Family life does not stop, especially at this time of year. The Supreme Court of the United States has also been busy. Over the last week or so, the court has taken up or listened to arguments in three potentially landmark cases. All three have to do with the Trump administration’s goals for the executive branch. 

Heritage Senior Legal Fellow, and frequent guest on this our show, Hans von Spakovsky was kind enough to take a break from his own busy holiday season, to stop by and break down these three cases for us. 

This week, the people of Webster Springs, West Virginia ZXZ mourn one of their own: National Guard Member Sarah Beckstrom. The 20-year old service member had volunteered to remain in Washington, DC, as part of President Trump’s crackdown on crime in the district, when she was shot on Thursday by an Afghan national. Once again, the national issue of immigration has found its ways to the small towns of our nation. Lora Ries, Director of the Center for Border Security and Immigration, joined Heritage Explains to talk about what this tragedy means and how the conversation has changed around immigration. 

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Follow Lora on X: https://x.com/lora_ries

Mike Howell’s Paper: https://www.heritage.org/border-security/report/significant-policy-changes-needed-meet-mass-deportation-goals

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

As we enter this Thanksgiving week on the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary, it is critical to understand places of historical significance in our country. Here to explain a bit about what Heritage is doing in that regard is Brenda Hafera, Assistant Director of the Simon Center for American Studies, here at the Heritage Foundation. 

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The Heritage Guide to Historic Sites: https://historicsites.heritage.org/

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

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Take care and Happy Thanksgiving!

Immigration is a key part of the American story. Many, many people have come to the United States committed to loving and serving their new country.  But nations have to exercise caution and prudence with the way that they conduct immigration. Bad policy and abuses of the system can lead to all kinds of problems, as we know well here in the United States. The Second Trump Administration has gone a long way toward improving immigration policy, and one of the areas now being discussed is that of H1B visas. These are visas intended to be issued to skilled workers, but there are serious concerns about the number of visas being issued and the ways that they affect American citizens. To understand this issue, I sat down with Simon Hankinson, Senior Research Fellow in the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation.

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Follow Simon Hankinson at Heritage.org: https://www.heritage.org/staff/simon-hankinson

Simon’s Book, The Ten Woke Commandments You Must Not Obey: https://thetenwokecommandments.com/

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

This week, we honor veterans of long ago, as well as those who still live and walk among us. Their sacrifice has helped to secure the freedoms that we enjoy today. One of the key features of American democracy is civilian control of the military. We, the people, elect the Congress which controls the military’s budget, conducts oversight, and declares war, as well as the the president, who serves as the military’s Commander in Chief. 

President Donald Trump, in his second term in office, has signaled a return to the military’s core mission. Here to talk about what that return looks like is Wilson Beaver, an Army Veteran and Senior Policy Advisor, here at the Heritage Foundation.

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Follow Wilson Beaver on X: https://x.com/WilsonCBeaver

More about Heritage: www.heritage.org

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

What Is Arctic Frost? | Mike Howell

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) revealed last week that ‘Arctic Frost’—the FBI's election-related investigation into President Donald Trump, launched in 2022 by the Biden administration—issued 197 subpoenas for 430 conservatives, including the late Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA, Ed Martin, Dan Scavino, and Ed Corrigan.

This investigation was used as a method to spy on the conservative movement as a whole. Mike Howell, President of the Oversight Project, joins the show to talk about why Arctic Frost demands accountability. 

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Follow Mike on X: https://x.com/MHowellTweets

Swamp Justice Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yVpKjwTCfuxwTGePiFM3h

More about Heritage: www.heritage.org

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

The Affordable Care Act was signed in 2010, with President Barack Obama promising that “If you like your insurance plan, you can keep it.” Fifteen years later, we are all painfully aware that Obama’s promise was not a sincere one. The ACA’s mess of government subsidies and astronomical payouts have made the American healthcare system considerably more expensive than it needed to be. And now the Government shutdown is forcing Americans to consider the ACA in a whole new light, with COVID subsidies ending on November 1. 

Here to talk about what this may mean is Nina Schaefer, Senior Research Fellow here at the Heritage foundation. 

