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Cuban Protests Are Reminders of Communism’s Evils—and of Why America Is Land of Hope – It’s no surprise that Sanders and other far-left proponents of Cuba and “democratic socialism” have been quiet about the recent protests. The closer you get to “real” socialism and communism, the closer you get to real tyranny. But for many on the left, their lack of understanding of human nature leaves them unable to see that. That’s why a bill recently passed in Florida to teach K-12 students about communism and totalitarianism is so important. Life under communism begins with the destruction of freedom in the name of equality, leads to people having nothing to eat, and ends when the regime can no longer stamp out flickering flames of liberty. Heritage expert: Jarrett Stepman

Biden Targets State Election Bills in Philadelphia Speech –  The “big lie” is actually Biden’s false claim that state efforts to reform their election laws are “the worst challenge to our democracy since the Civil War." The “worst challenge to our democracy” is the effort by Biden and his liberal allies to have the federal government takeover the administration of elections and to eliminate all measures like voter ID that protect the security and integrity of the election process. The partisan attacks of Biden’s Justice Department on state election reforms and basic good government efforts like election audits are an abuse of power that threaten our democratic republic. Biden’s actions show that he has no interest in protecting voters or the sanctity of the ballot box and instead wants to help those who prey on voters and the most vulnerable in our society. Heritage experts: Hans von Spakovsky and Zack Smith

Rescuing Math and Science from Critical Race Theory’s Racial Discrimination – Despite claims to the contrary, K–12 educators are applying the racial prejudice of critical race theory (CRT) to school lessons. In recent months, parents and policymakers around the country have objected to CRT’s mischaracterization of American history in the academic subjects of history and civics. Critical race theorists, however, have also applied the theory’s racially biased principles to math and science. Some educators have redesigned math and science curricula to incorporate CRT’s racially discriminatory ideas to these technical subjects, replacing a focus on mastery of mathematical and scientific processes with racial bias. Parents, educators, and policymakers should reject racial prejudice in every subject, and educators and policymakers should prohibit any instructional material from requiring children to affirm, believe, or practice racial discrimination in their schoolwork. Heritage expert: Jonathan Butcher

Excessive Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Are a Warning Against Unemployment Program Expansions – The massive expansion in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits—including super-sized bonuses and minimal eligibility confirmations—may be the most flawed, wasteful, and even damaging component of the federal government’s COVID-19 economic policy response. Historically, about 40 percent of unemployed workers received unemployment benefits, but, since Congress expanded benefits during the pandemic, far more people have received—and continue to receive—unemployment benefits than have been unemployed, as the programs have been plagued with widespread fraud and abuse. The cumulative number of unemployment checks has exceeded the cumulative number of weeks of unemployment by 557 million—costing taxpayers an estimated $357 billion beyond what would have been needed to cover 100 percent of unemployed workers’ benefits. Excessive benefits have also contributed to significant labor shortages across the U.S. The systematic failures, widespread fraud, and unintended economic effects of these programs should serve as a warning sign to policymakers considering permanent UI expansions. Heritage expert: Rachel Greszler

Understanding Economics Can Cure an Obsession With Socialism – Despite many Americans’ apparent support for socialism, few actually have a good grasp of the implications of this system. Instead of developing a framework for economic thinking in the classroom, most Americans hear about socialism from politicians such as Sen. Sanders. Sanders does not, however, offer a realistic summary of what socialism really would mean for Americans. So, one of the best weapons against socialism may simply be teaching students what exactly socialism is. Understanding basic economics would fill the gaps in many Americans’ understanding of the economy and clarify the serious sacrifices that socialism requires. Colleges and universities in America should make economics classes a priority for students. Heritage expert: Tori Smith

Dismantling the military justice system will not reduce sexual assault – We don’t need to sabotage the military justice system to reduce sexual assault. There are better options available. We should provide more frequent and effective training to junior leaders to help them to root out the problem. The services can also provide enhanced training to their prosecutors and establish a dedicated prosecutor track to obtain even better results at court-martial. The military justice system is currently serving servicemembers and the nation well. Rather than dismantle it, let’s work to improve it and the tools we have to stamp out sexual assault. Heritage expert: Tom Spoehr