Texas made headlines this weekend after the State Board of Education (SBOE) rejected efforts to villainize oil and gas in textbooks used by our public schools. In the Lone Star State, education and fossil fuels have a symbiotic relationship. Nearly all—99%—of the state’s oil and gas royalties are deposited in the Permanent School Fund and...
Not everyone can care for a loved one at home, but we were able to provide my father-in-law with a sense of love and security. My father-in-law passed away last month, days away from his 99th birthday. He lived with us for 13 years. He was a great man, a World War II veteran who loved his...
New data from the Bond Review Board suggests that Texas’ local debt soared to a total of $461.3 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2023, up from $417 billion in the prior year. That one-year jump represents a $44 billion increase or roughly 11% growth. The most deeply indebted governmental entities were public school districts. In...
A recent write-up from the Texas Tribune highlights an interesting phenomenon taking root in many major downtown Texas cities: that is, a “glut of empty office space.” As the article explains further: The Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston areas have office vacancy rates that range from 21% to 25%, vacancies that could complicate the post-pandemic...
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, previously fraught with concerns over its elections, just proved it is responding to the pleas of voters nationwide to further secure its ballot procedures. Since the 2020 election, the county has received complaints about late election returns, meaningful poll-watcher observation, processing absentee ballot envelopes and provisional ballots, ballot shortages, issues with e-poll...
The truth is that China’s maritime provocations in the South China Sea will continue until war ensues. As America, and much of the world, remains focused on conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) continues to ramp up its bellicose actions in the South China Sea and in the...
In the Anti-Defamation League’s new report on antisemitism, published less than a week after Hamas’ horrific attacks on Israeli civilians, the group naturally ties race-based attacks to Donald Trump. Not mentioned are the campus radicals who have chased and assaulted Jewish students, nor the “Squad” members of Congress who can’t bring themselves to condemn terrorism, nor the Ivy League administrations that won’t condemn...
The following commentary is published on Thursdays as part of TPPF’s subscriber-only newsletter The Post. If you would like to subscribe to The Post, click here. “We met with several of the Mexican consuls here in Dallas, as well as 11 Mexican consuls from across the state. In partnership, we will be putting together informational and...
‘Renewable’ energy is still just a marketing term for unreliable energy As winter approaches across the country, the usual seasonal stressors are upon us: Busy social calendars, buying gifts (if we can afford them), and preparing for family functions. For those of us in Texas, however, we have bigger concerns. Memories of going days or...
The following commentary is published on Thursdays as part of TPPF’s subscriber-only newsletter The Post. If you would like to subscribe to The Post, click here. Tomorrow, the Texas House of Representatives will debate a universal school choice bill on the floor for the first time in its history. It’s an important moment that longtime supporters...
With Treasury markets already nearing the brink, could a cyberattack push them over the edge? A ransomware attack hit China’s biggest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on Thursday, preventing it from settling some trades in U.S. Treasuries. News of the attack riled some participants in the Treasury market, with news stories citing as...
The following letter was submitted to the Cannon Online for publication from Justina Jenkins, Head of School at Rivertree Academy, a private school near Ft. Worth: November 14, 2023 As the Head of School at Rivertree Academy, I have the honor to serve the families and children in the Lake Como Community located in Fort...