Why should you pay taxes? Probably not for the programs outlined in Rand Paul’s annual “Festivus” report. Examples: Your government used millions of your hard-earned $$ to study whether methamphetamine disrupts the sleep habits of monkeys and to funnel $$ to Russian scientists to research the effects of snipping the brain stems of cats, then forcing them to exercise on treadmills. The animal abuse alone is outrageous. More broadly, we deserve a refund. Jacki proposed (to the Speaker of the House and others) that anyone making less than 50K should be exempt from federal tax, if for no other reason than to make working more attractive than welfare. (Separately, what would we do without Rand Paul?) - - - - - Daniel Turner of Power the Future tells the true story of how fossil fuels prolonged his father’s life after a heart attack. He also details how they have almost certainly saved your life. - - - - - Texas weather is sure to bring more emergency conservation alerts from state regulators since Texas is the only state with its own grid and has made massive mistakes, transitioning from fossil fuels and nuclear that produce over 90% of the time to renewables that produce only 30% of the time – on a good day - causing life-threatening energy scarcity. - - - - - We share focus group results which show that Americans are supportive of fossil fuels, prefer ours to petro-state dictators, and believe energy is far too expensive, yet at the same time do not know that renewables mean sky-high costs and dependence on hostile foreign supply chains. - - - - - The Osage tribe just succeeded in getting a federal judge to rule that 84 wind energy turbines run by a foreign company (so much wind energy is) in Oklahoma must come down because they infringe on the tribe’s sovereignty and destroy their sacred birds, such as protected eagle species. This is one of many stories in a tide now turning against wind energy.