Aug 10, 2020

Good morning from our nation's capital. Today, we are excited to share with you details about an upcoming event with Vice President Mike Pence that you won’t want to miss! Also, after two straight months of riots in Portland and other U.S. cities, Heritage has released a new report with 14 recommendations on how to stop this violence. Plus, the “pandemic pod” movement is exploding as parents look for alternatives for the upcoming academic year. Heritage’s education expert Lindsay Burke explains how these pods could reshape the way we educate our children even after the pandemic ends. Read more below!

Vice President Pence Helps Heritage Kick Off New ‘Fight for America’ Campaign
Vice President Mike Pence will be joining The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action in Iowa this Thursday for the launch of our new grassroots campaign: Fight for America. This multifaceted event will involve each organization doing what it can as we advocate for American values, support law enforcement, and go on offense against the extremism of the radical left. The launch event will be streamed live at 3:45 p.m. ET, Aug. 13, and Pence will join Sen. Joni Ernst as our featured speakers. Find out more about how you can watch online and how you can participate in this campaign to save our country.

A 14-Point Action Plan to Stop Targeted Violence in America’s Cities
After two straight months of nightly riots in Portland, Oregon, it is clear that more needs to be done to stop organized violence and regain order in Portland and other U.S. cities. Heritage has released a new report with 14 recommendations for law enforcement, policymakers, and local leaders to stop targeted violence in America’s cities. “This set of recommendations is a clarion call for those who still care about restoring peace in our streets, holding accountable those bent on causing anarchy, and reviving our economy,” says Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James. “Though many may feel hopeless in this confusing, frustrating time, there are solutions. We urge lawmakers at the federal, state, and local level to consider them carefully. Our country hangs in the balance.” Read the new report.

What Are ‘Education Pods’ and How Will They Reshape K-12 Schools?
If nothing else, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has revealed America’s unique ability to solve problems on our own—something best exemplified by the sudden appearance of “education pods.” With many schools set to remain closed this fall, the idea of pods sprung up when a group of neighborhood parents teamed up to hire a teacher for their kids. Lindsey Burke, director of Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, explains why this promises to reshape the way we educate our children—even after the pandemic ends. She’s already working on policy ideas to make innovations like education pods more widely available to parents, especially those in low-income households. Read her commentary and watch a Heritage webinar on “How to Start an Education Pod: Civil Society’s Response to COVID-19.”

Daily Signal executive editor Rob Bluey traveled with Vice President Mike Pence aboard Air Force Two as a member of the press pool—a point of contention for some journalists in the White House press corps because Bluey is also Heritage’s vice president of communications. Read his story about Pence’s trip on The Daily Signal.

MONDAY at 2 p.m., Heritage will host a virtual conversation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan about the violent attacks in Portland, Oregon, and why Americans deserve law and order. Register for the webinar.

WEDNESDAY at 9 a.m., Heritage will host a virtual event to discuss if there is potential for North Korea provocation or a U.S. summit. Opening remarks will be made by Thae Yong-ho, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, defector from North Korea, and former deputy ambassador of North Korea to the United Kingdom. Following his remarks there will be a panel discussion with Markus Garlauskas, a former national intelligence officer for North Korea, Duyeon Kim, a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group, and Jung Pak, SK-Korea Foundation Chair in Korea Studies and senior fellow, at The Brookings Institution. Register for the webinar.

WEDNESDAY at 10 a.m., Heritage is co-hosting a virtual summit on protecting children in education. Expert panels will discuss opposing the sexualization of children through laws and policies that impose medically unsound comprehensive sexuality education and sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum in schools. Click here to view the agenda and register for the webinar.

WEDNESDAY at 12:30 p.m., Heritage will host a conversation on the successes of the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative. Featured speakers include, Kelley Currie, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues at the U.S. Department of State, Michelle Bekkering, assistant administrator for the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, Lara Smith, chief of staff at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and and Charity Wallace, managing director for Global Women's Issues at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. Register for the webinar.

Here are highlights from Heritage experts on TV. This week they talked about Chinese espionage, Portland riots, COVID-19 relief bills, voter fraud, and more. Watch the clips.