If Trump is elected, expect more from the Heritage Foundation

+ low-income kids suffer from less sleep US Edition - Today's top story: Heritage Foundation's "Project 2025" is just the latest action plan from a group with an over 50-year history of steering GOP lawmaking [View in browser]( US Edition | 18 July 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Could free education for immigrant children be axed?]( - [What the Catholic Church teaches on political violence]( - [Podcast: Watching sports together is a winning formula]( Lead story There’s been no shortage of Project 2025 news coverage – or social media attention – of late, with people sharing details and sometimes voicing alarm about the right-wing initiative and its policy blueprint. The plan calls for allowing a president to deploy the military against American citizens and reversing the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of abortion medication, among a long list of other proposals that, if implemented, would dramatically reform the government and consolidate power in the executive branch. Project 2025 is the brainchild of the Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank and a sponsor of the Republican National Convention, which ends today. But how much influence does the Heritage Foundation actually have? The Heritage Foundation has managed to to [play an important role in guiding conservative politics]( and presidential administrations since the Reagan years – and its influence is growing, according to Zachary Albert, a scholar of partisan polarization, interest groups and think tanks at Brandeis University. It is, Albert notes, “much more conservative and more closely aligned with former President Donald Trump’s style of Republicanism” than other think tanks he researches. “Americans should expect to hear a lot more about its ideas, like those outlined in Project 2025, if Trump is reelected in November 2024,” Albert adds. [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]([]]( Amy Lieberman Politics + Society Editor People walk past a Heritage Foundation advertisement at the Milwaukee International Airport on July 12, 2024. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images [Heritage Foundation’s ‘Project 2025’ is just the latest action plan from a group with an over 50-year history of steering GOP lawmaking]( Zachary Albert, Brandeis University The Heritage Foundation, a sponsor of the Republican National Convention, would likely be influential in shaping a possible Trump administration’s policies. Education - [After more than 40 years, the federal right to free education for immigrant students finds itself in the crosshairs of conservatives]( Tara Sonenshine, Tufts University Critics say undocumented students put a strain on limited school resources, but research suggests otherwise. Politics + Society - [Voting rights at risk after Supreme Court makes it harder to challenge racial gerrymandering]( Sam D. Hayes, Trinity College In two recent rulings, the conservative justices handed state lawmakers new power to redraw congressional maps to their liking – including in ways that end up diluting the Black vote. - [‘MAGA BLACK’ hats, clear swag bags, the first Trump/Vance signs: Highlights of what the Smithsonian is archiving from the Republican convention]( Claire Jerry, Smithsonian Institution; Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Institution Tight security may be the reason that the GOP Convention isn’t filled with the homemade, and often wacky, stuff that’s usually found by Smithsonian political ephemera curators at the event. - [Pennsylvania continues tradition as ‘keystone state’ in presidential elections]( Robert Speel, Penn State At the time of independence, Pennsylvania was also at the geographical center of the 13 original Colonies. It remains a focal point of American politics, and a swing state. Science + Technology - [Republicans wary of Republicans – how politics became a clue about infection risk during the pandemic]( Ahra Ko, University of Pennsylvania; Steven Neuberg, Arizona State University Reactions like disgust are part of the behavioral immune system that helps you avoid disease. Usually conservatives are more fearful of contamination – but something unusual happened during COVID-19. - [Late bedtimes and not enough sleep can harm developing brains – and poorer kids are more at risk]( Emily C. Merz, Colorado State University; Melissa Hansen, Colorado State University Less sleep and later bedtimes are linked to a section of the brain involved in emotion regulation suffering reduced growth, along with weaker connections to other brain areas. Environment + Energy - [Baby bull sharks are thriving in Texas and Alabama bays as the Gulf of Mexico warms]( James Marcus Drymon, Mississippi State University; Lindsay Mullins, Mississippi State University; Philip Matich, Texas A&M University The Gulf Coast has seen big jumps in baby bull shark numbers. As adults, these are among the most aggressive species of sharks, but the babies aren’t cause for concern, as three scientists explain. Ethics + Religion - [What the Catholic Church says about political violence and the need to forgive – even would-be assassins]( Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross At a time when so much violence and war are ravaging the world, a scholar of medieval Christianity explains Catholic views on the morality of warfare and the value of forgiving enemies. Podcast 🎙️ - [Sharing that moment: can collective experiences bring people closer together?]( Gemma Ware, The Conversation Pyschologist Garriy Shteynberg talks to The Conversation Weekly about his theory of the collective mind – and why you should think about it when watching the Olympics this summer. Trending on site - [Flirting with disaster: When endangered wild animals try to mate with domestic relatives, both wildlife and people lose]( - [Could people turn Mars into another Earth? Here’s what it would take to transform its barren landscape into a life-friendly world]( - [‘Stroke survivors may be saddled with an invisible disability known as spatial neglect – but a simple treatment offers significant improvement]( Today's graphic 📈 [A map of the United States color-coded according to the percentage of wind power on their electric grid. The states with the highest percentage of wind power on their electric grids are also primarily Republican states.]( From the story, [Can humanity address climate change without believing it? Medical history suggests it is possible]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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