Government mandates and authoritarian COVID-19 rules have crushed small businesses in America. In the nation’s capital alone, hundreds of restaurants are now closed. Others are struggling to make ends meet. Despite all the happy talk from President Joe Biden in last week's State of the Union address, some businesses will never recover. For every Democrat politician who is suddenly abandoning COVID mandates, there are scores of shattered businesses left in their wake. For nearly two years, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Council have invoked emergency powers—imposing mask mandates for schools and businesses and requiring restaurants to check customers’ vaccine status. A few courageous Washington, D.C., business owners spoke at The Heritage Foundation last week about the city's restrictive COVID rules. They've felt the effects firsthand. One of them is Eric Flannery, a Navy veteran and co-owner of The Big Board on H Street NE in Washington, D.C. Flannery and his lawyer, Robert Alt, president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute, joined "The Daily Signal Podcast" to explain why they're fighting for The Big Board's survival in a city where political leaders have amassed unprecedented power. And follow the links below if you are interested in learning more about organizations helping the people of Ukraine: World Vision's Ukraine Fund Operation Blessing Samaritan's Purse International Fellowship of Christians and Jews Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices