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

Good Riddance

What to Know: The Trump administration has amended the Flores agreement, which is a major cause of the crisis at the border.

The TPPF Take: Closing the Flores loophole makes sense.

“More than any other policy, the Flores Settlement Agreement is responsible for the practice of ‘catch and release’ at the border, which has become a magnet for illegal immigration and a major driver of the current border crisis,” says TPPF’s John Daniel Davidson. “Scrapping the Flores settlement is a wise and necessary first step.”

Improving Schools

What to Know: Dallas ISD has a plan for improving its campuses that scored below a C in state ratings, and that plan involves ensuring that great teachers are in place, and have what they need to succeed.

The TPPF Take: Merit pay for teachers is an important part of improving education.

“As Dallas has learned, it’s important to look at how we’re spending our education dollars, not just how much we’re spending,” says TPPF’s Austin Griesinger. “The way to improving failing campuses is to set clear, public goals and provide merit pay to reward and retain our best teachers.”

A Win for Texas

What to Know: Our air in the U.S. is cleaner than ever, and that’s largely due to Texas natural gas.

The TPPF Take: You’re welcome, Earth!

“With Texas taking the lead, the United States has established energy security while maintaining some of the cleanest air in the world,” says TPPF’s Jason Isaac. “The abundant energy that is fueling our economic boom—and the resulting environmental benefits—will help other countries, as well, as we continue to ramp up LNG exports.”