Johnson County ranchers say their cattle, fish and horses are dying and getting sick because of fertilizer spread on nearby farmland. That fertilizer is made from treated human waste and it comes from the city of Fort Worth in the next county over. Ranchers say runoff from the fertilizer has made their land useless, so they’re suing. And the battle has even led to a criminal investigation. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons share a pint with WFAA Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Rebecca Lopez to discuss her investigation. One county commissioner even says ‘this is Chernobyl.’ Rebecca also shares what the company behind the biosolids says about their product.

Rebecca Lopez WFAA investigation: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/investigations/texas-johnson-county-ranchers-forever-chemicals-pfas-fort-worth/287-85b7d4ce-c694-4c2a-b221-78bd94d6c8f6

Guest

Rebecca Lopez, WFAA Senior Crime and Justice Reporter

SYNOPSIS:

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett isn’t afraid to bite back. She has gone viral again for defending herself against a personal attack from U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia. In the 10-days since she called Greene a ‘bleach blonde, bad built, butch body’, memes have popped up online, flowers have come in to her office and she says some Republican members of congress have even given her private praise. On this episode, Crockett explains how it unfolded, why she trademarked the ‘bleach blonde, bad built, butch body’ phrase and what she wants people to know about her.

GUEST:

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett / D-Dallas, TX-30

Less than six months before we elect our next president, a Texas attorney says there are leadership lessons that eight former U.S. presidents can teach us. Some of these led the country during badly divided times. What will history think about Biden and Trump 50 years from now? The Jasons get a history lesson in this episode from Talmage Boston, author of “How the Best Did It: Leadership Lessons From Our Top Presidents”. Shoutout to Oak Highlands Brewery who shared their space and some cold draft beer.

GUEST:

Talmage Boston, Attorney & Author

There are two groups of Republicans in four states that could decide the next presidential election. The Lincoln Project, a group of former Republican political strategists, has its eyes set on these voters, thinking they will be enough to defeat Donald Trump. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Lincoln Project reveals one line of messaging that works. And the group gives the Jasons a sneak peek at their election strategy over the next six months.

Guest

Stuart Stevens, Lincoln Project Senior Advisor

$11.4 Billion. That’s how much it’s costing Texas every year for failing to provide adequate childcare for working families. And researchers at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT-Austin say the crisis should be one of the paramount policy issues facing lawmakers when they return to Austin next January. Bottom line: if families can even find decent childcare, it’s costing them way too much. In this episode of Y’all-itics, one of the authors of that policy brief explains why this issue is so important for parents and non-parents alike, and how it threatens the myth of the “Texas Miracle.”

Guest

Steven Pedigo, LBJ School of Public Affairs

They’re Governor Greg Abbott’s biggest priorities: border security and school vouchers. But a new poll by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation (THPF) makes it clear that while Abbott, and Republicans, are winning big with one, the other issue is a major political loser. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons hit a patio with THPF CEO and former Republican state Representative Jason Villalba, who explains why he thinks the Governor is so hell-bent to move forward with an issue a clear majority of Texans oppose.

GUEST

Jason Villalba, CEO/Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation

He does not do a lot of interviews. State Rep. Glenn Rogers, a conservative Texas Republican, lost his re-election last month after a pricey misinformation campaign against him. Despite a very conservative voting record, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and billionaire backers campaigned against him because Rogers opposes school vouchers. So, is there still a place for him in the Texas GOP? Is Rogers responsible for enabling any of it? Will he vote for Cruz in November? In this episode of Y’all-itics, Rogers reveals the new priority he’s focusing on now.

GUEST

State Rep. Glenn Rogers, R-Graford

Talk of secession has gotten a little louder these days, amplified by the so-called “Take Texas Back” pledge. The site devoted to the pledge boasts that dozens of Republican candidates and officeholders have signed up, promising to support legislation that would push Texas to leave the United States under certain conditions. This has all been talked about before. So, is this time different? And how do we know when chatter about secession is something to take more seriously? The Jasons called Dr. Eric McDaniel, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, to learn more about the movement and what might happen if it were to succeed.

Guest

Eric McDaniel, University of Texas at Austin

Ken Paxton is on a winning streak: acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial, successfully defeating some fellow Republicans on Super Tuesday, and most recently Paxton got the criminal charges against him finally dropped after nine years. So, is Ken Paxton the most powerful Republican in Texas? One of the state’s top Democrats – who tried to take the AG’s job – says Paxton absolutely is. Why then would Joe Jaworski, a Houston attorney and the grandson of Leon Jaworski, the famous prosecutor in the 1973 Watergate scandal, be considering running for this position again in 2026? And if Ken Paxton is unstoppable, Jaworski explains what that means not only for his party, but also for Texas Republicans.

GUEST

Joe Jaworski, Houston Attorney