Progress Texas Podcasts

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Daily Dispatch 9/15/23: Impeachment Home Stretch As Defense Rests, and More Sep 15, 2023

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Ken Paxton defense lead Tony Buzbee calls four friendly witnesses - all current Texas AG Office employees - before resting: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/09/14/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-live-updates-coverage-day-eight/70836056007/

Donald Trump weighs in - while admitting he doesn't think President Biden is too old to server: https://www.axios.com/2023/09/14/trump-biden-age-2024-election

Senator John Cornyn voices support for the Biden impeachment inquiry, contradicting his own prior views: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/john-cornyn-biden-impeachment-inquiry/

Near-hopeless Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis will be in Midland on Wednesday: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-14/desantis-to-detail-energy-policy-during-texas-visit-next-week

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo will depart in-patient care for clinical depression and plans to return to duty on October 2: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/harris-county-lina-hidalgo-mental-health-leave/

Mitchell and Goliad Counties have implemented local ordinances that allow vigilantes to sue people they suspect of driving through those counties on their way to out-of-state abortion care: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/texas-abortion-trafficking/285-31f15a6c-dcf1-4711-a02b-2686ce9f7552

Dallas ISD joins several other districts in a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency over a new school rating system they say will artificially degrade scores: https://thehub.dallasisd.org/2023/09/14/dallas-isd-joins-other-texas-districts-in-tea-lawsuit/

In a Democrat vs. Democrat conflict, Hays County sees the first test of a new state law allowing for the removal of county DA's who refuse to prosecute select state laws: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/hays/hays-county-district-clerk-files-petition-to-remove-da-citing-new-texas-law/

Rosie Cuellar announces a run for the open House seat representing District 80, including Uvalde: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/14/henry-rosie-cuellar-texas-house-uvalde/

Coffee City, which made the news for its oversized police department largely staffed with officers who had been fired from other departments due to misconduct, fires its police chief and disbands its PD: https://www.kltv.com/2023/09/11/coffee-city-council-fires-police-chief-deactivates-police-department-wake-investigation/

And you're not exaggerating - Texas officially has the worst drivers in the country: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/09/14/texas-has-worst-drivers-in-the-country-report-says/

Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our podcasts, we'd appreciate your support as we continue our membership drive - join the fun officially at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 9/14/23: House Manager Mis-Management on Day 7, and More Sep 14, 2023

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Anticipation that Ken Paxton's alleged mistress might testify in the ongoing impeachment trial is for naught: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article279286904.html

...As former Paxton aide Drew Wicker is grilled over that infamous kitchen remodel: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/13/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-drew-wicker/

...And House managers commit an unforced (and almost catastrophic) error: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/13/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-laura-olson-drew-wicker/

Republicans maneuver to block the Biden administration's plans for immigrants to "remain in Texas": https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-09-13/republicans-biden-families-remain-in-texas

...While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services re-opens a troubled housing facility for migrant teens at Pecos: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-children-housing-facility-reopens-pecos-texas-spike-border-arrivals/

The new Texas law designed to criminalize drag performances is blocked for another two weeks: https://www.kxan.com/lgbtq/texas-drag-performance-law-blocked-from-taking-effect-again/

Ted Cruz gets crosswise with the U.S. Secretary of Education over a masking plan for a kindergarten class in Maryland fighting a COVID outbreak: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/13/education-sec-cardona-ted-cruz-wrong-to-oppose-masking-in-classroom-with-covid-outbreak/

San Antonio's local energy boss says ERCOT has not prepared the Texas grid for the oncoming winter: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/ercot-grid-gas-supply-ready-winter-cps-energy-18362209.php

...While battery storage is hailed as a possible solution to Texas' power grid woes: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ercot-grid-battery-solar-enel-texas-18350609.php

...And a Chinese solar panel company moves forward with a $200 million new production plant near Dallas: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/2023/09/11/chinese-company-plans-200-million-solar-panel-manufacturing-plant-in-wilmer/

Continued population growth remains a the core of continued economic growth in Texas: https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-population-state-economic-growth-housing-2023-9

And for the second day in a row, a female police officer in Texas is recognized: https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/local/vidor-officer-named-officer-of-the-year-by-texas-law-enforcement-association/502-584740d8-6ffa-4d12-8420-7d69ad75d565

Thanks for listening! If you're a regular, please consider joining forces with Progess Texas during our ongoing membership drive - learn more at https://progresstexas.org/.

