Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas this Valentine's Day:

Less than a week from early voting, we're shoveling our love onto three more Texas progressive primary candidates, the support of whom we consider vital for continued progress in our state: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-endorsements-march-primaries

...While we're all warm and fuzzy, have a look and Join The Movement with a great rundown of our favorite Texas civic organizations: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progressive-organizations-working-make-texas-better-place-2024

House Speaker Dade Phelan's wife was accosted by his political opponents at the Phelan home in Beaumont this week: https://www.12newsnow.com/article/news/crime/men-accused-of-accosting-dade-phelan-wife-beaumont-home/502-dbb22413-4b6f-4d80-9d45-ce4b3b705ac5

A North Texas couple, convicted of various crimes connected to Jan. 6, think Trump should be charged as well (and we agree): https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/national/capitol-riots/texas-couple-who-said-they-shouldnt-be-prosecuted-if-trump-wasnt-convicted-of-assaulting-police-on-jan-6-mark-jalise-middleton/65-f2895db3-2b6f-4cad-8088-e313e6ae9d05

John Cornyn and Ken Paxton are having a public tiff over Cornyn's support for America's following through with our commitments to our allies abroad: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4465233-cornyn-blasts-texas-ag-paxton/

How Sunday's Houston church shooter, having documented mental health issues and an extensive criminal record, was able to arm herself for the attack remains a mystery: https://apnews.com/article/church-shooting-joel-osteen-texas-firearms-89c8b72d00c5a1f924907e0d5a85a8ea

...While right-wing crazies - including Elon Musk - attempt to frame the shooting as "trans terrorism": https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7bnna/lakewood-church-shooting-houston-far-right-misinformation-claiming-suspect-transgender

...Throughout her criminal documentation, she's identified as a cisgender female, never as transgender: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-houston-texas-church-shooter-transgender-641478749917

We've been talking about Jimmy, John and Jane recently - John Devine, turns out, inappropriately failed to recuse himself from a high-profile sex abuse case involving prior employers: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/13/texas-supreme-court-john-devine-paul-pressler-jared-woodfill/

We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month⁠

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Neighbors of the woman who fired shots inside Joel Osteen's Houston megachurch this weekend have been pleading for help from Conroe police regarding her aggressive behavior with guns for months: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/texas-neighbors-said-tried-sound-alarm-houston-church-shooter-months-rcna138516

A Jewish Dallas City Council Member's home is attacked by vandals using pro-Palestinian symbols: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/nation-world/israel-hamas-conflict/287-776472b9-75bb-41e2-bd15-65422e5ebb17

Coverage of the ongoing race to face Ted Cruz between U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and State Senator Roland Gutierrez: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/allred-gutierrez-spar-over-border-security-bipartisanship-in-democratic-primary-for-u-s-senate/

...While Cruz's new bill calling for additional security for politicians in airports makes its way through the Senate: https://newrepublic.com/post/178927/ted-cruz-bill-private-security-travel-airports-cancun

...And an even more "bruising" primary race between State Senator Nathan Johnson and State Rep. Victoria Neave Criado:

Backlash continues over those "He Gets Us" Super Bowl ads, tied to a Dallas ad agency: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/super-bowl-he-gets-us-18662897.php

...While Texas Monthly highlights oil billionaire Tim Dunn, who has also shoved Texas to the right via his checkbook: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/billionaire-tim-dunn-runs-texas/

We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month⁠

Check out our Valentine to our fellow Texas progressive political organizations, who deserve your attention and support: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/blog/progressive-organizations-working-make-texas-better-place-2024⁠

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: ⁠https://progresstexas.org/donate

Following the disappointing (but unsurprising) outcome of the recent hearings at the Texas Supreme Court in regard to the Amanda Zurawski abortion rights case, you'll be pleased to know that two Texas women - one of our state's most fearsome progressive heavy hitters, and yet another mom whose life and health have been put in jeopardy by draconian Republican interference in medical practice - are taking action. We're proud to welcome veteran Texas politico and former Biden administration U.S. Air Force Undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones, behind the exciting new Find Out PAC, and friend of the PAC and courageous Texas mother Lauren Miller, who are setting their determined sights on Texas Supreme Court justices Jimmy Blacklock, John Devine and Jane Bland, who are all up for re-election this year. Find Out PAC intends to teach these three what happens when you fuck around with Texans' reproductive freedom.

