Progress Texas Podcasts

Latest Episodes:

Daily Dispatch 1/3/25: New Orleans Terrorist Was Not An Immigrant - He Was A Native Born Texan, and More Jan 03, 2025

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Despite right-wing attempts to drum up anti-immigrant fear over the New Orleans terror attack, the alleged perpetrator was a born and bred native of Texas: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/new-orleans-attacker-houston-ties-20010254.php

Elon Musk's push for more foreign tech workers to be brought to the U.S. under H-1B work visas is not only counter to the MAGA base's virulent anti-immigrant tendencies, it would also allow him to build a large tech workforce he'd be able to treat as indentured servants: https://electrek.co/2024/12/30/tesla-replaced-laid-off-us-workers-with-foreign-workers-using-h-1b-visas-that-musk-want-to-increase/

...Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders opposes Musk's plan: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5064132-sanders-criticizes-musk-h1b-visa/

Collin County State Rep. Mihaela Plesa gets a writeup in the Texas Tribune (and is also featured one click back in this podcast feed: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/03/mihaela-plesa-greg-abbott-texas-house-democrats/

Texas Republicans next frontier in their culture war against women is the elimination of no-fault divorce: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/texas-christians-no-fault-divorce-20009469.php

Two recent decisions may indicate that our institutions may not save us in this new era - first, a Texas Assistant Attorney General gets away with his efforts to undermine the 2020 election: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/31/texas-attorney-general-state-bar-lawsuit-dismissed-brent-webster/

...And two Republican U.S. Congressmen get away with what appears to have been inappropriate spending of campaign funds on personal expenses: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/30/wesley-hunt-ronny-jackson-investigation/

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024⁠⁠⁠⁠

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Hour 187: Texas Legislative Preview with Rep. Mihaela Plesa Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

Collin County Democratic State Rep. Mihaela Plesa - the only Romanian-American elected official in the country! - joins us for our continuing series with state lawmakers on the impending 2025 Lege. Rep. Plesa is one of the youngest elected lawmakers in Texas, and will be entering her second term in the Texas House after becoming the first Democrat to represent her district in decades - she's a Dallas native, known for her hard work in the areas of public education, public safety, heath care, school finance reform and more.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can help Progress Texas fight on into the new year at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 12/30/24: Remembering President Jimmy Carter's Impact In Texas, and More Dec 30, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The passing of President Jimmy Carter at the age of 100 prompts a look back at his impact on Texas, where he remains the last Democrat to have carried the Lone Star State: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/29/texas-remembers-jimmy-carter/

Elected leaders of both parties in Texas extol Carter's legacy: https://www.fox7austin.com/video/1568906

More: https://www.kwtx.com/2024/12/29/texas-politicians-react-passing-former-us-president-jimmy-carter/

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: ⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024⁠⁠⁠

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Hour 186: Texas Legislative Preview with Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

Richardson State Rep. Ana-Maria Rodriguez Ramos is an educator and family law attorney by trade, but has served in the Texas House ever since she flipped a Republican-held seat in 2018. Since then she has a stalward progressive fighter at the Capitol, advocating for women's rights, LGBTQ+ equality, immigrants' rights, and much more. We welcome Rep. Rodriguez-Ramos back to the pod as part of our series of lawmakers' views on the upcoming Legislature.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how to support our work at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 12/27/24: Texas Transplant Elon Musk Backs German Party With Actual Neo-Nazi Ties, and More Dec 27, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Texas transplant Elon Musk, already leading Donald Trump by the nose, has waded into German politics to back the extreme right-wing party AfD: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/world/europe/elon-musk-afd-germany.html

The AfD, similar to American MAGA elements, is supported mainly by lower-income and disillusioned Germans: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-23/what-s-afd-the-far-right-german-party-elon-musk-embraced

They're in a distant - but growing - second place in Germany's upcoming snap election in February: https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-12-24/germany-s-far-right-afd-is-nobody-s-savior

Musk's support for AfD, if patterns hold, is likely a precursor to Donald Trump's support once he is in office next month: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/elon-musk-jd-vance-praise-afd-german-elections-rcna185457

Even Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez notes (and relishes) Musk's outsized role in the upcoming Trump era: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/rep-tony-gonzales-says-it-feels-as-if-elon-musk-is-our-prime-minister-after-funding-chaos/

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: ⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024⁠⁠

