Since March, when the lockdowns ordered by state and local governments began due to the novel coronavirus, Congress has passed $3.8 trillion in four COVID-19 response bills. While the economic damage continues from these lockdowns, Congressional discussions about more action is at a stalemate. In lieu of other Congressional action, the Foundation’s proposed Recovery Act...
Recent events have highlighted calls for policing reform nationwide, from both conservatives and liberals. At first glance, this sounds like a rare moment of bipartisan agreement. Unfortunately it is not. Both sides approach the concept of policing differently and share very little in terms of how it needs to be reformed. Conservatives are not new to the idea...
As the U.S. continues to grapple with COVID-19, we can’t lose sight of the pandemic’s impact on the criminal justice system. All 10 of the top clusters for the virus are in correctional institutions. Beyond the wrenching human toll on individuals incarcerated and the staff who work in jails and prisons, corrections departments are incurring hundreds of...
It’s been over a year since Child Protective Services (CPS) wrongfully removed Ashley and Daniel Pardo’s youngest son, Drake, due to an unsubstantiated allegation of medical abuse. The case, which drew widespread media attention and public outrage, culminated with the Supreme Court of Texas ordering CPS to return Drake to his family. Sadly for the...
When the dust had settled in the Democratic presidential nomination contest of 2020, the last remaining defender of the Affordable Care Act, Joe Biden, had won. And though his more progressive opponents had succeeded in pushing Biden toward expanding Medicare, his policy goal remains to “protect and build on” the ACA. What the other Democratic candidates agreed upon, though,...
The Democratic National Convention is resurrecting the Affordable Care Act as the centerpiece of the party’s healthcare policies. One speech featured healthcare activist and cancer survivor Laura Packard, who credits the ACA and its rules on preexisting conditions for her survival. Yet there are other stories that should be told, stories about the families that “Obamacare” failed....
Most signs point to an improving COVID-19 situation in Texas—unless you consider the recently questionable elevated test positivity rate that’s keeping us from reopening. On Aug. 13, Texas reported 6,879 hospitalized COVID-19 patients statewide, the lowest number since June 30. And on that day, the Texas Medical Center in Houston had its 27th consecutive day...
Until now, governments in America have never shut down society like they did due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, the destruction by the novel coronavirus and the lockdowns have devastated lives and livelihoods. But we must consider not only the effects we can see such as the number of cases and deaths reported, but also the unseen...
Last Thursday, the EPA announced the adoption of new environmental standards that will reduce overburdensome regulations on methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations. While the climate alarmists will scream that the end is near, the EPA estimates the new regulations will increase methane emissions by only a few percent over the next 5 years. And...
For decades, America has failed to instill a love of country in its younger generations, with a recent poll finding that only 51 percent of young Americans are proud of America, while only 40 percent would be willing to sacrifice for their country. Along the same lines, most Americans do not know even the basics...
On Saturday, August 8, President Donald Trump signed four executive actions in response to a Congressional stalemate on the next round of COVID-19 relief. This brief covers the memorandum allocating federal Disaster Relief Funds (DRF) to enhance state unemployment insurance (UI). Background on UI: The federal-state UI system was created in 1935 as a form...
On Saturday, August 8, President Trump signed four executive actions in response to a Congressional stalemate on the next round of COVID-19 relief. This brief covers the memorandum deferring some employees’ payroll taxes to Social Security without affecting the program. Background on payroll taxes: There are two types of payroll taxes: Social Security rate is...