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

Right Here in River City

What to Know: One of Austin’s iconic pool halls—Buffalo Billiards on Sixth Street—will close for good because of the pandemic shutdowns. In New York City, nearly 90 percent of bars and restaurants were unable to pay their August rent.

The TPPF Take: It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago, our economy was steaming along with record employment levels. Now entire industries are decimated by the shutdowns.

“The disruptions caused by fear of COVID-19 and the shutdowns ordered by state and local governments have dramatically changed our lives,” says TPPF’s Vance Ginn. “But we can look to that roaring economic situation in February for guidance in finding the path to increasing our freedoms and flourishing now. This begins with responsibly ending the shutdowns ASAP.”

Voting by Mail

What to Know: One expert says that Democrats may come to regret their newfound love of mail-in ballots, which are far more likely to be thrown out or even lost.

The TPPF Take: Mail-in balloting involves greater risk to election integrity than in-person voting.

“Mail-in ballots are appropriate for many Texans, but they are not a cure-all for the challenges COVID-19 is creating for Texas elections,” says TPPF’s Ron Simmons. “Texans deserve to have confidence that their votes count, that they won’t be canceled out by ineligible ballots.

China’s Influence

What to Know: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is warning U.S. officials to beware of increasing Chinese influence and espionage.

The TPPF Take: TPPF’s Chuck DeVore, a former California assemblyman, has seen Chinese influence-peddling first-hand.

“For at least a dozen years, the Chinese Communist Party has worked to make Americans more open to Beijing’s form of authoritarianism,” says Chuck. “I saw this firsthand in 2009 when I was serving my third and final term in the California State Assembly. Fortunately, the U.S. State Department issued new rules to curtail the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to directly influence American politics with official diplomatic personnel.”