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

A Golden Rule for COVID-19

What to Know: A woman who contracted—but recovered from—the coronavirus has some timely advice: Don’t panic, but think about others who might be more at risk.

The TPPF Take: That’s good advice for all of us at a time when the headlines are saturated with news about the virus.

“Like with most things in life, there’s a balance to be struck here, and the right balance is a combination of reason and calm and prudence,” says TPPF’s Kevin Roberts. “And we must think of—and check on—our neighbors who are likely to be most affected, particularly if they’re elderly and may not have anyone else nearby.”

A Win for Common Sense

What to Know: The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the Trump administration’s “Migrant Protection Protocols” (MPP), the “remain in Mexico” policy for asylum-seekers.

The TPPF Take: The MPP played a critical role in averting a chaotic collapse of security along the U.S. southwest border.

“The reality is that before MPP, hundreds of thousands of people from Central America and elsewhere overwhelmed the capacities of federal border authorities and detention facilities, and gained access into the United States simply by claiming a credible fear of political persecution, even though the vast majority of them lacked a valid claim for asylum,” says TPPF’s John Hostettler. “Since the implementation of the MPP, these people and their smugglers now know that claiming a credible fear no longer results in being released into the United States, and that is what has led to the major decline we have seen in apprehensions at the border.

Homelessness

What to Know: A new study shows that homelessness is “deeply connected to addiction, mental illness, and crime,” and “Housing First” policies that don’t address these can’t solve the problem

The TPPF Take: Focusing on Housing First (as Austin does), without addressing addiction, mental illness and other causes of homelessness, is doomed to fail.

“Under this approach, nonprofits are barred from receiving state and federal grants, if they require their clients to abide by accountability measures, such as pursuing sobriety or attending regular job training classes,” says TPPF’s Andrew Brown. “That’s why any gains are inevitably short-lived. Last March, for example, a low-barrier tiny house village in Seattle was forced to shut down because of rampant drug use and criminality.