AI and Energy Consumption What to know: AI is eating up so much energy that it’s overwhelming the power grid. The TPPF take: Reality keeps hijacking the Green New Deal. “In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), where data crunching and machine-learning algorithms reign supreme, the demand for energy has emerged as a critical concern,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “Silicon Valley’s...
Protecting the Children What to know: American children are spending far too much time on smartphones, experts warn. The TPPF take: Social media distorts our sense of reality. This is especially true for young people. “We refuse to leave our digital enclaves and instead accept our state of being shackled to our smart devices, TVs, computers, and other...
Pray for America What to know: A would-be assassin shot former President Donald Trump at a rally on Saturday. The TPPF take: We must pray for our country—and for President Trump. “Once the shock evaporates, we resolve to keep fighting, to keep working, to keep laboring, to keep praying — all the things a free people do — as...
Back to School What to know: July is halfway over; soon, Texas children will be returning to school. The TPPF take: It’s time for school choice for all Texas families. “In Texas, our public schools are still assigned based on a child’s address, which are still highly segregated along socio-economic and racial lines,” writes TPPF’s...
What Does ‘Defending Democracy’ Mean? What to know: President Joe Biden is making “defending democracy” the central point of his campaign. The TPPF take: Do we really have a “democracy” when the permanent government — the administrative state — views elected officials and their duly appointed staff as a threat to their domain? “True democracy involves more than just...
Exodus and Numbers What to know: Blue-state residents are leaving for friendlier states, and they’re taking their wealth with them. California lost $23.8 billion in adjusted gross income last year. The TPPF take: People are fleeing the big, Democrat-run states such as California and Illinois. “At its very heart, government’s most important role is to keep its citizenry...
China and U.S. Farmland What to know: China’s purchase of American farmland—much of it near military bases—has caused some concern in state legislatures, as well as calls for a federal fix to the issue. The TPPF take: Ownership of U.S. land by interests tied to the Chinese Communist Party poses a very real national security risk. “The...
Courting Chaos What to know: A San Marcos city councilmember is urging local elected officials to pass progressive policies “no matter what far-right Republicans in Austin say.” Her remarks come one-year after the passage of the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, aka the Death Star bill, which effectively upended the Left’s radical agenda at the local level. The TPPF...
Long, Hot Summer What to know: As we enter July and August, Texas’ energy needs are only increasing. The TPPF take: Our “dispatchable” power—energy we can access at any time—has been not been increasing. “The ERCOT grid’s net load, which is electricity demand minus wind and solar output, set new records in 2023,” says TPPF’s Brent Bennett. “That means the...
Record-High Fourth of July What to know: Celebrating 4th of July this year could cost Americans a record-high amount. According to the American Farm Bureau’s Fourth of July market basket survey, the average U.S. consumer is facing “their most expensive Fourth of July grocery bill in the history of the survey this year.” The TPPF take: Today’s cost-of-living crisis...
Higher Quality Materials, Better Results What to know: A school in Amarillo has been part of a pilot program for the state’s new high quality instructional materials (HQIM) that will now be available to all public schools and teachers in Texas. The TPPF take: The new materials are already helping those Amarillo students catch up—and the teachers love them....
Terrorists Crossing the Border What to know: The FBI has been tracking eight illegal immigrants with ties to the Islamic State and other terrorist groups. They’ve now been arrested. The TPPF take: Border security is national security. “The link between illegal immigration and terrorism is becoming increasingly apparent,” says TPPF’s Selene Rodriguez. “News reports dating back to January of...