Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Zurawski v Texas plaintiff Lauren Miller testified before Congress this week: https://x.com/ReproRights/status/1801008213766058022?t=PuKkGeM89NN4au_k_4eMFA&s=03

...A Ted Cruz-sponsored bill that would have withheld Medicaid funding for entire states over IVF policies has been blocked by Senate Democrats: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/ted-cruz-ivf-bill-democrats/

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden has announced that it will NOT host a right-wing extremist seminar announced by the True Texas Project: https://www.facebook.com/FortWorthBotanicGarden

...All of the ideas being promoted by this event have become central to Texas Republican thinking: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2024/06/12/490389/war-on-white-america-influential-texas-group-hosting-pro-christian-nationalism-conference/

...All of which are patently ridiculous and counter to fact: https://newsone.com/5300479/texas-white-nationalist-group-conference-war-on-white-america/

The ACLU, as expected, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration over its recent move largely shutting down asylum for immigrants: https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/12/politics/aclu-bidens-border-executive-action/index.html

...While a Fort Worth judge has also struck down the Biden administration's extending Title IX protections to LGBTQ+ students: https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/bidens-title-ix-protections-lgbtq-students-struck-texas-court-rcna156784

...In better news, an Travis County judge has dismissed Ken Paxton's lawsuit against the City over its deprioritization of low level marijuana enforcement: https://www.kxan.com/news/travis-county-judge-dismisses-ag-paxton-lawsuit-over-austin-marijuana-ordinance/

Advocacy Associate Tatum Owens reviews our experience in El Paso during the Texas Democratic Convention: https://progresstexas.org/blog/5-progressive-takeaways-2024-texas-democratic-convention

...During which we were excited to meet Brigitte Bandit! https://www.chron.com/politics/article/brigitte-bandit-texas-drag-queen-19507260.php

D/FW folks: Come see us at our 14th Anniversary and Election Preview Fundraiser in Dallas on June 25: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2024anniversary

It's Pride Month! Check out the history of Pride and a full calendar of events happening across Texas throughout the month: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Ken Paxton's lawsuit today against the Biden administration is over a new rule extending Medicaid protections for LGBTQ+ and transgender Texans against discrimination under the Affordable Care Act: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/11/ken-paxton-sues-biden-transition-race/

Four State GOP House Reps have been censured by their own party for campaigning against fellow Republican incumbents: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/11/texas-house-republicans-censured/

...The four defiantly say they'd have been happy to have been expelled from the Caucus altogether: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article289182239.html

The Amarillo City Council has rejected a proposed abortion travel ban, but it's likely to end up before local voters anyway: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/11/amarillo-city-council-abortion-travel-ban/

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is set to host a day-long conference with the True Texas Project, a Southern Poverty Law Center-identified right-wing extremist group: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/true-texas-project-conference-christian-nationalism/

...Let the Fort Worth Botanic Garden know your opinion on what they've chosen to host: https://fwbg.org/about-us/staff/contact/

Best prepare yourself, as Texas ranks very low in a national ranking of disaster readiness: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2024/06/11/texas-named-one-of-the-worst-states-for-disaster-preparedness-lets-fix-that/

Every Texan invites you to join in their new equity project, The People's Budget: https://everytexan.org/peoples-budget/

D/FW folks: Come see us at our 14th Anniversary and Election Preview Fundraiser in Dallas on June 25: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2024anniversary

It's Pride Month! Check out the history of Pride and a full calendar of events happening across Texas throughout the month: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Democratic National Committee has dedicated an additional $140,000 to turning our Texas Democrats in November: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/10/national-democratic-group-spends-140000-on-texas-voter-turnout-effort/

Federal authorities have launched an enforcement operation against "switches" - illegal handgun accessories that allow fully automatic fire of handguns: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/06/10/us-attorneys-office-atf-announce-joint-initiative-focused-on-machine-gun-conversion-devices-in-texas/

