It’s illuminating when politicians speak the truth accidentally, letting voters know what they only say in private to their colleagues or big donors. A video recently resurfaced of New York Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke saying that her Brooklyn district could “absorb a significant number of these (Haitian) migrants,” because, she continued, “I need more people...
President Donald Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is packed full of policy changes—changes we’ll be feeling for years to come. To help break down what President Trump’s OBBB means for health care in Texas and the rest of America, I sat down with three health care experts and asked them what they thought the...
At 4:03 a.m. on July 4, the Guadalupe River breached its banks in Kerr County. The flood came fast and silent—crashing through windows, sweeping entire homes off their foundations, ripping families from their beds. At least 132 people are confirmed dead. Nearly 100 remain missing. The Hill Country has become a graveyard of wreckage and...
The City of Austin recently released its 2025-26 Proposed Budget, which contains a, “host of questionable projects and programs,” however, an overlooked issue within the budget is the increasing in fees relating to construction permits. Some permitting fees are increasing by over 200%, while others are astronomical raises. Most notably, a 9077.2% raise on utility...
The American Bar Association (ABA) has long held a stranglehold on accrediting U.S. law schools. In Texas, the ABA gets to decide which schools’ students can take the bar exam, a prerequisite to practicing law. Entrusting a private, out-of-state organization with control over Texas legal education is problematic for three reasons: the ABA pushes politically biased standards,...
Much of the policy discussion around President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill has focused on electricity subsidies, where the outcome admittedly falls short of what fiscal conservatives hoped for. Wind and solar projects can still claim subsidies through July 2030, extending billions in taxpayer support for the next five years and driving up ratepayer bills...
In 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis proved that the College Board has a political agenda. Pointing to an AP course on Black history for high schoolers, Gov. DeSantis showed the course taught topics of queer theory and the abolition of prisons, two ideas that both contradict state law and the intention of a course on...
Every Friday morning, I join the Cardle & Woolley Show on 1370 Talk Radio in Austin to announce the week’s Winners & Losers. A year ago this week, former President Joe Biden announced that he was dropping out of the race for president. It’s only been a year, but we are now on day 188...
The city of Austin spends profusely. Its property tax is growing wildly. It’s drowning in debt. And to make matters worse, the future doesn’t look so bright for those footing the bill. Earlier this month, the city introduced its proposed budget for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, which totals a massive $6.3 billion or $6,294...
Up to 17 million people may lose their healthcare coverage with the new changes to the Affordable Care Act marketplace under President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill” — including 1.7 million Texans. The OBBB cuts $1 trillion in healthcare spending over the next decade, mostly from Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that provides...
The city of Austin wants to raise your taxes. Again. And in a big way. On Tuesday, city councilmembers explored several tax increase proposals, most of which would require voter-approval in November. The options ranged from raising taxes only up to the 3.5% trigger, which would add $154.83 to the average homeowner’s tax bill, to...
According to the Bond Review Board’s most recent data, Texas’ local governments have accumulated an eyepopping $500 billion in debt, which is an increase of almost $40 billion from the prior year. That’s almost $16,000 owed for every man, woman, and child in the Lone Star State. Most of this debt comes from school districts,...