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Progress Texas Podcasts — Government
Progress Texas Podcasts

Progress Texas amplifies progressive values, leaders, and actions. Our top 2% globally rated podcast network meets the moment of the podcast boom, featuring three shows hosted by Chris Mosser: the Daily Dispatch, the Happy Hour, and In Progress. We reach millions online with this content, sharing pro-democracy, pro-justice, pro-gressive messaging 24/7, by Texans for Texans.

Copyright: © Progress Texas

Latest Episodes:

Daily Dispatch 9/5/23: Impeachment Day! And More Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The historic impeachment trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is underway this morning at the Texas State Capitol: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-texas-attorney-general/

...With big conservative money doing all it can to prevent his removal: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/us/ken-paxton-impeachment-conservative-lobbying.html

...And voters split on opinion, largely along party lines: https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2023-09-05/about-half-of-texas-voters-think-ken-paxtons-actions-justify-removing-him-as-attorney-general

...While the Texas Tribune provides an outline of the procedure AND a handy livestream: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/04/ken-paxton-impeachment-trial-operate/

...And finally, a whole new scandal comes to light with Senator Angela Paxton at its center: https://www.texasobserver.org/angela-ken-paxton-frinzi-multiband/

In other news - the new ban on drag performances in the presence of minors remains blocked: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/texas-barred-from-enforcing-newly-minted-anti-drag-show-law

...While the "Death Star" law is on the books under appeal, against the protests of Democratic AND Republican city leaders: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/republican-and-democratic-cities-band-together-to-blow-up-the-death-star-bill/

More details on ERCOT plans to limit the affordability and reliability of emergency battery storage power: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/batteries-buoyed-texas-grid-operators-wary-new-18342962.php

...While a great idea - paying Texas power consumers to conserve in emergency crunches - is floated: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/texas-energy-grid-demand-response-18340732.php

An Austin hotel is set to host a Nazi-inspired eugenics conference in December: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/sep/04/natal-conference-austin-texas-eugenics

Tech professionals who migrated to Texas from California are having second thoughts in droves: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/california-texas-tech-workers-18346616.php

...While Texas comes in at the bottom of this year's Oxfam ranking of the best U.S. states for workers: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/countries/united-states/poverty-in-the-us/best-states-to-work-2023/

Thanks as always for listening! Learn how you can help Progress Texas produce our acclaimed podcasts and more at https://progresstexas.org/.

Happy Hour 126: RuPublicans And Allies Fight Back In Texas Sep 02, 2023

Show notes

The Instagram account of the AI-assisted artists RuPublicans has been a rallying point for the Texas LGBTQ+ community and its allies, just as several new laws perscuting their community have been enacted in the Lone Star State. We're proud to be joined by Craig, one half of the couple behind the RuPublicans effort, as well as representatives of two Texas orgs that have benefitted from the terrific work of RuPublicans: Brad Pritchett is Field Director for Equality Texas, and Jaryn Holbrook Janeway is the Director of Programs and Operations for Out Youth.

Find the RuPublicans' great work at https://www.instagram.com/rupublicans/?hl=en, Equality Texas at https://www.equalitytexas.org/, and Out Youth at https://www.outyouth.org/.

Daily Dispatch 9/1/23: New State Laws and Courts Collide, and More Sep 01, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A judge temporarily blocks a new Texas law limiting drag shows: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/31/us/drag-show-ruling-texas.html

The Texas Supreme Court allows a new law banning gender-affirming care for minors in Texas to take effect while it's under consideration: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-top-court-lets-ban-gender-treatments-minors-take-effect-2023-08-31/

A judge has blocked enforcement of a new law requiring publishers to rate books based on sexual content: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/93089-judge-blocks-texas-book-ban-law.html

A judge has blocked new teacher evaluation procedures introduced under the state takeover of Houston ISD: https://news.yahoo.com/union-sues-over-changes-teacher-192157908.html

A new law forbids Texas HOA's from discriminating against Texans who rely on housing vouchers: https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2023-hoa-texas-homes-dallas-renters/

A new law does away with Texas' "pink tax" on menstrual and infant care products: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/09/01/texas-bans-menstrual-product-tax/70720766007/

A national LGBTQ+ college organization excludes public universities in Texas from its annual best-of rankings due to new laws banning campus outreach offices: https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/texas-florida-schools-excluded-lgbtq-friendly-college-list-new-state-l-rcna102516

...While a student group at Rice University, a private college unaffected by the law, reaches out to LGBTQ+ students statewide: https://abc13.com/sb-17-senate-bil-rice-university-lgbtq-college-services/13722810/

