Podcasts about The Texas Observer

First up, Georgetown law professor and former national legal director at the ACLU, David Cole, joins us to discuss the legal response to the Trump Administration's serial violations of the Constitution. Then Mike Ferner of Veterans for Peace checks in to update us halfway through his Fast for Gaza, 40 days of living on 250 calories per day, which is the average caloric intake of Palestinian survivors in Gaza. Finally, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Joe Holley, stops by to pay tribute to his mentor and colleague, the late crusading journalist, Ronnie Dugger, founder of the progressive Texas Observer.David Cole is the Honorable George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy and former National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). He writes about and teaches constitutional law, freedom of speech, and constitutional criminal procedure. He is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and is the legal affairs correspondent for The Nation.Trump is obviously not concerned about antisemitism. He's concerned about targeting schools because they are places where people can criticize the president, where people can think independently, are taught to think independently, and often don't support what the president is doing. He's using his excuse to target a central institution of civil society.David ColeThe decision on Trump versus the United States is only about criminal liability for criminal acts, not for unconstitutional acts. And violating the Constitution is not a crime. Every president has violated the Constitution probably since George Washington. That's not a crime.David ColeMike Ferner served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and he is former National Director and current Special Projects Coordinator for Veterans for Peace. He is the author of Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran for Peace Reports from Iraq.Two hundred and fifty calories is technically, officially, a starvation diet, and we're doing it for 40 days. The people in Gaza have been doing it for months and months and months, and they're dying like crazy. That's the whole concern that we're trying to raise. And I'll tell you at the end of this fast, on the 40th day, we are not just going out silently. There are going to be some fireworks before we're done with this thing. So all I'm saying is: stay tuned.Mike Ferner: Special Projects Coordinator of Veterans for Peace on “FastforGaza”They're (The Veterans Administration is) being defamed, Ralph, for the same reason that those right-wing corporatists defamed public education. So they can privatize it. And that's exactly what they're trying to do with the VA. And I can tell you every single member of Veterans for Peace has got nothing but praise for the VA.Mike FernerJoe Holley was the editor of the Texas Observer in the early 1980s. A former staff writer at The Washington Post and a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer and columnist at the Houston Chronicle, he is the author of eight books, mostly about Texas.He would talk to people, and he would find out things going on about racial discrimination, about farm workers being mistreated, all kind of stories that the big papers weren't reporting. And this one guy, young Ronnie Dugger, would write these stories and expose things about Texas that a lot of Texans just did not know.Joe Holley on the late progressive journalist, Ronnie DuggerHe knew the dark side of Texas, but he always had an upbeat personality. I had numerous conversations with Ronnie (Dugger), and he was ferociously independent.Ralph NaderNews 6/13/251. On Monday, Israeli forces seized the Madleen, the ship carrying activist Greta Thunberg and others attempting to bring food and other supplies past the Israeli blockade into Gaza, and detained the crew. The ship was part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thunberg had been designated an “Ambassador of Conscience,” by Amnesty International. The group decried her detention, with Secretary General Agnès Callamard writing, “Israel has once again flouted its legal obligations towards civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip and demonstrated its chilling contempt for legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice.” On Tuesday, CBS reported that Israel deported Thunberg. Eight other passengers refused deportation and the Jerusalem Post reports they remain in Israeli custody. They will be represented in Israeli courts by Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. One of these detainees is Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament.2. Shortly before the Madleen was intercepted, members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressing concern for the safety of these activists, citing the deadly 2010 raid of the Mavi Marmara, which ultimately resulted in the death of ten activists, including an American. This letter continued, “any attack on the Madleen or its civilian crew is a clear and blatant violation of international law. United Nations experts have called for the ship's safe passage and warned Israel to “refrain from any act of hostility” against the Madleen and its passengers…We call on you to monitor the Madleen's journey and deter any such hostile actions.” This letter was led by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, and drew signatures from Congressional progressives like Reps. Summer Lee, AOC, Ilhan Omar, Greg Casar, and others.3. On the other end of the political spectrum, Trump – ever unpredictable – seemed to criticize Israel's detention of Thunberg. In a press conference, “Trump was…asked about Thunberg's claim that she had been kidnapped.” The president responded “I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg…Is that what she said? She was kidnapped by