News Releases on May 24, 2012
Loris Named Heritage's New Morgan Fellow
Washington, D.C., May 24, 2012--Nicolas (Nick) Loris, an economist at The Heritage Foundation, has been named the leading think tank's new Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow. Loris focuses his research and writing in Heritage's Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies on energy issues and…
Issue Brief posted May 23, 2012 by James Sherk
Extend Whistle-Blower Protections to Union Employees
Whistle-blower laws prevent employers from retaliating against employees who report illegal activity. These laws encourage employees to reveal illegal behavior—and discourage employers from breaking the law in the first place. However, whistle-blower protections do not protect employees of labor unions. Unions can legally fire their own employees for raising allegations…
Issue Brief posted May 22, 2012 by Andrew Grossman
Dismissing Padilla v. Yoo: A Glass Half Empty?
The Ninth Circuit correctly dismissed Jose Padilla’s lawsuit against John Yoo, the former Department of Justice official who provided key analysis of legal questions arising from the war on terrorism. But being the traditionally liberal and oft-reversed Ninth Circuit, the court could not leave well enough alone and issued an…
Issue Brief posted May 22, 2012 by Lisa Curtis
Pakistan Missed Opportunity to Repair Ties with U.S.
Pakistan missed a valuable opportunity to create goodwill with the U.S. and other NATO members when it failed to announce a reopening of NATO supply routes to Afghanistan at the summit held Sunday and Monday in Chicago. Not only has Pakistan’s closure of the supply routes over the past six…
Issue Brief posted May 22, 2012 by Baker Spring
Centralizing Management of the Military Health System
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a paper last month urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to centralize the management of the Military Health System (MHS).[1] GAO has long held the view that the management structure for supervising the MHS is too de-centralized to impose the discipline necessary…
Issue Brief posted May 22, 2012 by James Phillips
Iran Nuclear Talks: U.S. Should Stand Firm
The revived nuclear talks with Iran, set to resume May 23 in Baghdad, face an uncertain and risky future. Iran has a long history of exploiting diplomatic talks on the nuclear issue as a means of forestalling international pressure, easing sanctions, and buying time for its steadily advancing nuclear program.…
Backgrounder posted May 21, 2012 by Dean Cheng
Winning Without Fighting: Chinese Legal Warfare
Abstract: Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in legal warfare or “lawfare.” While the U.S. is focusing on the interplay between the law and counterinsurgency operations, China is approaching lawfare from a different perspective: as an offensive weapon capable of hamstringing…
America at Risk Memo posted May 21, 2012 by Rebeccah Heinrichs
Providing the Capabilities That the Common Defense Requires
Threats to America’s security, way of life, and allies are increasing rather than decreasing. Instability persists in the Middle East, terrorists continue to plot attacks, adversaries buy and sell ballistic missiles and nuclear technology, and the intent of countries with the ability to pose a strategic threat to the U.S.…
Backgrounder posted May 18, 2012 by Morgan Lorraine Roach, Ray Walser, Ph.D.
Saving Somalia: The Next Steps for the Obama Administration
Abstract: Famine, drought, war, piracy, international terrorism, and the absence of democratic governance: The factors behind, as well as the symptoms of, the failed Somali state are legion. Despite its woes, Somalia has not been considered a U.S. foreign policy priority—an unfortunate relegation that…
Issue Brief posted May 18, 2012 by Matt Mayer
Congress Should Act on FEMA’s Refusal to Reform
It is one thing for government entities to dismiss the criticisms from outside groups. It is quite altogether something else to dismiss the criticisms of government-empowered investigators who have access to the closely held data.
Based on its reaction to an audit by the U.S. Department…
Issue Brief posted May 17, 2012 by J.D. Foster, Ph.D.
Preventing Taxmageddon Is Congress’s Summer Job
Conventional wisdom says that Congress and the President will get nothing done in 2012 until after the elections. Conventional wisdom appears to be at least mostly correct, but in one respect Congress should not fall prey to conventional wisdom: preventing Taxmageddon.
Too much is at stake…