Every Friday morning, I join the Cardle & Woolley Show on 1370 Talk Radio in Austin to announce the week’s Winners & Losers. As we begin October, the Democrats have shut down the government, which is never great news. But hey, Texan Elon Musk amassed $500 billion this week, cementing his spot as richest guy in the world, and we have three Texas football teams rated in the Top 11. Here’s who made the list:
WINNER: Trump Picks UT for “Compact on Higher Education Excellence”
Adding a carrot to his approach for reforming higher education in America, President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon announced this week that nine universities, including the University of Texas at Austin, have been offered the opportunity to sign a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” The Compact will give the selected schools priority access to federal research funds if they agree to operate under guidelines that will ensure free speech and open inquiry, as well as freezing tuition for five years, capping the percentage of international students and clearly defining the two genders.
Trump and McMahon clearly understand that American universities have generated the ideologically based and wrong-headed academic thinking that has fueled woke policies over the past two decades, weakening and destroying many American institutions and corporations.
Reforming universities will require the strong, no-nonsense approach the president has already employed to end anti-Semitism and race and gender-based admissions and hiring at places like Harvard and Columbia, but it will also require universities to develop operating principles based on open debate, merit-based achievement and a focus on successful student outcomes. Because Texas has led the way nationally in higher education reform by both ending DEI on campuses and reining in the hegemony of faculty by returning campus leadership to university regents, our academic leaders are ahead of the game.
UT System Board of Regents President Kevin Eltife said that the University is honored
to be part of the Trump higher education reform initiative. The other schools that are included are University of Arizona, Brown University, Dartmouth College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia.
Many UT faculty members are not happy. Their American Association of University Professors (AAUP) spokesperson predicts that Trump’s efforts will destroy the university, and in an unprecedented twist, the Texas Faculty Association insists that President Trump can’t control federal research funds because they belong to American taxpayers. This is rich, considering these are the same faculty members who have screamed throughout the last two legislative sessions that Texas lawmakers have no authority over state universities despite the billions in Texas taxpayer dollars that go to college campuses every year. UT President Jim Davis and Provost William Inboden are breaking new ground every day over at the Forty Acres. There’s no question the Longhorns are up to this challenge.
WINNER: Greg Abbott Shuts Down Sharia Law in Texas
It wasn’t a big news story this week, but Gov. Greg Abbott took an important stand in Houston when he affirmed that there is no place for Sharia law in Texas. Responding to reports that a Houston imam was trying to force some Muslim-owned businesses to stop selling alcohol and pork and conform to Muslim religious practices, Abbott said, “To be clear, Texas law and Texas courts govern those businesses and those neighborhoods. No ranting imam can change that.”
If you think Abbott may have been over-reacting (the Houston Chronicle accused him of using right-wing fear tactics), consider that in Dearborn, Michigan, when a resident challenged the Muslim mayor’s move to rename a city street after a Hezbollah terrorist, he was ejected from a City Council meeting and called a racist and an Islamophobe.
In Great Britain, some reports indicate that almost a hundred Sharia councils have been established, allowing Muslims to marry, divorce and file wills outside regular British civil law. This is the exact opposite of assimilation. Abbott is right to make it clear that Texas law prevails.
WINNER: The “Bathroom Bill” is Now Law in Texas
The last and maybe the only big victory by the left in Texas came in 2017 when Democrats, working with their allies in the media, defeated the Women’s Privacy Act, which they pejoratively called “the bathroom bill.”
Back then, the left and the media were successful in creating a narrative that portrayed women and girls who wanted private restrooms and locker rooms as stupid bigots. They ridiculed Texas State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, a former NCAA athlete, who understood what was at stake better than anybody. Had the media listened to Sen. Kolkhorst, they would not have been so surprised about the outcome of the 2024 presidential election.
Perhaps the most disgusting memory from that time was the ad, “I Pee with the LGBT.” It was not only gross, it deployed phony economic fear tactics by insisting that Texas would lose over a billion dollars in tourist dollars if the legislation passed. It didn’t happen.
Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 into law this week, and violators will be fined $25,000 for the first offense. That’s great news, but it is important to remember how long we had to fight just to ensure that in Texas, women and girls could have their own public restrooms.
LOSER: Hegseth Sounds like Attila the Hun
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth should be a winner this week for calling in American generals from all over the world and making it clear that ending wokeness in our military is his top priority. No more race- and gender-based promotions or DEI, no more sex change operations and drag shows, no more gay pride flags flying over American bases. It is a good thing that the key takeaway from his unprecedented meeting of military leaders in Quantico, Virginia on Tuesday is that America is done with all that.
What I can’t figure out is why the Secretary of War didn’t follow up that terrific news with a blueprint for the military that reflects the vision of President Trump.
From his first day in office, President Trump has re-defined America’s leadership role in the world, leaving no doubt that we are the most powerful country on the planet and that he is committed to using that power to end wars and stop killing people. He’s said it dozens of times, making clear he wants all countries to prosper, even countries we don’t like. That’s why the international response to Trump has been so positive.
