Progress Texas Podcasts

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Daily Dispatch 3/14/23: Paxton "Judge Shopping" Strategy Hits A Snag, and More Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

A new federal courts rule is aimed at preventing "judge shopping" - filing lawsuits in districts with single judges of sympathetic sensibilities - a favorite tactic of Ken Paxton's: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/ken-paxton-court-rule-18971181.php

More artists, and now panel speakers, have been bailing on SXSW over its ties to the military and defense tech industries: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesfarrell/2024/03/13/dozens-of-bands-and-panelists-pull-out-of-sxsw-festival-in-texas-heres-why/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17103752871384&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fjamesfarrell%2F2024%2F03%2F13%2Fdozens-of-bands-and-panelists-pull-out-of-sxsw-festival-in-texas-heres-why%2F

The 2021 Fair Access Law, which forbids state government from doing business with companies with environmental, social and governance policies, has made financing big ticket projects in Texas much more expensive: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/03/13/texas-anti-esg-law-costs-losses-of-millions-of-dollars/72947344007/

Millions also burned - literally - in recent Panhandle wildfires: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-wildfire-damages-could-exceed-1b-lawyer-says/

...While methane emissions by petroleum producers appears much more out of control than recently thought: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/mar/13/us-gas-leaks-report-climate-change#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17104058588972&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fbusiness%2F2024%2Fmar%2F13%2Fus-gas-leaks-report-climate-change

70 percent of Texas teachers are ready to quit: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/03/14/nearly-70-of-texas-educators-say-theyre-ready-to-leave-profession-survey-shows/

...How can Texas support our teachers? https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/03/14/six-ways-texas-can-support-teachers/

...The word from one GOP State House Rep. drummed out over his resistance to Abbott's voucher scam: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/travis-clardy-school-voucher-crusade/

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is in trouble over her online shilling for a Texas dentist: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/kristi-noem-faces-lawsuit-promoting-texas-dentist-social-media-rcna143325

Will Texas ever turn blue? One crunch of the data says it's inevitable: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/will-texas-ever-turn-blue-heres-what

March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/13/24: SB-4 Delayed Again At SCOTUS, and More Mar 13, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The U.S. Supreme Court has delayed the enactment of Texas' new immigration law SB-4 until at least Monday afternoon, while a new legal challenge is launched: https://apnews.com/article/texas-immigration-law-sb4-7b74b6637dd39320dfdb447a189e745f

...While Laredo U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar spearheads a new Democratic action group on immigration: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/12/henry-cuellar-democrats-senate-border-bill/

SXSW distances itself from Governor Greg Abbott following his criticism of artists leaving the festival over its sponsorship ties to the defense industry: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sxsw-texas-greg-abbott-military-sponsorship-1234986219/

...While SXSW threatens legal action against a pro-Palestinian activist group over use of its logo: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/sxsw-protests-18926378.php

Texas is doing its best to silence an advocate raising the alarm about growing maternal mortality rates: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2024-03-15/the-texas-task-force-that-reviews-pregnancy-related-deaths-is-losing-its-sole-advocate-position/

...While the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals upholds a Texas law eliminating confidential contraception for minors: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/12/texas-parental-consent-birth-control-fifth-circuit-title-x/

Texas, the Energy Capitol of America, suffers more power outages than any other state: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/texas-leads-nation-power-outages-18887152.php

...While the Panhandle will see perfect conditions for more wildfires today: https://www.ktsa.com/texans-should-stay-prepared-as-extreme-wildfire-danger-increases/

Ted Cruz is warning his donors that he's in for a tough fight with Colin Allred: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/ted-cruz-allred-fundraising-18894530.php

Sherman ISD has suspended its Superintendent over the call to remove a trans student from a high school play last year: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-superintendent-suspended-trans-students-removal-oklahoma-rcna143017

A former Hays County Republican operative has been given a massive prison sentence for child sex abuse and pornography: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/bo-michael-dresner-sentencing/269-17fad9be-ddb4-4304-b956-fb3ba7bb7344

A new documentary on the Alex Jones Sandy Hook trial is coming to HBO: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/truth-vs-alex-jones-trailer-hbo-1235846888/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17103146639967&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2Fmovies%2Fmovie-news%2Ftruth-vs-alex-jones-trailer-hbo-1235846888%2F

March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/12/24: Judge Rules Against Paxton In Attack On Border Charity, and More Mar 12, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A judge in El Paso has backed Annunciation House, a large migrant shelter near the border, in refusing to turn its records over to Ken Paxton: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/03/11/el-paso-annunciation-house-ken-paxton-court-ruling/

