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Connecting today’s news with the research & opinion you need.

The End is Near! (For Real This Time!)

What to Know: Outside the venue where the Democratic presidential debates were held last week, climate activists gathered to demand drastic action.

“In a Democratic primary with two dozen candidates fighting for attention, groups like Sunrise have been able to seize on the chaos and push their preferred issues into the conversation,” the New York Times reported.

The TPPF Take: How much more apocalyptic can it get? Democratic candidates keep moving forward the date of the end of the world.

“According to these candidates, we have 12 years, 10 years, or even just five years to stave off the End of Days,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “Yet none of them have a concrete plan to replace the 80 percent of our energy that now comes from fossil fuels. It’s panic without purpose. The truth is that our air and water are cleaner and healthier than ever, and we’ve achieved that through the availability of affordable, reliable energy.”

Use of Force

What to Know: Newly released body cam video shows the last moments of the life of a man who died in police custody.

“Tony Timpa wailed and pleaded for help more than 30 times as Dallas police officers pinned his shoulders, knees and neck to the ground,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

The TPPF Take: Police departments need to clarify and enforce use-of-force policies.

“Highly publicized use of force incidents can blemish the legitimacy of a police organization,” says TPPF’s Michael Haugen. “To maintain legitimacy and improve operations, police leaders must better address employee selection, force policy, and training.”

Take It to the Limit

What to Know: More and more cities and counties are raising taxes as much as they possibly can—before a new law goes into effect.

In Mineral Wells, “The proposed rate is just below 8 percent above the 64-cent effective tax rate,” the Weatherford Democrat reports.

The TPPF Take: Senate Bill 2 will soon lower the amount local government can raise taxes without taxpayer approval.

“The excuse many of these cities and counties use is that their funding will be reduced when SB 2 goes into effect,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “That’s simply not true. If they have a real need above the new threshold, they can make their case to the voters. These new tax hikes should remind us all that the fight isn’t over. More must be done to protect hard-working Texans against insatiable local governments.”