Flunked out: Last week, President Trump took the first definitive step toward achieving something that President Reagan called for 44 years ago: dismantling the failed U.S. Department of Education.

• Among those invited to attend Trump’s executive order signing ceremony were Heritage education reform experts (from left to right) Jonathan Butcher, Lindsey Burke, Ph.D., and Jason Bedrick. Also in attendance were Vice President of Outreach and Advocacy Janae Stracke, Vice President of Strategic Communications Mary Vought, and Visiting Fellow Tiffany Justice.
• Four years ago, Burke and Butcher wrote a detailed report on exactly how to go about dismantling the department and “restore control of education to states, localities, and families.”

Read that report here, and The Daily Signal coverage of the event here.

Rogue judges: Judges have issued a raft of “nationwide injunctions” to block President Trump’s agenda. Paul Larkin and GianCarlo Canaparo, legal experts in the Meese Center, explain why these injunctions cross the line.

• These court orders “prevent the federal government from enforcing an act of Congress, executive order, or agency rule against nonparties,” they write.  (See the picture above.)

Read the legal analysis here.

Null and void: After Heritage’s Oversight Project found that an autopen signed most of President Biden's documents, President Trump declared Biden’s presidential pardons legally void. Legal analysis shows how Trump’s actions were likely warranted. 

• "The Biden administration’s use of the autopen may well have been contrary even to the most permissive interpretation of the law," it said. 

Read more here. 

Case closed: Immediately after Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky exposed the fact that FBI agents asked applicants about gender identity “bias” in interviews, FBI officials nixed those questions from background checks.  

• Trump's EO requires the FBI "to eliminate its policy and practice of asking whether an individual has exhibited any ‘bias’ based on someone’s ‘gender identity,’” writes von Spakovsky. 

Read the story 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.

Down south: Last week, Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts met with two of America’s great allies in the South: Argentina's President Javier Milei and Paraguay's President Santiago Peña.

• Roberts appeared on Real America’s Voice to discuss the great success of Milei’s leadership in Argentina.
• He met with Peña at a roundtable on a U.S.-Paraguay partnership to combat drug trafficking, and Roberts recognized Peña’s bold leadership.

Perverse incentives: That’s what the current welfare system offers low- to moderate-income families, explains Heritage Senior Research Fellow Robert Rector.

• “Welfare has led to a sharp decline in marriage in the U.S. When Lyndon Johnson launched the War on Poverty, 7% of American children were born outside marriage. Today the number is over 40%,” Rector said.

Read his full testimony here.

Voting with their feet: Millions of Americans moved across state lines over the past few years—and the data reveal an important reason why.

• “If migration is any indication, most people prefer living in low-tax states, where taxpayers—not politicians—have more control over how money is spent in the economy,” writes Heritage Research Fellow Preston Brashers.

Read Brashers’ full report here.  

Fighting for the future: America’s brightest high school students aren’t waiting on the sidelines—they’re stepping up to fight for the future of our country. The Lloyd and Bea Smith High School Fellowship equips young conservatives with the knowledge and skills they need to defend America’s founding principles and actively engage in building tomorrow’s conservative movement.  

• Real-world policy experience. Fellows don’t just study conservative ideas; they engage directly with policymakers, scholars, and experts at Heritage.  
• Leadership training. From public speaking to professional networking to projects developing policy ideas, students gain the skills to lead confidently and advocate conservative values.  
• Be part of the movement. Connect with like-minded conservative students who share your passion.    

Applications are open through April 11, 2025.  Apply today!  

Edwin Meese III Originalism Lecture: "Originalism, the Administrative State, and the Clash of Political Theories"

This annual lecture honors former Attorney General Ed Meese’s legacy of advancing an understanding and jurisprudence of originalism. Prof. Joel Alicea delivered this year’s lecture. Alicea is with the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law.

 

Watch the recording here.

• Cost Savings and Reform at the Department of Defense—Wilson Beaver and Jarrett Lane
• The Biden Administration Has Brought an Additional 6.7 Million Illegal Aliens into the U.S.—Robert Rector
• Shipbuilding Revitalization Requires Reforms from the Navy, Shipbuilders, and Congress Alike—Wilson Beaver
• The True Story Behind Donald Trump’s Stance on NATO and Ukraine—Eugene Kontorovich
• Tyrants of the Imperious Judiciary: Federal Judge Orders ‘Gender Reassignment’ for Child Killer—Hans von Spakovsky
• How to Align Your Money with Your Faith—Rob Bluey

President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk, has reignited interest in reining in out-of-control government spending.  

• Many Americans don’t know about the insane projects that the federal government funds with their hard-earned taxes. 
• That’s why we created The Heritage Foundation DOGE Survey.

Help Heritage to advance policies that will cut the federal budget, remove burdensome regulations, and restore sanity to the country’s finances. Take the survey here.

Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky appeared on NTD News, a network founded by Chinese-Americans who fled communism, to discuss the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport criminal illegals. Watch the clip here.