Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Zurawski vs State Of Texas case will be the subject of a hearing at the Texas Supreme Court this morning: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/28/1215463289/texas-abortion-lawsuit-texas-supreme-court

...Livestream link: https://www.texasbarcle.com/CLE/sc.asp

Will there be a fifth special session? No word yet from the Governor: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/texas-legislature-recesses-with-school-choice-legislation-still-in-limbo-will-governor-abbott-call-a-fifth-special-session

We're also watching for Governor Abbott to sign SB4, and the legal backlash certain to follow: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/yall-itics/yall-itics-texas-border-to-become-the-show-me-state-when-sb-4-signed-into-law/287-87be0e16-ee85-4a2b-88e9-5d3ba40977d8

...And which would come as deadly high speed police chases of suspected unlawful migrants are at an all-time high: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/24/us/texas-border-police-chases.html

...A new Human Rights Watch report illuminates the high-speed chase problem: https://www.ktep.org/2023-11-26/human-rights-watch-challenges-texas-dps-high-speed-pursuit-policy

...And while economic numbers regarding immigrant-led families show them to be a vital part of the Texas economy: https://www.statesman.com/story/opinion/columns/your-voice/2023/11/20/opinion-immigrants-contribute-and-embody-the-texas-spirit-so-why-does-the-gop-vilify-them/71594664007/

...And while Vice President Kamala Harris spoke in Houston yesterday, touting the Biden administration's support of minority-owned businesses: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/27/kamala-harris-vice-president-houston/

Texas is now leading the nation in dropping children from Medicaid coverage by all measures: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2023/11/23/more-than-810000-texas-children-booted-from-medicaid-coverage/

...While demand on our state's food banks has not dropped back to pre-pandemic levels: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/28/texas-food-banks-high-demand-snap/

Progress Texas is looking for your input on our annual Best And Worst Of Texas rundown:

And this Giving Tuesday, we'd appreciate your support via a donation - or better yet, by joining us for one of our upcoming Holiday Parties! Details at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Zurawski v State Of Texas case is set to be heard by the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court tomorrow: https://www.npr.org/2023/11/26/1215227706/texas-supreme-court-to-hear-case-on-state-abortion-laws-and-pregnancy-complicati

...Watch via this livestream link: https://www.texasbarcle.com/CLE/sc.asp

Ted Cruz is ignoring criticism for incorrectly characterizing the auto crash near the Canadian border on Wednesday as a "terrorist attack: https://www.indy100.com/politics/ted-cruz-rainbow-bridge-explosion

...While Texas progressives continue sizing up Democratic contenders to challenge Cruz next year: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/11/22/contrasting-styles-emerge-in-democratic-primary-to-face-sen-ted-cruz/

...Including a snapshot from KXAN in Austin: https://youtu.be/CHTpngo0ogs?si=CmJjVweGKjdA22Pv

Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Houston today to press the Biden campaign's outreach to Latino voters: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/24/kamala-harris-houston-visit-hispanic/

ERCOT is now predicting about a one in six chance of rolling blackouts this winter - if conditions are normal: https://www.chron.com/weather/article/ercot-texas-rolling-blackout-winter-18514358.php

Texas comes in dead last in a ranking of U.S. states based on personal freedoms: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-least-free-state-personal-freedom-index-1846236

Thanks for listening - our Progress Texas Holiday Parties are coming up this Friday and next Wednesday! Grab your tickets at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Several factors paint a picture of strategy for Governor Greg Abbott in vying to be Donald Trump's running mate: https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2023/11/20/greg-abbott-vice-president-2024-texas-gov

...While Abbott endorses 58 Texas House members who voted his way on vouchers last week: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/as-promised-gov-greg-abbott-endorses-republicans-who-supported-school-vouchers-and-excludes-incumbent-opponents/

...And prominent Paxton impeachment leader and voucher opponent Rep. Andrew Murr has decided he's had enough: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/20/andrew-murr-reelection/