Happy Hour 128: Inside The Impeachment with Justin Miller of the Texas Observer Sep 14, 2023

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Some Texans have been paying close attention all day, every day for the last week as the historic impeachment of Ken Paxton unfolds - others have, you know, jobs and stuff. So we're glad to have stolen a bit of time today with one particular Texan who's doing both at the same time! Justin Miller writes on Texas politics for the Texas Observer and has been covering every minute of the proceedings - which as of tonight, appear to be on the verge of wrapping up. Will Paxton be convicted? And what comes next for him, and for Texas? We discuss.

Find Justin Miller and all his great work for the Texas Observer at https://www.texasobserver.org/author/justin-miller/.

Thanks as always for listening! We're looking for about 21 more new regular, reliable supporting members to help Progress Texas continue our work into what's shaping up to be a monumental election year. Please consider joining the team at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/13/23: Paxton Stiffs His Secret Lawyer, and More Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Impeachment Day 6: Outside lawyer Brandon Cammack, central to Ken Paxton's questionable relationship with Nate Paul, appears to have ended up a victim himself: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/12/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-takeaways-day-6/

...While former Travis County DA Margaret Moore testifies that she found Nate Paul's claims of law enforcement persecution "ridiculous": https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article279239704.html

Texas lawmakers involved in the two Trump impeachments find no parallel in new impeachment inquiry targeting President Joe Biden: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/12/texas-congress-biden-impeach-trump/

A trial is underway over Texas voting laws that could have monumental implications in the 2024 election: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/texas-politics/trial-begins-over-texas-voter-laws-that-sparked-38-day-walkout-by-democrats-in-2021/3335152/

A police shooting amidst a mental health emergency in McKinney draws the scrutiny of both the Texas Rangers and the local NAACP: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-dps-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-that-left-mckinney-man-dead/3336590/

Law enforcement officials in San Antonio say the permitless carrying of guns in Texas has increased crime and made law enforcement more dangerous: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/09/12/texas-constitutional-carry-law-impacts-highlighted-during-district-4-public-safety-town-hall/

The Texas Education Agency is delaying its annual rating of Texas schools, which could affect the upcoming special session on school vouchers: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/12/texas-education-accountability-ratings/

Texas DPS and the Texas Rangers promote a woman to the rank of Texas Ranger Major for the first time: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2023/09/12/unbelievable-honor-dps-selects-first-woman-to-serve-as-texas-ranger-major/

The oysters that recently killed a 30-something man came from a Galveson restaurant: https://nypost.com/2023/09/12/texas-man-dies-after-eating-raw-oysters-over-labor-day-weekend/

Thanks for listening - please consider helping us continue our important work at Progress Texas by joining our ongoing membership drive! More at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/12/23: Paxton Affair Takes The Stage, and More Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Day 5 of the Ken Paxton impeachment sees the most extensive discussion yet of his extramarital affair: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/11/ken-paxton-affair-impeachment-trial/

...While a former deputy reveals the AG's general mistrust of law enforcement: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/11/ken-paxton-mark-penley-impeachment-trial/

...And a former Travis County assistant DA reveals prior investigations of Paxton's involvement with Nate Paul: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/11/ken-paxtonimpeachmenttexastrial/

Famed novelist John Grisham weighs in on the faulty science that has kept a Texas father on death row for two decades: https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/john-grisham-on-robert-roberson-texas-may-execute-an-innocent-man

A Houston-area school district continues disciplining Black students over their hairstyles, in defiance of the CROWN Act: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/us/barbers-hill-student-hair-suspension/index.html

The University of Alabama condemns racist and homophobic slurs directed by its football team's fans at visiting Texas Longhorns players: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/09/11/alabama-condemns-racist-homophobic-taunts-by-fans-loss-texas/

A North Austin church is set to become the first to hear an AI-generated sermon this Sunday: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/chatgpt-ai-sermon-austin-18360010.php

Thanks for listening! Please consider helping Progress Texas continue our important work in Texas by taking part in our ongoing membership drive. Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/11/23: Paxton Party Proceeds Into Week Two, and More Sep 11, 2023

