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How Policymakers Can Address Baby Formula Shortage - As too many American families know from firsthand experience, there’s a baby formula shortage in the United States. While some politicians will surely view the situation as “not letting a crisis go to waste,” this is a time for immediate and thoughtful solutions that address the actual problems. There isn’t a magic bullet to address the shortage, but if government at all levels (federal, state, and local) remove harmful government intervention that’s exacerbating the problem, that would go a long way toward solving the problem. Heritage Expert: Daren Bakst and Rachel Greszler
The Real Problem with CHIPS Subsidies – As the Senate and House of Representatives negotiate their so-called “China bill” or America COMPETES, one of the central issues is whether to give semiconductor companies subsidies to invest in the United States. This would be a big mistake. Like most of COMPETES, the bill’s $50 billion handout to the semiconductor industry has little to do with beating China. In fact, it will help China achieve its industrial goals and, thus, its competitive position vis-a-vis its rivalry with the United States. Heritage Expert: Walter Lohman
Will Europe Ignore U.S. Warnings About China Like They Ignored Warnings Of The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine? – Today, the U.S. and Europe stand in unity against Russia and in support of Ukraine. Even after Europe ignored early intelligence warnings from the U.S. about Russia’s impending invasion, European allies and partners banded together in solidarity once the worst became reality. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is hardly the first time that warnings have been issued by the U.S. to European allies and partners. Even as its diplomatic approach to China has become more solicitous, the US has continued to sound the alarm on the rising threat that China poses to Europe. And such warnings – like those issued before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – have been largely ignored and relegated to the periphery of policymaking. Heritage Expert: Olivia Enos
Sen. Ted Cruz, First Amendment Win at Supreme Court in Campaign Finance Case – Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Monday won a significant First Amendment victory from the U.S. Supreme Court in Federal Election Commission v. Ted Cruz for Senate. It’s not the first time Cruz has been successful at the court, but it was his first time as an actual plaintiff in a case, rather than as solicitor general of Texas. The latter is a position he held prior to becoming a senator, one in which it was his job to represent Texas before the Supreme Court. Monday’s ruling was a 6-3 decision—the typical conservatives vs. liberals split—with Chief Justice John Roberts and his colleagues throwing out a particularly troublesome provision of federal campaign finance law as a violation of the First Amendment. The liberals on the court almost never uphold the First Amendment when it comes to restrictions on political speech and activity. Heritage Expert: Hans von Spakovsky
The ABA is Stretching the Limits of Law with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rule – The ABA recently put forth a newly revised Standard 206 on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. While the ABA has maintained a Diversity and Inclusion standard for many years, an ABA Fall 2020 Roundtable on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity released a revised standard in May 2021. It was accompanied by the suggestion that it be made a “core” standard, which would make a law school’s failure to comply grounds for public notice and, potentially, loss of its accreditation. The ABA’s highly sought-after accreditation has been granted to 199 of the nation’s 237 law schools. In most states, law school graduates cannot sit for the bar exam unless they have graduated from an ABA-accredited school. And since the federal Department of Education recognizes the ABA as the only law school accrediting agency, certain financial aid and other financial benefits can be withheld from both a school and its students unless the ABA has accredited it. Its status as sole law school accreditor gives the ABA the power to force law schools to adopt even controversial standards. Heritage Expert: Sarah Parshall Perry