfully, political leaders on both sides of the aisle are waking up to the intensity and importance of this race, and many are implementing innovative policies to ensure America maintains its edge.

"If the United States wants to lead in AI, it needs a national innovation strategy grounded in four parts:

"—Policy Clarity: Freeze patchwork state regulations and preserve pro-growth legal frameworks, including supporting antitrust law that fosters growth and maintaining the current 'fair use' copyright law to help catalyze innovation.

"—Infrastructure: Build the computer power, energy and data systems needed to train and deploy AI at scale.

"—Talent: Invest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, upskilling, and skilled trades to propel innovation.

"—Adoption: Ensure our AI models are adopted at home and abroad so that American values, creativity and innovation continue to underpin the global tech infrastructure, rather than China’s authoritarian vision.

"For 50 years, fair use has allowed creators, educators, researchers and entrepreneurs to use snippets of copyright material to produce transformative inventions, and not just market substitutes for the original. In the early days of the internet, fair use was the legal bedrock that enabled search engines to index the web, web archives to preserve knowledge, and platforms to build global communities. The law worked well to expand innovation and benefit the public, including by enabling researchers to use academic texts and developers to train early AI models on diverse, real-world content.

"We didn’t strangle the internet in its infancy with impossible licensing requirements, and we shouldn’t make that mistake now with AI. Today’s large language models use vast public datasets to learn how language, code and medicine work, not to reproduce them but to understand and create ideas and solutions to our most pressing societal problems.

"Access to this data is essential to modern AI-powered tools that allow small businesses to grow, doctors to discover treatments, and students to learn through personalized content. That’s precisely the kind of innovation Congress intended to protect with fair use. And it’s the kind of innovation we can’t choke off if we want America and our values to keep leading the world. ..."

China is racing to outpace the United States in artificial intelligence development and deployment, and it is making progress. To stay ahead, America

07/03/2025

A Coherent Border Policy to Counter Cartel Influence by Francisco Raul “Quico” Canseco.

"The U.S.-Mexico border has always been a politically charged flashpoint. For years, under Republican and Democratic administrations, both countries have felt the pressure of policies shaped by headlines and political commentary rather than common-sense solutions and results. This is especially true for those living and working in border communities.

"Commerce is of singular importance to the region, notwithstanding the politics that affect it. The borderlands are plagued by nefarious activity, including drug trafficking, cartel violence and human smuggling. Too often, the 1,200-mile stretch between the two countries reflects the consequences of failed coordination, missed opportunities and general mistrust.

"There is no denying that the United States’ southern border will persist as a central issue, especially as organized crime and drug cartels tighten their grip on legal and illegal markets. Studies from Mexico show these criminal groups are expanding their influence, threatening communities on both sides of the border, and undercutting legitimate economic and social development.

"The questions remain: What specific actions can the United States and Mexico take to enhance cooperation in addressing crime along the border? How might the economic effects of bans on consumer goods be measured in regions affected by cartels? What role do local communities play in shaping policies that could help combat organized crime and improve border security? How can we learn to trust a government marked by generations of political corruption?

"This growing threat demands more than U.S. enforcement. It requires a serious and consistent cooperative partnership with Mexico. The United States is collaborating with Mexico to address national security concerns.

"Take fentanyl, for example, a drug wreaking havoc nationwide. The United States has taken aggressive steps to stem the flow of fentanyl, and the Mexican government, under President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, has shown it can be a valuable ally in this mission. ..."

The U.S.-Mexico border has always been a politically charged flashpoint. For years, under Republican and Democratic administrations, both countries have

07/02/2025

Tariff Relief Will Strengthen, Not Undermine, President Trump’s America First Agenda by Nathan Frampton.

"When Washington talks tariffs, the debate often centers on trade wars, foreign adversaries, and long-term industrial policy. What is missing is the ground-level reality for small and family-owned businesses like ours.

"Fanimation Ceiling Fans was founded by my father in our garage in 1984. Over four decades, we have grown into an 80-person company with headquarters in Zionsville, Indiana, and offices in North Carolina and Dallas. We are proud of our American story, but we are still a small business navigating a global supply chain in an increasingly unforgiving and uncertain policy environment.

"Today, companies like ours are being squeezed by tariffs we had no voice in crafting. These tariffs currently apply to components and finished products that simply cannot be sourced domestically. Ceiling fans are complex products involving motors, lighting, electronics, and precise engineering. Ninety-five percent of residential ceiling fans sold in the United States are manufactured in China, with the rest coming from allied nations in Southeast Asia. And yet, our category and U.S. lighting have been excluded from recent tariff exemptions.

"These blanket tariffs are not protecting us, they are putting us at risk. For example, our products are now subject to a 30% tariff on ceiling fans and a 55% tariff on lighting components. These are staggering rates for any small business to endure and we are not alone. Many industries across the country are struggling as well. From electronics to home goods to specialty manufacturing, small and mid-sized businesses are facing unsustainable cost increases. Rebuilding supply chains takes years and hundreds of millions of dollars, not to mention a domestic manufacturing labor force that does not yet exist for products like ours. For small and mid-sized businesses, there is no way to absorb that kind of cost without cutting jobs, raising prices, or shrinking operations. Many may not survive at all.

"Let me be clear: we fully support efforts to strengthen American manufacturing and reduce dependence on adversarial regimes. But that vision must be paired with smart, targeted trade policy. ..."

When Washington talks tariffs, the debate often centers on trade wars, foreign adversaries, and long-term industrial policy. What is missing is the

07/02/2025

Cities Use Bogus Blight to Take Land by Bobbi Taylor.

"Honey Meerzon owns a rental property in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. Next door, Luis Romero owns a tire shop that has been in business for decades. The neighbors, both children of immigrants who fled oppressive regimes, have worked hard to achieve their current status.

"They want nothing more than financial independence and a legacy for their children — a real shot at the American Dream. However, they are at risk of losing their properties through eminent domain.

"They are not the only ones who would suffer. Four families, some with small children, live in Meerzon’s units. They would lose their homes, and Romero’s employees would lose their jobs.

"If the bulldozers come, it would be just the latest instance of a local government manipulating state law to take private property for economic development. New Jersey allows municipalities to use eminent domain to clear out “blight.” Once a property receives this label, the government can take it from one owner and give it to another for commercial purposes.

"The idea is simple: Avoid abandoned or unsafe properties falling into disrepair. Yet, New Jersey law does not allow what is happening in Perth Amboy. Relying on little more than photos of a few pieces of litter and a stray cat, the City Council voted 4-1 in April 2025 to designate Meerzon’s and Romero’s properties as blighted, clearing the way for eminent domain.

"The problem is that both properties are well-maintained. The city does not care. It envisions something better on the land, so it is using blight as a pretext to achieve its goals.

"Similar situations have occurred in Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Tennessee and elsewhere. Many states have laws that empower local governments to acquire blighted land using eminent domain. And like Perth Amboy, many cities call things blighted when they are not — not to remove anything unsafe, but to remove anything that stands in the way of development. ..."

Honey Meerzon owns a rental property in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. Next door, Luis Romero owns a tire shop that has been

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