Progress Texas Podcasts

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/.

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/.

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/.

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/.

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

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/.

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

...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/.

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/.

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/.

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/.