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TSA stops mask enforcement after federal judge voids mandate—The federal court ruling nullifying the mandate CDC placed on every mode of transportation from commercial jetliners to Ubers was good policy and good law. The CDC's attempt to make unprecedented use of a 75-year-old statute to require masking exceeded its legal authority. As with CDC's eviction moratorium and OSHA's vaccine mandate, the courts were right to rein in federal overreach. The ruling is also good policy. Studies by Harvard University and the Department of Defense found that airplane cabins are among the safest indoor environments, with air constantly filtered, exchanged and properly directed. Despite yet another setback, the Biden administration still is clinging to emergency powers. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has extended the COVID-19 public health emergency, now in its third year, through mid-July. It is time that the administration relinquished these emergency powers and restored the constitutional order, which prizes individual liberty over government authority. Heritage Expert: Doug Badger

 

Biden Aims to Expand Access to Student-Loan Debt Forgiveness for Millions of People—The administration is becoming more and more aggressive with its back-door student loan forgiveness, this time, with the stroke of a pen, counting months in deferment toward ultimate forgiveness for borrowers in income-driven repayment plans.  Income-driven repayment is an already generous taxpayer-funded program. Why should we now expect lower-earning Americans—who did not attend or could not attend college—to pay off the cost of bachelor’s and graduate degree holders, who are statistically more likely to out-earn them?  Many Americans made a conscious decision not to attend college to avoid debt. Forgiveness proposals like this foist someone else’s debt onto them. Additionally, student loan forgiveness will likely encourage colleges to raise tuition, particularly if graduates expect student loans to be forgiven again in the future. If Congress wants to help, lawmakers should pursue policies that actually drive down the cost of tuition, such as reducing federal subsidies, rather than shifting debt payments onto taxpayers. Heritage Expert: Lindsey Burke

 

Chinese espionage 'greatest long-term threat' to US national and economic security We need more investigators in the United States; FBI, CIA, for example, to monitor and to actually go out and find when the Chinese are trying to use cover companies to get in and sneak and steal our intellectual property. The United States needs to understand that the Chinese Communist Party is an existential threat to its own people and the American people. … Right now, we are playing from behind and this president is instilling no confidence whatsoever that our country is prepared for this fight. Heritage Expert: Brent Sadler 

 

Despite Raging Inflation, Congress Bent on Continuing Spending Spree Inflation, which was already a problem at the start of the year, is now reaching levels not seen in decades. Real wages are down 4.5% since President Joe Biden took office, and inflation is hitting all 50 states. Some aspects of inflation are seen across the global economy. However, inflation is higher in the U.S. than in similar countries. There’s increasing recognition that Washington’s reckless spending spree is at the core of the problem. Heritage Expert: David Ditch

 

These 10 Incidents Highlight Importance of Second Amendment for Women Since 1987, the United States has recognized March as Women’s History Month to celebrate the vital role of women in American history. Unfortunately, far too often we find that the armed women of history are overlooked or completely forgotten, and the vital role of the Second Amendment in the lives of American women is ignored. Women long have availed themselves of the right to keep and bear arms in defense of life, liberty, and property. To honor Women’s History Month, we decided to highlight 10 incidents from last month in which the Second Amendment made all the difference for women, either because they were armed or because another armed person came to their defense. Heritage Expert: Amy Swearer


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