Heard at Heritage

The Heritage Foundation is leading the National Coronavirus Recovery Commission and recently made a set of recommendations—one of which includes ensuring that front line clinicians are able to share emerging information in real time. Each day, these clinicians are developing new understandings about the disease and how best to treat it, but are struggling to get the information out to other providers in real-time to help fight this crisis. What have these frontline clinicians learned? How are these clinicians sharing their experiences with one another? How can this information be collected, disseminated and used to update “best practice” treatment guidelines? Are there immediate steps the government can take to make an impact with COVID-19? Please join us for a discussion with frontline and clinical experts in the field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

States are facing severe fiscal pressures stemming from the unprecedented self-imposed economic freeze, with many quickly depleting rainy day funds. To help states and municipalities avoid the immediate consequences of the plunge in tax revenue, the Federal Reserve is purchasing massive amounts of state and local debt. The federal government has stepped in to help with the jump in state health care spending. Now, some state politicians are warning of steep budget cuts without a massive federal government bailout. Left unsaid is that even a 10 percent cut in state government budgets would leave many with higher inflation-adjusted, per capita spending than before the last recession. Join us as our experts examine the situation facing the states, the problem of local government insolvency, and the repercussions of increased involvement by the federal government and the Federal Reserve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Young people lose heart early on. Trapped in government-run schools, they learn that America is a nation of imperialism, greed, and racism. Rarely do they hear the truth: that America is the freest, most prosperous nation on Earth—the only nation founded on the concept of human liberty. They learn that perpetual oppression is their fate, and that their only chance at success is through the benevolence of the state or through violent resistance. This is the narrative both of revisionist historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States and of The New York Times’ new 1619 Project.Join us and learn about innovative platforms and engaging curricula that reaffirm, illuminate, and explain the founding principles of our government, traditional values, economic freedom, and individual liberty regardless of race, creed, or class. Become equipped with strategies to advocate against policies that support curricula and secondary resources that overtly challenge and reject American history, the history of our institutions, and traditional American values. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the face of a worldwide pandemic, America is responding to the ongoing public health crisis on a massive scale to mitigate the impact of the virus in our communities. Meanwhile, civil society has risen to the challenge to support fellow Americans in need. In the pro-life community, pregnancy resource centers continue to serve mothers and families facing an unplanned or challenging pregnancy. Issues of life and conscience continue to play a large role in the federal government’s legislative response. And in courts across the country, an ongoing debate about whether or not elective abortion is “essential” healthcare changes by the day. Join us for an expert panel’s in-depth discussion about current topics in the pro-life policy movement as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an attempt to mitigate economic damage from the COVID-19 shutdowns, the Federal Reserve has injected more than $2 trillion of newly created fiat currency into the economy. Since the end of February, the central bank has expanded its balance sheet from just over $4 trillion to more than $6.6 trillion. Rather than limit itself to relying on its usual tools such as lending directly to financial institutions through its discount window, the Fed is lending directly to businesses, directly purchasing corporate bonds, and purchasing state and local government bonds. Join us for a conversation about these developments—and what they mean for our economic future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As society opens up and economic activity returns, American history offers important lessons. Today we are still seeing how the massive federal reforms implemented from the top-down by experts and bureaucrats, like those put in place during the Great Depression, often harm rather than help the most vulnerable. How can we ensure our path forward restores opportunity and the pursuit of prosperity for all? With millions of Americans out of work, can government action restore employment faster than the free market? Join us as we offer a clear-eyed look at history and how its lessons apply to today.This session is brought to you in partnership with Heritage’s Resource Bank Meeting, our annual conference for leaders of conservative movement organizations. Due to the global pandemic causing a cancellation of the in-person meeting, we are pleased to be able to offer this content in an online forum to a much broader audience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. Postal Service is in deep trouble and potentially faces the real risk of going bankrupt this year, with taxpayers left to pay the tab. Despite declining mail volume, many Americans depend on the Postal Service to deliver to them essential goods from food to medicine. Private delivery companies move a lot of packages, but don’t go to every household in the country. Some suggest the U.S. Postal Service is too big to fail, while others point at successful privatization of postal services in other countries as a viable option. Something we can all agree on is that the Postal Service’s finances are unsustainable and reform is critical. Join us for an engaging discussion with three experts on the current state of the Postal Service and its possible future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COVID-19 has taken the world by a storm, but none are more deeply affected than the world’s most vulnerable. Refugees and the internally displaced, individuals living under authoritarian regimes, and others living in countries with limited healthcare resources are facing, in some cases, life or death situations. While many countries battling their own domestic fight with COVID-19 are tempted to turn inwards, the U.S. as a global leader in the promotion of freedom has a responsibility to galvanize attention and partnership to ensure that the world’s most needy are receiving the assistance they need during the pandemic. Join us to learn about the unique challenges faced by Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the impoverished in North Korea, and the marginalized in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Heritage Foundation’s 2020 Index of Economic Freedom features a special focus section on free trade, which included four chapters on the most important trade topics of the day. Our two speakers are the authors of the Index trade chapters on digital trade and World Trade Organization reform, topics that each present their own challenges to trade freedom. Digital trade is the fastest growing means for individuals around the world to exchange goods and services, but there are also growing efforts to restrict or tax this method of exchange. The future of the World Trade Organization is in question as its dispute settlement mechanism is currently crippled and countries propose reforms to the system. Join us for a discussion on these two trade issues and their impact on trade freedom in the U.S. and around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russia and China advance their nuclear forces and North Korea and Iran continue to pursue nuclear capabilities, the U.S. nuclear arsenal slowly decays. Deterioration of the nuclear enterprise has become so serious that a failure to deliver systems like the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent or the W80-4 warhead on time could result in a critical gap in the U.S. nuclear deterrent.In the new book from the Center for Security Policy Press, Growing Challenges for America’s Nuclear Deterrent, nine national security experts examine the threat to the U.S. nuclear arsenal and what it takes to deter nuclear attack, assure U.S. allies and partners, achieve U.S. objectives if deterrence fails, and hedge against future threats. On May 5, hear three of these expert contributors, Fred Fleitz, Dr. Matthew Kroenig, and Dr. Michaela Dodge, discuss the nuclear force necessary to deter, fight, and win a nuclear conflict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.