We hope you enjoy these news stories about TFAS activities, alumni and events this week. Sign up to receive TFAS updates, and visit us on social media for additional up-to-the-moment TFAS news!
Amity Shlaes on Rethinking Calvin Coolidge
In this week’s Liberty + Leadership Podcast, TFAS President Roger Ream ’76 and Amity take a deep dive into one of our nation’s most misunderstood presidents, Calvin Coolidge. They discuss the centennial celebration of his presidency, how the U.S. prospered during the Coolidge administration, the real reasons for the Great Depression and how misguided government intervention prolonged the nation’s pain, how Coolidge’s deep faith shaped his governing style, and Coolidge’s rational behind the the idea that it’s better to kill a bad law than to pass a good one.
Capital Semester Student Spotlight
University of Mississippi News highlighted the experiences of TFAS spring 2023 Capital Semester student Camron Cross ’23. Cross is interning with U.S. Rep. David Kustoff ’89 of Tennessee taking classes at George Mason University and living with other TFAS students on Capitol Hill.
Cross has also had the opportunity to attend lectures, policy briefings and visit offices of other representatives. Additionally, he has created a strong connection with his mentor Zach Barnes ’14, PPF ’17, who is a legislative director in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“TFAS has given me the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life,” Cross said. “It provides a new challenge, especially having grown up in the South. New cultures, new experiences – it is a step out of your comfort zone.”
Read more about Cross’ time in Washington, D.C., here.
Applications Open for 2023-24 TFAS Robert Novak Journalism Fellowships
TFAS is now accepting applications for the 2023-24 Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program. This prestigious Fellowship allows journalists to undertake enterprising and ground-breaking writing projects that are broadly supportive of the principles of a free society. Fellowship recipients spend a year researching and writing on a topic of their choosing. Each Fellowship provides $35,000 in grant funding and expense assistance, as well as relevant academic retreats, writing workshops, and an extensive mentorship network.
Print and online journalists with less than 10 years’ professional experience are eligible to apply. The application deadline is April 28, 2023.
The Fellowships are named in honor of Robert D. Novak, longtime columnist, CNN broadcaster and reporter for the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal. Since its founding in 1994, the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship has enabled more than 150 bright young journalists to engage in research and long-form content creation that they would not have been able to complete otherwise.
To learn more about the Fellowships, please click here.
TFAS Faculty, Alumni, Supporters in the News
5th U.S. Circuit Appellate Judge Andrew Oldham ’98 ruled against Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal employees.
TFAS Senior Scholar Dr. Donald J. Boudreaux wrote an opinion piece for AIER about advantages of eliminating all trade barriers and subsidies worldwide.
Jack Butler, Novak ’22, published an essay in Law & Liberty on “lifestyle rightism,” which is “the idea that political change can be brought about by making better personal, investment, and consumer choices.”
Jennifer Kabbany, Novak ’02, writes about exposing campus hate-crime hoaxes in 2023 for The College Fix. She discussed the phenomenon on America First News.
Robby Soave, Novak ’17, interviewed Senator Rand Paul for Hill TV where the two discuss revelations about myocarditis and covid vaccines.
Ali Melad ’22 received a Mercatus MA Fellowship. The fellowship is a two-year, competitive, full-time program for students pursuing a master’s degree in economics at George Mason University who are interested in gaining an advanced degree in applied economics in preparation for a career in public policy.
Naomi Schaefer Riley, Novak ’01, wrote an article for Deseret News on how religious faith and a sense of agency corresponds with mental health.
Malena Carollo ’12 wrote an article for The Washington Post regarding new liver transplant rules.
Krista Viksnins ’15 wrote an article for CEPA in which she discusses the establishment of an International Anti-Corruption Court to catch and imprison corrupt public officials.
Anna Ferrara ’17 was selected as a fellow for the 2023 Congressional Fellowship with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Young Voices contributor Sofie Hamilton ’20 appeared on Fox 5 DC’s “TheFinal5” to discuss California’s proposed tobacco ban.
Sarah Westwood ’15 wrote an article for Washington Examiner highlighting five key takeaways from the House Republicans’ debt-ceiling proposal.
Mark Stansberry ’76 is an executive producer of the documentary “Sherwood Forest: Top Secret,” which he co-produced with Oscar-winning producer Gray Frederickson. The documentary tells the story of how the top-secret mission of the Oklahoma Roughnecks drill for oil enabled WWII victory.
Erica Lizza, PPF ’21, co-authored a piece about Nicaraguan President Ortega banning Lenten processions of the Stations of the Cross from Nicaragua’s streets for Univision.
TFAS Trustee Emeritus Neal B. Freeman wrote an opinion piece for The American Conservative about his thoughts on the Iraq War.
Emma Freire, Novak ’21, wrote an article for World about experts reassessing the sharp divide over COVID vaccines.
Peter Suderman, Novak ’10, wrote a piece for Reason about how the designer of China’s Great Firewall sees new AI technology as a source of concern for government officials.
Billy Binion, Novak ’22, wrote an article for Reason about James King asking the Supreme Court to rule that two officers should not be granted immunity for choking him unconscious and temporarily disfiguring his face.
Leah Libresco Sargeant, Novak ’18, wrote an article about how teen boys can fill a gap in elder care for Deseret News.
Michael Brendan Dougherty, Novak ’09, wrote an article for National Review about the Vatican agreeing with radical traditionalists that the faith once delivered to the saints was abolished and replaced by the Church in the 1960s.
Mark Hemingway, Novak ’02, wrote an article for The Federalist about The Pulitzer Committee awarding Pulitzer Prizes to sources who reported misinformation for the past five years.
Graham Kilmer ’14 wrote an article for Urban Milwaukee about the Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin, which officially launched on Wednesday with the aim of pushing state-level policies for a “clean economy.”
John Hirschauer, Novak ’22, wrote an article for The American Conservative, in which he discusses the House of Representatives’ proposed “Parents Bill of Rights.”
Moss Brennan ’19 discusses in Watauga Democrat how the North Carolina State Supreme Court denied Boone’s request to hear an appeal of a sales tax dispute.
Post of the Week
As we prepare for the summer and the start of our D.C. summer programs at TFAS, we are receiving more updates from students who are grateful to have been accepted into our programs. Junia Lee expressed her excitement for being accepted to TFAS’s Business + Governmental Relations summer program in a LinkedIn post. She also shares more information on how our summer programs are structured. You can learn more about our D.C. summer programs here.
We wish Junia and the other students accepted to our summer programs the best of luck in Washington, D.C., and hope they have a great time with TFAS.
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