Please reply to this email to arrange an interview.
Biden’s pause on student loan repayments ‘adds fuel to the inflation fire – This latest blunder by the Biden administration (further extending the moratorium on student loan repayments) is adding to price increases in at least three ways. First, forestalling the repayment of debt adds fuel to the inflation fire by putting upward pressure on the money supply, and therefore inflation. Second, after repeatedly promising not to extend the moratorium, this latest extension is just another broken promise by the Biden administration. The unpredictable and irrational behavior of the executive branch has created uncertainty for markets, which reduces investment, and consequently output, and that puts upward pressure on prices. Third, delaying student loan repayments also removes an incentive for many people to re-enter the workforce, further contributing to labor costs and higher prices across the economy. Heritage Expert: EJ Antoni
Biden's greatest Ukraine challenge is coming – At home, the president is distracted and weakened by an unpopular domestic policy agenda that seems to sink more deeply into a quagmire by the day. Will he have the time, energy, and interest in building back a better Europe? Biden also must fight against the weight of his own policies that make the U.S. a less effective force at home and abroad. This challenge is particularly daunting when it comes to energy policy because he would have to abandon his unrealistic ambitions of reaching "Global Zero" and powering the nation solely on renewable green energy. Perhaps Biden will find his inner-Harry Truman and take on the tough leadership role these times demand. But a betting man would wager that, even if he decides to take on these difficult challenges, he will want to lead with the same woke policies that have thus far left him leading from way, way behind. And that’s just not enough to get the job done. Heritage Expert: Brent Sadler and John Venable
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, Dean Cheng, and Olivia Enos
Who Suffers the Most From America’s Crime Wave? – Violent crime, like the price of gas, is rising. Not everyone is experiencing this crime wave in the same way. For some, it’s a distant issue experienced by other people somewhere else. For others, it’s a daily life-threatening concern. We parsed the FBI’s crime data from 2011 to 2020 (the most recent data available) and found that African Americans bear an increasingly large share of the harm from crime. African American offenders, meanwhile, are committing an increasingly large share of violent crimes. For other racial groups, the numbers are either decreasing (in the case of both white victims and offenders), increasing by much smaller amounts, or holding constant. Heritage Expert: GianCarlo Canaparo
A Critical Look at Critical Race Theory in America’s Classrooms – Racial prejudice left a shameful mark on America’s past, but contrary to what critical race theorists believe, racism does not define America. And racial discrimination has no place in law or culture today. The Heritage Foundation invited 13 scholars to contribute to “The Critical Classroom,” a volume that uncovers the often surreptitious application of critical race theory and analyzes the effects that such a biased theory has on teachers and students alike. “The Critical Classroom” traces the origins of critical race theory and explains that racist institutions, such as slavery and Jim Crow laws, violated our nation’s ideals—and adds that America is not systemically racist. Yet radical activists who aim to keep critical race theory in schools want students to believe that America’s laws and cultural institutions are beyond repair. Heritage Expert: Jonathan Butcher
Despite Failed History of Energy Tax Credits, Some in Congress Push for More – The White House and some in Congress are reportedly testing the waters to see what energy tax carveouts might be salvageable from President Joe Biden’s multitrillion-dollar spending package, the Build Back Better Act, which fell apart last winter. Democrats are laboring to reframe the energy price crisis as an argument for increasing taxpayer spending on wind and solar power, and electric vehicles. More than 80 House Democrats called on the Biden administration to further expand energy tax credits. It’s just another misdiagnosis of the problem and, consequently, a misguided prescription for the high energy prices Americans are paying. Heritage Expert: Katie Tubb
State of the Union: An Annual Review of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Legislation – Concerned Members of Congress have blocked some efforts by the leadership to insert gender ideology into provisions of federal law, but more remains to be done. Members must work to protect Americans’ fundamental liberties against a gender ideology that, if enshrined in law, would redefine what it means to be human in our laws and institutions. They can do this in several ways: by submitting public comments on proposed regulations, creating a Hyde-like amendment to stop taxpayer funding of controversial procedures, and harnessing the momentum on tech policy and parental rights to ensure better protection of families. Heritage Expert: Jay Richards
The Danger of a Woke Duopoly – American education has long suffered under a monopolistic system in which students are assigned to public schools based on where they live. Supporters of school choice have tried to break this monopoly by offering education alternatives that families could select, with funding following the child. The expansion of publicly funded private school choice has been slow, with only about 1% of students nationwide participating. Charter schools, which are public schools operated independently of traditional school districts, have grown more rapidly, enrolling about 7% of all students.Since the onset of the COVID lockdowns, more and more parents have expressed dissatisfaction with their assigned schools and increased their interest in alternatives. Yet, as choice is beginning to gain some steam, opponents are redoubling their efforts to both curtail private school choice and over-regulate charter schools. Heritage Expert: Jay Greene