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Russian invasion of Ukraine could be costly even without US troops involved, experts say – A further invasion into Ukraine could be costly for Russian forces even if American and NATO troops don’t get involved because of the assistance they’ve already provided to Ukrainian forces, a panel of outside experts said Monday. “The Ukraine that we have today is not the same Ukraine in 2014 [when Russia invaded Crimea],” said Luke Coffey, director of the Allison Center for Foreign Policy at the Heritage Foundation, during a panel discussion on tensions in Eastern Europe. “The Ukrainian Armed Forces are far better trained, equipped and resourced, and are more motivated than they were in 2014 … The Ukrainians can fight for themselves.” Heritage Experts: Alexis Mrachek and Nile Gardiner

As Homicide Rates Break Records, Black Lives Clearly Don’t Matter to BLM or to Soros-Backed Rogue Prosecutors – The rise of rogue prosecutors such as Krasner has dovetailed with the rise of BLM, and its push for “abolition.” In their lexicon, abolition has nothing to do with ending slavery, of course. As BLM founder Patrisse Cullors explained in this Feb. 22 video, “To really put it simply, abolition is the getting rid of police, prisons and jails, surveillance, and courts.” In the video, Cullors adds that she learned about abolition and restorative justice at the age of 21 in a workshop put together by Critical Resistance, which was founded by Communist Party leader Angela Davis. So when BLM said in its statement this week, “In an abolitionist society, this trial would not be taking place,” they are completely correct. Under abolition, Smollett would not have been arrested, prosecuted, tried, or convicted. No criminal would be. And that’s the problem. Heritage Expert: Mike Gonzalez

Inflation Hits Nearly 40-Year High as Biden Administration Embraces Reckless Spending – “President Biden represents an embrace of radical, socialist policies that will exacerbate inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain disruptions Americans are facing. Make no mistake, these enormous expansions of government spending by the left will come at a cost. Americans will pay either through direct taxation, higher borrowing costs, or the hidden tax of inflation. This inflation tax can be the most destructive and painful of all. Additionally, Democrats are trying to effectively suspend the debt limit with a one-time bill that eliminates traditional safeguards, allowing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer a blank line to write in whatever debt increase he desires—likely a significant number that would dramatically increase nondefense spending, enact the massive tax and spending package, plus leave funds for future pet projects.” Heritage Expert: Joel Griffith

Christendom’s Greatest Satirist – The willingness to forsake partisanship in the pursuit of moral truth: Here is a partial remedy for the political and cultural rifts that seem to threaten our democratic republic. Jean Le Clerc, a Protestant scholar in Amsterdam, summarized the influence of Erasmus: “It cannot be doubted that he has contributed greatly to the enlightenment of his age and to preparing men to accept a day of which he himself has seen only the dawn.” America could benefit from another enlightenment, this time in the spirit of Erasmus. Heritage Expert: Joe Loconte

Wikipedia Threatens to Purge ‘Communist Mass Killings’ Page, Cites Anti-Communist Bias – Wikipedia’s efforts to delete the article represent a dangerous combination of censorship and communist apologia. And given the fact that the specter of communism still represents a global threat, Wikipedia’s willingness to sanitize the evil philosophy represents a dire threat.  To their credit, it appears that Wikipedia has hit the brakes on deleting the article. But that doesn’t mean we should become complacent.  “There have been many victims of communism. They cannot be forgotten,” warns Edwards. “These voices of the victims are calling out to us through the decades … Communist China continues to be a threat to the safety, prosperity, and freedom of the rest of the world.” Wikipedia’s actions do a disservice to those victims of Marx’s failed philosophy. It is up to us to guard their memories, so that the atrocities of communism stay buried in the past where they belong. Heritage Expert: Douglas Blair

Why Taiwan is The Lynchpin of China’s Quest for Global Dominance – Taiwanese firms have more than 60 percent of the global market share of chip production. Were China to somehow jeopardize that capacity, Beijing would have the ability to influence other countries to an overwhelming degree. This would affect not only the United States but such key allies as Japan and Germany. It is not for the United States to determine the ultimate fate of Taiwan, or dictate the relationship between Beijing and Taipei. But it is in America’s interest to ensure that this sensitive region, with its enormous impact on global economic security, does not see the outbreak of conflict. American efforts to support a peaceful resolution of the Taiwan Straits issue, including deterring a Chinese use of force against the island of Taiwan, are an integral part of sustaining global peace and stability. Heritage Expert: Dean Cheng

Will New York Times, Washington Post Return Pulitzers for Misleading ‘Russia Collusion’ Stories? – In 2018, journalists from The New York Times and The Washington Post won a Pulitzer Prize in national reporting for their biased and inaccurate coverage of Russia’s alleged collaboration with the Trump campaign to interfere with the 2016 election, a claim we now know was a hoax.  So, when are they going to return the prize? If this sounds familiar, it should. This is not the first time the prize—which is supposed to recognize outstanding achievement and public service in journalism—was awarded for misleading and discredited coverage. Heritage Expert: Hans von Spakovsky