The Right Idea Texas Public Policy Foundation

Brian and Derek have the pleasure of sitting down with TPPF’s Director of Litigation, Chance Weldon, to discuss Olympic break dancing, squatter's rights (or the lack thereof), overpaid superintendents, and much more.
0:55 Olympic Breakin’: Electric Boogaloo4:05 Squatting in America19:25 Governor Abbott’s warning to squatters30:30 Survey Says! 75% think the cost of living is rising, 7% can’t do math36:00 Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics - 91 TX superintendents make over $300k42:50 What’re You Watching?

Brian and Derek have the pleasure of sitting down with author, podcast host and founder of the Bahnsen Group, David Bahnsen, to discuss millennials’ attitudes towards work and retirement, the myth of “work/life balance,” the truth behind ESG investing, and much more.
0:23 Hot Take: Willie Nelson taking his Fourth of July Picnic to Jersey?3:14 Overview of David’s new book: “Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life”4:03 The Myth of “work/life balance”7:45 The importance of faith and work… and how God created us to work10:45 The connection of work and life’s purpose11:50 The too-typical millennial mindset towards retirement14:45 “The New Right” and their Marxist attitudes towards work18:50 State intervention on the labor force (including minimum wage) 23:40 Trends towards or away from family growth and development vs. career growth and development 27:00 ESG investing 33:30 Are activists intentionally trying to take down Texas oil companies?35:44 Texas’ Permanent School Fund recently divested $8.5 billion from BlackRock over ESG investing38:52 What can the average person do?

Brian and Derek have the pleasure of sitting down with Jacob Howland, the Provost and Dean of Intellectual Foundations at University of Austin, to discuss the need for an entirely new type of university in response to young Americans turning away from higher education… and for good reasons.
3:55 Jacob Howland’s victory lap for UATX6:40 The Left’s argument against higher learning like University of Austin8:00 What sets UATX’s curriculum apart from most other universities?13:40 What kind of faculty and students is UATX looking for, and how do they find them?19:35 The problem with faculty and administrators at most American universities25:14 UATX is the only university in the U.S. with a Constitution32:50 How can UATX escape wokeness but maintain funding?35:55 UATX location - navigating East 6th & West 6th38:28 How will UATX face Austin’s predictable onslaught of protests?39:55 How is the Left likely to respond to conservative universities?42:15 Will other places of higher learning be positively influenced by UATX?43:45 How does UATX respond to the public’s primary concerns: Cost, Quality of Education and Ideology of the University?

Brian and Derek have the pleasure of sitting down with the CEO and Founder of OpenTheBooks.com, Adam Andrzejewski, who works to promote transparency in public policy and politics by removing the veil of secrecy that covers up national and local spending.
2:10 What is OpenTheBooks.com?3:45 How “Free and transparent” are Freedom of Information Act requests?6:20 Texas’ reforms regarding government transparency10:40 America’s trust in its government12:50 How is America really spending money to “protect” our southern border?22:10 How effective is our education spending?27:35 The ties between education, parental empowerment and Open the Books31:50 Efficiency Audits on local jurisdictions 34:40 The worst spending atrocities Open the Books has discovered36:47 How bad did COVID spending get and what did it lead to?

Brian and Derek have the pleasure of sitting down with TPPF’s Distinguished Senior Fellow Sherry Sylvester to discuss the results of the 2024 Primary Election, from a national, statewide and local perspective.
2:26 Derek’s take on the major headlines coming out of Tuesday’s results - Parents Win!3:19 Sherry’s take on the big winners and losers - Don’t mess with Governor Abbott6:04 How School Choice impacted Texas statewide9:50 The Media’s coverage of Super Tuesday17:43 School Choice Support in the 89th Legislature19:35 What will the School Choice debate look like next year?26:15 George Soros failed35:49 Who are Texas’ new Congressional candidates?39:22 New Senator hazing

TPPF Vice President of Research Derek Cohen interviews National Review senior writer Dan McLaughlin about the philosophy of conservatism, the current state of politics and policy, and Major League Baseball.