The Jasons have a candid conversation with Beto O’Rourke as he looks back on his career and ahead at his own political future.  Democrats have three main goals in Texas in November and O’Rourke talks about which one is most realistic.  Plus, he shares the one thing he stopped doing in the last six months and the one thing he still hasn’t given up.

More about the Texas Tribune Festival

The educator.  The Author.  The Politician.  The reporter.  They’re all back three months after joining the Jasons for the podcast “My Skin is not a Weapon.”  It’s not lost on anyone that the shooting of another black man in police custody frames the conversation… again.  While there is a great deal of discouragement and frustration, this panel of African-Americans does think some change, no matter how small, has taken root in the three months since.  But in another powerful conversation, they make clear we still have a long way to go.

Republicans formally nominated Donald Trump for a second term as president this week. Traditionally, national political conventions are tasked with two fundamental priorities every four years: nominate a president and vice president and establish a platform – a set of ideas that the party members believe in. But the RNC is skipping the process of creating a platform this year. That’s a mistake says Texas state Rep. Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth). “Parties should revolve around principles, not personalities,” Krause said. “It’s always a good exercise to flesh out those principles every four years.”

The race is on now! The Democratic National Convention (2020 virtual edition) is underway, and will be immediately followed next week by the Republican National Convention (also virtual in this pandemic). 

That’s the message one north Texas superintendent would deliver to state leaders.  His district returned to class August 4th and they’ve already learned a lot.  He says one development shocked him.  And after the first week, many teachers had a common concern.  In fact, this superintendent says he’s fielding several calls a day from other superintendents across the state of Texas looking for advice before they return to class.  In this episode of Y’all-itics, the two Jasons discover what’s working in the Keene ISD… and what needs to change.  They also find out why Texas’ largest teachers’ union fears some teachers may go to work, even if they feel sick.  

Keene ISD Return to School Plan

TSTA

That’s exactly what the founder of Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano would tell politicians right now.  And Cheryl Jackson says if they came out and saw the problem first hand, it would be the only motivation they’d need to get a deal done to help.  As it stands, a federal $600/week unemployment benefit has now expired.  So Jackson says a terrible situation is about to get worse.  Still, “Action” Jackson, as she’s known, delivers her message with energy… and hope.  And if you want to take action yourself, find out how you can in this episode of Y’all-itics.

Minnie’s Food Pantry: 

Minnie’s Wish List:

It may not feel like it, but the election will be here in the blink of an eye.  And if you’re a Texan, you should brace yourself for an onslaught of political advertising.  The most recent campaign finance reports are out, and they tell quite a story in the Lone Star state, where some political observers wonder if a political realignment is underway.  In this week’s episode of Y’all-itics, the two Jasons sit down with Texas Tribune D.C. Bureau Chief Abby Livingston for a quick 20-minute dissection of the fundraising haul for Democrats and whether the green could be helping to turn Texas blue.

Texas Tribune Story

Pencils, Pens and chalk?  ✅

Alliance AFT

Covid19 cut a major hole in the Texas economy – as businesses operate at a fraction of capacity or close permanently. But the virus has also sparked a huge demand for some products and their companies are struggling to keep up with demand. In this episode of Y'alli-tics, the Jasons talk to small businesses across the state – from a bike shop in Richardson that had to hire on extra help because of the demand for bicycles to a plexiglass distributor in Houston that is now supplying restaurants and businesses across the country with the material to make safe spaces. There’s even a puzzle maker in Wimberley that is now shipping his puzzles around the world as so many people stay inside these days.

https://www.acplasticsinc.com/

https://www.bikemart.com/

https://wimberleypuzzlecompany.com/

When the virus first hit in March, the Jasons knocked back a green beer at a popular Dallas pizzeria as the city announced it would cancel the St. Patrick’s Day block party. A lot has changed since then. That pizza joint is still open but has been outfitted with a maze of plexi-glass dividers. Jason and Jason follow up with the owner about the difficulty of adjusting to the challenges posed by the pandemic…including the question this restaurateur had to confront: What do you do when one of your restaurant employees tests positive for Covid-19?

The Texas Restaurant Association is asking the governor to implement a survival plan for the industry. On this episode of Y’all-itics, the TRA shares a staggering projection for how many eateries will likely shutter permanently. And they offer some suggestions for how Texans can save their favorite restaurants---including a tip to buy gift cards and wait to use them. The association warns that the pain restaurants are feeling will be borne out in the state’s budget. The huge sums of money that once flowed into state coffers from food and drink sales has been tremendously diminished by the shutdown followed by the slowdown.

 LINKS:

https://www.txrestaurant.org/

https://gapc.co/