The Texas National Guard soldier accused of shooting a man across the border in Juarez has reportedly been suspended as investigations continue: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-guardsman-suspended-after-wounding-man-cross-border-104272333

Texas power consumers are growing weary of continuous conservation pleas from ERCOT: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/31/texas-ercot-grid-energy-conservation-fatigue/

...While Austin U.S. Representative Greg Casar begins work on a federal requirement for Texas to connect to national grids: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-congressman-drafts-legislation-to-connect-texas-to-national-grids/

Texas figures into the developing corruption scandals surrounding U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/31/clarence-thomas-trips-harlan-crow-supreme-court-abortion-roe-wade-texas-ice-storm/70728514007/

A Texas man accused of threatening Georgia officials over the 2020 election has entered a guilty plea: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/31/politics/guilty-plea-election-officials-threat/index.html

Be warned about poo-poo if you're spending this Labor Day weekend at a Texas beach: https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/texas-beach-fecal-contamination-investigation/285-50f6dd01-586a-4f66-988c-82cf4a24a332

And, while it almost feels de rigueur these days - another shooting in a public place in Texas takes two lives: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/08/31/austin-texas-shooting-arboretum-mall-victims/70732766007/

Thanks for listening! Please help Progress Texas continue our important work by taking part in our ongoing member drive at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 8/31/23: Death Star Law Dies...For Now, and More Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The "Death Star" law, designed for state pre-emption of a wide range of local ordinances in Texas cities and set to take effect tomorrow, has been ruled unconsitutional by a judge in Austin: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-08-30/texas-death-star-law-ruled-unconstitutional-two-days-before-taking-effect/

New details of Ken Paxton's lavish lifestyle as Texas Attorney General come to light in advance of his impeachment: https://apnews.com/article/texas-ken-paxton-impeachment-perks-travel-cake-97f8ef6ab925785977ff54b796f6c4f9

Dozens of migrants have been treated for razor wire injuries at the border in the last two months: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/border-wire-injuries-18336354.php

...While the Los Angeles City Council considers criminal charges against Governor Greg Abbott over continued busing of migrants into that city: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-30/migrant-bus-abbott-city-council-motion

Studies find that Black babies in Harris County are twice as likely to die before age 1 than those of other racial groups: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/29/texas-maternal-mortality-black-women/

ERCOT releases yet another public plea for conservation - and it wasn't even that hot yesterday: https://abc13.com/texas-power-grid-energy-saving-tips-houston-heat-weather/13719257/

...While ERCOT officials consider measures that would make battery storage more expensive and less effective. What the hell? https://www.douglewin.com/p/is-ercot-attempting-to-eighty-six

Almost 800 new laws will take effect in Texas tomorrow, and it was hard work isolating the three most ridiculous to pick on: https://progresstexas.org/nearly-800-laws-take-effect-sept-1-here-are-most-misguided

Ted Cruz decries non-existent medical recommendations on beer consumption (though he might consider cutting back himself): https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-beer-awkward_n_64f00663e4b0ca54cc6be9d7

And the Ru-Publicans billboard is up in Austin: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/30/drag-show-gov-greg-abbott-texas-law-austin-billboard-rupublicans-ai-republicans/70717759007/

Thanks for listening! Please consider supporting our work at Progress Texas by taking part in our Summer Member Drive - find out more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 8/30/23: Abbott Border Spies Busted, and More Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A whistleblower report accuses intelligence officers with Operation Lone Star of conducting illegal spying operations: ⁠https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-national-guard-whatsapp-spying-border-iraq-watchdog-2023-8⁠

Texas Senators were at the Capitol yesterday in closed-door preparation for next week's impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton: ⁠https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/08/29/senate-prepping-for-texas-attorney-general-ken-paxtons-impeachment-trial/⁠

...While new details of Austin real estate developer Nate Paul's inappropriate access to the AG's office are revealed: ⁠https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/29/ken-paxton-nate-paul-brandon-cammack-impeachment/⁠

ERCOT pleads with Texas energy consumers to scale back out of desperation for a seventh time since mid-August: ⁠https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/08/29/ercot-announcement-conserve-energy-texas-heat-wave-hot-weather-temperatures/70710636007/⁠

...While new offshore wind power opportunities are passed over by potential lessees due to Texas' hostile political environment: ⁠https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/after-blistering-summer-texas-voters-to-decide-if-billions-should-go-to-power-plants/3325604/⁠

...And while the state will ask Texas voters to commit billions to the building of new fossil fuel-burning power plants: ⁠https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/after-blistering-summer-texas-voters-to-decide-if-billions-should-go-to-power-plants/3325604/⁠

