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Biden's student loan bailout boondoggle is on shaky legal footing <[link removed]> - The Department of Education is relying on a novel interpretation of vague language in an old statute to accomplish a priority of vast significance, one that the administration failed to get through Congress. While prior secretaries had invoked the emergency powers under the HEROES Act, Secretary Cardona cites none that were similar in nature or in scope to the planned cancellation of billions in student debt. So a court is likely to greet the secretary’s assertion of authority with skepticism. Because the HEROES Act nowhere speaks of canceling student loans outright, let alone millions of them, a court may conclude that Congress never gave the secretary this power. The administration’s move to cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt and extend the pause on repayments is unfair, regressive and inflationary. And it may also be illegal. Heritage Experts: Lindsey Burke <[link removed]> and Jack Fitzhenry <[link removed]>  
 
Is the FBI
willing to be impartial? <[link removed]> - Following Mark Zuckerburg’s admission that Facebook censored the Hunter Biden story before the election, the American people should demand answers about whether the FBI is
able—and willing—to fairly and impartially investigate crimes and enforce the law. Considering the Bureau’s conduct of handling potential cases against those on the left, such as Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden, and those on the right, such as Donald Trump, Michael Flynn, and others, there’s good evidence that a double standard is in place. While we don’t know the circumstances surrounding Special Agent in Charge Timothy Thibault’s retirement/resignation, it’s imperative the next Congress hold the FBI accountable, using the appropriations process to examine the agency’s priorities and personnel. Lawmakers must immediately conduct oversight hearings to uncover the extent to which corruption and political bias are infecting the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies. It appears Sens. Grassley and Johnson are leading that charge and we hope they will find answers for the American people. Heritage Experts: Zack Smith <[link removed]> and John Malcolm <[link removed]>  
 
Minnesota Proposes to Require Teachers to Use Critical Race Theory. Here’s What Parents Need to Know <[link removed]> – Only 23% of those surveyed said that “teachers should embrace progressive viewpoints and perspectives when teaching U.S. history, to encourage students to advocate for social justice causes.” “Teachers should and do celebrate our state’s increasingly diverse student body, but these proposed changes would require teachers to view students as group identities and group cultures, undermining who they are as unique individuals,” Catrin Wigfall writes <[link removed]> for the Center for the
American Experiment. Minnesota officials should consider how unpopular <[link removed]> the prejudice and bias of critical race theory are in Illinois and other states where surveys <[link removed]> have found that Americans reject it. Then they should refocus teaching standards on student achievement and the pursuit of truth, instead of identity politics <[link removed]>. Heritage Expert: Jonathan Butcher <[link removed]> 
 
California’s Battery-Powered EVs Could Increase Emissions <[link removed]> – The economic well-being of low-income Californians might be harmed by having to purchase more expensive vehicles. Battery-powered electric vehicles cost more than gasoline-powered equivalents. Ford’s base model F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck costs $46,974, and its gasoline-powered twin costs $32,000. California’s actions generally send ripples eastward, as other states adopt Golden State policies. But until electricity can be generated by emissions-free power, battery-powered vehicles will generally increase, rather than reduce, emissions, and make travel more inconvenient and costly for drivers. Heritage Expert: Diana Furchtgott-Roth <[link removed]> 
 
Why Won’t
Michigan’s Secretary of State Purge Dead From Voter Rolls? <[link removed]> - It should be alarming to Michigan residents that their secretary of state is fighting to prevent the removal of deceased individuals who are still
registered to vote. Maintaining accurate, clean voter rolls is an important part of her job, and election officials should not have to be sued to force them to fulfill <[link removed]> such a basic job requirement. Hopefully, this lawsuit will be successful in finally getting Benson to remove the nearly 26,000 deceased registrants who shouldn’t be on Michigan’s voter rolls. In 2021, a similar lawsuit was filed by the Public Interest Legal Foundation in Pennsylvania and ultimately the commonwealth agreed to settle the case and remove the deceased registrants <[link removed]> from its voter rolls.  But as in Michigan, organizations like the legal foundation should not have to file a lawsuit to get a state to do what it should have been doing all along. Heritage Expert: Hans von Spakovsky <[link removed]>  
 
Joe Biden’s
Student Loan Plan Could Ignite An Inflation Firestorm <[link removed]> – If the Biden administration wants to make it easier for Americans to repay their college loans, there are many better ways <[link removed]> than forcing other Americans <[link removed]> to pay for them. For starters, the administration should encourage—instead of close off—more affordable
education options <[link removed]>. And the best way to make it easier for Americans to repay their loans is for them to work and to earn rising incomes. Over the past year, inflation <[link removed]>
has erased $5,100 of value from the average worker’s paycheck, which is far greater than the average annual student loan payment of $2,700. The administration should remove existing work disincentives and reduce government spending—instead of increasing it by a half a trillion dollars—so that inflation doesn’t continue to erode Americans’ paychecks. Heritage Expert: Rachel Greszler <[link removed]>  
 
Do more to prevent Chinese
espionage <[link removed]> - China is not a friendly competitor. It is very much a strategic threat, one that is actively working to undermine the United States and Western values of freedom and liberty. Yet too many universities and policymakers fail to recognize the danger. Many universities have been blinded by dollar signs. They pay agents to recruit <[link removed]> international students, primarily because they will pay full tuition. China is more than happy to pay the price. Prior to the pandemic, 35% of all foreign students in the U.S. were Chinese nationals. That number has since dropped by more than half <[link removed]>, but Chinese students still fill a disproportionately large share of seats, especially in post-graduate STEM classrooms. Heritage Expert: Dustin Carmack <[link removed]>

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