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Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:
Early voting in the 2026 primary runoffs has begun, continuing through Friday, and culminating in Election Day on Tuesday May 26th. Progress Texas has made several endorsements in the runoff: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-endorsements-may-primary-runoffs
Governor Abbott's push for the Texas Supreme Court to remove Houston Rep. Gene Wu and other State House Democrats from office over the summer quorum break has failed: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/15/texas-supreme-court-gene-wu-greg-abbott-redistricting-map-quorum-break/
...Abbott's campaign team, apparently fearing the threat posed by Democratic nominee and State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, has starting digging for dirt - specifically, photos of Hinojosa as a teenager at pool parties in the Valley: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/gov-abbotts-top-strategist-seeks-underage-photos-of-gina-hinojosa-as-he-tries-to-dig-up-dirt/
Ken Paxton and the Trump DOJ have succeeded in forcing Texas Children's Hospital in Houston to establish a "detransition" clinic: https://apnews.com/article/genderaffirming-care-minors-texas-hospital-29f0f2d157395cb6a70f53ba29c36b5b
...The settlement also requires Texas Children's to fire five "ideologically-motivated" doctors: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/paxton-forces-texas-hospital-to-open-detransition-clinic-as-part-of-settlement-40674995/
Early voting in the primary runoff has begun! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/
Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston - and into Spanish language media! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Among the important statewide races still in primary runoff mode is the contest for the Democratic nomination to replace the highly toxic and ethically bankrupt Ken Paxton. Of the two candidates remaining - Dallas State Senator Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski - only Jaworski has successfully undergone the process of becoming a Progress Texas Certified Progressive. We've been following Joe's extensive and tireless statewide campaign for months, and we're proud to have him back to catch up on the eve of the runoff election.
Learn more about Joe Jaworski and his campaign for Texas Attorney General at https://www.jaworskifortexas.com/.
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Through sheer determination, Ken Paxton and the state of Texas overcame a federal court stay of execution and put to death Edward Busby in Huntsville last night - a man that multiple experts agreed was intellectually disabled. Both the Trump SCOTUS and Texas' Republican leadership, in their zeal to achieve our 600th state-sanctioned killing in the modern era, demonstrate the callous indifference regarding human dignity and equal justice of the Republican regime - and also demonstrate why progressives must work even harder for long-overdue change.
Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/14/texas-600-execution-edward-busby-death-penalty/
Runoff elections are coming up, with early voting starting on May 18 and Election Day on May 26. See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/
Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston - and into Spanish language media! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
This week's roundtable discussion was recorded prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's last minute clearing of the execution of Edward Busby, at a moment when we were hopeful that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals staying of his execution, based on finding that he is intellectually disabled, would be honored. Sadly, it was not. Capital punishment is a stain upon civilization, and we explain that position in today's talk.
We also discuss the political power of Black NCAA athletes in the South - specifically, those attending colleges in the SEC - and how those young Americans might find themselves agents of needed change at a moment when the rights they have been granted through years of struggle are being curtailed. See the opinion of HBCU sports analyst Steven Gaither:https://hbcugameday.com/2026/05/12/sec-boycott-calls-lane-kiffin-interview-creating-needed-discussions/.
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can help support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Despite orders from the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to suspend the scheduled execution of Edward Busby, state officials are still trying to kill him today: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/after-having-his-execution-halted-edward-busby-awaits-supreme-court-ruling/
Governor Abbott is attempting a novel legal maneuver claiming that State Rep. Gene Wu's leadership of last summer's quorum break constitutes abdication of his office - he's asking the Texas Supreme Court to thus forcibly remove Wu from office: https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/state/article/gene-wu-greg-abbott-lawsuit-22235273.php
Texas Super Bowl viewers led the nation in complaining to the FCC about the "decency" of Bad Bunny's record-breaking halftime show - no indecency or violations were found: https://www.expressnews.com/news/texas/article/texans-filed-most-complaints-bad-bunny-halftime-22257755.php
An HBCU-specific sports writer argues that Black SEC football players do possess collective political power relevant to the undermining of Black voters in the South via aggressive redistricting allowed by the SCOTUS Callais decision: https://hbcugameday.com/2026/05/12/sec-boycott-calls-lane-kiffin-interview-creating-needed-discussions/
Runoff elections are coming up, with early voting starting on May 18 and Election Day on May 26. See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/
Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston - and into Spanish language media! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:
President Barack Obama joined Democratic nominees James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa yesterday at The Taco Joint in East Austin to fire up progressive voters in Texas: https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/article/barack-obama-austin-james-talarico-tacos-22255610.php
...Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders has been added to the speakers at this year's Texas Democratic Party Convention in Corpus Christi: https://www.kiiitv.com/article/news/local/texas-political-conventions-expected-to-bring-economic-boost-to-corpus-christi-houston/503-df597b38-cba9-4a1f-bbd3-387be68204ac
The conservative Ragnar Research Parners find that high-propensity Republican voters in Texas, especially in the suburbs, are abandoning the party in droves: https://x.com/ragnarresearch/status/2053943231818117219?s=20
An extensive and damning expose on the Southern Baptist Convention details its years-long resistance to reforming internal policy that allows for the unfettered sexual abuse of its young, vulnerable members: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/quiet-collapse-southern-baptist-convention/
Runoff elections are coming up, with early voting starting on May 18 and Election Day on May 26. See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/
Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston - and into Spanish language media! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
Our board has chosen to endorse former Houston City Council Member and longtime healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Letitia Plummer in her run for Harris County Judge. Dr. Plummer comes from a long line of Houston area civic leaders, and the Progress Texas board believes she is the right choice for the Democratic nomination for this key position of leadership in Texas' most-populous county.