Ahead of next week's Texas Supreme Court hearing of the Zurawksi case, a group of Texas business leaders weighs in against our state's draconian abortion policies: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texas-businesses-say-abortion-ban-costs-state-nearly-15-billion-a-year/

...While Democratic Senator Nathan Johnson files a bill opposing local abortion travel bans: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4319236-texas-bill-would-block-local-abortion-travel-bans/

Ken Paxton's office targets Media Matters on the heels of Elon Musk's defamation lawsuit against the non-profit watchdog: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/20/texas-ken-paxton-elon-musk-media-matters/

Texas State University will make history as the site of the first-ever Presidential debate to be held in Texas: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/county/2023/11/20/texas-state-to-host-first-2024-presidential-debate/71656238007/

Austin's Mobile Loaves and Fishes celebrates 25 years of service: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/25-years-local-non-profit-is-national-model-for-tackling-homelessness/

New demographic data shows new Texas transplants as a significant factor in our economic growth: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/20/texas-2023-population-growth-demographics/

Thanks for listening! The Daily Dispatch is off for the holiday and will return on Monday November 27th - meanwhile, grab your tickets for our Austin and/or Dallas Holiday Parties at https://progresstexas.org/! Hae a great and safe holiday.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

As vouchers crashed and burned in the House on Friday, Governor Abbott promises to keep pushing: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/11/19/abbotts-next-move-unclear-after-school-choice-defeat-in-texas-house/71585560007/

Abbott hung out with Donald Trump and endorsed his run for President on the border this weekend: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/politics/trump-us-mexico-border-abbott/index.html

The Texas State Board of Education followed through on a threat to reject science books including the connection between fossil fuels and climate change: https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/msnbc/texas-science-textbooks-climate-change-rcna125841

ERCOT has scrapped plans to revive old, outdated power plants: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/ercot-cancels-program-to-boost-power-reserves-ahead-of-potentially-precarious-winter/3390785/

...While summer heat is confirmed to have damaged Texas economically: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2023/11/20/texas-heat-isnt-just-an-inconvenience-its-an-economic-drag-too/

The U.S. Senate's Democratic campaign chairman takes aim at Ted Cruz: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/politics/senate-democratic-campaign-chairman-seeks-to-defy-odds-amid-manchin-retirement-and-sets-sights-on-cruz-and-scott/index.html

A journalism series at KXAN TV in Austin focuses on attacks on the LGBTQ+ community by Texas lawmakers in 2023: https://www.kxan.com/state-of-texas/state-of-texas-special-edition-explores-record-lgbtq-legislative-proposals/

A CNN op-ed explores the lasting emotional damage that survivors of mass shootings suffer, including kids who made it through the Uvalde shooting: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/19/opinions/gun-violence-uvalde-child-survivors-campoamor/index.html

The D/FW metroplex exceeds 8 million residents for the first time as our urban centers now contain a full 2/3 of Texas' population overall: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2023/11/20/with-8-million-residents-d-fw-is-largest-texas-metro-texas-demographic-center-estimates/

Thanks for listening - and we'd love to meet you in person at one of our two upcoming holiday parties! Details and tickets at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A school funding bill including vouchers is up for a full House debate and vote today: https://www.kut.org/politics/2023-11-16/the-texas-house-will-vote-on-school-vouchers-friday-heres-what-to-expect

...Odds of it passing are slim, but crazier things have happened: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/will-school-choice-pass-in-the-texas-house-tomorrow

A poll of his constituents conducted by U.S. House Rep. Greg Casar indicates heavy Democratic support for a cease-fire in the Israel/Hamas conflict: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/greg-casar-gaza-ceasefire-poll/

The Washington Post has published a photo essay including the most graphic images seen publicly of the aftermaths of both the Uvalde and Sutherland Springs mass shootings: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2023/ar-15-force-mass-shootings/