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More about Heritage: www.heritage.org

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a federal law designed to end these practices, and ensure that all Americans could exercise the right to vote. It is a law that has had massive impact and been used to reshape America politically, in ways both bad and good. 

Now, the Supreme Court is hearing a case called Louisiana vs. Callais, which is calling into question how part of the Voting Rights Act is being interpreted. Here to talk about what makes this case so important is Hans von Spakovsky, Senior Legal Fellow, here at the Heritage Foundation. 

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More about Heritage: www.heritage.org

The Election Integrity Scorecard: https://www.heritage.org/electionscorecard/

Follow Hans on X: https://x.com/HvonSpakovsky

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

On Monday, the 20 living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza were returned to their families. What brought this deal about and what might we expect to see happen in the future? 

To answer some of those questions, I sat down with Daniel Flesch, Senior Policy Analyst for Middle East and North Africa, here at the Heritage Foundation.

There are certain things we take for granted in life. When we flick the switch, the light comes on. When we turn the tap, water comes out. When we take the garbage bin down to the curb on Thursdays, it is empty by Friday afternoon. 

But then a storm blows through. A pipe bursts. Heavy snowfall closes the roads. And suddenly those amenities which we took for granted are no longer there. It’s a discomforting and unsettling feeling. And one we’re experiencing at a national level right now, as we’ve now passed a week since the shutdown of the federal government began. 

Just like a burst pipe or a downed electrical line, something has gone wrong in our politics, and now we’re feeling the effects. Some government workers have been sent home. Some services are unavailable. 

Here to talk about what caused the shutdown, what it means, and what to expect fo the future is Chip Wyatt, Government Relations Director here at Heritage Action for America.  

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Heritage Action for America: https://heritageaction.com/

Follow Chip Wyatt on X: https://x.com/ChipTWyatt

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

The Chinese-owned social media app TikTok collects your most sensitive information. And worse, it uses it in pretty sinister ways. It encourages self-harm and depression among youth. It interferes in elections. It compromises national security. 

This week, President Trump signed an executive order authorizing an agreement to separate TikTok from Chinese control. At the Heritage Foundation, we have been talking about TikTok policy for years, and one of the key voices is Wesley Hodges, Acting Director of the Center for Technology and the Human Person, here at the Heritage Foundation. He sat down with me to talk about exactly what this executive order means. 

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Heritage Tech Policy: https://www.heritage.org/big-tech

Follow Wes Hodges on X: https://x.com/wesghodges

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

While government has the power to protect our rights, it can use that power to abuse those rights. Especially in those areas of the government which resist accountability to elected officials. The administrative state (or deep state) is a strong focus of the Trump Administration, which has taken action to reinstate accountability in the federal bureaucracy. Ryan Williams, president of the Claremont Institute and friend of Heritage, joined the podcast to talk about what to do when government stops serving the people and targets them instead. 

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Learn more about the Claremont Institute: https://www.claremont.org/

Follow Ryan Williams on X: https://x.com/RpwWilliams

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Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

Last week, the country was shaken to its core by the assassination of Christian husband, father, and patriot Charlie Kirk, one of the most prominent voices in the conservative movement, particularly among young Americans. His death has left countless Americans experiencing combinations of sorrow, fear, and anger. How should we as conservatives respond to this tragic and politically motivated attack, and what role should policy play in our response? President of The Heritage Foundation, Dr. Kevin Roberts, joins this episode of the Heritage Explains podcast to discuss.

President Trump’s utilization of ICE and the National Guard in Washington, D.C. has significantly lowered crime in the city, modeling success of the agency’s presence in blue cities.

Since Trump federalized Washington, D.C. there has been a 45% drop in violent crime, an 87% drop in carjackings, a 38% drop in homicides, and a 62% drop in robberies. There has also been a 20% increase in arrests and 12% increase in gun recoveries.

Cully Stimson and Zack Smith join the show to discuss the impact of Trump’s actions and explain what we might expect in the future. 

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Follow Cully and Zack’s work at heritage.org.