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Hour 185: Texas Legislative Preview with Rep. Donna Howard Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Representative Donna Howard has represented Austin in the Texas House since her initial win in 2006 - for almost two decades, she's been a stalwart progressive standard-bearer across every issue imaginable, but in recent years has been notable as a fierce fighter for our reproductive rights, bolstered by her own professional background in nursing and healthcare.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can support our important work as this pivotal session approaches at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 12/23/24: Why Has Kay Granger's Condition Been Kept Secret? And More Dec 23, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Republican Fort Worth U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger, missing from her post in D.C. since the early summer, has been located under the care of a memory care facility - a situation that her staff appears to have concealed: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/politics/questions-swirl-after-congresswoman-kay-granger-misses-votes-lives-in-senior-facility/287-08b68494-e13d-47dd-a988-4554e1f8a9fe

Smarting from defeat in the recent government funding fight, expect Donald Trump to take his frustrustions out on lawmakers like Rep. Chip Roy who dared to undermine him on his first attempt in his second term to influence the direction of Congress: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2024/12/20/texas-rep-chip-roy-donald-trump-38-republicans-vote-debt-ceiling-government-shutdown/77106916007/

Yet another billionaire is added to Trump's plutocratic oligarchy as Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is appointed U.S. Ambassador to Italy: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/21/donald-trump-tilman-fertitta-ambassador/

One of America's nastiest coal-fired power plants, south of San Antonio, is set to be converted to solar and battery production: https://electrek.co/2024/12/21/one-of-texas-dirtiest-coal-plants-will-swap-to-solar-with-help-from-us-grant/

The Texas business sector may turn out to be an unlikely ally in the push from public school supporters against private school vouchers in the upcoming session: https://sanantonioreport.org/texas-business-leaders-public-education-funding-vouchers/

Inspiration from Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/12/19/jasmine-crockett-dallas-congress-leader-democrat/

Inspiration from Houston State Rep. and new House Minority Leader Gene Wu: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/texas-legislators-gene-wu-houston-demorat-house-leader-aggressive-deals-from-speaker/287-463efeef-002c-492c-b548-0136b8279187

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024⁠

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Hour 184 - Texas Legislative Preview with Sen. Carol Alvarado Dec 21, 2024

Show notes

This is one of several episodes in a pod series previewing the upcoming 2025 Texas Legislative Session with a range of Democratic lawmakers. Texas State Senator and Senate Minority Leader Carol Alvarado has served in that body since 2018, following a decade of service in the Texas House representing the southeast Houston area. Senator Alvarado is known for her hard work and advocacy in public health, public education, economic development, voting rights (for which she engaged in a 15-hour filibuster in 2021), and notably in recent years the fight to regain and retain our reproductive freedom in Texas.

Thanks for listening! Learn how to support Progress Texas as our important work continues into a certainly-contentious legislative year at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Daily Dispatch 12/20/24: Musk/Trump Christmas Shutdown Looking Inevitable, and More Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

With each passing hour, a partial shutdown of the federal government during the busy Christmas travel season thanks to Elon Musk and Donald Trump's interference is looking more likely: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-congress-has-two-days-avert-shutdown-after-trump-rejects-spending-bill-2024-12-19/

...Seven Texas Republicans joined the Democrats in voting the hastily-drafted Trump replacement bill down: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2024516

...Dallas Rep. Jasmine Crockett shares the national consequences of such a shutdown: https://bsky.app/profile/repjasmine.bsky.social/post/3ldowgakbqk2l

...There are significant direct impacts likely for Texans as well: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/government-shutdown-san-antonio-texas-19990762.php

...Elon Musk has become a one-man "rogue state" who is primed to inflict massive damage on American democracy: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/20/elon-musk-is-becoming-a-one-man-rogue-state-its-time-we-reined-him-in

Rep. Crockett and the rest of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability are curious about Texas officials' decision to skip over the data from the irst two years of our state's abortion ban related to maternal mortality: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/12/19/texas-congress-maternal-mortality/

A Texas Tribune analysis shows that after over $3 billion spent or allocated, the Texas border wall is in small sections in remote locations - an almost zero ROI: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/texas-border-wall-greg-abbott-landowners/

Our annual rundown of the Top 10 Best And Worst Texans is up! Thanks for your help in compiling this year's list: https://progresstexas.org/blog/best-and-worst-texans-2024

Holiday shopping for your progressive pals is easy and fun at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Words Of Wisdom From Holiday Party #2 - Live From Dallas! Dec 19, 2024

Show notes

Great fun at The Finch in Mockingbird Station in Dallas earlier this week for the second of our two holiday parties for 2024! Like our first pod from the Austin shindig, settle in and meet our Dallas guests, who had great things to say about determination and courage for Texas progressives as a challenging new chapter begins next month. Our holiday fundraiser was very successful, and we are grateful for ALL of our supporters, including you.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can join the team at ⁠https://progresstexas.org/⁠.

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