May 24, 2021

Good Monday morning! In this week’s Agenda, we feature a compelling new Heritage Foundation video exposing the Marxist roots of critical race theory and why it must be confronted head-on. Heritage President Kay C. James explains why President Joe Biden’s “American Families Plan” reminds her of a Ronald Reagan adage about the role of government. We also provide insights into the recent flare-up of violence between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, Heritage continues to score victories on state election integrity reforms, and one of our experts talks about the alarming spike in inflation. Plus, there’s the usual roundup of events and more.

Combatting Critical Race Theory
What would you call an ideology that rejects color-blindness, openly criticizes the civil rights movement, attacks successful blacks, and is blatantly and unapologetically racist? Today it goes by the name “critical race theory,” a Marxist-based philosophy that is spreading like a cancer from a few university campuses to schools, businesses, even the military. A compelling new Heritage video exposes the tenets of CRT and its destructive intent. “Americans should defend civil rights, and we would actively work to eliminate racism in the United States and anywhere it exists,” the video says. “These noble aims are not the stated intentions of critical race theory.” Watch the full video to find out more and share it with your social networks.

The ‘American Families Plan’ Will Do More Harm Than Good
President Ronald Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Pay heed to the Gipper’s insight as President Joe Biden pushes his $1.8 trillion “American Families Plan,” which claims to help American families, but would radically undermine them. “Practically every big-government social program that liberals have instituted in America has ended up doing more harm to the people they’ve claimed they were trying to help,” writes Heritage President Kay C. James. “I know, because I lived that experience as a child, and I’ve witnessed it every day in Black communities in the six decades since.” Read James’ full commentary to find out why the American Families Plan fits in that category.

Here’s What the U.S. Should Do About the Latest War Between Israel and Hamas
Israel and Hamas militants recently fought their fourth mini-war since 2008.  How did this conflict begin, and what role if any should America play? In a new episode of “The Daily Signal Podcast,” Heritage Senior Research Fellow Jim Phillips explains all of that and more. “In Hamas’ world, in order to defend Jerusalem, it had to fire missiles at Jerusalem. But this is part of its long-term strategy not only to destroy Israel, but to undermine any chance of peace between Israel and the Palestinian [National] Authority,” says Phillips. Listen to the episode or read the Q&A to learn what America can and should do going forward.

Florida has joined the ranks of states like Georgia and Arizona to make their elections more secure. Heritage experts have promoted specific election reform ideas across the country, and Florida implemented many of them. Learn more about our impact.

Tuesday at noon, Heritage will host an event discussing the increasingly flagrant censorship of conservative speech by Big Tech. Featured speaker is FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. Register for this event.

Tuesday at 2 p.m., Heritage will host an event identifying Biden’s bureaucratic plan for addressing the needs of real American families. Experts joining the discussion are Senior Fellow Doug Badger; Center for Education Policy Director Lindsey M. Burke; Visiting Fellow Lesile Ford; and Research Fellow Rachel Greszler. Register for this event.

Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., Heritage will host Burmese Foreign Minister Zin Mar Aung. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will offer the opening remarks and U Htin Lin Aung, special representative for international relations, will also join the discussion. Register for this event.

Wednesday at noon, Heritage will host a 30-minute “Policy Pulse” discussion on President Biden’s budget and its shortfalls for defense and education. Featured speakers include Center for Education Policy Director Lindsey M. Burke and Center for National Defense Director Thomas Spoehr. Register for this event.

Thursday at 10 a.m., Heritage will host an event looking at the Biden administration’s agenda regarding access to prescription drugs without sacrificing future discoveries. Featured speakers include Center for Medicine in the Public Interest President Peter Pitts, Senior Fellow Doug Badger, and Visiting Intellectual Property Fellow Adam Mossoff. Register for this event.

Thursday at noon, Heritage will host a 30-minute “Policy Pulse” discussion about Hamas attacks on Israel and the roots of anti-Israel sentiment on the American left. Featured speakers include Independent Women’s Forum Visiting Fellow Ellie Cohanim, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Michael Doran, and Research Fellow Joel Griffith. Register for this event.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” Heritage Foundation Research Fellow Joel Griffith breaks down the current inflation situation. Listen to the podcast.

With oral arguments over and the term in the home stretch, the U.S. Supreme Court is issuing opinions at high speed. Our hosts discuss the latest on “SCOTUS 101.” Listen to the podcast.

Critical Race Theory Is the Wrong Way to Discuss Race
Heritage Foundation visiting fellow Allen Guelzo, an American historian and Princeton University professor, joined Fox News’ “The Story with Martha MacCallum” to discuss the dangers of using critical race theory in school curricula. Watch the interview.

The national debt is now more than $28 trillion, making it critical to address America’s spending problem. See more charts at Heritage’s Federal Budget in Pictures.

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