Latest news with #KevinRoberts
New York Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Edwin Feulner, ‘Heritage Foundation's George Washington,' Dies at 83
Edwin J. Feulner Jr., a right-wing congressional aide who felt himself in the ideological 'wilderness' in the 1970s, but who, as the co-founder of the Heritage Foundation and its leader for most of its existence, became one of the most influential figures of a resurgent conservative movement, died on Friday. He was 83. The Heritage Foundation announced his death in a statement that did not specify where he died or the cause. Mr. Feulner (pronounced FULL-ner) created Heritage with a friend, Paul Weyrich, in 1973. They wanted to go beyond informing public debate, as other think tanks did at the time, to influencing votes on legislation. Heritage would produce its work before big bills were introduced in Congress distill its findings into easily digestible blurbs, called 'backgrounders,' for harried politicians and their aides. Mr. Weyrich went on to found several other conservative groups. Mr. Feulner ran Heritage from 1977 until 2013, and he became interim head again for a brief period in 2017. Two years ago, during a 50th anniversary celebration at Mount Vernon, the organization's current president, Kevin Roberts, called Mr. Feulner 'the Heritage Foundation's George Washington.' As Mr. Feulner described it, the foundational principles of Heritage included 'free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional values and a strong national defense,' The New York Times reported in 2018. The group was in the news during the last presidential election, when Kamala Harris and other Democrats argued that a Heritage document called Project 2025 would become a shadow agenda for Donald Trump's second term. Mr. Trump strenuously sought to disassociate himself from the nearly 900-page list of policies, which included doctrinaire right-wing positions on such politically delicate subjects as abortion. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Heritage Foundation founder Feulner dies at 83
(Corrects spelling of Reagan in third paragraph) (Reuters) -Edwin Feulner, founder and longtime president of the influential U.S. conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, has died at age 83, Heritage said in a statement. The Friday statement did not say when Feulner died or the cause. Feulner, a Chicago-born political scientist, founded Heritage in 1973 and became its president in 1977, a position he held until 2013. Republican President Ronald Reagan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989. Current Heritage president Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby, wrote in a joint statement that Feulner founded Heritage to plant "a flag for truth in a town too often seduced by power." "What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became - under Ed's tireless leadership - the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement," they wrote. Heritage continues to deeply impact American conservatism - including being the institution that created Project 2025, widely considered the policy blueprint of President Donald Trump's quick-moving second term. Senator Mitch McConnell, a longtime leader of Congressional Republicans, wrote on social media that Feulner "was a great man" and that "his dedication to promoting peace through strength at the end of the Cold War offers a particularly enduring lesson." Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican and majority leader in the House of Representatives, wrote on social media that Feulner "was one of the architects who built the conservative movement in this country."
Reuters
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Heritage Foundation founder Feulner dies at 83
July 19 (Reuters) - Edwin Feulner, founder and longtime president of the influential U.S. conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, has died at age 83, Heritage said in a statement. The Friday statement did not say when Feulner died or the cause. Feulner, a Chicago-born political scientist, founded Heritage in 1973 and became its president in 1977, a position he held until 2013. Republican President Ronald Regan awarded him the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989. Current Heritage president Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby, wrote in a joint statement that Feulner founded Heritage to plant "a flag for truth in a town too often seduced by power." "What started as a small outpost for conservative ideas became - under Ed's tireless leadership - the intellectual arsenal for the Reagan Revolution and the modern conservative movement," they wrote. Heritage continues to deeply impact American conservatism - including being the institution that created Project 2025, widely considered the policy blueprint of President Donald Trump's quick-moving second term. Senator Mitch McConnell, a longtime leader of Congressional Republicans, wrote on social media that Feulner "was a great man" and that "his dedication to promoting peace through strength at the end of the Cold War offers a particularly enduring lesson." Representative Steve Scalise, a Republican and majority leader in the House of Representatives, wrote on social media that Feulner "was one of the architects who built the conservative movement in this country."
