Local Government

Austin ISD’s Budget Narrative Contradicted by Administrative Excess

By its own account, “Austin ISD is navigating a difficult budget season,” with district officials recently approving a 2026-27 budget containing “nearly $186 million in spending reductions.” What led to this unfortunate occasion was almost entirely out of the district’s control, according to the sitting superintendent.   Last month, he publicly stated:  “Over the past seven years, Austin ISD has...

July 15, 2026

Economy

Don’t Fence Me In: Rural Ranchers Face Mounting Challenges

Editor’s Note: This is the latest part of a series on rural Texas and the challenges that rural Texans face. Over the next year, the Associated News Service will delve into the issues facing the Lone Star State’s 177 (out of 254) rural counties. SULPHUR SPRINGS, Texas — Katie Koon says she didn’t stand a...

July 14, 2026

Election Integrity

Democrats’ Maine mess puts insiders back in charge

The Graham Platner debacle raises a larger election-integrity question: Do voters still decide, or do parties reclaim power when elections get messy? “Inclusive.” “Representative.” “Transparent.” That is how Maine Democratic Party Chair Charlie Dingman describes the process for selecting a new Democratic nominee following Graham Platner’s withdrawal from the race. Those are worthy goals. However,...

July 14, 2026

Border Security

Millions More People. Millions Fewer Affordable Homes.

Homeownership has long been one of the defining features of the American dream. For many young families today, it feels increasingly out of reach. While policymakers have spent years debating interest rates and zoning reform, they have largely ignored one of the biggest demand shocks in modern American history. According to a report from the Federal Reserve...

July 13, 2026

Criminal Justice

It’s Time For Feds To Give Non-Violent Offenders A Second Chance

When President Donald Trump appointed Alice Marie Johnson as his pardon czar, he sent a clear message to the nation: Accountability and second chances are not mutually exclusive. Our Founders understood this principle, and as America celebrates its 250th birthday, Congress has an opportunity to put it into action. Congress should advance legislation creating an...

July 10, 2026

Foreign Policy

Ukraine’s drone revolution shows Russia is dangerously unprepared. But, so is America

Kyiv has slashed Russian fuel processing capacity by a third, matching two years of Allied strategic bombing in weeks. Russian missiles and Iranian-supplied drones continue to slam into Ukrainian hospitals and apartment blocks with regularity. These are not precision strikes aimed at military targets; they are clumsy, often wildly inaccurate terror attacks designed to break the will...

July 10, 2026

Technology

Age Verification for Apps

This week, Texas parents scored a massive victory when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block Texas’ landmark App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420). This decision affirms that states have every right to help families reclaim authority over their kids’ digital lives. Until now, parents trying to police harmful or inappropriate content have been forced...

July 9, 2026

Family

‘Young Washington’ Biopic Highlights Early American Grit

In an age where Americans are ill-informed about their nation’s founding, ‘Young Washington’ highlights the obstacles of the colonial period and the resilient spirit that overcame them. There’s always a mixture of anticipation and dread when preparing to watch a film about a tremendously important topic — especially when you know a fair bit about...

July 9, 2026

Taxes & Spending

POLL: Overwhelming Support for Regular Efficiency Audits 

When it comes to spending public money, Texans  want transparency and accountability. One way to deliver on these demands is through the third-party efficiency audit concept, which is a tool to “assess how well [government] agencies work to keep costs down while providing their services, and if those services are aligned with the purpose of...

July 7, 2026

Higher Education

The Chronicle of Higher Education Weeps: Texas Accountability Law Ruins Everything for Woke Faculty

As the public’s once-high view of college education burns down before our eyes, the universities’ favorite water-carrier, the Chronicle of Higher Education (CHE), continues to fiddle. CHE’s recent article on Texas Tech University (TTU) rebottles an old whine, warning that Texas’ 2025 law, Senate Bill 37, has brought a wave of faculty self-censorship, administrative pressure,...

July 7, 2026

Taxes & Spending

Throwing Cold Water on Kendall County’s HOT Idea

Despite persistent affordability concerns, the Kendall County Commissioners’ Court is once again flirting with the idea of creating a controversial new tax to benefit select businesses at the expense of virtually everyone else.   The tax in question is the hotel occupancy tax (HOT) and, if ultimately approved, officials would place another financial strain on any person who pays for a hotel room or other lodging, including inns, motels, and short-term rentals. The cost could be significant too.    According to one recent report presented to the Court (see pgs. 133...

July 7, 2026

Border Security

How Texas Became Hub Of A Terror-Link Kashmiri Outfit’s Activities

Across the state, a collection of terror networks and their Islamist partners are using US politicians, institutions and nonprofit infrastructure to advance violent, radical ambitions. In 2022, Yasin Malik, the leader of a Kashmiri group declared by a US federal appeals court as a terrorist organisation involved in killings, bombings and kidnappings, was sentenced by an Indian...

July 6, 2026