Check out our joint live podcast with the Asian Texans For Justice Action Fund from last fall, featuring Dr. Plummer alongside Houston State Rep. and Minority Leader Gene Wu: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/special-live-pod-asian-texans-and-2026-power-shift
Learn more about Dr. Plummer's campaign at https://www.drletitiaplummer.com/.
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can help support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:
Pending a SCOTUS call on intellectual eligibility for execution, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed the Thursday execution of Edward Busby of Tarrant County: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/11/texas-execution-edward-busby-appeal/
With the runoff election coming up next week, Senator John Corynyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton have beaten each other to a pulp - and that fight continues to escalate: https://www.statesman.com/news/columns/article/texas-senate-paxton-cornyn-republican-runoff-22249941.php
...Cornyn's attacks have devolved into insider niche stuff that most voters will not understand - belying a state of desperation: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/john-cornyn-obscure-campaign-ken-paxton/
The two runoff contests for Texas Attorney General portray a much more disparate vision for the office between the parties than between the candidates on either side: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/election-2026/2026/05/07/551136/texas-attorney-general-candidates-make-their-final-pitches-to-voters-as-primary-runoffs-approach/
Runoff elections are coming up, with early voting starting on May 18 and Election Day on May 26. See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/
Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston - and into Spanish language media! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
The numbers remain in the favor of Democrats to regain control of the U.S. House, despite interference by the Virginia Supreme Court: https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5872121-democrats-house-control-midterms-trump-iran/
A new University of Houston study shows the dissatisfaction with Trump and Republican governing that's likely to be the real factor this fall - in particular regarding Trump's war of adventure in Iran: https://www.houstonpress.com/news/even-republican-houstonians-dont-want-a-ground-war-in-iran/
...And regarding ICE's heavy-handed impact on Houston: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/politics/immigration/2026/05/08/551384/ice-houston-residents-survey-uh-police/
SBOE-approved Bible-infused Bluebonnet Learning materials will require a full reprint before they're distributed to schools, due to over 4,000 required corrections - all on the taxpayers' dime: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/state-board-of-education-texas-education-agency-bluebonnet-learning-errors-taxpayers/
...Religious overrun of public life is only getting started, as the Dan Patrick-led Religious Liberty Commission prepares its "wish list": https://apnews.com/article/trump-religious-liberty-commission-conservative-christians-f61eba23ca5cda88a6df1ac525ef12c5
...Progress Texas has endorsed Democrat and State Rep. Vikki Goodwin in her run to face Patrick for Texas Lt. Governor: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-276-catching-up-with-vikki-goodwin/id1552998795?i=1000763844790
...Religious leaders in Fort Worth, conversely, are voicing their opposition to the systemic racism evident in the huge number of Black men Tarrant County sends to death row: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/tarrant-county-leaders-protest-death-penalty-40672028/
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
Runoff elections are coming up, with early voting starting on May 18 and Election Day on May 26. See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/
Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with KPFT-FM in Houston - and into Spanish language media! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE, and to our Spanish expansion HERE. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org.
The Progress Texas board has endorsed Congresswoman Julie Johnson in her runoff race for the Democratic nomination for CD 33 due to her dedication to the issues that matter most to us: protecting and building upon Social Security and Medicare, raising the minimum wage while lowering health care costs, beating back the MAGA assault on reproductive freedom, putting a general check on Donald Trump and his whims, and much more. Our Executive Director Kathleen Thompson sat down with Rep. Johnson for a quick catch-up during a Texas Blue Action event at Rodeo Goat in Dallas ahead of early voting in the runoff election, which starts on May 18 and leads up to Election Day on May 26.
Learn more about Congresswoman Julie Johnson and her campaign at https://juliejohnson.com/.
We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcast
We're also excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
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