Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Today, Stephen Kotkin reviews the wide-ranging accomplishments of entrepreneur, statesman, and scientist Benjamin Franklin; Andrew Roberts speaks with a media veteran about the mechanics of modern media and public relations and their powerful role in today’s politics; and Jon Hartley speaks with Dr. Mehmet Oz about his current service within the Department of Health and Human Services.

Revitalizing History

The Republic's Greatest Citizen: Stephen Kotkin on Benjamin Franklin

For Freedom Frequency, Senior Fellow Stephen Kotkin profiles Benjamin Franklin as an exemplar of the well-rounded American citizen: public servant, innovator and businessman, practical man of science, and tireless diplomat. Franklin’s advice on moderation and self-improvement endure as witty maxims that almost every American knows, along with images of his famous experiment with lightning and a kite. Overall, Kotkin writes, Franklin embodied many of the traits that have led to American success, both then and now—even if his personal life was, at times, less than exemplary. Read more here.

Secrets of Spin with Media Maestro David Yelland

In a new episode of Secrets of Statecraft, Distinguished Visiting Fellow Andrew Roberts speaks with David Yelland, former editor of The Sun and cohost of BBC Radio 4’s popular podcast When It Hits the Fan, about the hidden machinery of modern power: public relations, political messaging, media influence, and crisis management. Yelland reflects on Rupert Murdoch, the decline of tabloid power, the rise of tech platforms and algorithms, Trump’s “flood the zone” media strategy, royal communications, corporate spin, Ukraine, Gaza, COVID, and why the people shaping the message are often as important as the leaders delivering it. Listen here.

Healthcare

Dr. Oz on Affordability, Fighting Fraud, and AI in Healthcare

On the latest episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the Twenty-First Century, Policy Fellow Jon Hartley and Dr. Mehmet Oz, along with two of his deputies, discuss running the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which administers the major federal government healthcare programs within the US Department of Health and Human Services. Hartley asks Oz about tackling Medicaid and Medicare fraud across the nation, healthcare changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill (Working Families Tax Cuts Act), lowering pharmaceutical drug prices through most-favored-nation deals and TrumpRx, and integrating AI and technology into CMS workflows. Watch or listen here.

California Policy & Politics

“The House Always Wins”: Lanhee Chen on California-Brand Direct Democracy

In the first of a series of conversations about the practice of politics and policies in America’s most populous state, Fellow in American Public Policy Studies Lanhee Chen, a keen observer of California’s policy landscape and a past candidate for statewide office, offers a snapshot of this year’s ballot slate, examines how California’s fight over a proposed wealth tax factors into national politics (not to mention the near-term future of California’s tech sector), and suggests a few reforms that would re-instill public confidence in the initiative process. Watch or listen here.

Security and Defense

The Decisive Theater: North Korea and the Problem of Simultaneous War

Writing at 1945, Visiting Fellow Andrew Michta explores the challenge presented by North Korea to America’s grand strategy against authoritarian adversaries. Michta argues that “the primary security threat to both the United States and South Korea is not just North Korea’s military strength but also the danger that multiple crises in different regions could overwhelm American military capacity and undermine global deterrence.” The Korean demilitarized zone, in reality one of the most fortified zones on Earth, is also “a critical component of regional deterrence vis-à-vis China.” Michta draws attention to the threat posed by a simultaneous crisis across Korea, Europe, and the Middle East, if aggression were to be coordinated by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. As Michta concludes, “The gravest danger is not a war in Korea alone.” Read more here.