Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

President Joe Biden's performance last night at the State Of The Union was stellar: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/08/politics/cnn-poll-biden-sotu-speech-reaction/index.html

...But not perfect, with a gaffe involving language about undocumented people: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/07/state-of-the-union-joe-biden/

Pro-Palestinian protestors at Garland munitions manufacturer end up in jail: https://www.keranews.org/news/2024-03-07/garland-police-arrest-23-people-protesting-weapons-manufacturer-over-israel-gaza-conflict

...Several musicians have cancelled appearances at this year's SXSW Music Festival in Austin for similar reasons: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/sxsw-2024-music-protest-18705591.php

The expected rightward lurch in the Republican-dominated Texas House next year will be "disastrous": https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/election/2024/article/texas-house-gop-18707525.php

The State Board of Education is also being yanked to the right: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/06/texas-sboe-board-education-election-votes/

The "battle for Texas' soul" appears to have gone badly: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2024/03/06/if-2024-primary-was-a-battle-for-texas-soul-then-were-in-trouble/

Uvalde parents erupt in grief and anger as local police are exonerated of wrongdoing by a new investigation: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/uvalde-parents-lash-out-after-new-report-clears-city-police-of-wrongdoing-during-2022-mass-shooting

Republican resistance to Austin Rep. Greg Casar's Connect The Grid Act is expected today: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texas-ercot-national-grid-18709390.php

Thanks to all of our Amplify Austin Day donors! We can't do it without you: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

March is Women's History Month! See a new analysis of what that month really means in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/inspire-inclusion-celebrating-international-womens-day-2024-texas

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend! All about all we do, and several fun ways to support our work, can be found at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Amplify Austin Day 2024 is on through 6pm Thursday night! Most solid news is behind paywalls, while misinformation and propaganda are usually free. Help us keep our solid reporting accessible with a donation of ANY amount - thank you! https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Progress Texas endorsee Julie Johnson is set to make history by becoming the first openly LGBTQ member of the U.S. Congress, not only from Texas but from the entire South: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4510622-julie-johnson-poised-for-victory-in-texas-primary-set-to-be-first-lgbtq-congress-member-from-the-south/

Lauren Ashley Simmons goes to a runoff against embattled HD-146 Rep. Shawn Thierry - we look forward to pushing her to victory: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/shawn-thierry-houston-democrat-primary-legislature-simmons/

Congrats and thanks to all of our primary endorsees: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progressive-wins-and-losses-texas-super-tuesday-primary

Many other Democratic runoff elections set for May 28: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/primary-election-results-2024/

Many more GOP runoffs, main event being Dade Phelan vs David Covey: https://apnews.com/article/paxton-texas-primary-revenge-abbott-phelan-3d991ae09585726f98c515455b015a3e

Ted Cruz learns lessons from his near-miss with Beto O'Rourke and will come out swinging early against Colin Allred: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/03/06/colin-allred-ted-cruz/

Texas Supreme Court Justice John Devine barely avoids a runoff and now faces Democrat Christine Weems: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/05/john-devine-brian-walker-texas-supreme-court-primary/

Mineral Wells GOP Rep. Glenn Rogers, run out of a job by Governor Abbott's voucher crusade, rails against Republican corruption: https://mwareanews.com/2024/03/06/glenn-rogers-pens-response-to-election-loss/

Republican turncoat Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is super proud to announce he voted for Donald Trump on Tuesday: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/03/06/dallas-mayor-eric-johnson-says-he-voted-for-donald-trump-for-president/

The State Of The Union Address is tonight at 8 - and you can play along with our SOTU Bingo Cards! Grab 'em here: https://progresstexas.org/blog/bingo-win-big-biden%E2%80%99s-state-union

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Women's History Month, hit our web store, and help us continue our important election year work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Complete election results coverage by the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/primary-election-results-2024/

The campaigns of retribution against members of their own party by Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton pay dividends: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/06/texas-primaries-gop-incumbents-defeated/

Incumbent GOP Houston Rep. Lacey Hull survives a primary challenge by Jared Woodfill, backed by Paxton and other GOP biggies in spite of his current involvement with an ongoing sex abuse scandal and lawsuit: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/06/texas-primaries-gop-incumbents-defeated/

