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

Superstar Lawyer

What to Know: Texas Public Policy Foundation’s own Rob Henneke is one of three finalists for Texas Lawyer magazine’s Attorney of the Year.

The TPPF Take: Henneke, who leads TPPF’s Center for the American Future, litigates on behalf of liberty.

“This recognition comes as no surprise to us,” says TPPF’s Kevin Roberts. “Rob’s efforts at every level, from district court on up to the U.S. Supreme Court, on issues ranging from local ordinances to the Affordable Care Act, are focused on winning more freedom for every Texan—and every American—to prosper.”

Catastrophic Assumptions

What to Know: Some meteorologists are already attempting to link Hurricane Dorian’s destruction to climate change.

The TPPF Take: Not so fast; science doesn’t support such a direct link.

“Since 1900, of all the hurricanes that have hit Florida, there have been no long-term trends in either their intensity or the number,” TPPF Fellow Roy Spencer, principal research scientist at the University of Alabama, said on Fox News this week. “If you look at the data, going back over 100 years, you really can’t support increasing hurricane activity with the increasing sea surface temperatures that we actually are seeing.”

Pension Problems

What to Know: Austin’s police pension system will go broke if contributions don’t go up, consultants warn.

The TPPF Take: It’s not just Austin; government pension systems are in trouble throughout the country.

“Unless pension funds undergo significant reform, it’s likely that taxpayers will be on the hook for trillions of dollars of promises to government unions,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “It’s time to move government workers from defined benefits systems to what the rest of us have—defined contribution systems.”