Democratic members of the State Board of Education say PragerU materials are NOT approved for Texas classrooms....at least not yet: ⁠https://www.kut.org/education/2023-08-29/democrats-on-the-state-board-of-education-pledge-to-fight-efforts-to-introduce-prageru-in-texas⁠

Legal challenges by Williamson County against the City of Austin's plans for a supportive housing project for the homeless are dismissed by a judge: ⁠https://communityimpact.com/austin/north-northwest-austin/government/2023/08/29/judge-rejects-williamson-county-challenge-over-austin-homeless-housing-project/⁠

And, either due to pride or poverty, Texas remains the top state for retaining its native-born citizens: ⁠https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/29/texas-native-born-stay/⁠

Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying our podcasts, please consider becoming a REAL part of the effort for progressive change in Texas by joining our ongoing Summer Member Drive! Details at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 8/29/23: Christians Rally Against Abbott Border Policies, and More Aug 29, 2023

Show notes

Governor Greg Abbott makes highly arguable statements about Texas' "sovereignty" in a national op-ed: https://nypost.com/2023/08/28/texas-gov-abbott-we-will-take-biden-to-supreme-court-to-protect-border/

...While an Operation Lone Star soldier shoots a man across the border on the other side of the Rio Grande in Juarez: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ny-texas-national-guard-soldier-shot-man-juarez-from-el-paso-across-rio-grande-20230829-mu7rzysgrnf4xnnfmvzvcqkg54-story.html

...And a Christian group gains thousands of petition signatures protesting Abbott's family separation tactics at the border: https://www.newsweek.com/thousands-christians-condemn-greg-abbotts-migrant-mistreatment-1822635

Ken Paxton says he will not resign ahead of next week's impeachment proceedings: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/lone-star-politics/wrong-texas-republican-attorney-general-ken-paxton-says-he-wont-resign-ahead-of-impeachment-trial/3325333/

...While Lt. Governor Dan Patrick picks a second judge to be his assistant during the trial: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/28/ken-paxton-impeachment-presiding-officer-texas/

We apparently came closer to a serious statewide energy crisis last week than most of us thought: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/texas-narrowly-avoided-power-emergency-last-week-18334289.php

LGBTQ+ groups testified yesterday in a Houston courtroom against the new Texas drag ban law: https://abc13.com/drag-shows-senate-bill-12-show-ban-equality-texas/13713193/

Coffee City, in East Texas, has become "a magnet for troubled cops": https://www.khou.com/article/news/investigations/coffee-city-texas-police-officers/285-4220e73c-90d4-474e-b59e-2033270cd8e9

Officials in Anchorage, Alaska are taking cues from Houston on homelessness strategy: https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/08/29/seeking-shelterseeking-solutions-is-houston-texas-model-ending-homelessness-anchorage/

Thanks for listening! Please consider helping us continue our important work by joining our summer member drive - find out more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 8/28/23: A (Very) Small Victory For Pregnant Texans, and More Aug 28, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A new law will provide very narrow exceptions allowing doctors to provide abortion care to Texans with problematic pregnancies: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/28/texas-limited-access-abortion-law

A judge finds new transgender care bans unconstitutional - and once again, the Texas AG immediately appeals: https://www.metroweekly.com/2023/08/texas-law-banning-transgender-health-care-to-take-effect/

A San Antonio drag company holds its last show following a ban on public drag performances beginning Friday: https://www.npr.org/2023/08/27/1196219618/a-texas-restaurant-holds-its-last-family-friendly-drag-show-before-new-law-goes-

The financial connections between Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and soon-to-be-impeached AG Ken Paxton raise questions of impartiality: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/08/27/texas-impeachment-dan-patrick-ken-paxton-political-money-connection/70682969007/

Parents are worried as Houston ISD's return to school today, for the first time after the state takeover: https://apnews.com/article/houston-school-takeover-texas-libraries-discipline-44afa1a8d85d09cdcfd19879989d5379

Texas now leads all U.S. states in the department of school book banning: https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/27/us/school-library-book-ban-increase-dg/index.html

A tenth migrant bus from Texas arrives in Los Angeles: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-08-26/a-10th-bus-of-asylum-seekers-arrives-in-l-a-from-texas

ERCOT calls for power conservation for a fourth consecutive day (over a weekend?) as cold front-associated winds knock out power for thousands in Austin: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/sunday-power-outages-cold-front/269-fbc8ae7b-a859-4c25-8738-d2a6ca0aed4e