Travis County D.A. Jose Garza cruises to victory over a challenger enjoying billionaire support, Republican crossover voting and a dark money smear campaign: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2024-03-06/jose-garza-wins-democratic-primary-in-contentious-district-attorney-race/

Embattled Harris County D.A. Kim Ogg goes down in flames: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/kim-ogg-harris-county-district-attorney-18702783.php

...Dramatically: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/politics/texas-voter-id-kim-ogg-houston/index.html

Progress Texas Executive Director weighs in on the GOP civil war: "The R stands for revenge": https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/what-republicans-primary-civil-war-means-for-the-future-of-texas-18754975

Progress Texas sends our condolences to the family and friends of Zeb Smith, the Fritch, Texas volunteer fire chief who died in the line of duty yesterday: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/texas-panhandle-fires.html

Amplify Austin Day for this year starts at 6pm tonight and continues thru the same time Thursday night! No donation is too small: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Women's History Month and hit our web store: https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Last chance for YOUR voice to be heard in the 2024 primary! Polls are open across the state until 7pm: https://progresstexas.org/

...Our Democratic primary endorsees: https://progresstexas.org/podcast/happy-hour-145-meet-our-progress-texas-primary-endorsees

...Wednesday at 9am, see the Texas Tribune's "Breaking Down The 2024 Texas Primary Results": https://breakingdownthe2024txprimary.splashthat.com/mar-com-email

...Which fish are YOU gonna be? Be one of the big ones: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2024/fraction-of-texans-vote-in-primaries/

...Texas Democrats have been particularly disinterested in the primary, for several reasons: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-primary-elections-2024-turnout-low/

...Meanwhile the Republicans have more of a sideshow to keep them interested: https://www.kut.org/politics/2024-03-04/texas-house-election-abbott-paxton-races-republican-primary-endorsements-campaign-contributions

Ted Cruz is trying to maneuver himself into a "kingmaker" role at the U.S. Senate as Mitch McConnell steps down: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4502179-senate-conservatives-seek-to-expand-power-post-mcconnell/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17096117474272&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fhomenews%2Fsenate%2F4502179-senate-conservatives-seek-to-expand-power-post-mcconnell%2F

SCOTUS places a temporary pause on SB-4, Texas' controversial new immigration law, until next Wednesday the 13th: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/04/politics/texas-immigration-law-supreme-court-appeal/index.html

Texas-based anti-abortion activists have been meddling in local ordinances in New Mexico, drawing the ire of that state's Attorney General: https://sourcenm.com/2024/03/04/texas-activists-pushed-abortion-restrictions-in-nm-cities-and-counties-records-show/

A cause of the historic Panhandle wildfires may have been pinpointed: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/2024/03/04/texas-wildfire-panhandle-lawsuit/

...While California Governor Gavin Newsom mobilizes his state's firefighting forces to help in Texas: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/03/04/texas-wildfire-deployment/

The 2024 Amplify Austin Day charity and non-profit fundraiser starts tomorrow night at 6! Support Progress Texas here: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Women's History Month is here and there's lots to do to celebrate across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/trailblazing-texan-women

Thanks for listening! Learn all about what we do and how to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Poor turnout by Democrats in the early voting phase of the 2024 primary causes the overall turnout to fall well short of 2020: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/03/early-voting-turnout-2024-primaries/

...Republicans outpaced Democrats in early voting turnout three to one: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/march-2024-turnout-tracker/

...One high-profile Democratic item, the Travis County District Attorney's race, features a shadowy PAC smearing incumbent D.A. Jose Garza: https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/03/04/jose-garza-jeremy-sylestine-travis-county

Texas lawmakers in D.C. are scrambling to claim support for in-vitro fertilization, while supporting an extreme bill that would largely outlaw it nationally as written: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/03/04/texas-republicans-face-questions-about-life-at-conception-bill-after-alabama-ivf-decision/

One Texas State lawmaker - a Republican who voted against school vouchers - now wants to abolish the Texas Education Agency: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/education/2024/03/03/texas-schools-lawmaker-says-abolish-tea-education-experts-weigh-in/72499627007/

Still no word from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on the state appeal of a federal judge's blocking of SB-4, which was set to take effect tomorrow: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2024/03/04/texas-sb-4-immigration-law-predictably-fails-its-first-legal-test/