Ted Cruz complains of regular Saturday pro-Palestinian protests in his front yard: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/ted-cruz-palestine-protests-18881832.php

The Texas Health and Human Services appears to have leaked the private information of thousands of East Texas: https://www.ketk.com/news/local-news/more-than-3000-east-texans-data-leaked-in-texas-health-and-human-services-commission-breach/

Worries mount that Texas' notoriously underfunded specialized health care and special education services will collapse under increased demand as more babies are born under our abortion ban: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/11/Texas-disability-services-abortion/

Good environmental news: we're now adding solar capacity faster than sunny California: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/03/11/solar-power-is-now-bigger-in-texas-not-california/

...And bad environmental news, as Texas sues the EPA over new limits on methane emissions by petroleum producers: https://heatmap.news/climate/texas-epa-methane

U.S. Rep Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, a retired Navy doctor, has been lying about his rank and hiding a demotion for two years: https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2024/03/07/lawmaker-who-claims-to-be-a-retired-rear-admiral-was-actually-demoted/

Former Republican candidate Daniel Rodimer has been arrested on suspicion of homicide in Nevada: https://apnews.com/article/homicide-retired-wrestler-sought-55b6c44fde97429fab5cbe6d37e67cfe

Christian Nationalism a Go Go: watch for news on SACR, an exclusive group of wealthy and influential white Christian men who seek to establish an American theocracy: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/inside-a-secret-society-of-prominent-right-wing-christian-men-prepping-for-a-national-divorce

...Why Texas is such a hotbed for Christian Nationalist activity: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-christian-nationalism-epicenter/

...East Texas State Rep. Matt Schaefer says the quiet part out loud: https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/texas-state-rep-matt-schaefer-provides-a-case-study-in-christian-nationalism/

...And even the student paper at Baylor is alarmed about Christian Nationalism: https://baylorlariat.com/2024/03/11/beware-of-christian-nationalism-god-and-texas-should-not-mix/

March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/11/24: Will SB-4 Be Enforced? And More Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A helicopter crash Friday at the border killed three service members: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/2-soldiers-border-patrol-agent-dead-helicopter-crash-texas-mexico-bord-rcna142589

A lawsuit filed by Texas against a federal program for immigrants from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela has been thrown out: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-rejects-texas-lawsuit-against-immigration-policy-biden-border-strategy/

Hundreds protested SB-4, set to take effect this week, at the Capitol over the weekend: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/protesters-rally-against-sb4-at-texas-capitol/

A judge has decided against the National Labor Relations Board, who wanted to improve conditions for franchise employees to unionize: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/federal-judge-texas-blocks-us-labor-board-rule-107998334

Colin Allred sees disarray within the Texas GOP as a good sign for his chances to beat Ted Cruz: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4522776-colin-allred-says-texas-republican-party-is-seeing-an-internal-civil-war/

...While Cruz says he's courting...Democrats? https://www.statesman.com/story/news/columns/2024/03/10/texas-elections-senate-race-ted-cruz-colin-allred-win-support-of-democrats/72880265007/

Julie Johnson credits the women of her district for securing her win and prioritizes abortion rights in her first term: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/lgbtq-advocate-gives-women-credit-helping-her-win-congressional-race-outright-avoid-runoff/287-7cfa7124-2fce-4f6e-969d-908fafe06049

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has developed a reputation for defying the U.S. Supreme Court: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/us/supreme-court-texas-death-penalty.html

Voting success for Abbott and Paxton's revenge tours represent a further empowerment of the radical right fringe in Texas: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-primary-election-far-right-victory/

...While out of state money, misinformation and Donald Trump were more influential on voters than vouchers or the impeachment: https://texasruralreporter.substack.com/p/zero-zilch-nada-the-border-trump?r=2dg05g&utm_medium=web

...And Democrats in safe blue districts need to renew efforts to back the statewide progressive cause: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/an-open-letter-to-the-democrats-in

March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/8/24: Biden Kicks Ass At SOTU, and More Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

President Joe Biden's performance last night at the State Of The Union was stellar: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/politics/cnn-poll-biden-sotu-speech-reaction/index.html

...But not perfect, with a gaffe involving language about undocumented people: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/07/state-of-the-union-joe-biden/

Pro-Palestinian protestors at Garland munitions manufacturer end up in jail: https://www.keranews.org/news/2024-03-07/garland-police-arrest-23-people-protesting-weapons-manufacturer-over-israel-gaza-conflict

...Several musicians have cancelled appearances at this year's SXSW Music Festival in Austin for similar reasons: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/sxsw-2024-music-protest-18705591.php

The expected rightward lurch in the Republican-dominated Texas House next year will be "disastrous": https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/election/2024/article/texas-house-gop-18707525.php

