Heard at Heritage

The Federal Reserve has released a notice of proposed rulemaking for its bank capital regulatory framework and is requesting public comments. The proposal seeks to integrate the Fed’s regulatory capital rule, its Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, and its stress test rules. The goal is to simplify the capital regime. Join us for a discussion of the proposal and possible improvements to the Fed’s regulatory capital framework. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dangers and plight of those with severe mental illness typically grab headline attention after tragedies like mass shootings. As time passes, however, attention fades as the public struggles to deal with the complexities of the issue. In 2016, an estimated 10.4 million adults in the United States suffered from severe mental illnesses, and an estimated 1 in 5 in homeless shelters as well as 20 percent of those in jail or prison also were classified as having a severe mental illness. It is vitally important to understand, not only the medical condition and the legal challenges involved, but also to determine what policies can be helpful or hurtful. Join us as a panel of experts explores these issues and offers their perspectives on how best to help those facing the challenges of severe mental illness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hong Kong is an issue of growing concern in Washington. The State Department’s most recent human rights report singles out the “central PRC government’s encroachment on the SAR’s autonomy” among the most significant human rights issues in Hong Kong. It also identifies “government actions that had a chilling effect on political protest and the exercise of free speech.” Are these two problems related, why should it matter to the United States, and what can policy makers in Washington do? What exactly is the state of politics in Hong Kong today and the relationship between Hong Kong and the mainland? Please join us for an address by 2007 pan-democrat candidate for Chief Executive Alan Leong and a discussion to follow that will seek to answer these questions and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last two weeks, massive anti-government protests have engulfed many parts of Nicaragua. Hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, many of them students, took to the streets to initially demonstrate against an unpopular social security reform. The government of former Communist revolutionary Daniel Ortega cracked down on the demonstrators leading to over 60 deaths, dozens of disappeared persons, and hundreds injured. Most of the dead and injured have been university students. The continued demonstrations have now become a referendum on the Ortega regime.Nicaragua is at an inflection point. Under the leadership of Daniel Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua has transformed from a fledgling democracy to an authoritarian regime. Ortega has repeatedly stolen elections, co-opted the private sector as a state instrument of power, and allied himself with countries hostile to U.S. interests.Please join us as Senator Cruz reflects on how Nicaragua got to this point and how the U.S. can support a responsible resolution to this crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite the collapse of the “so-called ‘Caliphate’” in Iraq and Syria, Islamist extremist movements are continuing to gain momentum. ISIS remains formidable. The group retains a significant physical presence in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia and continues to direct or inspire acts of terrorism in the West. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda has taken advantage of the international community’s focus on ISIS to strengthen its own hand. Ongoing turmoil in the Middle East has allowed al-Qaeda to embed itself among Sunni opposition forces in Syria and Yemen. IsIamist ideology continues to attract new followers. Governments are facing an unrelenting flow of recruits to extremism and struggling to create an effective policy response. In the West, ongoing debates over pathways to radicalization, the effectiveness of de-radicalization and the efficacy of “countering violent extremism” programs epitomizes this struggle. Despite President Trump’s stated intent to “eradicate” radical Islamist terrorism, the threat posed by this ideology remains alarming and will continue to pose a significant challenge for years to come. Please join us as we discuss these and other issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The House Agriculture Committee recently reported out its 2018 Farm Bill. Expected on the House floor this month, the current legislation continues the out of control farm handout system that has been so prevalent in past iterations. Without reform, the farm subsidy system will continue to distort the agricultural marketplace, while primarily benefiting a small number of the largest and wealthiest farmers.Join us for a discussion with two leading members of the U.S. House of Representatives who will provide insight into why farm subsidy reform is so important, and how key reform ideas could help move Congress in the right direction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Lewis Gaddis, distinguished historian of the Cold War, has for almost two decades co-taught grand strategy at Yale University with his colleagues Charles Hill and Paul Kennedy. Now, in On Grand Strategy, Gaddis reflects on what he has learned. In chapters extending from the ancient world through World War II, Gaddis assesses grand strategic theory and practice in Herodotus, Thucydides, Sun Tzu, Octavian/Augustus, St. Augustine, Machiavelli, Elizabeth I, Philip II, the American Founding Fathers, Clausewitz, Tolstoy, Lincoln, Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Isaiah Berlin. On Grand Strategy applies the insights and wit readers have come to expect from Gaddis to times, places, and people he’s never written about before. On Grand Strategy offers a master class for anyone interested in the art of leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the years, India earned the epithet of a reluctant power in Asia – exuberant in its aspirations, yet guarded in its strategy. However, as the challenges in its immediate neighborhood and beyond continue to evolve, India is today gearing up to embrace a larger role in the far wider theatre of the Indo-Pacific. The U.S. has been a principal architect and the traditional guarantor of a liberal economic and maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. While the commentariat in the U.S. and India might express apprehension at the idea of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” strategy, this moment must be seen as an opportunity to rebalance the Indo-U.S. relationship to reflect a real convergence of strategic interests, as opposed to an abstract engagement based on values alone and one that has disregarded the core interests of both countries. As it remains an invested actor across the Middle East and in Afghanistan, and as it confronts an unrelenting North Korea, it must seek to empower regional like-minded nations such as India, which it recognizes as having an “indispensable role in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump declared in January that he would not waive nuclear sanctions again for Iran unless the flawed 2015 nuclear agreement is fixed by addressing three major issues: the sunset of key restrictions on Iran’s nuclear activities, inadequate verification, and Iran’s advancing ballistic missile program. The May 12 deadline for fixing the agreement is fast approaching. Are the ongoing negotiations between the United States, Britain, France and Germany likely to yield a satisfactory outcome? What approach should Washington take on the Iran nuclear issue in the future? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is conservatism? For decades, American conservatism has thrived under Frank Meyer’s “fusionism,” uniting the three main strands of libertarianism, social conservatism, and anti-Communism. Yet as the communist challenge fades further into the past, the old conservative consensus is now tasked with responding to new challenges presented by the modern liberal order. How should conservatives respond to these new obstacles to ordered liberty, and what does the current moment tell us about the essence of conservatism? Join us as we explore the conservative disposition, and chart a way forward for conservative political thought. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.