...That same ruling says that the recent wave of migrants cannot be considered by Texas an "invasion": https://reason.com/volokh/2024/03/01/federal-court-rejects-texass-argument-that-illegal-migration-qualifies-as-invasion/

Ken Paxton's office's attempts to force a trans-friendly non-profit to hand over records of young trans kids it has supported has also been blocked: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/us/texas-paxton-transgender-records.html

Governor Abbott draws online fire for hanging out at the border with Donald Trump while historically-destructive wildfires burn in the Panhandle: https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbotts-priorities-questioned-record-wildfires-intensify-texas-1875388

...Those fires rage on, with very little containment: https://apnews.com/article/texas-wildfire-panhandle-hutchinson-united-way-donations-d61f26c6686ae62e855bd2075453651b

Women's History Month is here and there's lots to do to celebrate across Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/trailblazing-texan-women

The annual Amplify Austin charity and non-profit fundraiser happens Wednesday thru Thursday: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

Thanks for listening! Learn all about what we do and how to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Lawyers for Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza have issued a cease-and-desist order against a shadowy group that has financed an egregious and foul hit campaign against Garza, apparently without proper legal arrangement as a political action committee - all to benefit his opponent, who is known to be backed by benefactors who typically fund Republican candidates. We've invited District Attorney Garza on to tell us what he's learned.

Learn more about District Attorney Jose Garza at https://www.joseforda.com/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Upwards of 1.2 million Texans have voted so far in the primary, with only today and Super Tuesday remaining:

New polling from UT Tyler shows Ted Cruz and Colin Allred tied at 41%: https://t.co/4LBcQuPneA

President Biden spoke in Brownsville yesterday: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/03/01/san-antonio-mayor-ron-nirenberg-joins-president-biden-other-south-texas-mayors-in-brownsville/

Donald Trump's simultaneous event in Eagle Pass, meanwhile, may have seen a violation of military uniform code: https://x.com/AdamKinzinger/status/1763351232574296525?t=jhQRSFzH2g9SMCxd6IXdoQ&s=03

...Trump says Governor Abbott is on his "short list" of VP candidates: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/29/greg-abbott-donald-trump-vice-president/

...While a Trump win will mean billions in losses for Texas: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-will-lose-billions-investment-donald-trump-elected-2024-1874806

...As the Governor muses on building a wall around "Liberal Austin": https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbott-discusses-building-border-wall-around-liberal-austin-1874711

A federal judge blocks Tuesday's implementation of SB-4, but the state immediately appeals to the 5th Circuit: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/federal-judge-issues-preliminary-injunction-on-senate-bill-4

Amanda Zurawski is honored by USA Today: https://www.statesman.com/picture-gallery/news/2024/02/29/amanda-zurawski-usa-today-texas-women-of-the-year/72165054007/

...As Starr County's DA is penalized by the State Bar of Texas for allowing a murder charge to be filed against a woman for a self-managed abortion: https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-prosecutor-fined-allowing-murder-220351899.html

That massive wildfire - the biggest in state history - is looking likely to keep growing over the weekend: https://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-panhandle-wildfires-weather-forecast/story?id=107667285

Ken Paxton is suing the State Fair of Texas and two Dallas-area live music venues for refusing to allow off-duty cops inside with their guns: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-sues-state-fair-factory-deep-ellum-texas-trust-cu-theatre-grand-prairie/287-65b07f32-49a1-48ca-92e9-5511c9038ba2

...While a trove of insider details on the Paxton impeachment is dumped by the Texas Senate: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/28/ken-paxton-impeachment-witness-testimony/

Charles Butt of H.E.B. fame is donating heavily to seven of the anti-voucher lawmakers being targeted by Governor Abbott: https://www.chron.com/culture/article/heb-school-voucher-pac-18696002.php

Saturday is Texas Independence Day! Learn the REAL story of the Texas Revolution with the terrific book Forget The Alamo: https://a.co/d/f0CkIcS

And, today is the first day of Women's History Month: https://progresstexas.org/blog/trailblazing-texan-women

Early giving is underway for this year's Amplify Austin fundraising push: https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute

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

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Only today, tomorrow and Tuesday remain to vote in the 2024 primary: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/march-2024-turnout-tracker/

...Crossover voting is not the clever idea you might think it is, for several reasons: https://progresstexas.org/blog/elephant-room-crossover-voting

