Getting Defensive

The TPPF take: The Department of Defense and other federal agencies have warned about these problems for years – and been ignored.

“The political pressure to implement offshore wind has been intense,” says TPPF’s Robert Henneke. “The Interior Department’s ‘Smart from the Start’ program fast-tracks offshore wind development, improperly granting permissions allowing foreign-owned energy companies to move forward despite the harms to our safety, our domestic industries and our environment.”

For more on offshore wind, click here.

Targeting Civilians

What to know: Russia is targeting civilians in its ongoing war against Ukraine.

The TPPF take: Russian media reported last August that 3.4 million Ukrainians, of whom 555,000 were children, were in Russia as a result of the war.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin views Ukraine as an illegitimate state and Ukrainians as an integral part of Russia,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “For this reason, he sees the Ukrainian nationality, language, and faith traditions as needing to be stamped out, with Ukrainians being reeducated into Russians.”

For more on Russia and Ukraine, click here.

Under the Weather

What to know: California lawmakers have approved emergency loans intended to keep rural hospitals in the state open. Expanding Medicaid, via the Affordable Care Act, has put intense pressure on the state’s health care providers. They lose money with every Medicaid visit.

The TPPF take: Yet many still insist that Texas should expand Medicaid—and follow in California’s footsteps.

“There is a reason why 11 states have held out against Medicaid expansion,” says TPPF’s David Balat. “They’ve seen the results in the other 39 states. Most beneficiaries see no improvement in their care, the mortality rate is going up, and the use of the emergency room is increasing for basic primary care issues.”

For more on Medicaid, click here.