President Donald Trump’s push to modernize America’s retirement and savings system reflects a broader and increasingly clear philosophy: long-term economic security comes from early participation, financial literacy, and wider access to the wealth-building tools that have traditionally been limited to institutions and the wealthy. Recent debate over expanding permissible 401(k) investment options, including limited exposure to private equity, private credit, and other alterna

(By Alton Wallace/The Center Square) – The next sale of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of America is set for March 11, one of dozens scheduled over the next 15 years as part of President Donald Trump’s push to increase domestic oil and gas production. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by Trump in July, mandates 30 auctions in offshore waters in the Gulf and six in Alaska’s Cooks Inlet before the end of 2040. The March sale will open more than 80 million acres on the Oute

By Rajesh P. Narayanan, Ph.D., Louisiana State University The Credit Card Competition Act, sponsored by Senators Durbin and Marshall, aims to inject competition into credit card networks and lower costs for merchants and consumers. The legislation requires issuers with over $100 billion in assets to enable at least two unaffiliated payment networks and gives merchants control over transaction routing. Community banks are explicitly exempt from this threshold. Yet despite thi

Governor Jeff Landry used remarks before the Louisiana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to reinforce a central theme of his administration: economic growth depends on expanding opportunity for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and workers across every community in the state. Speaking to business leaders from across Louisiana, Landry emphasized that Hispanic-owned businesses are an increasingly important driver of job creation and local investment. He highlighted the role small and