Check out Find Out PAC and their terrific new video materials, in both English and Spanish, at https://findoutpac.com/

For a refresher, the scientific research on what happens when one fucks around can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WntjAM2wqF8.

Thanks for listening! Please consider joining our efforts to recruit 29 new recurring donors, one per day through this Leap Month of February, at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

An increase in teen pregnancies that followed Texas' abortion restrictions could become a national problem if Republicans are triumphant this fall: https://www.salon.com/2024/02/12/a-rise-in-texas-teen-pregnancies-could-foreshadow-national-trends-experts-warn/

...Progressives need to get familiar with the legal concept of "extraterritoriality" - the GOP push to enforce Texas culture-war laws outside our borders: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/09/texas-abortion-transgender-care-outside-state-borders/

...The direct connection between our state's stamping out of reproductive freedom and Donald Trump exists in attorney Jonathan Mitchell: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/08/us/elections/jonathan-mitchell-trump-ballot-case.html

A UT law professor says conditions at the border don't constitute an "invasion", but that Governor Abbott will continue arguing that they do: https://www.npr.org/2024/02/12/1230835881/texas-law-professor-says-influx-of-migrants-doesnt-meet-the-definition-of-invasi

...While Abbott's frequent border visits continue disrupting the peace of Eagle Pass: https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas/state-of-texas-border-visits-fuel-frustrations-over-policy-failures/

...And Mexico "categorically rejects" SB-4, set to take effect next month: https://www.ketk.com/news/texas/mexican-government-says-it-rejects-texas-immigration-enforcement-bill/

...And SB-4, even before enactment, is already causing problems for Hispanic and Black Texans: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/02/12/how-sb-4-threatens-the-well-being-of-immigrant-families-in-texas/

...And there's shareable video on the current border situation on the border situation: https://twitter.com/ProjectLincoln/status/1756151249626701968?t=sovlW-I7P1kHIqw9EUuMbw&s=03

Last night's Super Bowl saw an ad for Robert F. Kennedy Jr that plagiarized his family's political legacy and was paid for by major Trump backers: https://x.com/SawyerHackett/status/1756858017268584684?t=zqL_kSEC-ZUHZPdIRdQ2KA&s=03

...And the Super Bowl ads for the "He Gets Us" Christian campaign were also bankrolled by nefarious Christian groups, including those backed by the founder of Hobby Lobby: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/us/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercials-cec/index.html

Texas Monthly highlights seven terrible candidates (yes, one is a Democrat) on ballots across Texas: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-elections-2024-primary-fringe-candidates/

We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Despite a big reduction in migrant numbers, Governor Abbott vows to expand Operation Lone Star: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/immigration-texas-border-arizona-california-migrants/

...While, given the longtime cooperation of state and federal border patrols, recent conflicts between them are pure political theater: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/border-patrol-and-texas-troopers-got-along-once-what-happened/

Have your property taxes dropped? Ours neither: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-residents-blame-abbott-property-tax-increases-1867242

Former State Rep. Kyle Biedermann thinks former State Rep. Bryan Slaton's drunken, adulterous dalliance with a teenaged intern, which got him kicked out of the House, was no big deal: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/08/kyle-biedermann-bryan-slaton-texas-house/

Trump's lawyer at that U.S. Supreme Court sham yesterday was Jonathan Mitchell, architect of Texas' abortion "vigilante law": https://newrepublic.com/post/178869/trump-lawyer-mitchell-supreme-court-texas-anti-abortion-law

The non-profit Texas Exes graduate group is stepping in to host cultural graduation studies that were nixed by UT over new DEI bans: https://thedailytexan.com/2024/02/09/texas-exes-to-host-cultural-graduation-celebrations/

...While Texas A&M Regents vote to close their controversial Qatar campus: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2024/02/09/texas-am-shutter-controversial-qatar-campus

Our own Progress Texas Advocacy Fellow Tatum Owens highlights two critical threats to voting this year in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/keep-our-elections-open-and-accessible

Black History Month is underway! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Senate Republicans including Ted Cruz and John Cornyn cave to pressure from Donald Trump, backing out of a deal to end their so-called "invasion" at the border: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/cruz-cornyn-border-bill-18653781.php

The deal, to be fair, was not universally loved by Democrats: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/07/politics/senate-border-ukraine-israel-aid-vote/index.html

All this echoes failure in the U.S. House in their attempted Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment, derailed in part by South Houston's Rep. Al Green: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/us/politics/johnson-impeachment-israel-aid.html

