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In 5 Charts, How Heritage’s Budget Blueprint Would Clean Up Washington’s Mess <[link removed]> - It’s no secret that the federal government’s finances are a wreck. Washington has spent too much <[link removed]> and added far too much
to the national debt <[link removed]> for the sake of political convenience and payoffs <[link removed]> to well-connected special interests <[link removed]>. We’re now paying a heavy price for years of irresponsible governing, with inflation <[link removed]> hitting 40-year highs. Waves of deficit spending <[link removed]> are one of the major contributing factors to these economic woes. And as bad as things are now, the government is only making them worse for our children, who will have to pick up the tab—in the form of vastly higher taxes, a devalued dollar, and shaky national credit—for today’s spending sprees. Now, more than ever, serious problems require serious solutions. The Heritage Budget Blueprint provides a strong contrast to President Joe Biden’s big government vision <[link removed]>, which imagines that the federal government can run
things better than families, state and local governments, and civil society. We’re seeing firsthand what happens when too much power, money, and control are concentrated in Washington. Heritage Expert: David Ditch <[link removed]> 
 
Religious University Forced To Recognize LGBT Student Club Takes The Fight To SCOTUS <[link removed]> – Must religious institutions abandon certain core tenets to operate in the public square? That question is at the heart of yet another lawsuit arising from the tensions between religious liberty and anti-discrimination laws. This week, New York’s Yeshiva University — an Orthodox Jewish university — filed an emergency application <[link removed]> to the U.S. Supreme Court after a state supreme court judge ordered the school to recognize an LGBT student group in violation of its religious beliefs regarding sexual morality. Yeshiva has asked for a stay of the lower court decision’s ruling pending their appeal. In the alternative, it has asked for a petition for writ of certiorari so the high court can order briefing and arguments and consider the full case on its merits. Yeshiva’s emergency application was filed with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency matters in the Second Circuit. She can rule on the application or refer it to the full court. Defenders of the free exercise of religion in public life should pay close attention to what the court does next. Heritage Experts: Sarah Parshall Perry <[link removed]> and Jason Bedrick <[link removed]> 
 
The latest jobs numbers seem impressive—until you look closer <[link removed]> – The economy already contracted in the first half of the year and the headwinds are building. For example, the housing market is in freefall, with the typical monthly mortgage payment up 54 percent to over $1,900 in the last year, while home builder sentiment has collapsed, falling every month this year and down 42% since December. But the trend is broader than the housing market. The Conference Board’s leading economic indicators have trended down for the last six months and, disturbingly, show new orders slowing. Other data from Federal Reserve Banks in Dallas, Philadelphia, Richmond, New York, and Chicago also show new orders declining. This is troubling because current levels of business activity are only being sustained by a near-record backlog of unfilled orders, which are not being replaced by new orders. Once businesses work through those unfilled orders, there won’t be enough new orders to replace them. That translates into reduced future output and layoffs, which means unemployment. So, the monthly headline job numbers seen in the news are not only weaker than they appear, but even this illusion will be disappearing soon. These figures are the swan song of an anemic economy weighed down by President Joe Biden’s inflation, regulation, and taxation. Heritage Expert: EJ Antoni <[link removed]> 
 
Joe Biden is Weaponizing Big Tech Against the American People <[link removed]>
– The past few weeks of whistleblowers and court discovery have revealed the Biden Administration’s deliberate weaponization of the power of Big Tech. After Joe Biden’s divisive speech <[link removed]> that served
as a declaration of war against more than 70 million “MAGA Republicans”, Americans can be certain that this censorship and aggression towards conservatives will only grow. The fight for the future of the internet is intertwined with the political battle for our country. As the radical left aggressively tries to consolidate power, the Administration will use internet against ordinary Americans to force us into submission. It is critical that lawmakers take decisive action to protect their constituents from political oppression. The future of the internet depends on bold leadership that is committed to protecting dissidents. The next few months will not only determine the direction of our country, but also the future of the internet. Heritage Experts: Will Thibeau <[link removed]> and Jake Denton <[link removed]>  
 
Student Debt Cancellation: Another Non-Emergency ‘Emergency’ <[link removed]> - You may not have known it, but student debt cancellation is a necessary emergency intervention. It is a $500 billion infusion of life-preserving first aid injected directly into the veins of our body politic by first-responder-in-chief, Joe Biden. At least that’s the take of the Department of Education’s Office of the General Counsel. The “major questions” doctrine may prove to be a hurdle for the administration if student debt cancellation is challenged in court. The HEROES Act nowhere states that the secretary has the unilateral power to erase debts. It is a mistake to think that manipulating the boundaries of emergencies is a viable means of addressing them. Legislative solutions, even incremental ones, better ensure solutions that are permanent, popular, and thus more impactful in the long run. Heritage Expert: Jack Fitzhenry <[link removed]> 
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