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Aug 19, 2019

Images of peaceful Hong Kong protesters waving the American flag and singing the U.S. national anthem serve as a stirring reminder that the United States stands for freedom everywhere—and that liberty has to be fought for. Foreign policy expert James Carafano breaks down why the Hong Kong protests matter to the rest of the world. Also this week, Heritage legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky explains why voter fraud is a real threat to our democratic process, and Heritage President Kay Coles James articulates the fundamental principles that undergird conservatism. Read on to learn what conservatives need to know this week.

Hong Kong Should Serve as a Warning to the World
Hong Kong International Airport closed for two days last week after pro-democracy protesters clashed with Hong Kong riot police. It’s been two months since millions of Hongkongers took to the streets to protest legislation that would allow people accused of crimes to be extradited to mainland China. “The outside world can do little to assure the future of freedom in Hong Kong beyond making the case that preserving the principles of liberty are at stake,” says James Carafano, vice president of Heritage's Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy and E.W. Richardson fellow. “Nevertheless, the plight of that territory’s more than 7 million souls can teach us an important lesson about what China has in mind for the rest of the world. It is not good.” Read Carafano’s commentary and learn more about where it all started.

Voter Fraud Is a Very Real Problem
“When someone commits voter fraud, the process is no longer fair, everyone’s vote gets diluted, and in some cases, election results are changed,” says Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow in Heritage’s Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies. “Contrary to the claims of many on the left, voter fraud is a very real problem. As the Supreme Court noted when it upheld Indiana’s voter ID law, flagrant examples of voter fraud have been documented throughout this nation’s history.” In the latest edition of Heritage’s “ America’s Biggest Issues” video series, von Spakovsky breaks down how we can fix the problem. Watch the new video and learn more about proven instances of voter fraud from across the country in Heritage’s Election Fraud Database.

Why Conservatives Must Articulate Our Principles
It is more important than ever for conservatives to talk to Americans about the policy solutions that will improve their lives. To do that, we need to clearly define our principles. All too often, conservative organizations and individuals deviate from their conservative roots due to pressure from the media or political opponents, or from fear of taking an unpopular position. The best way for organizations to stay the course is to resolutely abide by certain fundamental, unchanging principles. “At The Heritage Foundation, we call them the True North principles because they represent a fixed direction on which to stay focused, regardless of which ways the forces may be pressuring us,” says Heritage President Kay Coles James. Read her recent op-ed in which she presents some of the True North principles of conservatism.

HAPPENING AT HERITAGE

President Donald Trump offered celebratory remarks at the 400th anniversary of the first representative legislative assembly in Jamestown, Virginia, on July 30. This event marked exactly 400 years to the day when democracy was born in America. Among those invited to the ceremony were three Heritage Foundation staff members: Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies; Mike Howell, senior adviser for executive branch relations; and Mark DiPlacido, senior legislative assistant at Heritage Action for America. Read more about the event.

Heritage’s Young Leaders Program interns recently wrapped up a successful summer semester in Washington, D.C. “You will lead the conservative movement into the future ... embrace it,” said Bridgett Wagner, vice president of policy promotion at Heritage. “Your time here at Heritage has hopefully taught you just what’s at stake.” The deadline to apply for the spring 2019 class is Sept. 23. Learn more about the program and watch our new video.

This week on the “Heritage Explains” podcast, Robin Simcox, the Margaret Thatcher fellow at Heritage, talks about what it means for the future of al-Qaeda if Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza bin Laden, is dead. Listen to the podcast.

On the “Millennial Myths” podcast, Heritage intern Samantha Renck talks to Meridian Baldacci, a research assistant in domestic policy studies at Heritage, about the real cost of a government-mandated health care program, what it would look like for patients, and more. Listen to the podcast.

HERITAGE IN THE NEWS

A review of Heritage Foundation TV interviews from the week of August 11, 2019, on topics that include the Hong Kong protests, the deficit, gun violence, social media bias, and election integrity. Watch the video.

POLICY PICTURE

Some of today’s leading liberals have a problem with this quote. Yet we’ve spent $28 trillion on a dizzying array of government programs for poor and low-income Americans that promote dependency, and millions of Americans are now dependent on the handouts of others. How is that helpful?

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