Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Those "I'm In Control" pro-adoption billboards are not only misleading about the realities of adoption as an abortion alternative - they're also being paid for by YOUR tax dollars: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/misleading-ads-no-remedy-cruelty-texas-abortion-19324750.php

...While San Antonio officials argue over whether to use their Reproductive Justice Fund to pay for out-of-state travel for abortion care seekers: https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2024-04-11/majority-of-san-antonio-city-council-supports-using-tax-dollars-for-out-of-state-abortion-travel

...And the Black reproductive health non-profit the Afiya Center highlights Colorado as its top choice for abortion care travel, due to that state's high standards of safety: https://www.9news.com/article/news/health/texas-nonprofit-calls-colorados-abortion-access-lifesaving/73-427eac86-3103-495f-8e93-ba260aa64ca0

So, is Ted Cruz's clandestine payoff from his podcast illegal? https://www.texasobserver.org/ted-cruz-podcast-payoff-fec-complaint/

...Don't count on the Federal Elections Commission to be much of a problem for Cruz, as its current Trump-appointed chair is a MAGA diehard: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/head-of-commission-hearing-complaint-against-ted-cruz-once-worked-for-the-senator-34271983

Senator John Cornyn, having learned his lesson after crossing Texas gun nuts after the Uvalde shooting, is pledging to block new Biden admistration regulations on the "gun show loophole": https://www.chron.com/politics/article/john-cornyn-gun-reform-texas-19397377.php

Don't forget about the Texas Gun Sense community picnic NEXT Saturday, April 20 in central Austin: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tx-gun-sense_texas-gun-sense-invites-all-of-our-supporters-activity-7183153558412750850-cS-U

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/.

Any time a bright idea comes springing from the Republican-led Texas Legislature, alarm bells should go off for Texas progressives - and newly-created elected positions of oversight for county appraisal districts are certainly no exception. Should the GOP succeed in their plans to monkey-wrench the tax apprasal processes of large (and generally Democratically-run) cities, you can count on them to create as much havoc for us, and as much profit for themselves, as humanly possible. Which is why we've invited two Democrats and longtime PT partners running for these important seats to explain what all of this means, and why it's so important to vote in EVERY election - even the ones that seem vague and unimportant (there's no such thing)! Dick Lavine is endorsed by Progress Texas in his race for one of these newly-created positions in Travis County, and Progress Texas Certified Progressive Kendall Scudder is running in Dallas County - we're proud to welcome both of them back for an important and informative conversation.

Learn more about Dick Lavine at https://www.dicklavinefortcad.com/, and learn more about Kendall Scudder at https://www.kendallscudder.com/.

Thanks for listening! Learn about all the groovy ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/donate.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Two advocacy groups have asked the Federal Election Commission to look into Ted Cruz's podcast income, which may have been sent to a PAC supporting his re-election illegally: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/ted-cruz-podcast-campaign-finance-complaint/

The Texas Education Agency is planning to replace up to $20 million in human labor in STAAR Test scoring with AI: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/09/staar-artificial-intelligence-computer-grading-texas/

TODAY AT 11AM - Join Progress Texas and the Trade Justice Education Fund to rally against an oil polluter who is challenging a decision made in Quebec, Canada against a new LNG terminal:

A lawsuit by three Black Texas DPS troopers, accusing the agency of racial discrimination, can move forward this summer: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/black-troopers-discrimination-lawsuit-19396537.php

A Louisiana gun company, hired by multiple North Texas law enforcement agencies to destroy unwanted guns, has instead been stripping them for parts, which are then sold online: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/i-team-guns-sent-off-by-texas-police-departments-to-be-destroyed-were-stripped-of-parts-and-sold-online/

Solar energy deployment in Texas continues to lead the nation and is now closing in on natural gas as the most sensible source and solution: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/04/09/solar-is-beginning-to-sunset-natural-gas-use-in-texas/

...It's already a major component of the overall electical supply during daylight hours: https://cleantechnica.com/2024/04/09/texas-solar-power-growth-changing-the-shape-of-daily-electricity-supply-in-ercot/

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:

With new developments in Arizona against reproductive freedom, now's the time for Texas abortion rights advocates to redouble our efforts: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/04/immigration-abortion-texas-greg-abbott-migrant-border-crisis-stunts.html

H-E-B stores are stocking a new over-the-counter birth control medication: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/opill-birth-control-heb-19381763.php

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is calling for more pastors to run for elected office in Texas: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/dan-patrick-ed-young-19392259.php

A new book examines the outsized political influence of angry White rural voters: https://www.alternet.org/angry-white-rage/

Younger Texans are still not being engaged to vote: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/10/texas-high-school-voter-registration/

Progress Texas joins the Texas Muslim community in celebrating Eid al-fitr: https://progresstexas.org/blog/celebrating-unity-embracing-eid

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:

Yesterday's historic eclipse reminds us how far solar power infrastructure has come in Texas: https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/eclipse-overshadows-texas-solar-power-strength-2024-04-08/

A group of nine Houston-area state lawmakers are calling for a public hearing about potential violations of state law by Houstpn ISD, still under TEA control: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/texas-hisd-violations-19391789.php

Hundreds of Texas seniors have recently been overcharged on their Social Security checks by a Texas Health and Human Services Commission clerical error: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-seniors-error-medicare-coverage-benefits-1888195

Texas mom Amanda Zurawski, who nearly died due to the denial of essential abortion care by state law, is featured in a new Biden campaign ad: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4582134-new-biden-campaign-ad-blames-trump-for-near-death-of-texas-woman-who-was-denied-abortion/

...While the Biden administration dedicates another $6 billion to Samsung for microchip plant development in Taylor, Texas: https://www.reuters.com/technology/samsung-get-6-7-billion-chip-subsidy-next-week-texas-expansion-sources-say-2024-04-08/

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 thi s morning at Progress Texas:

Happy Eclipse Day! Careful with your glasses and good luck with the weather.

Eagle Pass is missing out on a huge, rare windfall with Operation Lone Star occupying Shelby Park, where a big eclipse festival had been planned: https://www.thedailybeast.com/texas-gov-greg-abbott-already-managed-to-screw-up-the-eclipse

A video of Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine went viral over the weekend in which he pushes election fraud misinformation: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/05/texas-supreme-court-justice-john-devine-2024-election/

...A great moment to revisit Find Out PAC, who are looking to unseat Devine and two other justices this fall: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/abortion-texas-supreme-court-19385442.php

...We featured Find Out PAC on the Progress Texas Happy Hour earlier this year: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/happy-hour-144-find-out-pac-targets-texas-supreme-courts-jimmy-john-and-jane

A university professors association has protested the firing of 60 University of Texas employees who had worked for UT's DEI programs: https://apnews.com/article/university-texas-diversity-equity-inclusion-ban-6535e157c65555c8fca08a878566c151

A Republican group backing American support of Ukraine has published a scorecard that reveals a large group of Texas lawmakers who score an F in opposing Vladimir Putin: https://gopforukraine.com/ukraine-report-card/

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:

At a speaking event at the University of Texas yesterday, Republican and former House Speaker Joe Straus confirms that oil billionaire Tim Dunn told him during a 2010 meeting of his opinion that only Christians should hold positions of leadership in the Texas Legislature:

...New details of UT's mass-firing of former DEI employees this week: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/05/dei-ban-university-of-texas-sb-17/73206765007/

...Signs of discontent among the UT student body are literally popping up: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/not-our-texas-notes-placed-near-ut-campus-appear-to-protest-dei-law-firings/

...Link to the "Not Our Texas" Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/notourtexas/?img_index=1

Ken Paxton insists that the press got Texas Solicitor General Aaron Nielsen's view that Texas may have "gone too far" on SB-4: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/ken-paxton-sb4-immigration-19385168.php

The conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation has dodged paying property taxes on its luxury Capitol-area digs for the last decade: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-public-policy-foundation-property-taxes/

Austin listeners: mark April 20th for the first Advocate Spring Picnic to be hosted by Texas Gun Sense in central Austin: https://tinyurl.com/yc6jsacj

Central Texas listeners: please help Progress Texas by nominating our ever-popular Humans Against Ted Cruz campaign in the Austin Chronicle's Best OF Austin Readers Poll: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/oxds6t7aDnQXKwkL/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Direct to the page: https://vote.austinchronicle.com/

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/.