From Fox News, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' comments on Al Green's vote: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jefferies-defend-surprise-appearance-texas-democrat-failed-mayorkas-impeachment-vote

Yet another tough guy photo op and press conference today with Governor Greg Abbott in Eagle Pass today: https://www.kcbd.com/video/2024/02/08/gov-abbott-host-texas-house-representatives-border-security-news-conference-eagle-pass-2/

Eagle Pass residents are fed up and fearful of political and racial violence: https://www.tpr.org/border-immigration/2024-02-07/right-wing-border-convoy-leaves-eagle-pass-residents-on-edge

The stabbing attack on a Palestinian man in Austin has been determined by the Austin Police Department to likely have been a hate crime: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/stabbing-palestinian-american-man-texas-motivated-bias-police-say-rcna137783

Ken Paxton, whose legal team have helped delay his securities fraud trial for eight years, is now complaining that he's not been given a speedy trial: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/paxton-looks-to-dismiss-securities-fraud-charges-says-right-to-speedy-trial-was-violated/

Paxton-backed Texas House hopeful Jared Woodfill of Houston is under renewed scrutiny over allegations he misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars from his clients: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/07/jared-woodfill-kim-ogg-fraud-investigation/

While an Amarillo House candidate is dogged by allegations that her rich father is trying to buy her election: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/fairly-texas-legislature-vouchers-18651969.php

Black History Month is underway! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Despite the full support of Texas Representatives, the Republican majority in the U.S. House falls short of impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/mayorkas-impeachment-vote-fail/

...Partly thanks to a heroic vote by Texas Rep. Al Green, who had escaped his hospital bed to cast a decisive vote establishing a 215-215 tie: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/us/politics/al-green-mayorkas-impeachment.html

...While Republicans flail over the border, dangerous elements are heeding their calls for violence: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/where-things-stand/texas-gopers-border-cosplay-becomes-target-for-violent-extremists-and-grifters

...And that "God's Army" thing turned out little more than a lame Trump merch market: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/02/05/take-back-border-convoy-texas-republican-immigration-invasion-act/72451333007/

...Still, Texas Republicans are fully bought in on Trump's con job: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/texas-republicans-donald-trump-endorse/

...A new state law increasing minimum prison sentences for human trafficking is unlikely to make a difference: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/texas-human-smuggling-law-minimum-sentence/

Two Texas companies are found at the root of AI-constructed robocalls featuring a cloned Joe Biden voice: https://www.axios.com/2024/02/07/new-hampshire-fake-robocall-ai-biden-voice-texas

Actual charges related to law enforcement failures in Uvalde appear unlikely: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/07/uvalde-shooting-grand-jury/

Two studies cited by an Amarillo judge in his attacks on the abortion drug mifepristone have been found unsound and pulled by their publisher: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-publisher-retracts-studies-cited-by-texas-judge-suspending-abortion-pills-2024-02-06/

That disgusting produced water spill in Crane County has been plugged after a month-long, over-two-million-dollar effort: https://www.marfapublicradio.org/environment/2024-02-05/state-spends-millions-to-plug-massive-well-leak-in-the-oil-fields-of-crane-county

A great three-part documentary series on Black non-profit leaders in Texas to check out for Black History Month: https://www.nbcdfw.com/discover-black-heritage/for-oak-cliff-founder-featured-in-documentary-series-highlighting-black-ceos-in-dallas/3453820/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17072784338930&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcdfw.com%2Fdiscover-black-heritage%2Ffor-oak-cliff-founder-featured-in-documentary-series-highlighting-black-ceos-in-dallas%2F3453820%2F

Thanks for listening! Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A diverse group of environmental advocates and frontline communities have signed on to an open letter urging Texas progressives in the U.S. House to oppose a resolution allowing for liquid natural gas expansion: https://progresstexas.org/blog/good-step-pausing-lng-export-approvals-next-step-combat-climate-crisis-texas

A new deal on federal border policy finds Democrats running to face Ted Cruz in the fall election divided: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/05/texas-reaction-border-deal-ukraine-israel/

Governor Abbott is limiting his filter for endorsements in Texas House races to the single issue of school vouchers: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article285090707.html

...While deep-red South Dakota sees a voucher scheme go down in flames: https://www.keloland.com/news/capitol-news-bureau/house-panel-blocks-plan-for-7400-education-vouchers/

