Today, SEC Chairman Paul Atkins shares his plans to make initial public offerings more attractive and less burdensome to firms seeking capital. Jakub Grygiel outlines five possible pathways for US security strategy concerning Europe. And Bill Whalen asks if Gavin Newsom can straddle opposing political personas as he weighs a run for president.
The Economy
America was an investment before it was a nation. That idea anchors this conversation between SEC Chairman Paul Atkins and Peter Robinson on the latest episode of Uncommon Knowledge. Atkins argues that vibrant capital markets are essential to American prosperity and explains why he believes excessive regulation has discouraged companies from going public and innovators from building in the United States. The discussion also covers crypto, disclosure rules, investor protection, and the role of free markets in driving economic growth. Watch or listen here.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world are deaf or hard of hearing, which can impair job performance. Can AI tools help? On the latest episode of Economics, Applied, Senior Fellow Steven J. Davis speaks to Yanyou Chen of the University of Toronto and Mitchell Hoffman of UC Santa Barbara, who studied the effects of a new AI tool on the productivity and wages of hearing-impaired workers in the food delivery business in mainland China. They also discuss how the profit motive drove the adoption and diffusion of the new AI tool, raising these workers’ earnings. Watch or listen here.
Europe
Europe remains vitally important to US foreign policy for a host of strategic, cultural, and political reasons, says National Security Visiting Fellow Jakub Grygiel in a new piece on Freedom Frequency. Even so, long-held policy approaches that sustained growth and security through and beyond the Cold War need to be updated—but how? Russian and Chinese aggression are among the greatest drivers forcing the United States and Europe to ask profound questions about their shared future. Those questions include which partnerships Washington should emphasize; where the United States should keep military bases and what those forces should do; how much America should strive to influence European domestic affairs; and whether Europe can be encouraged to continue relying on US arms supplies. Such questions—some of them stark—point to a time of realignment that the historical allies must confront. Read more here.
Revitalizing American Institutions
Can young Americans engage across political differences with curiosity, respect, and a genuine willingness to learn? The inaugural NextGen Roundtable: Decision 2026 offered a compelling answer: yes. Convened July 8–11 in Washington, DC, the initiative brought together 400 first-time voters selected to reflect the demographic, geographic, and ideological diversity of the nation. Hosted by the Close Up Foundation in partnership with the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab, Generation Lab, and Hoover’s Center for Revitalizing American Institutions, the program challenged participants to deliberate—not debate—some of the nation’s most pressing policy questions ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Building on the success of America in One Room: The Youth Vote, the event reflects a growing body of evidence that structured deliberation can strengthen civic knowledge, reduce polarization, and increase trust across differences. Read more here.
California
In the latest installment of California on Your Mind, Distinguished Policy Fellow Bill Whalen wonders whether Governor Gavin Newsom, laying the groundwork for a presidential run, will be able to firm up his message after years of presenting different faces to the electorate. Will Newsom play the tough pol who reins in cost and corruption, even as some see him as a shady overseer? Will he stump for “AI safety” or will he decline to “overregulate” the AI golden goose? Does he stand against a wealth tax in California but believe it should be imposed on the whole nation? Whichever way Newsom turns while crafting his national message, the governor will need to avoid the pitfalls of previous politicians such as John Kerry and his famous explanation: “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.” Read more here.
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