Just a Phase
What to Know: Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) warns physicians that children who think they’re transgender are “just going through a phase,” and they shouldn’t be encouraged to change their names or pronouns, or to undergo “gender affirmation” treatments such as puberty blockers.
The TPPF Take: Dr. Quentin Van Meter, a pediatric endocrinologist, says that’s the right approach.
“Puberty isn’t the problem,” Dr. Van Meter says. “Gender dysphoria is the problem. Puberty is the solution.”
For more on kids and the new gender ideology, click here.
What Affordability Crisis?
What to Know: Austin, Texas is experiencing a cost-of-living crisis; but that’s not stopping Central Texas governments from seeking massive amounts of new debt (which, if approved, will mean paying higher taxes). “Altogether, Austin voters will be asked to consider five propositions totaling $3.5 billion.”
The TPPF Take: With a recession underway and an affordability crisis raging, Austin voters should think long and hard about whether to let local officials put billions more on the taxpayer credit card.
“People are struggling to afford the basics. It’s hard to imagine adding to their burden by raising taxes too, but that’s exactly what Austin politicians are proposing,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “Voters should weigh their decision carefully.”
For more on Austin’s affordability crisis, click here.
Poor Scores
What to Know: The latest ACT test scores for high school students are at their lowest in 30 years, due to pandemic lockdowns and school closures.
The TPPF Take: The lockdowns did more harm than good.
“While businesses were shuttered, people were forced to stay home, and schools remained closed, the unintended social and economic consequences were clear: Rising unemployment, learning loss among students, spiking rates of domestic violence, and a pandemic-level rise in drug abuse and overdoses,” says TPPF’s Greg Sindelar. “All of that social and economic devastation yielded a minimal impact on health-related suffering due to COVID-19.”
For more on the lockdowns, click here.