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How Left-wing and Racist Radicals Are Infiltrating Our Children’s Minds
Teresa Mull, The Hill
Once upon a time in America, parents could send their children off to school – even to public schools – and accurately presume their little ones were being taught simply “the three Rs.” No longer. A radical progressive political agenda has replaced the pursuit of truth and objectivity in our nation’s classrooms. Today, it’s likely one of the three Rs students will be taught is “racism.” READ MORE
Time to End the Renewable Fuel Standard
Tim Benson, Investor’s Business Daily
The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates that ethanol be mixed with gasoline and burned as fuel in cars and trucks. Its proponents rely on two talking points: RFS will reduce American dependence on foreign oil and RFS will reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The first reason has been negated by the boom in oil and natural gas production caused by hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. The second was never reasonable to begin with. READ MORE
Heartland Institute President Joseph Bast on Trump’s Inaugural Address
Joseph Bast, Heartland Institute
President Donald Trump gave a terrific inaugural address. His willingness to speak without apology about America’s special place in the world and national pride was a welcome departure from eight years of subtle (and often not so subtle) criticism and cynicism from the nation’s highest public office. Trump is changing the tone and substance of the national debate over public policy, and it is a change that is long overdue. READ MORE
Featured Podcast: Lennie Jarratt: Betsy DeVos Confirmation
School Reform News Managing Editor Teresa Mull talks with Lennie Jarratt, project manager for Heartland’s Center for Transforming Education, about the confirmation process of Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos. Jarratt explains why he is cautiously optimistic about DeVos and notes how the Department of Education’s dedication to school choice could be a game-changer for the entire nation. LISTEN TO MORE
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Heartland Institute Experts Support Scott Pruitt as EPA Administrator
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee this week held its confirmation hearing for Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Said Heartland Institute Science Director Jay Lehr: “There is simply no doubt that under the direction of a constitutional scholar and environmental regulator like Pruitt, our entire nation and its environment will prosper with the elimination of unnecessary and unwarranted regulation.” READ MORE
School Choice Must Continue to Be a Local Decision
Robert Holland, RedState
It is undoubtedly a good thing that President Donald Trump’s pick to head up the U.S. Department of Education, Betsy DeVos, is a strong advocate of school choice. But she, and other supporters of choice, must remember that such programs cannot be mandated by the federal government. The Constitution gives control of education policy to state and local governments, and school-choice reforms must start and flourish there. READ MORE
School Reform News: Utah Governor Renounces Common Core
The February edition of School Reform News is now available online in PDF form. Read why Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) switched his position on Common Core during his reelection campaign and is now urging the legislature to move to a system tailored for the state. READ MORE
Climate Alarmists Push Panic Button
H. Sterling Burnett, Climate Change Weekly
Climate alarmists in government agencies, in academia, and among radical environmental groups are panicking at the thought of Donald Trump spending four (or eight) years in the White House. Among the signs alarmists have become unhinged is a conspiracy theory they have created out of thin air. A paranoia-filled Washington Post article laughably states that Trump will destroy climate data, with no evidence to back up that claim, showing just how terrified these hustlers are. READ MORE
Rand Paul’s ‘Obamacare Replacement Act’ Deserves Trump’s Attention
Michael Hamilton, Consumer Power Report
President Donald Trump and Congress should seriously consider adopting Rand Paul’s “Obamacare Replacement Act,” the latest and possibly best Republican proposal aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The plan would lower the cost of insurance by eliminating various mandates and increasing patients’ health care buying power by expanding the use of health savings accounts. This proposal would put patients at the center of our health care system instead of government and industry cronies. READ MORE
Bonus Podcast: Jim Waters: Right-to-Work Legislation in Kentucky
In this episode of the weekly Budget & Tax News podcast, Managing Editor Jesse Hathaway is joined by Jim Waters, president of the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions. They talk about Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s (R) decision to make Kentucky the 27th state to approve right-to-work legislation. Waters explains why bringing worker freedom to the people of the Bluegrass State was historic, and how allowing workers to decide if they want to join a union – instead of forcing them to join unions against their will – benefits everyone, including unions! LISTEN TO MORE
Clearing the Air at EPA and the Department of Energy
Bette Grande, InsideSources
Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead the Energy Department were met with jeers inside the Washington Beltway and with cheers in the heartland. It is a disconnect that both explains the election of Trump in November and the challenges his administration will face as it attempts to pull power and authority from the grips of the DC establishment. READ MORE