Today, Matthew Pottinger and Liza Tobin warn that allowing exports of advanced American computer chips to China will undermine US national security; Lee Ohanian analyzes the arguments of Texas and California lawmakers as each state looks to redraw congressional districts mid-decade; and Russell Berman suggests that regardless of what happens between Trump and Putin in Alaska, Europe will “end up as the loser.”
Confronting and Competing with China
Writing at The Free Press, Distinguished Visiting Fellow Matthew Pottinger and coauthor Liza Tobin warn that President Trump’s decision to lift the ban on exporting Nvidia’s “powerful H20 chips” to China “may be remembered as the moment when America surrendered the technological advantage needed to bring manufacturing home and keep our nation secure.” Noting that Nvidia and fellow chipmaker AMD have entered into a revenue sharing agreement with the US government as a condition of this deal, Pottinger and Tobin argue that this “effectively monetizes what was supposed to be a national security restriction.” The authors push back against claims that the chips now permitted for export have little national security relevance by showing evidence that Chinese entities, including the People’s Liberation Army, plan to use the chips for “a range of weapons systems, including robotic dogs.” As the authors—both first-term Trump administration officials—conclude, “We shouldn’t hand our adversaries the tools to beat us.” Read more here.
Politics, Institutions, and Public Opinion
“Texas and California are currently engaged in a national fight over who gets to draw the congressional district lines that may decide whether Republicans keep control of the House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections,” writes Senior Fellow Lee Ohanian at California on Your Mind. Ohanian evaluates both states’ legal justifications for mid-decade redistricting while warning against the broader implications for American democracy. “It is widely agreed,” he writes, “that the proportional representation implied by ‘one person, one vote’ should guide state congressional district maps, and that gerrymandering is to be avoided.” If the Texas redistricting is in fact lawful and guided by “legitimate democratic arguments,” Ohanian suggests, California and other states should respect it. As he concludes, failing to do so would “fracture our democratic foundations and could lead to a redistricting war among the states that almost certainly would have awful consequences for our republic.” Read more here.
International Affairs
Writing at National Security Journal, Senior Fellow Russell A. Berman examines the anticipated Trump-Putin summit in Alaska and its potential implications for ending the Ukraine war. Berman argues that while international law supports Ukraine’s full territorial restoration and Russia has committed clear war crimes, battlefield realities make territorial compromise likely. Berman identifies several key factors shaping summit discussions: Russia currently holds significant Ukrainian territory, Western support has been insufficient with restrictive conditions, and Ukraine lacks access to NATO and EU membership despite ongoing promises. He suggests any agreement will likely involve Ukrainian territorial concessions that challenge international law and moral principles. Berman also argues that regardless of summit outcomes, Europe will emerge as the primary loser due to its institutional constraints, unwillingness to build credible military deterrence, and the contradiction between its moralistic rhetoric about rules-based order and inability to enforce those rules militarily. Read more here.
Energy and the Environment
Rising energy demand from AI, cloud computing, and manufacturing has revived interest in nuclear energy. A new episode of Intellections draws on Hoover Institution scholarship to explain the potential of this form of energy generation to address current national challenges. Once stalled by high costs and regulation, nuclear power has re-emerged as a scalable, zero-emission solution. Backed by next-gen technologies, private investment, and public support, its successful revival depends on policy reform, resilient supply chains, and global partnerships. A renewed nuclear sector could anchor America’s clean energy and security strategy. Watch here.
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