Y'all-itics

On the day Texas returned to 100% occupancy and eliminated the mask mandate, Dr. Anthony Fauci sat down with WFAA reporter William Joy to provide his report card for the state.  And William joined a Jason for this bonus podcast to discuss that discussion.  The nation’s leading infectious disease expert warns that getting back to “normal” isn’t like turning a switch on and off.  And he says Texas is taking a risk.  But in this episode, Dr. Fauci will also tell you why Texans shouldn’t be discouraged and when we can head back to a game or eat inside a restaurant without worry. 

Fatigue from COVID-19 and last month’s polar vortex are expected to drive millions of people to Texas beaches as spring break begins this week. Even though Governor Abbott is lifting the mask mandate and allowing businesses to return to 100-percent capacity, many businesses are still adhering to CDC health safety guidelines and still expecting huge crowds. The Jasons called up a couple of Texans along the coast to see what to expect before they put their feet in the sand. Along part of the Texas coast, they also learned to be on the lookout for fainting sea turtles.

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Call it the Texas restaurant massacre.  The industry has taken a beating during our year of pandemic lockdown.  In human terms, it amounts to 150,000 Texans who have lost their jobs.  And those restaurants that did survive took another hit during the historic winter weather and power catastrophe.  That event wiped out the often-lucrative Valentine’s Day dining.  If this sounds like a horror story… it is.  So why then does the president of the Texas Restaurant Association think this story will have a happy ending?  For one, Texans apparently miss their restaurants more than anything else during the lockdown.  And she talks about the dramatic changes born out of the pandemic that will help the industry thrive on the other side.

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In our last episode, a former state lawmaker told the Jasons that Texas missed a golden opportunity six years ago to start planning for extreme weather events.  Current Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson explained how he thinks his bill would have helped prevent the near failure of the Texas electric grid but was killed in the final moments.  One of Johnson’s friends, a former state lawmaker himself on the other side of the aisle, says he remembers the episode too, but with a few different details.  Ron Simmons says while the legislation wouldn’t have hurt, it likely wouldn’t have helped either.  And the Republican says lawmakers likely could have done more all along the way.

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Texas lawmakers are meeting on Thursday in Austin – pledging to get to the bottom of the massive statewide power outages last week. But a former state lawmaker tells the Jasons that Texas missed an opportunity six years ago to start planning for something like this. Eric Johnson, the current Mayor of Dallas, was a state representative in 2015 and introduced a bill that might have helped prevent the near-failure of the Texas electric grid last week. Johnson explained what his bill would have done and how it was killed in the final moments before it was to have been passed.

We’d like to know what you think about Y’all-itics! So, please take the survey the Jasons mentioned: Cheers! 

As promised, here’s how to find out who represents you. https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home

ERCOT called the Jasons super early on Tuesday to offer the first interview with CEO Bill Magness. He’s probably the most sought after newsmaker of the week in our state. Magness manages ERCOT, which is the Texas power grid. And millions of Texans are in the dark right now in below freezing temperatures. We asked Magness many of the same questions you’ve been asking us. When will this be over? Will it get worse before it gets better? Come to find out, Magness’ wife and his child are among the millions of Texans without electricity. Here’s our uncut interview with him.

We knew what was coming, so why were Texas electric utilities not ready for the severe winter weather? The widespread electric outages did not surprise energy experts in the state. In fact, history is repeating itself here. The issue that caused the widespread electric outages this week was the same thing that caused a similar failure in 2011. And one before that in 1989. A state lawmaker also told the Jasons that Texans deserve answers.

It’s hard to believe hair remains an excuse for discrimination in 2021, much of it rooted in racism.  Do a quick internet search and it won’t be hard for you to find the stories.  And this isn’t a one-size-fits-all problem as you can find victims all across the spectrum, from women in the workplace to teenage boys in High School.  In this episode of Y’all-itics, we join the project “Rooted” being shared across Tegna Texas that explores black hair in America.  The Jasons are joined by WFAA anchor Tashara Parker whose commentary helped sparked a movement of natural hair and KVUE anchor Ashley Goudeau who speaks to a woman’s basic right to natural hair and being one’s true self in the workplace.  We also explore the politics as Texas lawmakers are considering several versions of the CROWN Act that would ban discrimination based on hair.

More on “Rooted” project:  'Rooted': The natural hair movement, hair discrimination and The Crown Act | wfaa.com

It’s one of the most diverse counties in Texas. So, why then did it take 150 years for Fort Bend County to elect its second Black sheriff? And as Texas lawmakers begin to debate police reform, Sheriff Eric Fagan has his own ideas for it and wants the public to hear his perspective. Just don’t use the word “defund” around him.  In this episode of Y’all-itics, the man making – and following – history in Fort Bend County answers the call from the Jasons and discusses everything from the pressure and pride that comes from his position, to his own experience dealing with racial profiling and how that shapes his view of law enforcement.  Oh, and let’s not forget that time he was protecting that king…

Contact Tracing.  The very phrase has been somewhat poisoned in the United States, where many of us tend to think of “big brother,” that the government is watching.  A company out of New Zealand says we have it all wrong and we should instead consider it to be contact “logging.”  That company helped New Zealand essentially eliminate the virus.  And now, SaferMe has set up shop in Austin, Texas.  Does that mean we’re now well on our way to eliminating it here in the Lone Star State?  SaferMe’s CEO tells the Jasons it all depends on the politics.  But businesses are sure ready and if you tell folks we might be able to re-open the entire economy much quicker, well then, you have their attention.  And what attracted SaferMe to Texas?  Think farms and barbeque.

The Award-Winning Contact Tracing System For Business (safer.me)