...Handguns fired with switches are impossible to aim properly, and are thus extra hazardous: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/06/10/texas-crack-machine-gun-converters-3d-printers/74049460007/

A bomb threat against a monthly drag brunch and market in Austin led to the cancellation of the event on Sunday: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/austin/article/brewtorium-austin-19506648.php

Police in Flower Mound are looking for two cretins seen distributing sandwich bags full of anti-Semitic and homophobic flyers around town: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/crime/police-investigating-bags-of-homophobic-antisemitic-flyers-flower-mound-north-texas/287-d88ea8ee-a3cb-422b-92ec-aacf533aa630

Another orphan well in the Permian oil patch has erupted with toxic produced water: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/11/west-texas-orphan-wells-water-bursts/

A Houston surgeon who leaked private Texas Childrens Hospital records on transgender care with right wing activists at the behest of Ken Paxton is now facing federal HIPAA charges: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/health-science/2024/06/10/490080/whistleblower-faces-federal-charges-after-exposing-alleged-continuation-of-gender-affirming-care-at-texas-childrens-hospital/

Paxton's lawsuit against the City of Austin over its new local ordinace deprioritizing low-level marijuana offenses is being heard in an Austin courtroom this week: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-austin-marijuana-ordinance/269-d30c2bcf-fde8-4ad4-bed7-ddb3b9333879

D/FW folks: Come see us at our 14th Anniversary and Election Preview Fundraiser in Dallas on June 25: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2024anniversary

It's Pride Month! Check out the history of Pride and a full calendar of events happening across Texas throughout the month: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The Texas Democratic Convention wrapped with solid messages of progressive solidarty against encroaching authoritarianism: https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2024-06-08/texas-democratic-convention-wrapup-el-paso-democrats-cautious-optimism-dire-warnings-november-election

...The resulting platform the polar opposite of the odious Texas GOP platform that emerged from San Antonio recently: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/09/texas-democratic-platform-supports-guaranteed-right-to-abortion-opposes-school-choice/

...Including the apparent fear Republicans harbor about their future prospects: https://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article289094514.html

...A new group aiming to establish more permanent, year-round Democratic infrastructure was unveiled at the Convention: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/06/texas-democratic-pac-party-convention-agave/

D/FW folks: missed the Convention? Come see us at our 14th Anniversary and Election Preview Fundraiser in Dallas on June 25: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2024anniversary

Lots of great Pride events happening this weekend across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Right off the bat - literally, immediately after the Progress Texas team touched down in El Paso on Thursday - we hosted a special live podcast recording to help kick off this year's Texas Democratic Convention at the El Paso Convention Center! We continued our ongoing series with terrific Texas political influencers on the topic of abortion rights before a packed house! Progress Texas Executive Director Kathleen Thompson moderated a stellar panel: TX-15 U.S. Congressional nominee Michelle Vallejo, former State Senator and reproductive rights icon Wendy Davis, and for the first time on our podcasts, reproductive rights advocate Amanda Zurawski. Thanks to all of them, and to all of you who attended live!

Learn more about Amanda Zurawski and her fellow plaintiffs in their courageous lawsuit against the State of Texas at https://reproductiverights.org/zurawski-v-texas-plaintiffs-stories-remarks/.

Learn more about Michelle Vallejo's campaign for the U.S. Congress at https://www.michellefortx15.com/.

Learn more about Wendy Davis and the rest of the Planned Parenthood Texas Votes leadership team at https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-texas-votes/leadership-team.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The 2024 Texas Democratic Party Convention is underway in El Paso, where abortion rights, border concerns, public schools and gun safety are among the top topics: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-democratic-convention-2024-el-paso/

...The party is looking to unify and end its long drought in statewide electoral wins, with a focus on Dallas U.S. Rep. Colin Allred's challenge to Republican Senator Ted Cruz: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/07/texas-democrats-begin-state-convention-in-familiar-position-out-of-power-but-hopeful/