Fox News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Heritage Foundation founder Edwin J. Feulner dies at 83
Edwin J. Feulner, a prominent figure in the American conservative movement and co-founder and former president of the Heritage Foundation, died on Friday at the age of 83. Feulner served as the organization's president from 1977 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2018. He was well known for transforming the once-obscure think tank into one of the most influential policy powerhouses in Washington, D.C. He was its longest-serving president after helping to create the Washington, D.C.-based think tank in 1973. "Ed Feulner was more than a leader—he was a visionary, a builder, and a patriot of the highest order," Heritage President Kevin Roberts and Board of Trustees Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby said in a joint statement. "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." The group had organized Project 2025, a controversial initiative that offered right-wing policy recommendations for the second Trump administration. Feulner co-wrote the initiative's afterward and he and Roberts met with President Donald Trump ahead of last year's election. Feulner was also on Trump's transition team ahead of his first term. Under his leadership, Heritage instituted a new model of conservative policy advocacy. This helped shape Reagan-era reforms and pushed market-based ideas into political mainstream. Feulner has remained active through Project 2025 and a transition plan for a second Trump term which is drawing praise and criticism for its hardline policy proposals. An author of nine books and a former congressional aide, he was also involved in various other conservative organizations. "Whether he was bringing together the various corners of the conservative movement at meetings of the Philadelphia Society, or launching what is now the Heritage Strategy Forum, Ed championed a bold, 'big-tent conservatism,'" Roberts and Andel-Gaby wrote. "He believed in addition, not subtraction. Unity, not uniformity. One of his favorite mantras was 'You win through multiplication and addition, not through division and subtraction.' His legacy is not just the institution he built, but the movement he helped grow—a movement rooted in faith, family, freedom, and the founding. " "His 'Feulnerisms' still resonate in the halls of Heritage—where they will always be remembered. 'People are policy,' for instance— the heartbeat of his mission—to equip, encourage, and elevate a new generation of conservative leaders, not just in Washington, but across this great country," the statement continued. "And we still remember his adjuration to never be complacent or discouraged: 'In Washington, there are no permanent victories and no permanent defeats.'" Roberts and Andel-Gaby vowed to honor Feulner's life by "carrying his mission forward with courage, integrity, and determination." "Thank you for showing us what one faithful, fearless man can do when he refuses to cede ground in the fight for self-governance," the leaders said of Feulner. Heritage did not disclose Feulner's cause of death. Feulner is survived by his wife Lina, as well as their children and grandchildren.
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Looking for a car under $30K? These affordable vehicles are some of the hardest to find
If you're looking for an economical car, this may not be the best time to start looking. According to data from the auto-retail site, new vehicles priced under $30,000 are disappearing the fastest this year. "We've seen a steady decline in affordable vehicles over the past several years, and the situation has only worsened in 2025 with the added pressure from looming tariffs," said Kevin Roberts, director of economic and market intelligence at CarGurus. While inflation can share some of the responsibility, the under-$30K market of vehicles has shrunk at a rapid clip. "On Jan. 1, 2020, 37.3% of new vehicle listings had an average list price under $30,000," Roberts said. "By Jan. 1, 2025, that share had dropped to 13.4%, and as of mid-June, it was down again to just 12.2%." CarGurus lists more than 4 million new and used cars on its site. Among those listings, they analyzed new vehicles and placed them in seven categories ranging from under $30K to over $80K: Inflation is the only factor limiting lower-priced cars. Roberts said the industry is still feeling the effects of the 2021 microchip-shortage: "When semiconductor supply was tight, automakers prioritized higher profit-margin vehicles and trims, which pushed average prices higher." Worries about tariffs tightened the supply of affordable cars even more. Roberts said buyers flocked to car dealers in March and early April and focused on the most affordable options because they were concerned tariffs would push prices even higher. Which vehicles models under $30K are hardest to find? "Automakers generally continue to make current model year