...While U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez may have done some meddling with his GOP opposition: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/27/vicente-gonzalez-mayra-flores-primary-election/

President Biden speaks in Brownsville today, as Donald Trump visits the stage set in Eagle Pass: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/27/vicente-gonzalez-mayra-flores-primary-election/

...While SB-4 is set to take effect on Tuesday: https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2024/0228/Tough-Texas-immigration-law-nears.-Residents-have-questions

Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw testified before a Uvalde grand jury yesterday on potential charges against police officers who botched the Robb Elementary response: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/28/texas-uvalde-shooting-grand-jury-steve-mccraw/

With Mitch McConnell stepping down as U.S. Senate GOP Leader, John Cornyn appears set to try for the post: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/28/texas-john-cornyn-mitch-mcconnell/

The wildfires in the Panhandle have ballooned into the second-worst in Texas history: https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/29/us/texas-panhandle-smokehouse-creek-fire-thursday/index.html

As Texas executes a man whose guilt was in doubt, capital punishment supporters must consider that they either have 100% faith in our justice system, or they're okay with the State occasionally killing innocent people: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/convicted-murderer-ivan-cantu-executed-in-texas/

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:

Republicans continue to outdistance Democrats in primary early voting turnout: https://www.kxan.com/news/your-local-election-hq/march-2024-turnout-tracker/

Progressives need to understand the threat posed by "Project 25": https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/27/trump-second-term-cpac-democracy-threat-extremism

...While Dallas U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett points out that Christian Nationalism is inconsistent with traditional Christianity: https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1762540717140779152?t=660LLiAZJXPZv6pGh-l2wA&s=03

...And a Houston megachurch pastor goes on an anti-migrant tear: https://www.chron.com/culture/religion/article/ed-young-anti-immigration-sermon-18692233.php

...And while most Americans reject Christian Nationalism, those numbers are weaker in Red states: https://www.axios.com/2024/02/28/poll-christian-nationalism-americans-reject

At Ken Paxton's bidding, a federal judge in Lubbock undermines new protections for pregnant workers: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/federal-judge-texas-rules-congressional-passage-2022-spending-bill-unc-rcna140829

The policies leading to Darryl George's plight at Barbers Hill ISD are based on the marginalization of non-white students: https://theconversation.com/a-texas-court-ruling-on-a-black-student-wearing-hair-in-long-locs-reflects-history-of-racism-in-schools-223250

A new produced water processing site has been approved by the Texas Railroad Commission - right next to a church camp: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/26/texas-permian-basin-oilfield-waste-ponds-baptist-camp/

The Pantex facility - the country's primary development and maintenance location for nuclear weapons - is threatened by Panhandle wildfires: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2024/02/28/key-nuclear-weapons-plant-forced-to-pause-operations-due-to-texas-wildfires/

Three Texas filmmakers contribute to a new HBO documentary series on Huntsville, Houston and El Paso: https://slate.com/culture/2024/02/god-save-texas-hbo-documentary-hometown-prison-richard-linklater.html

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

In the Crane County oil patch, a recent catastrophic spill of produced water, a toxic byproduct of the petroleum extraction process, has brought to the forefront the threat this stuff poses to groundwater across Texas. In this election year, it also highlights the worsening of that threat resulting from the chronic mismanagement and public obfuscation regarding produced water by the Texas Railroad Commission, the elected, three-member body supposedly in charge of keeping Texas' environment safe in the midst of our all-time high petroleum production, but in reality known as largely a rubber stamp for whatever policy and procedure our state's energy sector finds most expedient and profitable.

On this episode, we talk to Bill Burch, petroleum expert and Progress Texas-endorsed candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission, as well as Alex Ortiz, Water Resources Chair of the Sierra Club's Lone Star Chapter on the Crane County produced water spill, the ramifications this gross stuff and its management have for our environmental future, and how the Commission should be held accountable.

Learn more about Bill Burch and his campaign at https://burch4trrc.com/, and learn more about the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club at https://www.sierraclub.org/texas.

Find the Houston Chronicle's editorial endorsement of President Biden's pause of new LNG approvals at https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/biden-lng-export-trump-election-18680419.php.

Thanks for listening! Please consider becoming one of our 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive at https://progresstexas.org/donate.