...It's hot in El Paso - but, it's also unusually hot across the Southwest. ERCOT is set to announce its risk assessment for the hottest part of the summer today: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/ercot-cps-energy-texas-shatter-peak-use-record-19496926.php

Also relative to El Paso, the narrow runoff win of Republican U.S. Rep Tony Gonzales is being called into question by his opponent, Brandon "The A.K. Guy" Herrera: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/06/texas-election-recount-brandon-herrera/

Houston-area Republican U.S. Rep Troy Nehls is being accused by his fellow conservatives and veterans of "stolen valor" as he has continued to wear a medal he did not earn: https://www.notus.org/congress/troy-nehls-combat-infantry-badge-pin-revoked

Lots of great Pride events happening this weekend across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

The PT crew is headed west to El Paso today for the Texas Democratic Convention! https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2024/06/03/democratic-convention-2024-guests-include-beto-orourke-colin-allred/73908478007/

...Abortion rights and gun safety are expected to be high on the priority list of issues - similar issues to those the Republicans addressed at their convention in San Antonio, but clearly from a different angle: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/05/26/texas-democratic-convention-2024-el-paso-june-6-issues-agenda/73836360007/

...We hope to see you at our live podcast taping on reproductive freedom tonight! Starts at 5pm MOUNTAIN (6pm Central): https://progresstexas.org/blog/live-texas-democratic-party-convention-abortion-and-our-freedoms-2024

It's gonna be HOT in El Paso, and across the Southwest as a potentially-record-setting heat wave arrives: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2024/06/04/heat-wave-weather-forecast-tuesday-california-texas/73966281007/

...The early arrival of this kind of heat is dangerous, as people have not yet acclimated to high temperatures: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jun/06/dangerous-heatwave-texas-arizona-nevada-california-

...Drought related insurance claims have hit highs far outpacing inflation, and Texas farmers lead the nation in making these claims: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/06/texas-drought-crop-insurance-climate-change/

Ground Game Texas invites Dallas residents to sign their Dallas Freedom Act Petition, aiming to eliminate prosecution for low-level marijuana possession: https://www.groundgametexas.org/dallas

Pride Month is underway! Our D'Angelo Colter has a great history and rundown of events statewide through the annual month of celebration: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

President Biden's executive order limiting asylum requests at the border raises almost universal concern, including from his supporters on the left: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/04/texas-mexico-border-biden-immigration-asylum-policy/

...The ACLU is talking legal action AGAINST President Biden's move: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/04/texas-border-mayors-join-biden-as-he-unveils-new-asylum-restrictions-to-stem-migrant-flow/

...Austin U.S. Rep. Greg Casar points to the root cause of the problem - unrest and instability in Latin America: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4703081-texas-democrat-biden-asylum-order-isnt-going-to-work/

Travis County D.A. Jose Garza is asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for a writ of mandamus to overturn Governor Abbott's pardon of murderer Daniel Perry: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-court-asked-reverse-pardon-black-lives-matter-protest-killing-2024-06-05/

Elon Musk's X (or Twitter, or whatever) has announced broad, new allowances for adult content that may run afoul of new anti-porn laws in Texas: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/x-adult-content-policy-twitter-19493384.php

Pride Month is underway! Our D'Angelo Colter has a great history and rundown of events statewide through the annual month of celebration: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

We hope to see you Thursday in El Paso for our live podcast taping at the Texas Democratic Convention: https://progresstexas.org/blog/live-texas-democratic-party-convention-abortion-and-our-freedoms-2024

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A significant announcement about border policy, likely placing limits on daily asylum requests, is expected today: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-prepares-tough-executive-order-that-would-shut-down-asylum-after-2500-migrants-arrive-a-day/507-8e827a7f-ae75-4ce7-b53d-d984894db159

The temporary Texas block on new federal ATF rules expanding requirements of background checks during private firearms sales appears to have ended: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/new-gun-law-texas-pause-appears-to-end-following-lawsuit/269-dcef5b01-b4ca-47b6-ad5a-d79539fb0e93

