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

 

What to Know: There’s growing evidence that countries such as Sweden, which didn’t lock down their economies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, have fared just as well on health measures as countries that did.

 

The TPPF Take: Sweden didn’t panic, and we shouldn’t let panic drive our own pandemic response.

 

“People were already voluntarily practicing social distancing before governments made it mandatory,” says TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “But the mandated lockdowns meant that many businesses had to close. More than 22 million Americans lost their job through April. We can’t repeat this mistake.”

This is Progress?

 

What to Know: A new study ranks Austin as the least affordable city in America for minimum wage workers. Someone earning $7.25 per hour must “work 37 hours each week just to cut a rent check.” The situation could soon worsen too as local governments officials ready a major tax increase.

 

The TPPF Take: Progressive policies hurt those who can least afford it.

 

“An affordability crisis is raging in Austin, Texas,” says TPPF’s James Quintero. “The blame for this crisis lies squarely at the feet of Far Left local politicians whose answer to every problem is more government. Their blunder is taking a heavy toll on Austin’s poor and low-income. They would do well to remember the words of Ronald Reagan—‘Government is not the solution to our problem. Government is the problem.’”

Fostering Healthy Lives

 

What to Know: The Trump Administration's new foster care initiative ensures that youth aging out of the system will no longer be forgotten.

 

The TPPF Take: President Trump’s executive order is a major step forward in creating a more compassionate child welfare system that preserves and strengthens families.

 

“Last year, more than 1,200 Texas foster youth aged out of the system without ever finding a permanent home,” says TPPF’s Andrew Brown. “The Administration’s work recognizes that separating children from their parents should always be a last resort and promotes the leadership of community and faith-based organizations to ensure that all foster youth have the opportunity to thrive.” Â