But Secretary Hegseth didn’t echo the President. Instead, he often sounded like Attila the Hun:
We fight to win. We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also don’t fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.
I don’t know who the Secretary of War is talking to, but I am the widow of a professional military officer who was on the ground in Vietnam. I have a military family and I live in Texas’ “Military City.” I am also the daughter of a World War II veteran who fought in four theatres of war, and I can tell you that principled American solders don’t say things like, “We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy …and intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country.”
Nowhere do words matter more than when talking about war. Hegseth needs to start sounding like Trump and less like the bad guy in a cheap action movie.
LOSER: Trust in American Media Drops to New Low
It has become a cliché to say that the media has lost its credibility, but it is important to look at the latest survey numbers from Gallup to see exactly what is happening. According to the Gallup data, only 28% of Americans say they trust the media. Half of the people who call themselves Democrats (51%) say they believe the media is mostly accurate—a percentage that has not changed much over the past decade, but the 28% nationwide is a real drop.
In the late 1990s, over 50 percent of the entire country, regardless of political party, believed the information they got from mainstream media was mostly accurate. Today, only 8% of Republicans say they trust the media, the first time GOP trust has dropped to single digits. For Independents, only about 27% say they trust the media—also an all-time low.
WINNER: Free Press Founder Takes Over CBS
Apparently CBS has taken a long look at those Gallup poll numbers, because it is now official that Free Press founder Bari Weiss will be taking over CBS as Editor in Chief.
The move had been rumored for weeks as CBS staffers have cowered in fear that they might be called on to address their biased views. Weiss, who left the New York Times editorial page in 2020, saying she was tired of being bullied by liberals, established a newsletter on Substack that quickly became one of the most reliable news sources in the country. She features writers from across the political spectrum and zeroes in on cultural issues in ways traditional media ignores or distorts.
It will be interesting to see what Weiss does with a major broadcast network. But to get an idea of the bias you won’t find in the Free Press, just read this morning’s news report from the Washington Post on Weiss taking the helm at CBS. It is loaded with slanted commentary and snarky cheap shots even though it’s on the “news” page.
LOSERS: Those Defending Texas Teachers Fired Over Charlie Kirk Comments
The Texas Tribune reports that legal experts are “troubled” that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is investigating over 300 reports sent to them by parents pointing to teachers who commented negatively following the murder of Charlie Kirk. FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) is concerned that the free speech rights of teachers are being trampled, and the teachers’ unions are calling it a Republican plot.
But this report by The Texan on what the fired teachers actually said makes it absolutely clear there is no gray area here. Those who were fired went on a public platform and said Kirk got what he deserved in being killed for the beliefs he spoke about on college campuses.
The fired teachers did not say, “I disagree with Kirk,” or “Here’s what Kirk was wrong about,” or even, “I disliked Charlie Kirk because he was an awful person.” Instead, the teachers sounded like Antifa protesters, insisting that anybody who said what Charlie Kirk said deserves to be shot.
Parents don’t want anyone who thinks that people deserve to be shot for what they believe teaching their children. We will see what else unfolds as the TEA investigations continue, but Commissioner Mike Morath is a hero for taking a stand.
LOSER: Big City of Austin Tax Increase on November Ballot
It was heartening to see the Austin American-Statesman editorialize this week about the outrageous 20% local tax increase that the city of Austin has put on the November ballot. Apparently, among other things, some Austin City Council members believe their election entitles them to a free lunch. The Austin City Council can frequently be spotted wasting money big time, but now we know they are also careless with taxpayer dollars behind the scenes.
My TPPF colleague, James Quintero, knows more about the fight against wasteful local spending and tax increases than anyone. You can read his analysis here.
LOSER: X on Passports
In 2021, former President Joe Biden declared that those who are confused about what sex they are could simply mark “X” on their passport application. President Trump overrode this idiocy with an Executive Order shortly after he returned to office and now Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, has a bill that will codify Trump’s edict into law so that the only options available on passport applications are male and female. It makes sense that if you can’t figure out what sex you are, you probably shouldn’t be allowed to travel.
WINNERS: Well, Fingers Crossed
As mentioned above, Texas has three teams in the Top 25 in the AP poll as we begin October and week 6 of the season. The University of Texas at Austin, which is ranked No. 9, plays unranked Florida tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Texas is predicted to win by a touchdown, but the big speculation is how quarterback Arch Manning will hold up under the pressure he continues to receive as a result of his last name. He certainly has had some moments, but we’ll see how he does against the Gators. They are playing in Florida.
For some, the only thing that matters is that Texas A&M is ranked higher than UT, so we want to acknowledge that. At No. 6, the Aggies are the heavy favorite over Mississippi State. They play tomorrow night in College Station. It’s an SEC matchup, so anything can happen.
Meanwhile, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are ranked at No. 11 in the AP poll and are No. 1 in the Big 12. They travel to the University of Houston tomorrow night where they are expected to wallop the Cougars. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
Hook ‘em! Gig em! Wreck ‘em!