The State Board of Education is also being yanked to the right: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/06/texas-sboe-board-education-election-votes/

The "battle for Texas' soul" appears to have gone badly: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2024/03/06/if-2024-primary-was-a-battle-for-texas-soul-then-were-in-trouble/

Uvalde parents erupt in grief and anger as local police are exonerated of wrongdoing by a new investigation: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/uvalde-parents-lash-out-after-new-report-clears-city-police-of-wrongdoing-during-2022-mass-shooting

Republican resistance to Austin Rep. Greg Casar's Connect The Grid Act is expected today: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texas-ercot-national-grid-18709390.php

Thanks to all of our Amplify Austin Day donors! We can't do it without you: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/7/24: Runoffs Spin Up, Amplify Austin Day, SOTU, and More Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Amplify Austin Day 2024 is on through 6pm Thursday night! Most solid news is behind paywalls, while misinformation and propaganda are usually free. Help us keep our solid reporting accessible with a donation of ANY amount - thank you! https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Progress Texas endorsee Julie Johnson is set to make history by becoming the first openly LGBTQ member of the U.S. Congress, not only from Texas but from the entire South: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4510622-julie-johnson-poised-for-victory-in-texas-primary-set-to-be-first-lgbtq-congress-member-from-the-south/

Lauren Ashley Simmons goes to a runoff against embattled HD-146 Rep. Shawn Thierry - we look forward to pushing her to victory: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/shawn-thierry-houston-democrat-primary-legislature-simmons/

Congrats and thanks to all of our primary endorsees: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progressive-wins-and-losses-texas-super-tuesday-primary

Many other Democratic runoff elections set for May 28: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/primary-election-results-2024/

Many more GOP runoffs, main event being Dade Phelan vs David Covey: https://apnews.com/article/paxton-texas-primary-revenge-abbott-phelan-3d991ae09585726f98c515455b015a3e

Ted Cruz learns lessons from his near-miss with Beto O'Rourke and will come out swinging early against Colin Allred: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/06/colin-allred-ted-cruz/

Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine barely avoids a runoff and now faces Democrat Christine Weems: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/john-devine-brian-walker-texas-supreme-court-primary/

Mineral Wells GOP Rep. Glenn Rogers, run out of a job by Governor Abbott's voucher crusade, rails against Republican corruption: https://mwareanews.com/2024/03/06/glenn-rogers-pens-response-to-election-loss/

Republican turncoat Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is super proud to announce he voted for Donald Trump on Tuesday: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/03/06/dallas-mayor-eric-johnson-says-he-voted-for-donald-trump-for-president/

The State Of The Union Address is tonight at 8 - and you can play along with our SOTU Bingo Cards! Grab 'em here: https://progresstexas.org/blog/bingo-win-big-biden%E2%80%99s-state-union

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Women's History Month, hit our web store, and help us continue our important election year work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/6/23: Super Tuesday Texas Results, Amplify Austin Day, and More Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Complete election results coverage by the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/primary-election-results-2024/

The campaigns of retribution against members of their own party by Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton pay dividends: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/06/texas-primaries-gop-incumbents-defeated/

Incumbent GOP Houston Rep. Lacey Hull survives a primary challenge by Jared Woodfill, backed by Paxton and other GOP biggies in spite of his current involvement with an ongoing sex abuse scandal and lawsuit: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/06/texas-primaries-gop-incumbents-defeated/

Travis County D.A. Jose Garza cruises to victory over a challenger enjoying billionaire support, Republican crossover voting and a dark money smear campaign: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2024-03-06/jose-garza-wins-democratic-primary-in-contentious-district-attorney-race/

Embattled Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg goes down in flames: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/kim-ogg-harris-county-district-attorney-18702783.php

...Dramatically: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/politics/texas-voter-id-kim-ogg-houston/index.html

Progress Texas Executive Director weighs in on the GOP civil war: "The R stands for revenge": https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/what-republicans-primary-civil-war-means-for-the-future-of-texas-18754975

Progress Texas sends our condolences to the family and friends of Zeb Smith, the Fritch, Texas volunteer fire chief who died in the line of duty yesterday: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/texas-panhandle-fires.html

Amplify Austin Day for this year starts at 6pm tonight and continues thru the same time Thursday night! No donation is too small: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Women's History Month and hit our web store: https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/5/24: It's Super Tuesday, Y'all! And More Mar 05, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Last chance for YOUR voice to be heard in the 2024 primary! Polls are open across the state until 7pm: https://progresstexas.org/

...Our Democratic primary endorsees: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/happy-hour-145-meet-our-progress-texas-primary-endorsees

