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 this framework, is to anticipate its collapse,” says TPPF’s Hannah Bruck. “If you are not queer or alone, you are fooling yourself. This mindset does not merely critique relationships; it treats emotional risk as naïveté and commitment as self-betrayal. Not only are women who choose loneliness or non-heterosexual relationships encouraged, but women who are happy with their boyfriends are increasingly criticized.”

For more on relationships and family formation, click here.

Power

What to know: Companies are rushing to bring advanced nuclear reactor designs to the market, Real Clear Energy reports. Those designs include the small, modular reactors championed by President Donald Trump.

The TPPF take: Americans shouldn’t be afraid of nuclear energy.

“Modern advancements in nuclear technology, such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and improved safety protocols, have addressed past concerns,” says TPPF’s Cullen Neely. “SMRs offer the potential for lower capital costs, enhanced safety features, and flexibility in deployment, making them suitable for a variety of settings, including remote areas and existing power plants. SMRs are becoming the reactor of choice for companies like Microsoft and Amazon that seek to power their AI technologies.”

For more on small nuclear reactors, click here.

Maxxing

What to know: What is “maxxing,” a new term popping up on social media?

The TPPF take: The term may be new, but “maxxing” is a familiar cultural pattern of striving against the conditions of the present moment.

“The cultural critics cycle through a tired scrutiny,” says TPPF’s Cameron Abrams. “For them, ‘looksmaxxing’ is simply male chauvinism or the next evolution of so-called ‘toxic masculinity.’ But actually, what maxxing shows us is that resolve remains. Men want standards. Standards for the world — and for themselves. In a very real sense, the danger for men is passivity.”

For more on maxxing, click here.