China is Spying What to know: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies to investigate possible cybersecurity risks in medical devices made in China. The TPPF take: Chinese spy tech could endanger American lives. “Texans understand that national security doesn’t stop at the border or the battlefield — it extends to the devices monitoring our loved ones in...
Dear Diary What to know: More and more teens are turning to artificial intelligence to express their struggles and feelings: “For many, AI has quietly become the new diary,” Teen magazine reports. The TPPF take: A diary doesn’t talk back, and it doesn’t influence its author. “Interactive systems that appear thoughtful, curious, and empathetic can shape the thinking...
Fraud and Abuse What to know: California is “ground zero” for health care fraud, according to the New York Post. The TPPF take: If you think the fraud in Minnesota is bad, wait until California’s fraud is fully uncovered. “The Golden State’s Covid-19 unemployment insurance debacle at the Employment Development Department was a masterclass in negligence: $177 billion...
School Choice in the Lone Star State What to know: More than 150,000 families have already applied for Texas Education Freedom Accounts, the school choice program passed by the Legislature last year. The TPPF take: High demand and participation show that Texas families want more freedom. “The sheer volume of applications in such a short period shows many Texas...
Votes Vs. Vibes What to know: According to Newsweek, the Democrats’ “pipe dream of turning Texas blue” has taken another “step forward” with state Rep. James Talarico’s primary win in the U.S. Senate race. The TPPF take: That’s truly a pipe dream, according to history and math. “In both 2008 and 2020, Democratic primary turnout exceeded Republican...
Pants on Fire What to know: Dallas ISD wants voters to believe that it can borrow $6 billion, pay back $12+ billion, and it won’t cost homeowners anything extra. That’s a “pants on fire” level lie. The TPPF take: New debt invites higher taxes. Massive new debt invites huge tax hikes. “Dallas ISD—and all other local governments—have been...
The Return of Sanity What to know: President Donald Trump has signed an executive order halting taxpayer-funded trans surgeries in federal prisons. The TPPF take: Why was this even necessary? “America doesn’t want this,” says TPPF’s Sherry Sylvester. “The Washington Post reports that while most Americans do not believe transgender people should be discriminated against, a majority believe gender is...
Opposing the War What to know: Many Democrats are livid that the U.S. joined Israel in taking preemptive action against Iran. The TPPF take: Those Democrats aren’t responding to reality. “At this very moment, American men and women are in harm’s way, waging war against one of America’s cruelest and most implacable enemies,” says TPPF’s Joshua Treviño. “With them...
Now is the Time What to know: President Donald Trump is urging Iranians to rise up and retake their own country from the Islamist forces that have ruled for nearly five decades. The TPPF take: There are significant differences between this regime-change project and the ones preceding it in Iraq and Afghanistan. “First and foremost, there is no American...
Love and Marriage? What to know: By and large, people still want to get married, the New York Times reports. Why aren’t they? The newspaper says we’ve entered an “era of relationship discontent.” The TPPF take: There’s a growing belief that heterosexual relationships are inherently disappointing, frustrating, or doomed to fail. “To engage in a heterosexual relationship, under...
Special Texas Independence Day Edition! “I love Texas because Texas is future-oriented, because Texans think anything is possible. Texans think big.” — former Sen. Phil Gramm What to know: The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) movement has taken a big hit, with Vanguard agreeing to settle a lawsuit led by the State of Texas that alleged it...
Drones at the Border What to know: Criminal cartels—and perhaps other actors—are now deploying drones at the southern U.S. border. Experts say the threat is serious. The TPPF take: Drones require immediate FAA action. “Drones are increasingly violating American airspace,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “We know that tens of thousands of drone sightings on our southern border are connected with the...