Sobering: More than 500 days after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, dozens of captives remain, including Americans. Several family members of those hostages and former hostage Ilana Gritsewsky spoke out at Heritage about Hamas’ atrocities against them and their loved ones. 

• “I can’t really describe what I went through. How this pain affects the soul, how each day feels like eternity,” said Gritsewsky. 
• “If the forces of evil that broke into southern Israel … are not defeated, they will not be satisfied with regrouping to attack the Jewish state again. They will be coming for the United States as well,” said Victoria Coates, vice president of Heritage’s Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy. 

Watch the event here. 

From the ashes: As more and more families gain education choice, parents need better options for their children. Heritage is leading the effort to bring that about.

• At the recent Conservative Vision of Education Conference, Heritage unveiled the new Phoenix Declaration, which provides a roadmap for the renewal and reinvigoration of the American education system. It was signed by 10 educational and public interest groups and more than 50 scholars and education policy experts.
• “Like the mythical phoenix rising from the ashes of its former self, we envision an education system that emerges stronger and more vibrant, building upon our nation's foundational values while meeting the challenges of today,” said Heritage Research Fellow Jason Bedrick, who chaired the declaration’s drafting committee. 

Read the press release here, and check out the full Phoenix Statement here.  

Red tape: With all the talk in Washington of the “cost” of tax cuts, one piece of the puzzle is missing: economic growth.

• More growth boosts revenues and cuts spending. And an easy way to spark growth is to cut federal red tape.
• Parker Sheppard and William Beach, research and visiting fellows, respectively, at the Center for Data Analysis, show that just freezing regs would spur growth and cut inflation.

Read the research paper here. 

 

Home at last: After years detained in Russia, Marc Fogel finally returned home. Fogel's wife taught Andrew Harding, research assistant in the Asian Studies Center, sixth-grade history.

• This is more than just a sweet story. “In addition to keeping Americans safe at home, Trump’s seriousness about keeping Americans safe overseas sends a strong message to adversaries who may want to detain Americans,” wrote Harding.

Read more here.

Exposed: Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has vindicated Heritage research showing how billions of taxpayer dollars were covertly funding illegal immigration. 

• “Americans have seen the consequences of wide-open borders but might not have focused on the fact that it was done with their money,” writes Simon Hankinson, senior research fellow at the Border Security and Immigration Center. 

Read more here. 

Heard around the world: Last week, Heritage senior research fellow—and former USAID employee—Max Primorac testified in on the wasteful spending and blatant abuse of the recently defunded USAID.

• The video of the testimony exploded—getting 1.3 million views on Fox’s YouTube channel and another half million on Heritage’s YouTube channel.
• Primorac will testify again next week before a House DOGE subcommittee.

Watch it here.

Renewing the Old World: Conservativism is winning around the globe as commonsense Europeans stand up for traditional values.

• This is thanks in part to President Trump’s resounding success, writes Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts.
• “His victory is fueling a wave of momentum for populist conservative leaders determined to challenge the European Union, dismantle wokeness, and curb mass migration,” Roberts argues.

Read Roberts’ full piece here.

250 years young: Heritage has launched a special round of the Innovation Prizes ahead of America’s 250th anniversary to recognize and provide substantive financial awards that, in total, amount to $250,000 to non-profits for projects focused on themes relating to the Semiquincentennial in 2026. We welcome projects that focus on the following: 

• Celebrating America’s 250th anniversary 
• Building civic awareness and encouraging Americans to engage in civic life 
• Inspiring patriotism 
• Educating citizens about America’s founding principles 
• Teaching Americans about our government’s foundational tenets 

Applications for America’s 250th Anniversary Innovation Prizes are open through May 1. For more information and to apply, please visit our website.

Facing the End of the FACE Act: Is It Time for the Law to Go?

 

Join us for a timely discussion with leading legal and policy experts on why the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act is duplicative, unconstitutional, and must be repealed, and hear stories of those who have been unjustly targeted and charged with violations of this illegitimate law.

 

March 6, noon. Register here.

• Hey, Congress: Make Government Great Again—by Turning Trump’s Reforms into Law—Kevin D. Roberts, Ph.D.
• Trump’s Transgender Orders Are Well Within Executive Authority—Sarah Parshall Perry and Paul J. Larkin
• Budget Reconciliation Priorities for the 119th Congress—Richard Stern
• The European Right Is Learning from the Trump Tornado—Mike Gonzalez
• New York Arrests Highlight Two Immigration Problems Trump Can Solve—Simon Hankinson
• Sanctuary Cities Pose an Unacceptable Risk to Public Safety—John Fabbricatore
• Donald Trump and Narendra Modi Can Transform U.S.-India Relations—Jeff Smith
• Trump’s Korea Strategy: How Washington Is Navigating South Korea’s Political Turmoil—Bruce Klinger
• Medicaid Deserves to Be “Cherished and Loved”—and Reformed—Nina Owcharenko Schaefer
• The Drug Crisis Hasn’t Gone Away. The Trump Administration Should Confront It—Paul Larkin and Bertha K. Madras, Ph.D.
• Be Not Afraid, NH; School Choice Benefits Everyone—Jason Bedrick and Ed Tarnowski

Andrew Hale, who is the Jay Van Andel Senior Policy Analyst in Trade Policy at Heritage, appeared on Epoch TV to provide important insights into President Trump’s trade policy. Watch the clip here.