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Friday saw testimony from legendary Texas Ranger David Maxwell: https://news.yahoo.com/former-texas-lawman-says-warned-210156665.html

...While prominent voices on the right continue to support the justification for the proceedings - some more surprising than others: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-republicans-weigh-in-on-paxton-impeachment-after-week-one-of-trial/

...And the Texas Tribune has a good first-week summary, and a livestream to watch as the impeachment continues: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/09/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-main-themes/

A major power outage in North Texas - but don't blame ERCOT this time: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/tens-of-thousands-across-north-texas-without-power-following-friday-storms/287-72e702e1-f376-4d25-a2bc-e017094ff047

...While the Feds weigh in on Texas' energy struggles, though not in the way many progressives have hoped: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/08/energy/texas-power-emergency-heat-wave/index.html

...And somebody out there is making a LOT of money on all this power trouble: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/texas-power-prices-20000-percent-heat-wave-ercot-grid-emergency-2023-9

...And let's not forget our mounting water woes: https://www.wired.com/story/a-summer-of-record-heat-deals-costly-damage-to-texas-water-systems/

Another solid Democrat has announced a run against Ted Cruz: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/09/carl-sherman-2024-senate-democrat/

And Texas loses a beloved musical icon - Charlie Robison - far too young, at 59: https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/texas-country-royalty-charlie-robison-had-died/

Thanks for listening - please consider helping us continue our work by joining in on our ongoing membership drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/8/23: Paxton Impeachment Presents GOP Problems, and More Sep 08, 2023

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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Paxton aides say they turned him in to the FBI when it became clear he had been compromised: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/07/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-takeaways-day-3/

...While Senator John Cornyn finds the whole mess "very deeply disturbing": https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/07/john-cornyn-texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-disturbing/

...And deeper rifts within the GOP are laid bare, with possible 2024 implications: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2023/09/07/the-battle-thats-tearing-the-texas-gop-apart-00114616

Yet another power conservation plea from ERCOT on Thursday night: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/ercot-calls-for-conservation-thursday-after-energy-emergency-alert-wednesday/3332195/

...While transmission lines present yet another weak link for the Texas grid: https://www.dallasnews.com/business/energy/2023/09/07/texas-power-emergency-hinged-on-stranded-wind-farm-supplies/

...And outrage spreads over news that Bitcoin companies are profiting from Texas' power woes: https://decrypt.co/155460/how-bitcoin-miners-in-texas-are-making-millions-without-mining-at-all

Texas can keep its deathtrap buoy barrier in the Rio Grande for now, on appeal: https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/politics/texas-water-barriers-migrants-appeal/index.html

...While the death of a 3 year old on a migrant bus appears to have been preventable: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/09/07/texas-migrant-bus-death-coroners-report/70786395007/

...And the migrant buses themselves are not having the impact on "sanctuary cities" that Governor Abbott has aimed for: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/07/us/migrant-buses-texas-nyc-los-angeles.html

...And the Biden administration considers forcing migrants to stay in Texas: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2023-09-07/biden-migrant-families-border

A vanishingly small number of legal abortions in Texas so far this year is likely an undercount due to fear of state reprisal: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/07/texas-abortion-emergency-data

Austin has been over-run by rogue robot cars - and the city is powerless to stop them: https://www.kut.org/transportation/2023-09-07/austin-driverless-vehicles-cruise-complaints-rules

Happy Hour 127: Former Miss Texas and House Candidate Averie Bishop Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

In Texas, for ANY progressive, it takes serious guts and commitment to run for office - it also helps to have a keen mind for politics, a strong heart for service, and buckets of class and charisma - former Miss Texas and SMU Law graduate Averie Bishop, by those standards, fits the bill pretty nicely! Bishop is running to unseat longtime TX-112 Rep. Angie Chen Button, a Republican representing a district that has been recently re-drawn to entrench GOP control - does this young, first-time candidate have what it takes to beat these long odds? Listen and decide for yourself.

Find Averie Bishop at https://www.averieforall.com/ and...

On TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@averiebishop?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

On Twitter (or X or whatever): https://twitter.com/averiedanielle?lang=en

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/averiebishop/

And find us (and help support our ongoing work!) at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/7/23: Blackmail and Adultery In Paxton Trial Day 2, and More Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Former second-in-command Jeff Mateer recounts Paxton's erratic push for Nate Paul: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/06/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-takeaways-day-2/

...Bringing up Paxton's adulterous affair for the first time, in front of Senator Angela Paxton: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/06/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-mateer/

...NPR's Politics Podcast brings in Texas reporters to talk about national implications of the Paxton impeachment: https://www.npr.org/2023/09/06/1197846176/the-national-implications-of-impeaching-texas-attorney-general

ERCOT suffers its closest shave yet this summer with rolling blackouts: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-07/texas-declares-grid-emergency-as-heat-stokes-power-demand

...With 77 minutes of white knuckles in the control room: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/06/texas-ercot-power-grid-rolling-blackouts/

...While a Bitcoin operator is now surviving on ERCOT energy credits: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/09/06/texas-paid-bitcoin-miner-riot-31point7-million-to-shut-down-in-august.html

Texas immediately appeals a judge's order to move Greg Abbott's floating Rio Grande deathtrap: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/judge-orders-texas-to-move-large-floating-barrier-to-riverbank-of-rio-grande-by-sept-15/3331452/

Texas abortion advocates celebrate a decision by Mexico's Supreme Court to decriminalize the procedure: https://www.tpr.org/bioscience-medicine/2023-09-06/texas-abortion-advocates-celebrate-mexicos-decriminalization

...While worries mount about new small-town experiments against "abortion trafficking": https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/09/texas-abortion-ban-trafficking-laws.html

Oklahoma's State Department of Education announces a new partnership with Prager U: https://kfor.com/news/local/osde-announces-partnership-with-prageru/

...While Texas State Board of Education members argue to downplay human-caused climate change in Texas schools: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/09/06/texas-climate-change-textbooks/

A trial over the Texas voter suppression law SB-1 is set to begin on Monday: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-08-18/texas-voter-suppression-law-violates-civil-rights-judge-rules/

Thanks for listening! We're proud to announce that we are now over halfway to our goal of 50 new sustaining members - please consider helping us get there! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/6/23: The Paxton Party Proceeds, and More Sep 06, 2023

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The impeachment of Ken Paxton rolls into Day 2, after a dramatic launch yesterday: https://www.npr.org/2023/09/05/1197811021/paxton-impeachment-trial-texas-attorney-general-ag-conspiracy-bribery

...While the state's well-funded far-right's campaign to pressure Senators to dismiss fails: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4188298-texas-gop-ken-paxton-impeachment-critics-primary-threats/

...Paxton himself couldn't be bothered to stick around: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/09/05/three-things-to-know-about-texas-ag-ken-paxtons-impeachment-trial-today/

...Some hope the trial represents a revival of bipartisanship in Texas: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-09-06/ken-paxton-impeachment-texas-republicans-democrats-bipartisan

...And others note it's a sign of a widening split within the GOP: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66722742

...Watch the proceedings of Day Two here: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/06/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-live-updates/

Governor Greg Abbott brags online about the thousands of migrants he's trafficked out of Texas: https://nypost.com/2023/09/06/texas-gov-greg-abbot-says-the-state-has-bused-35k-migrants-to-sanctuary-cities/

...While his razor wire-laden buoy deathtrap in the Rio Grande is a complete (and expensive) failure: https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/texas-floating-border-wall-fails-to-deter-migrants-75ebfcae

State attorneys want to implement parts of the new book rating law, currently blocked by a federal judge: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/93109-texas-argues-parts-of-new-book-rating-law-should-be-allowed-to-take-effect.html

A new contender for the Democratic nomination to face Ted Cruz next year announces candidacy: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/us/politics/ted-cruz-mark-gonzalez-senate.html

A new explainer on right wing oil moguls the Wilks brothers and their threat to democracy: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/05/texas-fracking-billionaire-brothers-prageru-daily-wire

...While similar oil players have abandoned wells all along the Texas coast, which are now leaking: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/abandoned-oil-wells-coast-bays/

The Eastern District of Texas is one of 25 federal court districts that have neve had a non-white judge, in spite of a 30% non-white population: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/color-of-justice-all-white-benches-persist-in-us-district-courts

Thanks for listening! Learn how you can support the important work of Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/.

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