Progress Texas proudly endorsed Houston progressive activist and organizer Lauren Ashley Simmons in her race to replace fellow Democrat Shawn Thierry in the Texas House - and she came within half a point of unseating one of the least-reliable Democrats in that body in the primary last month. The runoff election is coming up on May 4 - one month from the publishing of this episode - and we're proud to bring Lauren back for an update.

Follow the adventures of Lauren Ashley Simmons at https://www.laurenashleysimmons.com/.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about all the great stuff Progress Texas does and how to support our work in this all-important election year at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Colin Allred on The Daily Show this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtnYzqWtIKE

After yesterday's hearing at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, SB-4 remains blocked for now: https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/crime/texas-controversial-immigration-law-remains-on-hold-shelved-by-3-judge-panel/ar-BB1l1WlU

...Meanwhile a Texas National Guard soldier has been arrested on human trafficking charges: https://abc13.com/texas-national-guard-soldier-arrested-savion-johnson-human-smuggling-us-mexico-border/14613422/

A pair of Denton ISD administrators have been indicted on charges of illegal electioneering: https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/texas-school-district-employees-indicted-in-alleged-illegal-electioneering-scheme-denton-isd-attorney-general-ken-paxton-jesus-and-lindsay-lujan-republican-primary-gop-voting-elections-crisis-in-the-classroom

Uvalde's brand new mayor has quit, just ahead of a planned City Council vote on a new report clearing the officers who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting of wrongdoing: https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/uvalde-mayor-cody-smith-resigns-rcna146088

...The author of that report, a former Austin Police Department detective, himself has no active shooter training: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/lead-investigator-in-uvalde-police-probe-had-no-active-shooter-training-report_n_660d68dfe4b083254eaa817c

GOP subcommitte chairs have announced a "field hearing" in Port Arthur next week that will likely amount to a MAGA rally for oil and gas interests: https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chairs-rodgers-and-duncan-announce-field-hearing-in-port-arthur-on-biden-s-lng-export-ban

Central Texas listeners: please help Progress Texas by nominating our ever-popular Humans Against Ted Cruz campaign in the Austin Chronicle's Best OF Austin Readers Poll: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/oxds6t7aDnQXKwkL/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Direct to the page: https://vote.austinchronicle.com/

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:

SB-4 will see a hearing at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals today, with a focus on its constitutionality: https://www.npr.org/2024/04/03/1242451969/a-controversial-immigration-law-will-be-back-in-court-in-texas

...While the Southern Poverty Law Center discovers that Operation Lone Star has been paying a Texas hate group millions of dollars to bus migrants northward in terrible conditions: https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2024/04/02/texas-company-paid-extremist-group-20-million-operation-lone-star-busing

...A Dallas education reformer (and Republican primary voter) points out inconsistencies between conservative hate for migrants and the vital role they play in our economy: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/04/03/we-need-texas-republicans-to-rescue-our-workforce/

...Bloomberg has published a solid video essay on the Texas border drama and where it's headed next: https://youtu.be/S7ewfWcFHpU?si=JCRjaXhvxCj9lMfE

The University of Texas at Austin has drastically stepped up its DEI dismantling efforts, suddenly firing about 60 related employees: https://www.kut.org/education/2024-04-02/ut-austin-dei-diversity-law-sb-17

...UT students are pissed and organizing: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/education/texas-employees-fired-dei-ban-at-ut-austin/269-fc37c6cc-79fe-43d2-81fd-5daab6baa27f

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will be in the Dallas area tomorrow to celebrate infrastructure improvements designed to erase prior cultural and community barriers: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/pete-buttigieg-visit-dallas-thursday-highlight-north-texas-highway-projects/287-20e721ec-51da-4ea8-93ea-9ab849cae674

Central Texas listeners: please help Progress Texas by nominating our ever-popular Humans Against Ted Cruz campaign in the Austin Chronicle's Best OF Austin Readers Poll: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/oxds6t7aDnQXKwkL/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Direct to the page: https://vote.austinchronicle.com/

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/.