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

This Will Fix Everything!

What to Know: Austin Mayor Steve Adler weighing in on national issues and congressional actions.

The TPPF Take: Adler has big problems at home he should focus on.

"Austin is plagued by affordability problems, skyrocketing taxes, and a homeless crisis, and yet Mayor Adler's attention seems fixed on Washington D.C. matters," says TPPF's James Quintero. "Considering our problems, Texas needs its local officials to keep their focus closer to home and on the day-to-day issues that matter most."

Filling Up the Prisons

What to Know: An editorial in an Oklahoma newspaper says overcrowding was a factor in recent violence in those facilities.

The TPPF Take: Part of the problem in Oklahoma is how it handles parole, and how often parole is revoked for technical violations.

“If someone violates their terms of supervision, there should be consequences,” says TPPF’s Joe Griffin. “Even more, if one poses a legitimate danger to the community, prison may be the best solution. But is sending a large number of individuals to prison who violate only the technical aspects of their supervision effective for public safety or fiscally responsible?”

Natural Gas and Hope

What to Know: A Wall Street Journal essay explains how natural gas—not the empty promises of renewable energy—will bring prosperity and hope to Africa’s poor.

The TPPF Take: Reliable electricity is life-changing.

“In 21st century America, vilifying the oil, natural gas, and coal industries is the politically easy and culturally sophisticated route—but not the correct route,” says TPPF’s Katie Tahuahua. “The poor can’t afford to wait for the advances in storage that will make wind and solar viable. Instead, they need access to the abundant and affordable power that has lifted billions out of poverty throughout the world.”