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

Model for Failure

What to Know: Some are holding up Maryland’s school reforms as a model for the nation, though the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future really only increases funding and the breadth of programs.

The TPPF Take: Maryland’s bill won’t help much—if at all.

“The most fundamental obligation of our schools is to teach children to read at grade level or above,” says TPPF’s Kara Belew in a new piece in the Washington Post. “Without clear, measurable goals in reading—and the political will to enforce these goals—then the Blueprint will only serve to prop up a system that’s failing Maryland students.”

Unconstitutional

What to Know: California is trying to score political points by not letting President Trump appear on his party’s primary ballot unless he releases his tax returns.

The TPPF Take: Even former Gov. Jerry Brown, who vetoed a similar measure in 2017, says it is unconstitutional—and bad politics.

“The U.S. Constitution lays out the qualifications for the U.S. presidency, and states can’t arbitrarily add their own,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore in USA Today. “California’s law will be declared unconstitutional—and voided.”

Powering Off

What to Know: It’s not just that Swedes pay more for power these days—more and more often, they just can’t get it, after a tax passed to force coal plants to close has left the nation with power shortages.

The TPPF Take: New York City has seen blackouts because of bad energy policy.

“Forcing electricity providers to switch to renewable energy before the technology is ready jeopardizes the reliability of the electrical grid—as New York now knows,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “Recklessly banning oil, natural gas, and coal puts human lives—and human progress—at risk.”