New Rules for SNAP
What to know: More and more states are banning the purchase of junk food—sodas, energy drinks and candy—with SNAP benefits. Texas’ ban will go into effect April 1. But lawsuits have already been filed to overturn these new rules.
The TPPF take: Lawsuits challenging SNAP nutrition waivers distract from the program’s original purpose.
“SNAP is designed to address income-based food insecurity, not to accommodate clinical eating disorders or highly selective dietary patterns,” says TPPF’s Dr. Cliff Porter. “Conditions such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) are recognized medical issues that warrant evaluation and treatment through appropriate clinical channels, not welfare expansion subsidizing low-nutrient foods.”
For more on SNAP rules, click here.
The First Crack
What to know: New Mexico’s Attorney General has won a $375 million verdict against Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, for endangering young people.
The TPPF take: Social media is a clear and present danger to our children.
“Heavy social media use has been found to lead to heightened depression and anxiety, particularly in girls aged 11–13 and boys aged 14–15. Social comparison—measuring oneself against curated online facades—breeds self-doubt and diminishes the confidence needed to engage in public life,” says TPPF’s Tom Lindsay. “A 2023 study reveals that 53% of parents cite social media as a driver of anxiety in their children. This is not mere distraction; it’s a cultural crisis that saps the moral courage required for a free society.”
For more on social media, click here.
Your AI Boyfriend
What to know: Big Tech wants you to give up on dating humans, Salon reports.
The TPPF take: It’s time to break up with your AI boyfriend.
“Human relationships are meaningful precisely because they are difficult, unpredictable, and mutual,” says TPPF’s Hannah Bruck. “They require patience, vulnerability, and the willingness to encounter another person who cannot be perfectly tailored to our preferences. AI companions, by contrast, are engineered to do the opposite. They are designed to keep our attention, to respond instantly, validate our feelings, and adapt to whatever keeps us engaged.”
For more on AI, click here.