The nation is noticing - with some bewilderment - that a new Texas immigration bill, set to be signed into law, would usurp Federal immigration authority: https://prospect.org/blogs-and-newsletters/tap/2023-11-16-texas-republicans-maniacs-megalomaniacs/

...While experts find Republican notions of a "terrorist highway" across the Mexican border preposterous: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/texas-border-terror-watchlist-18496025.php

The Texas State Board of Education, having voiced opposition to accurate climate change and evolutionary information in new science books, is set to vote on them today: https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2023/11/will-new-science-textbooks-in-texas-accurately-depict-climate-change-some-worry-they-wont/

The launch of SpaceX's Starship rocket has been delayed and is now set for tomorrow - Saturday November 18 - at 7am Central: https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-second-space-launch-attempt-webcast

Thanks for listening! Join us for one of our upcoming Holiday Parties - information on tickets and sponsorships, and other ways to support Progress Texas in our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Six more plaintiffs have joined the lawsuit, spearheaded by Amanda Zurawski, over Texas abortion laws that led to life-threatening medical situations for them: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/15/1213188342/20-women-sue-texas-over-abortion-laws

Officials in Mexico push back against new, unconstitutional immigration legislation in Texas: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/mexico-deportation-law-18494150.php

...One Houston immigration attorney thinks SB4 is entirely unworkable in reality: https://news.yahoo.com/houston-area-officials-texas-bill-025800209.html

Enormous amounts of public school funding are a bait-and-switch for vouchers: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/11/16/house-education-chief-tries-to-pass-texas-school-choice-bill-with-shrinking-wad-of-cash/

Donald Trump will be in Texas this weekend, and Governor Abbott is expected to endorse Trump's run for re-election: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/15/politics/abbott-expected-endorse-donald-trump/index.html

A convention of Texas secessionists envisions an independent Nation of Texas with "no liberals or poor people": https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/15/texas-secession-texit/

Officials at UT Austin are hurriedly dismantling any trace of DEI in advance of a new law taking effect January 1: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/university-of-texas/ut-austin-dei-law-changes/269-57d6e995-c80b-46a7-b5fb-5dcb11f96579#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17001257422314&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kvue.com%2Farticle%2Fnews%2Feducation%2Funiversity-of-texas%2Fut-austin-dei-law-changes%2F269-57d6e995-c80b-46a7-b5fb-5dcb11f96579

...While a federal judge expresses skepticism about motivations behind a Texas ban of the use of TikTok on state college campuses: https://www.expressnews.com/news/education/article/tiktok-ban-texas-universities-federal-lawsuit-18495277.php

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro wants a federal investigation over the Warner Bros. shelving of Coyote Vs. Acme: https://thehill.com/business/4309998-joaquin-castro-federal-probe-warner-bros/

Elon Musk's SpaceX has been cleared by the FAA to launch its Starship rocket from Boca Chica Friday morning at 7am: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/space/article/spacex-federal-approval-second-starship-launch-18490997.php

Thanks for listening! Grab your tickets for our 2023 Holiday Parties, and consider pitching in to support our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Texas House GOP passed the highly demonstrative and unconstitutional immigration bill SB4 last night - it's headed for the Governor's desk under threat of legal challenge: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/state/2023/11/14/texas-approves-bill-arrest-deport-people-suspected-illegal-immigration/71579308007/

Over half of the Texas GOP delegation in the U.S. House voted against their own party's efforts to avoid a government shutdown yesterday: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/14/government-shutdown-continuing-resolution/

The Republican-dominated Texas State Board of Education is opposing information in proposed science textbooks regarding climate change and evolution: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/climate-change-textbooks-18491484.php

Additional context into the Sherman ISD theater gender policy situation: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/us/trans-actor-oklahoma-sherman-texas.html

A lawsuit filed against Ken Paxton's office by whistleblowers he fired in 2021 can proceed in Travis County: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/14/ken-paxton-whistleblower-lawsuit/

