Jul 26, 2021

Happy Monday! The delayed Summer Olympics got underway in Tokyo last week, which raises the specter of the Winter Olympics being held in China next year. How should the U.S. respond? We look at the possibilities. There’s also a compelling video that makes the border crisis very real. And we look at a federal judge’s decision on DACA that blocked President Joe Biden’s attempt to expand it. There are events, happenings, and podcasts, and videos to check out as well in this week’s Agenda.

What the U.S. Should Do About 2022 Olympics in Communist China
Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics, despite the Chinese government’s human rights violations—from their ongoing genocide of Uighur Muslims to their grossly irresponsible handling of COVID-19. So how should the U.S. react? Is a boycott of the Olympics in order? According to Heritage senior policy analyst Olivia Enos, “There are other options—options that do not punish American athletes, and also do not fail to hold human rights violators accountable.” Read the full report to find out what those options are.

Life on a Border Ranch: Cut Water Lines, Stolen Property, Dead Bodies
Heritage’s multimedia news outlet, The Daily Signal, released a new mini-documentary about the hardships and horrors U.S. ranchers face along our southern border. The documentary features rancher John Ladd, whose family’s 125-year-old ranch is on the U.S.-Mexico border. “The biggest difference with the people coming now is, when Border Patrol catches them, they tell them, they say, ‘We’re going to stay here, no matter what you do to us, because your President Biden wants us,’” Ladd told The Daily Signal. Watch the documentary to learn more about how the border crisis is affecting U.S. citizens.

Federal Judge Rules Against DACA
A federal judge in Texas ruled that the Obama administration broke the law when it created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen also blocked President Biden’s attempts to extend the program to new illegal immigrants. The left, of course, is furious. But the judge’s decision upholds an important constitutional principle. “It says that a president cannot simply ignore existing immigration law outlining who may legally enter the country and grant administrative amnesty (and government benefits) to whomever he wants,” writes senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky. Read the full commentary to find out what implications a ruling like this has beyond the issue of border security.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Heritage Foundation has over 2 million followers on Facebook? Are you one of them? Check out our page for conservative videos, graphics, commentaries, and reports.

Our newest episode of “Road Trip on a Budget” is now available to watch. The animated series, featuring Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, explains the nation’s budget crisis in an entertaining and informative way. Watch the latest episode.

Heritage's John Malcolm testified about the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States. This commission was established by President Biden in response to calls from the left to pack the court. Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government, called the commission “misguided and potentially dangerous.” Read the full testimony.

The U.S. Department of Education walked back plans for a grant proposal influenced by critical race theory. Heritage Foundation scholars Lindsey Burke, Mike Gonzalez, and Jonathan Butcher had previously urged the Biden administration to do so. “This move is a victory for those who oppose children being taught to discriminate,” they wrote. Read the full statement.

The Biden administration’s agreement on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline sends a “message of weakness to adversaries,” said Heritage’s Daniel Kochis, a senior policy analyst in the Thatcher Center for Freedom. Read the full statement.

The Coup in Burma: What Should the U.S. Do? Tuesday at noon. Featured speakers include Burma activist Mike Mitchell, Women’s Peace Network director Wai Wai Nu, Human Rights Watch Asia advocacy director John Sifton, EarthRights International general counsel Marco Simons. Register for this virtual event.

China’s Aggressive New Tactics in South Asia, Thursday at 11 a.m. Featured speakers include Carnegie Endowment for International Peace associate fellow Darshana Baruah and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies senior research fellow and academic director of global policy Daniel Markey. Register for this virtual event.

This week on “Heritage Explains,” Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies and manager of Heritage’s Election Law Reform Initiative, breaks down HR 4, the left’s new attempt at a federal takeover of our elections. Listen to the episode.

Heritage senior advisor and spokesperson Genevieve Wood joined Newsmax to discuss the White House’s working with Facebook to flag misinformation. Watch the interview.

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