Heard at Heritage

Parents often list school safety as the most important attribute they look for when choosing a school for their child. Ensuring student security requires school leaders and policymakers to consider the many factors at play in school safety. Historically, federal efforts to improve school safety have tended toward centralized policy, while state-level policy has failed to capture other breakdowns in school security, such as a when a student is persistently bullied.Updates to federal and state policy, such as providing school leaders with the flexibility to use existing federal funds in a manner that works for them to ensure school safety, while at the same time empowering parents to choose safe and effective schools that work for their children through Child Safety Accounts – also known as Safe Student Scholarships – are necessary steps forward.Join the Heritage Foundation, in conjunction with the Heartland Institute, for a conversation about the next steps for ensuring every child has access to a safe and effective school. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This past July, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) proposed changes to regulations that implement portions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Public comments are due on these proposed changes by September 24, 2018.This discussion will touch on the Department’s proposed changes, why they are necessary, and how these changes will improve species conservation, transparency, and simplify complex regulatory processes.Please join us for a presentation by U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt as he discusses these proposals and explains why better implementation of the ESA will produce the best conservation results while reducing the regulatory burden on the American people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Pax Americana – the global order established after the collapse of the Soviet Empire – is increasingly being challenged especially by former imperial behemoths China and Russia. There is a growing chorus questioning the so-called “Washington Consensus” in favor of a “Beijing Consensus” in economic policy. As the United States ceases to be the sole superpower willing and able to maintain a global PAX, today there is an increasing global “disorder.”Deepak Lal offers a study of the causes and consequences for this disorder, examining alternative claims for a desirable future economic policy. He argues that the origins of this increasing disorder lie, in part, in the great economic recession of 2008 in the United States, which has tarnished the free market based capitalism of the West. He examines how the U.S. (and its European outpost, the E.U), China, Russia, India and, potentially, Japan will be involved in this new “Great Game” and how their strategic decisions will determine whether we see a repeat of the past, with potentially another completely unnecessary world war, or if they will succeed in avoiding a reversion to their earlier types. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A finder or private placement broker is a person who is paid to assist small businesses to find capital by making introductions to investors. Finders are particularly important to Main Street small business people who do not have access to many highly affluent “accredited investors.” In 2000, the Securities and Exchange Commission created a regulatory cloud surrounding finders and issuers that use finders. Representative Ted Budd has introduced the Unlocking Capital for Small Businesses Act (H.R. 6127). This legislation would provide a safe harbor for finders and a reasonable regulatory regime for more active private placement brokers and have a positive impact on the ability of entrepreneurs to raise needed capital. Join us for a discussion of this important small business issue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia’s efforts to influence the American presidential election have received massive political and media attention. Equally important, but much less publicized is Russia’s interference through support of left-wing causes and groups opposing president Trump. These attempts include phony Facebook groups, Twitter accounts, and other social media. Russia’s influence operations includes also support for political groups, disinformation through news outlets in the U.S. as well as Europe.As serious as Russia’s targeting of the Trump administration is, it also has profound and wider implications for Americans’ faith in their democratic institutions. It should therefore be of concern for all Americans. In his wildest dreams, Vladimir Putin could not have hoped for a more successful outcome of Russia’s influence operations than the exacerbated political divisions in the United Stated spurred by the last election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court. In his twelve years serving as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Judge Kavanaugh has written hundreds of opinions. He has been lauded as a judge who tries to interpret the Constitution according to its original public meaning. The Senate Judiciary Committee will soon hold hearings to examine Judge Kavanaugh’s record and judicial philosophy. What kind of judge is he? How will his confirmation impact the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence? Join us at Heritage as a panel of experts analyze Judge Kavanaugh’s most significant rulings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America’s trade war with China and diplomatic engagement with North Korea have captured the headlines. But what of America’s stalwart ally Japan? Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had established the closest relationship with President Trump of any world leader. But Tokyo didn’t receive preferential treatment on tariffs and was surprised by the U.S. policy reversal on North Korea. Abe traveled to the U.S. to ensure Japanese priorities were addressed during the Trump-Kim summit.Does the U.S.-Japanese relationship remain strong or has Tokyo been overlooked in Washington’s pursuit of an agreement with Pyongyang? What role does Japan see for itself in tumultuous regional issues? How is the bilateral alliance evolving to addressing growing security challenges?Join us for a discussion with distinguished experts to cover these and other topics, as well as to make recommendations for U.S. policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Judge Brett Kavanaugh is President Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Now that he has stepped onto the national stage, the American people have an opportunity to get to know Judge Kavanaugh. What kind of boss, mentor, and judge is he? What can we expect from a Justice Kavanaugh? Join us as a panel of Judge Kavanaugh’s former law clerks describe their time working with him and explain why he will make an excellent Supreme Court justice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Libertarians and conservatives both advocate of individual liberty, limited government, and free markets. Sometimes these shared values lead libertarians and conservatives to similar conclusions about public policy. However, the differences between the two political philosophies are at least as significant as the similarities.On matters such as national security and foreign policy, immigration, criminal justice, drugs, surveillance, marriage and the family, and the role of religion in public policy, libertarians and conservatives often clash with one another.Despite whatever similarities they may have, libertarianism and conservatism are substantially different world views. Which one has a deeper grasp of politics, the nation, and human beings? Which should be entrusted with safeguarding and prolonging our nation?We invite you to attend this debate about the two political philosophies and their associated policy implications. Interns from the Cato Institute and the Heritage Foundation will go head-to-head to answer the question: Is libertarianism or conservatism the superior political philosophy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On August 25, 2017 violence broke out in Rakhine State that led to the mass exodus of more than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya from Burma. Thousands of fleeing Rohingya men and boys were brutally murdered, women and girls were raped and sexually abused, and babies were killed before their family’s eyes at the hands of the notorious Burmese military. The United Nations calls the situation ethnic cleansing. And according to The Economist the refugee flow from Burma was faster than the exodus from Rwanda in the midst of the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The United States has responded by providing substantial humanitarian assistance to alleviate suffering. As the protracted crisis continues, it will be critical for the U.S. to implement a comprehensive long-term strategy to address the Rohingya crisis. That may require a larger-scale shift in broader U.S. strategy toward Burma. Please join us for a conversation nearly a year after the crisis began to discuss solutions to the long-term challenges facing Rohingya. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.