A legend: Heritage's founder, trustee, and longest-serving president, Edwin J. Feulner, passed away on Friday.

• “Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order. His unwavering love of country and his determination to safeguard the principles that made America the freest, most prosperous nation in human history shaped every fiber of the conservative movement—and still do," Heritage said in a statement.
• Born in 1941, Feulner founded Heritage in 1973 and was active in the conservative movement up to the very end. He'd just published an op-ed urging America to strive to be No. 1 in Heritage's Index of Economic Freedom. 
• The Daily Signal published reflections on Feulner's life and legacy here and here. 
• Watch a video tribute to Feulner on X.

Golden Age: While many economic experts predicted a second Trump presidency would spell economic ruin, the numbers tell a different story.

• “Under Mr. Trump, the average weekly paycheck buys 1% more today than when he was inaugurated in January,” writes Heritage’s Chief Economist EJ Antoni.
• “All Americans, regardless of party registration, are becoming increasingly optimistic about the economy.”

Read the full story here.

Behind the scenes: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., joined “The Signal Sitdown” to lift the curtain on how the One Big Beautiful Bill made it through Congress.  

• “Nobody’s more engaged in the legislative process—and I’ve worked with a lot of presidents going back to George W. Bush—President Trump made phone calls, brought people to the White House when there were problems with the vote coalition,” Scalise said.

Watch the full segment on YouTube.  

Washington’s reckless spending is out of control and has burdened you with skyrocketing debt and higher taxes.

• Enough is enough!
• It’s time for tax-paying Americans to take a stand. Join thousands of Americans in demanding lower taxes, reduced spending, and a government that lives within its means!

Sign the Declaration for Restoring Fiscal Sanity here. 

DIY: Want to know how much the Air Force spent on R&D last year? Or how much the Army spent on housing for officers? Heritage released a first-of-its-kind online tool that makes line-by-line Defense budget details easily available to the public.  

• “For too long, this data has been buried in complex, fragmented files that frustrate even seasoned analysts,” said Robert Greenway, director of the Allison Center for National Security. “This tool empowers anyone....to explore and discuss how the Pentagon allocates resources.” 
• The tool also lets users build their own Pentagon budget.  

Check out this breakthrough new tool at Defense Budget Builder. Read coverage of the Builder in The Daily Signal.  

Red strings attached: While mainstream media won’t report it, the group behind the recent “No Kings” protests—50501—has widespread ties to communist groups and radicals across the nation.

• The Oversight Project, which Heritage launched in 2022 and has recently gone independent, recently revealed connections that 50501 has to the Chinese Communist Party and neo-Marxist organizations—including Antifa.

Read the X thread here.

Semiquincentennial: In response to the high volume of applications received in the first round, Heritage has opened a second round of Innovation Prizes related to America’s 250th Anniversary.

• “This 250th anniversary gives us a special opportunity to reclaim our history, our schools, our churches, and our monuments, and in the process, build our future,” states the application page. Deadline for submissions is Sept. 2.

 Get the details here.

The American flag is under attack. It’s mocked, burned, and dismissed as a relic of the past. “Flags of Our Fathers” tells: 

• The untold history behind the flag’s creation and the meaning behind its colors, stripes, and stars 
• The story of William Carney—who was shot four times and still refused to let the flag touch the ground 
• Why attacks on the flag are really attacks on America itself. 

Get your free copy of this powerful eBook today.  

Peace Through Strength: U.S. Policy on Israel and the Middle East

 

Join Heritage and the Conference of Christian Presidents for Israel for a wide-ranging discussion on how America can advance its national interests—strengthening national security, boosting economic prosperity, and reinforcing military power—while standing firmly with our ally, Israel, in the years ahead.

 

July 31, 2:30 p.m. Register here.

• Report: The Decline in Religious Services Attendance in the United States Over the Past 50 Years—Jonathan Abbamonte
• The Wreckage from Obergefell—Delano Squires
• Trump Hits a Home Run with June’s Job Report—EJ Antoni, Ph.D.
• Report: How to Break the American Bar Association’s Accreditation Monopoly—GianCarlo Canaparo and Zack Smith
• Now Is the Time to Advance Middle East Integration—Asher Fredman
• How To Deepen U.S.-India Maritime Cooperation—Kriti Upadhyaya
• The Coast Guard Auxiliary and a Potential War With the CCP—Phillip Smyth
• America Must Fight Like an Insurgent to Defeat Communist China—Dan Green

Heritage Chief Economist EJ Antoni appeared on Newsmax to talk about how reliable energy isn’t just an economic concern, but a national security necessity. Watch the clip here.