...And Texas public schools slide ever further behind in funding: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2024/02/05/education-texas-public-school-funding-lowest-inflation-adjusted-state-local-since-2020/72154083007/

...And student orgs at UT face financial problems due to the closure of DEI offices: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/university-of-texas/dei-backlash-texas-student-organizations-asking-for-funding/269-f231ff3c-613e-4784-b62f-bac5b5bd5914

A Republican lawmaker thinks Ken Paxton, facing building legal challenges, may be a flight risk: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/yall-itics/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-flight-risk-says-gop-republican-lawmaker/287-023487d1-3836-48df-8ec2-c8638dc265a2

Black History Month is underway! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Today is the last day to register to vote in the March primary! Get it done: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/02/05/monday-is-last-day-to-register-to-vote-in-march-5-texas-primary-election/

All about voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/

Governor Abbott, gathered at Eagle Pass with 13 other Republican governors, pledges to expand the border territory his Operation Lone Star is excluding from access by federal Border Patrol personnel: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/04/us/texas-border-abbott-governors.html

...While U.S. House Democrats from Texas respond to Abbott's obvious theatrics and warn of the dangers of stirring racial angst: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4447607-texas-democrats-accuse-abbott-of-inciting-potential-border-violence/

...On Friday, Eagle Pass community leaders demanded that visitors respect the cultural diversity of their region: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-border-convoy-slammed-eagle-pass-community-leaders-ahead-rally-1866598

...Demands largely ignored by the "Take Our Border Back" rally nearby on Saturday, which devolved into a racist Trump rally complete with religious zealotry and anti-Semitic conspiracy speeches: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-looms-over-texas-border-rally-targeting-illegal-immigration-2024-02-03/

...By the way, turns out Shelby Park was named for a Confederate general who fled to Mexico at the end of the Civil War: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/01/us/shelby-park-texas-border-history-cec/index.html

Texas secessionist groups are denying their obvious parroting of Russian rhetoric: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-independence-group-denies-russian-support-1866798

...While misinformation about the Texas border standoff is circulating in China: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68185317

We look forward to a talk this week with Gina Ortiz Jones, heading up the Find Out PAC dedicated to opposing three Texas Supreme Court justices up for re-election: https://youtu.be/08ihlSOEmMU?si=bOjAHZ6hKN6Z-cv2

...Pregnant women trapped in abusive relationships are uniquely imperiled by Texas' abortion ban: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/sewing-texas-abortion-ban-heightens-danger-women-18637853.php

The Democrats running to replace Colin Allred in the U.S. House are mostly in consensus on key progressive issues: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/02/02/north-texas-candidates-for-congress-differ-on-best-approach-for-democrats/

Black History Month is underway! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month

Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Houston Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw is confused at his party's blocking of the very border reforms they claim to want: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2024/02/01/dan-crenshaw-potential-border-reform-bill-sot-raju-ip-vpx.cnn

That "God's Army" gathering in Dripping Springs was nowhere near "massive": https://nypost.com/2024/02/01/news/patriots-gather-for-massive-rally-at-texas-border/

...Experts say this convoy has already been overrun by "Great Replacement" conspiracy theorists: https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/extremism-disinformation/2024/02/01/proud-boys-other-far-right-groups-use-texas-convoy-as-rallying-cry/

...Nikki Haley walks back her obviously ignorant position on Texas secession: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/02/opinion/haley-abbott-secession-texas.html

...Even the ultra-conservative and unpredictable U.S. Supreme Court is unlikely to go along with secession: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-secession-movement-abbott-border-security/

Is Ted Cruz really winning with Texas millennials? https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-winning-texas-millennials-1866176

...U.S. Rep. Colin Allred continues dominating fundraising: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/01/colin-allred-ted-crus-roland-gutierrez/

That produced water spill in Crane County continues to flow - an update is coming on the Progress Texas Happy Hour: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/west-texas-water-leak-oil-field-railroad-commission-no-fly-zone/

We send out condolences to beloved volunteer and activist Ernest Walker of Dallas: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/longtime-dallas-activist-dies-leaves-legacy-of-service/287-aad9658f-b54d-487d-9f95-27436bb86a27

Black History Month starts today! Progress Texas has a full schedule of events to follow: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-african-american-arts-and-artisans-black-history-month

The deadline to register for the March primary is this Monday, February 5: https://govotetexas.org/

Early Giving is underway for this year's Amplify Austin non-profit and charity fundraiser, and is a great way to support Progress Texas: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our work at https://progresstexas.org/.