Follow Cully Stimson on X: https://x.com/cullystimson

Follow Zack Smith on X: https://x.com/tzsmith

Rogue Prosecutors book: https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Prosecutors-Destroying-Americas-Communities/dp/1637586531

Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org

The August Recess has been a staple of the congressional calendar for decades. In the 1960s the demands placed on the US Congress were changing. Lawmaking had moved from a part-time to a full-time gig. And as the pace of life intensified, so too did the workload on legislators. Looking for a way to balance their busy schedules with those of families, some members of Congress pushed for a defined summer recess. 

This they received in the form of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970. Now, every summer, the Congress takes a recess in the month of August, allowing members to go home, meet with constituents, or simply take vacation. 

But the political machine in Washington never stops turning, and when the members come back, more work is always waiting. So it is now, as Congress returns this week. Here to discuss what we might expect over this next session is Steve Chartan, Vice president of Government Relations, here at the Heritage Foundation.

Hello Heritage Explains Listeners! Mark Guiney here. It’s the first week of August and this month we are taking a short vacation. Until we return with our regular show in September, we are looking back at some of the greatest hits of the year so far.  

This past April, Heritage Foundation Digital Content Producer Samantha Hince spoke with Dr. David Gortler about the concerns that many Americans have around our use of artificial food dyes and the policy changes we might expect around them. It’s summer, so maybe listen to this episode with some ice cream. Just check the label first to make sure it doesn’t have any red 40. Enjoy.

Hello everybody, we at the Heritage Foundation hope you are enjoying these last weeks of summer. We here at Heritage Explains are taking the opportunity for a brief rest during the month of August. Our regularly scheduled episodes will return in September, but until then, we are revisiting some of our favorite episodes from the year so far. 

Back in March, I sat down with Jeff Smith to discuss why we should not forget about COVID. Particularly, the way it exposed the rot inside our professional and managerial classes. It’s an eye-opening listen and well worth keeping in mind. Enjoy.

https://www.heritage.org/public-health/commentary/the-lie-the-century-the-origin-covid-19

Hello to all of our loyal listeners at Heritage Explains. We are on break for the month of August and will be coming back with new episodes in September. But in the meantime, we’re rounding up some of our favorite shows from earlier this year. 

One of the key moments in the early Trump Administration were the cuts to USAID.  For the first time, many Americans got an up-close-and-personal look at the way that the sausage gets made in Washington. What most people assumed was an innocuous aid organization was actually involved in much more sinister activities. Check out this conversation with David Ditch, who breaks down why this moment mattered so much.

Follow David Ditch on X: https://x.com/davidaditch

Learn more about The Heritage Foundation: ⁠www.heritage.org⁠

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Have thoughts? Let us know at ⁠heritageexplains@heritage.org

Hi everybody, and welcome back to Heritage Explains. We, like many of you, are enjoying a little bit of vacation this summer. We are taking a break from our regularly scheduled episodes for the month of August. In the meantime, we are bringing you some of our favorite shows from this past year.

We have seen a lot of important moments come and go in that time. And one was the verdict delivered in the case of Daniel Penny, this past December. It felt like an inflection point in our national conversation on race and justice. I sat down with Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Cully Stimson to talk about why. Take a listen.

Follow Cully Stimson on X: ⁠https://x.com/cullystimson⁠

Rogue Prosecutors Book: ⁠https://www.heritage.org/rogue-prosecutors⁠

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Have thoughts? Let us know at ⁠heritageexplains@heritage.org

We find ourselves in the midst of a new revolution: The AI Revolution. Complex computer models are now able to replicate human thought, making them capable of an entirely new realm of tasks. AI is going to affect the way we work, where we live, how we learn and process information, how we bank, how we write, even how we interact with people around us. 

Governments around the world are paying attention to the possibilities that AI offers, and ours is no exception. 

I sat down with Daniel Cochrane, senior research associate for the Center for Technology and the Human Person at The Heritage Foundation, to talk about what the Trump Administration is saying about AI. 

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Follow Daniel Cochrane on X: https://x.com/realdcochrane

Have thoughts? Let us know at heritageexplains@heritage.org