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Teachers' union questions CDC guidelines on distancing: 'We are not convinced' <[link removed]> – The latest figures from Brown University researchers found a confirmed case rate among students of
0.14% in a database of nearly 1,300 schools. As explained in The Wall Street Journal this week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers show hundreds more fatal cases of the flu among school-aged children than COVID-19. Two studies profiled on NPR recently found “no consistent relationship between in-person schooling and the spread of coronavirus.” Yet, are these low numbers the result of keeping schools closed? Findings from international studies and the available evidence from K-12 private schools in the U.S. that are open to in-person learning suggest that’s not the case. Heritage expert: Jonathan Butcher <[link removed]>

The Left’s Immigration Policies Are Endangering Children <[link removed]> – If the Biden administration and majority leaders in Congress don’t pause, reflect on the current border
emergency that developed in mere weeks, and change course to stop the growing flow of unaccompanied alien children to our border, then we’ll know these aren’t unintended consequences. At this point, it’s difficult to conclude it's anything but on purpose. It is certainly inhumane. No longer can Democrats honestly claim they are “for the children.” And though they will continue to make that vacuous assertion in immigration and other contexts, no one should believe them. Heritage expert: Lora Ries <[link removed]>

Trump’s Tax Cuts Worked. Tax Hikes Now Will Kneecap Economic Recovery From COVID-19. <[link removed]> – Political pressure from the left to increase taxes and ballooning deficits are already threatening tax reform’s gains. Beginning in 2022, the most pro-growth reform—full expensing—begins to phase out, and three years later, the lower tax rates for small businesses and individuals expire. Congress will need to act to preserve the gains from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. However, without budget reforms that bring spending growth under control, businesses, families, and investors alike can expect tax hikes and slower growth in the future. By rejecting unsustainable growth in government spending and
making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, lawmakers could foster the conditions for a strong economy in the years ahead. Heritage expert: Adam Michel <[link removed]>

School Districts Are Hiding Information About Gender-Transitioning Children From Their Parents. This Is Unconstitutional. <[link removed]> – While the public school districts and their unions may foolishly assume they know better than parents about what to do when it comes to a child’s “gender identity,” the Constitution and other federal law do not grant them the authority to circumvent parental consent
or notification in these matters. Despite the whims of the board of education, a parent’s rights do not end at the schoolhouse door. But if not eliminated, the unconscionable policy of the Montgomery County Board of Education will be the beginning of a steep and precipitous decline in protections for those rights. Heritage experts: Sarah Perry <[link removed]> and Emilie Kao <[link removed]>

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Tax Incentives Are No Way to Drive Energy Innovation. Here’s Why. <[link removed]> – Business models built around taxpayer-funded subsidies also distort the incentive that drives innovation. Preferential tax treatment reduces the necessity for an industry to make its technology cost-competitive, because the tax credit shields a company from recognizing the actual price at which its technology is economically viable. The government should not prop up any energy source, and should instead allow competitive markets to meet America’s
energy needs. However well intentioned, tax subsidies look more like corporate welfare for politically connected industries, and much less effective at spurring a dominant, world-class energy sector. Heritage experts: Adam Michel <[link removed]> and Nick Loris <[link removed]>

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