We hope you enjoy these top news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Please visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news and information and sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly updates.
TFAS alumni, staff and faculty continue to provide coverage of COVID-19. Read their analysis, information and tips by visiting this week’s “Quick Links.”
TFAS Launches New Podcast with Episode on Fighting COVID-19 with Free-Market Principles
TFAS is committed to providing more digital content as COVID-19 closes doors to traditional classrooms. As part of that effort, we are proud to announce the TFAS “Liberty + Leadership” Podcast. Our first episode, “Fighting COVID-19 with Free-Market Principles,” features a timely 16-minute discussion with Economist and TFAS Academic Director Dr. Anne Bradley on how the power of the market can be unleashed to help us fight COVID-19.
We need the market now more than ever. No one government, no one leader, no one bureaucrat can design a solution to this problem. So what does that mean? It means we have to work together to solve the problem. And so, we need to unleash human creativity as fast as we can right now – that’s the lesson of economics.”– Dr. Anne Bradley
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Venezuelan Warns: Coronavirus Lockdown Provides Glimpse of America Under Socialism
COVID-19 has TFAS speaker and Venezuelan activist Jorge Galicia experiencing a bit of déjà vu. Empty shelves at the grocery store. Overcrowded hospitals with not enough medical supplies. Skyrocketing unemployment.
“I feel like I’m back home when I see all these shelves are empty,” Galicia told TFAS alumna Jennifer Kabbany, Novak ’02, in a recent interview with The College Fix.
Galicia is one of two Venezuelan exiles whom TFAS is sending on a campus tour across the United States to share their eyewitness perspectives of how a country with so much wealth and promise completely collapsed. Read more at TFAS.org/JorgeCF.
Remembering John Farley: A Remarkable Friend, Colleague and Leader
It is with deep sorrow that the TFAS family mourns the loss of our dear friend and former colleague John Farley. The loss of John is heart-wrenching to all who knew him. For more than 20 years, John led the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship program. During that time, he mentored and befriended more than 100 Novak Fellowship alumni, leaving a lasting impact on their careers and lives.
Thanks to the suggestion and outpouring of support from alumni, we have renamed our annual Novak Alumni Fellowship in his honor. We encourage you to read more about John’s remarkable impact in our tribute at TFAS.org/Farley.
Opportunity Cost and Incentives: High School Economics Lesson of the Week
As the spread of COVID-19 causes high schools across the country to close their doors, TFAS is providing resources to help our teachers and parents continue the important task of educating our nation’s future leaders. Each week, we’ll feature a different lesson from our high school programming division – the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE).
This week’s lesson is “Opportunity Cost and Incentives.” The lesson uses examples, videos and three mini-activities to teach concepts such as opportunity cost, incentives, pricing, marginal benefit and cost, rationing, supply, demand and sunk cost. Downloadable lesson guides and slides provide instructions.
TFAS offers a plethora of online lesson plans, readings, handouts, video demonstrations and hands-on activity guides to teach the “economic way of thinking” in engaging and relatable ways. Visit TFAS.org/FTELessons for a one-stop guide to our available resources.
Post of the Week
TFAS Alumni + Friends Cover COVID-19 Concerns
TFAS Director of International and Continuing Education Programs Brenda M. Hafera opines in The Hill on the interdependent relationship between economic and political freedom and how a lack of political freedom in China influenced the spread of COVID-19.
Jason Willick, Novak ’17, writes for The Wall Street Journal on how epidemics have transformed civilization throughout history.
Alexandra Hudson, Novak ’19, opines for USA Today on the importance of communities coming together to help each other during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Naomi Schaefer Riley, Novak ’01, opines for the Institute for Family Studies on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on neglected children.
TFAS Senior Scholar Dr. Don Boudreaux discusses free trade and globalization in a piece for the American Institute for Economic Research.
Matthew Continetti, Novak ’08, opines for National Review on America’s reaction to social distancing recommendations.
Chris Moody, Novak ’19, reports on labor statistics of Americans who are out of work amid the coronavirus crisis in a report for Vice.
John Gehring, Novak ’98, shares how he has learned to appreciate the ordinary during the COVID-19 lockdown in a piece for the National Catholic Reporter.
Ryan Lovelace, Novak ’17, reports for the Washington Times on Uber’s request that the coronavirus relief package benefits its drivers.
TFAS professor Dr. Josh Mitchell opines for RealClear Policy on humanity’s ability to cope with social distancing recommendations.
Katherine Mangu-Ward, Novak ’05, and Peter Suderman, Novak ’10, analyze the government’s response to COVID-19 in this “Reason Roundtable” podcast episode.
Gracy Olmstead, Novak ’15, writes for the American Conservative about how the coronavirus crisis has revealed the truths of Tocqueville’s philosophy about American life.
TFAS professor Richard Benedetto opines for The Spectator on how the COVID-19 outbreak has revealed the partisanship of the media today.
Paul Glader ’99, ’00, was hosting a TFAS alumni event in Pittsburgh when he met the son of television personality Fred Rogers. He shares how we can learn from Mr. Rogers’ respect for human dignity amid the growing coronavirus pandemic in this piece for Religion Unplugged.
MORE QUICK LINKS
Laura Vanderkam ’99, Novak ’06, has started a new podcast called “The New Corner Office” that shares best practices for working from home.
Mark Stricherz ’92, Novak ’03, discusses support for Senator Amy Klobuchar amongst entrepreneurs in America.
Joanna Jasinska ’19 writes for The First News on a Polish clinic’s efforts to combat antibiotic-resistant infections through experimental therapy.
Richard Garcia ’17 has been named the chief of staff of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Carrie Sheffield ’06, Novak ’06, and fellow alumnus Nicholas Ballasy ’07 are now correspondents for JustTheNews.com.
Frederico Bartels, PPF ’18, opines for Defense One on China’s defense budget data.
The Wall Street Journal highlights the life and important work of TFAS friend and speaker, the late Thomas Coburn.