Mall Of Abilene management abandons rescue plans of area wildlife conservationists and kills most of a colony of Mexican freetail bats roosting in its building: https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/texas-bats-killed-abilene-mall-18331169.php

...While H.E.B. teams with wildlife filmmakers to produce a terrific new five-film series: https://www.texasmonthly.com/travel/our-texas-our-future-review-wildlife-conservation/

THANK YOU for listening! If you're enjoying our podcasts, please consider becoming an important part of our efforts during our Summer Member Drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Happy Hour 125: The Growing Threat of Christian Dominionism Aug 26, 2023

Show notes

Various Christian religious orders in Texas have begun to merge in worrisome ways: in particular, the growing political goals of the "prosperity gospel" movement have found common cause among those following the "Seven Mountains Mandate" philosophy - one that calls for Christians to take over essentially all aspects of our lives. Diving deep into all of this has been our friend, investigative reporter Steven Monacelli, who has recently published two reports on all of this for the Texas Observer - what he reveals is unsurprising in some ways, but also troubling in the growing organization and influence these religious movements are gaining not only in Texas, but nationwide.

Find all of Steven Monacelli's work for the Texas Observer at https://www.texasobserver.org/author/steven-monacelli/.

Thanks for listening! If you've become a regular, please consider joining forces with Progress Texas via our ongoing member drive! Learn more at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 8/25/23: Will The Friday Night Lights Stay On? and More Aug 25, 2023

Show notes

ERCOT and the Texas power grid narrowly avoided rolling blackouts last night - what's in store for this hot weekend? https://www.tpr.org/environment/2023-08-24/strong-possibility-of-power-outages-thursday-evening-san-antonio-asks-residents-to-conserve

...Follow along with ERCOT's supply and demand dashboard, showing a thin margin of error during Friday night football games tonight: https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards/supplyanddemand

...While space telescope data may finger Permian methane emissions as a major contributor to this horribly hot summer: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Permian-Methane-Flares-Could-Be-Linked-to-Texas-Heatwave.html

Conservative activists are putting huge pressure on GOP Senators to stick with Ken Paxton during the upcoming impeachment trial: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/24/texas-senators-ken-paxton-trial/

...While none other that former Texas Governor Rick Perry laments his party's recent lawlessness: https://www.wsj.com/articles/ken-paxton-and-the-texas-constitution-ag-rule-of-law-impeachment-4da7792c

Denton joins in support of Houston's lawsuit against the new Death Star law: https://www.keranews.org/government/2023-08-24/denton-joins-arlington-plano-waco-in-opposing-texas-death-star-bill-calling-it-unconstitutional

A Granbury school board trustee is censured for sneaking into a high school library to inspect books in the dark: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/08/25/granbury-texas-trustee-censure-library/

...While a San Antonio parent successully faces down a Judson ISD campus for requiring NDA signatures to enter the building: https://nypost.com/2023/08/24/texas-school-tried-to-force-mom-to-sign-nda-to-get-on-campus/

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and our SUMMER MEMBERSHIP DRIVE at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 8/24/23: State Errors Cost Pregnant Texans Health Coverage, and More Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A Trump-appointed judge in Victoria will hear arguments over the Biden administration's humanitarian parole program, starting today: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/biden-immigration-policy-giving-temporary-legal-status-thousands-faces-rcna101383

Whistleblowers at Texas Health and Human Services allege errors and bad management have led to thousands of pregnant Texans and children losing Medicaid health coverage: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/help-us-state-employees-blow-whistle-on-errors-they-say-are-kicking-thousands-off-medicaid/

Prager U's backfiring announcement of Texas approval develops - they now say their nonsensical garbage is an "option" for Texas schools: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texas-schools-prageru-18325731.php

...While San Antonio ISD becomes the latest district to claim exemption from the new SRO law, citing funding and staffing limitations: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-isd-exemption-texas-law-18324841.php

...And a new school chaplain law is pooh-poohed by...wait for it...a group of chaplains: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/08/23/texas-school-chaplains-letter/

...And a throwback to the pandemic as an entire Texas school district shuts down over COVID cases: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/23/school-district-in-south-texas-temporarily-closes-due-to-uptick-in-covid-19-cases/

Good environmental news as battery storage is credited for keeping the Texas power grid stable this summer: https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2023/08/22/batteries-keep-texas-grid-humming-in-heat-waves-00112136

...But bad environmental news as a hotly-contested lignite coal mining operation's expansion plans are approved by state regulators: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082023/texas-mine-expansion-water-worries/

Thanks for listening! Please consider helping Progress Texas continue our important work - learn how to join the fun at https://progresstexas.org/.

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