...Texas Gun Sense invites you to sign on to an open letter to Attorney General Ken Paxton, condemning his efforts to keep firearms purchases for felons and abusers easy: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1a_hfP8dEyWgbJD5O5IMdgqNu3JzxpSmCjcXm0b6Tpy8/viewform?ts=665a164a&edit_requested=true

Two UT Austin professors have joined the state's lawsuit fighting against expanded Title IX protections against sexual abuse and discrimination - but focus on opposing their students' abortion rights: https://www.universityherald.com/articles/78970/20240604/ut-austin-professors-join-lawsuit-against-new-title-ix-regulations.htm

...Current Texas abortion law hinges on the intimidation of doctors, for whom every call for abortion care could spell prison and more: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/06/texas-abortion-ban-horror-blame-doctors-medical-catastrophe.html

...Lawsuit plaintiff Jessica Bernardo recommends that pregnant Texans, if they can, set aside money in case they need to flee the state for reproductive care: https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/-have-a-back-up-plan-warns-plaintiff-after-texas-supreme-court-rejects-challenge-to-abortion-law-212169285571

...Lawsuit plaintiff Lauren Miller recalls the fear she saw in her Texas doctors, and places the blame on Donald Trump: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/06/texas-abortion-ban-horror-blame-doctors-medical-catastrophe.html

...Lawsuit lead plaintiff Amanda Zurawski will join Progress Texas for a live podcast taping on Thursday in El Paso: https://progresstexas.org/blog/live-texas-democratic-party-convention-abortion-and-our-freedoms-2024

Good news: the national Democratic Party is dedicating significant resources to Colin Allred's campaign against Ted Cruz: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/04/texas-us-senate-2024-colin-allred-ted-cruz-beto-orourke/

Bad news: the national Republican Party is dedicating increased resources to flipping the seat of indicted Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/03/republican-cuellar-investment

Pride Month is underway! Our D'Angelo Colter has a great history and rundown of events statewide through the annual month of celebration: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Friday's decision not to protect pregnant Texans and their doctors by the Texas Supreme Court should provide motivation for pro-choice voters to unite: https://www.reuters.com/legal/texas-top-court-wont-guarantee-right-abortion-complicated-pregnancies-2024-05-31/

...We hope to see you Thursday in El Paso for our live podcast taping at the Texas Democratic Convention: https://progresstexas.org/blog/live-texas-democratic-party-convention-abortion-and-our-freedoms-2024

Longtime Houston U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has announced a pancreatic cancer diagnosis: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/06/03/rep-sheila-jackson-lee-pancreatic-cancer/

National coverage of the bitter division within the Texas Republican Party continues: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4696987-texas-republicans-gop-dade-phelan-donald-trump-tony-gonzales-school-vouchers/

...While their nutty platform also continues to draw national embarrassment to our state: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/06/03/texas-republican-party-new-platform/

...And middle-aged white Republican women are found by a study to be misinformation "super-sharers": https://www.expressnews.com/news/texas/article/fake-news-republican-white-women-texas-19490227.php

Another study done by MIT on U.S. Rep. Greg Casar's proposed connection of the Texas energy grid to neighboring grids predicts multiple reliability and environmental benefits: https://www.eenews.net/articles/blackouts-could-be-slashed-if-texas-joins-the-u-s-grid-study/

Coming to the Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso? Get there early enough on Thursday June 6 to join us for our Abortion And Our Freedoms 2024 panel, featuring reproductive rights advocate Amanda Zurawski, TX-15 Congressional candidate and Progress Texas endorsee Michelle Vallejo, and repro rights icon and current Planned Parenthood Senior Advisor Wendy Davis! 5pm to 6pm (MOUNTAIN time, mind you) in Juarez B of the El Paso Convention Center: https://www.mobilize.us/texasdemocrats/event/628166/

Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate

Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire

Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20

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