Lubbock's petition-forced marijuana decriminalization measure will go before voters in May after being voted down by the Lubbock City Council: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/14/texas-marijuana-vote-lubbock/

The Central Texas Food Bank is in dire need of volunteers ahead of the holiday rush: https://www.kut.org/austin/2023-11-14/central-texas-food-bank-faces-a-critical-need-for-volunteers-this-holiday-season

Thanks for listening! Grab your tickets for our Austin and Dallas Holiday Parties, and consider making a donation to help us continue our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Governor Abbott, so far, has held true to his threat to keep the Texas Legislature in Austin - in many cases, hundreds of miles away from their homes, families, jobs and businesses - until they finally cave on multiple decades of resistance to school vouchers. We're proud to be joined by two lawmakers with a front row seat to Abbott's charade: Senator Sarah Eckhardt of Austin and Rep. James Talarico of Round Rock share their perspectives on why vouchers are bad for Texas, who's really behind Abbott's relentless campaign for them, and what the likely eventual outcome may be.

Find Senator Sarah Eckhardt at https://senate.texas.gov/member.php?d=14, and Representative James Talarico at https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=50.

Thanks for listening - and we'd love to meet YOU in person at one of our two upcoming 2023 Holiday Parties! Details and tickets at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A national energy analysis shows that ERCOT remains vulnerable to natural gas-related outages in freezing weather as winter approaches: https://www.kvue.com/article/weather/texas-grid-conditions-this-winter/269-d0171aff-35e8-44b9-b259-10b69c8e9153#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16998983290299&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kvue.com%2Farticle%2Fweather%2Ftexas-grid-conditions-this-winter%2F269-d0171aff-35e8-44b9-b259-10b69c8e9153

Joe Manchin's exit makes defeating Ted Cruz next year more a necessity than a luxury: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/11/13/with-losses-looming-elsewhere-national-democrats-target-ted-cruz-in-texas/

...Democratic candidate Colin Allred makes his case to replace Cruz: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/allred-on-senate-run-we-cant-afford-six-more-years-of-ted-cruz

A big win in Sherman as the local ISD reverses a policy that upended a student production of Oklahoma! over gender roles: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2023/11/13/sherman-isd-transgender-student-school-board-meeting/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16999456040093&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dallasnews.com%2Fnews%2Feducation%2F2023%2F11%2F13%2Fsherman-isd-transgender-student-school-board-meeting%2F

...While a new investigation reveals a vast network of conservative PACs working to take over school boards statewide: https://www.texasobserver.org/school-board-pacs-consultants-right-wing/

Texans with compromised health are now more at risk due to a new law preventing employers from requiring COVID vaccines: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/13/texas-disabled-covid-vaccine-ban/

Demographic, economic and political change paints an interesting picture of Texas' future: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/13/us/texas-identity-population-politics-future.html

Thanks for listening! Grab your tickets for our upcoming Austin and Dallas holiday parties, and consider making a donation to support our important work, at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A bill including private school vouchers was approved in committee on Friday and is likely to see a full vote on the House floor:

Abbott's stubbornness on vouchers is related to his national political ambitions: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/11/10/texas-gov-greg-abbott-thrust-in-middle-of-gop-infighting-hampering-school-choice-agenda/

School safety funding advanced on Friday as well: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/10/texas-house-school-safety-funding/

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio warns against GOP rhetoric threatening military action at the border: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/10/joaquin-castro-latinos-republicans/

A Republican election loser loses again in court and will not get an election do-over: https://apnews.com/article/election-lawsuit-texas-harris-county-67dc7dc3055c684fed1349060de69d6f

Sherman ISD backs down on its anti-trans theater policy - but also wants its theater department to perform a children's version of Oklahoma!:

A conservative Tyler bishop is removed from his post by Pope Francis, likely over his public critiques of the pontiff: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/11/world/europe/pope-francis-joseph-strickland.html

Thanks for listening! Find your tickets to our Austin and Dallas holiday parties and consider making a donation to help us continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.