...Wednesday at 9am, see the Texas Tribune's "Breaking Down The 2024 Texas Primary Results": https://breakingdownthe2024txprimary.splashthat.com/mar-com-email

...Which fish are YOU gonna be? Be one of the big ones: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/fraction-of-texans-vote-in-primaries/

...Texas Democrats have been particularly disinterested in the primary, for several reasons: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-primary-elections-2024-turnout-low/

...Meanwhile the Republicans have more of a sideshow to keep them interested: https://www.kut.org/politics/2024-03-04/texas-house-election-abbott-paxton-races-republican-primary-endorsements-campaign-contributions

Ted Cruz is trying to maneuver himself into a "kingmaker" role at the U.S. Senate as Mitch McConnell steps down: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4502179-senate-conservatives-seek-to-expand-power-post-mcconnell/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17096117474272&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fsenate%2F4502179-senate-conservatives-seek-to-expand-power-post-mcconnell%2F

SCOTUS places a temporary pause on SB-4, Texas' controversial new immigration law, until next Wednesday the 13th: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/04/politics/texas-immigration-law-supreme-court-appeal/index.html

Texas-based anti-abortion activists have been meddling in local ordinances in New Mexico, drawing the ire of that state's Attorney General: https://sourcenm.com/2024/03/04/texas-activists-pushed-abortion-restrictions-in-nm-cities-and-counties-records-show/

A cause of the historic Panhandle wildfires may have been pinpointed: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2024/03/04/texas-wildfire-panhandle-lawsuit/

...While California Governor Gavin Newsom mobilizes his state's firefighting forces to help in Texas: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/03/04/texas-wildfire-deployment/

The 2024 Amplify Austin Day charity and non-profit fundraiser starts tomorrow night at 6! Support Progress Texas here: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Women's History Month is here and there's lots to do to celebrate across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/trailblazing-texan-women

Thanks for listening! Learn all about what we do and how to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Daily Dispatch 3/4/24: Dismal Democratic Early Voting Turnout, and More Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Poor turnout by Democrats in the early voting phase of the 2024 primary causes the overall turnout to fall well short of 2020: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/03/early-voting-turnout-2024-primaries/

...Republicans outpaced Democrats in early voting turnout three to one: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/march-2024-turnout-tracker/

...One high-profile Democratic item, the Travis County District Attorney's race, features a shadowy PAC smearing incumbent D.A. Jose Garza: https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/03/04/jose-garza-jeremy-sylestine-travis-county

Texas lawmakers in D.C. are scrambling to claim support for in-vitro fertilization, while supporting an extreme bill that would largely outlaw it nationally as written: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/03/04/texas-republicans-face-questions-about-life-at-conception-bill-after-alabama-ivf-decision/

One Texas State lawmaker - a Republican who voted against school vouchers - now wants to abolish the Texas Education Agency: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2024/03/03/texas-schools-lawmaker-says-abolish-tea-education-experts-weigh-in/72499627007/

Still no word from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on the state appeal of a federal judge's blocking of SB-4, which was set to take effect tomorrow: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2024/03/04/texas-sb-4-immigration-law-predictably-fails-its-first-legal-test/

...That same ruling says that the recent wave of migrants cannot be considered by Texas an "invasion": https://reason.com/volokh/2024/03/01/federal-court-rejects-texass-argument-that-illegal-migration-qualifies-as-invasion/

Ken Paxton's office's attempts to force a trans-friendly non-profit to hand over records of young trans kids it has supported has also been blocked: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/us/texas-paxton-transgender-records.html

Governor Abbott draws online fire for hanging out at the border with Donald Trump while historically-destructive wildfires burn in the Panhandle: https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbotts-priorities-questioned-record-wildfires-intensify-texas-1875388

...Those fires rage on, with very little containment: https://apnews.com/article/texas-wildfire-panhandle-hutchinson-united-way-donations-d61f26c6686ae62e855bd2075453651b

Women's History Month is here and there's lots to do to celebrate across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/trailblazing-texan-women

The annual Amplify Austin charity and non-profit fundraiser happens Wednesday thru Thursday: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Thanks for listening! Learn all about what we do and how to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Special Weekend Pod: GOP Dark Money Targeting Travis County D.A. Mar 02, 2024

Show notes

Lawyers for Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza have issued a cease-and-desist order against a shadowy group that has financed an egregious and foul hit campaign against Garza, apparently without proper legal arrangement as a political action committee - all to benefit his opponent, who is known to be backed by benefactors who typically fund Republican candidates. We've invited District Attorney Garza on to tell us what he's learned.

Learn more about District Attorney Jose Garza at https://www.joseforda.com/.

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