vehicles up to the summer shutdowns around July 4th," said Roberts. "So the decrease in availability of these vehicles is not due to lack of supply but rather an increase in consumer demand for affordable vehicles." The only outlier is the Chevrolet Malibu. Roberts said the Malibu will go out of production after the current 2025 model year, which as led to an 80% decline on The used car market is also seeing a rise in prices During the past year, the number of used vehicles on CarGurus has increased but so have the prices. The average price for a used vehicle on the site in mid-June was $28,900. That's more than an $8K increase from the Jan. 2020 average of $20,600. With those increases comes trade-offs: "Many of the vehicles are older and have higher mileage," said Roberts. The 2021 microchip-shortage also has rippled into the used market. "One trend we've been tracking closely is the relative shortage of younger used vehicles," Roberts said. "Those model years: 3-year-old vehicles are up in price 5.4% year-over-year, and 4-year-old vehicles are up 8.0%, while used prices for all other age groups are up just 0.2%." Tariffs could impact pricing and incentives for future models As for the rest of the year, Roberts thinks tariffs might impact pricing of 2026 models that are due to come out this year. "I think it's going to be a lot more metered out, though. You may not see it as much as an MSRP increase but the cost could be rolled into reduced incentives as well." -- Notes ------ Do you believe there's a decline in affordable cars right now? Has the problem gotten worse over the last 6 months?Absolutely. We've seen a steady decline in affordable vehicles over the past several years, and the situation has only worsened in 2025 with the added pressure from looming tariffs. To put it in perspective, on January 1, 2020, 37.3% of new vehicle listings had an average list price under $30,000. By January 1, 2025, that share had dropped to 13.4%, and as of mid-June, it was down again to just 12.2%. If there is a decline in affordable cars, why do you think the more affordable vehicles are harder to find? (Are buyers responding to interest rates, prices or something else?) Affordable vehicles have become harder to find due to a mix of factors. First, inflation over the past five years has driven up prices across the board - this includes the cost of vehicles, along with associated costs like interest rates and insurance premiums that factor into a car buyer's monthly payment calculation. Second, we're still seeing lingering effects from the chip shortage in 2021. When semiconductor supply was tight, automakers prioritized higher-margin vehicles and trims, which pushed average prices higher. Now that we're back in a buyer's market, lower-priced vehicles haven't returned as quickly as you'd expect. On top of that, fears that tariffs would push prices even higher led to a surge in demand in late March and early April, with buyers especially focused on the most affordable options. As stated in your mid-year report. Why is there an abundant supply of more expensive used vehicles? Any trends in the used market that have bubbled up since January of this year? We're seeing more used vehicles on the market than in previous years, but that broader selection comes with trade-offs. Many of the vehicles are older and have higher mileage. Used models haven't been immune to inflation either, with average prices rising from $20,600 in January 2020 to $28,900 by mid-June. (Prices were even higher at the peak of the chip shortage.) One trend we've been tracking closely is the relative shortage of younger used vehicles. That's a direct result of reduced new vehicle production during the chip shortage, which left fewer recent-model trade-ins entering the used market. This has translated into higher prices for those model years: 3-year-old vehicles are up 5.4% year-over-year, and 4-year-old vehicles are up 8.0%, while used prices for all other age groups are up just 0.2%. As stated in your mid-year report. Why is there an abundant supply of more expensive used vehicles? Any trends in the used market that have bubbled up since January of this year? We're seeing more used vehicles on the market than in previous years, but that broader selection comes with trade-offs. Many of the vehicles are older and have higher mileage. Used models haven't been immune to inflation either, with average prices rising from $20,600 in January 2020 to $28,900 by mid-June. (Prices were even higher at the peak of the chip shortage.) One trend we've been tracking closely is the relative shortage of younger used vehicles. That's a direct result of reduced new vehicle production during the chip shortage, which left fewer recent-model trade-ins entering the used market. This has translated into higher prices for those model years: 3-year-old vehicles are up 5.4% year-over-year, and 4-year-old vehicles are up 8.0%, while used prices for all other age groups are up just 0.2%.