Israel?” The reporter replied “Yes, sir,” to which “Trump responded by shaking his head.” This from Newsweek.4. Of course, the major Trump news this week is his response to the uprising in Los Angeles. Set off by a new wave of ICE raids, protesters have clashed with police in the streets and Trump has responded by increasingly upping the ante, including threatening to arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom, per KTLA. Beyond such bluster however, Trump has moved to deploy U.S. Marines onto the streets of the nation's second-largest city. Reuters reports, “About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 30 miles…south of Los Angeles, awaiting deployment to specific locations,” in addition to 2,100 National Guard troops. The deployment of these troops raises thorny legal questions. Per Reuters, “The Marines and National Guard troops lack the authority to makes arrests and will be charged only with protecting federal property and personnel,” but “California Attorney General Rob Bonta… [said] there was a risk that could violate an 1878 law that…forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement.” Yet, despite all the tumult, these protests seem to have gotten the goods, so to speak: the City of Glendale announced it would, “end its agreement with…ICE to house federal immigration detainees.” All of this sets quite a scene going into Trump's military parade in DC slated for Saturday, June 14th.5. In classic fashion however, Trump's tough posture does not extend to corporate crime. Public Citizen's Rick Claypool reports, “Trump's DOJ just announced American corporations that engage in criminal bribery schemes abroad will no longer be prosecuted.” Claypool cites a June 9th memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, which reads, “Effective today, prosecutors shall…not attribute…malfeasance to corporate structures.” Claypool also cites a Wall Street Journal piece noting that “the DOJ has already ended half of its criminal investigations into corporate bribery in foreign countries and shrunk its [Foreign Corrupt Practices Act] unit down to 25 employees.”6. Americans can at least take small comfort in one thing: the departure of Elon Musk from the top rungs of government. It remains to be seen what exactly precipitated his final exit and how deep his rift with Trump goes – Musk has already backed down on his harshest criticisms of the president, deleting his tweet claiming Trump was in Epstein files, per ABC. Yet, this appears to be a victory for Steve Bannon and the forces he represents within Trump's inner circle. On June 5th, the New York Times reported that Bannon, “said he was advising the president to cancel all [Musk's] contracts and… ‘initiate a formal investigation of his immigration status'.” Bannon added, “[Musk] should be deported from the country immediately.'” Bannon has even called for a special counsel probe, per the Hill. Bannon's apparent ascendency goes beyond the Oval Office as well. POLITICO Playbook reports Bannon had a 20-minute-long conversation with Pennsylvania Democratic Senator John Fetterman on Monday evening – while Fetterman dined with Washington bureau chief for Breitbart, Matt Boyle – at Butterworth's, the DC MAGA “watering hole.” This also from the Hill.7. On the way out, the Daily Beast reports, “Elon Musk's goons at the Department of Government Efficiency transmitted a large amount of data—all of it undetected—using a Starlink Wi-Fi terminal they installed on top of the White House.” Sources “suggested that the [the installation of the Starlink terminal] was intended to bypass White House systems that track the transmission of data—with names and time stamps—and secure it from spies.” It is unknown exactly what data Musk and his minions absconded with, and for what purpose. We can only hope the public gets some answers.8. With Musk and Trump parting ways, other political forces are now seeking to woo the richest man in the world. Semafor reports enigmatic Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley and chaired Bernie Sanders' campaign in California, “talked with one of…Musk's ‘senior confidants' …about whether the ex-DOGE leader…might want to help the Democratic Party in the midterms.” Khanna added, “Having Elon speak out against the irrational tariff policy, against the deficit exploding Trump bill, and the anti-science and anti-immigrant agenda can help check Trump's unconstitutional administration…I look forward to Elon turning his fire against MAGA Republicans instead of Democrats in 2026.” On the other hand, the Hill reports ex-Democrat Andrew Yang is publicly appealing to Musk for an alliance following Musk's call for the establishment of an “America Party.” Yang himself founded the Forward Party in 2021. Yang indicated Musk has not responded to his overtures.9. Meanwhile, the leadership of the Democratic Party appears to be giving up entirely. In a leaked Zoom meeting, DNC Chair Ken Martin – only elected in February – said, “I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,” per POLITICO. On this call, Martin expressed frustration with DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, blaming him for, “[destroying] any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.” Hogg meanwhile has doubled down, defying DNC leadership by “wading into another primary,” this time for the open seat left by the death of Congressman Gerry Conolly in Virginia, the Washington Post reports. The DNC is still weighing whether to void Hogg's election as Vice Chair.10. Finally, in some good news from New York City, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani appears to have closed the gap with disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo began the race with a 40-point lead; a new Data for Progress poll shows that lead has been cut down to just two points. Moreover, that poll was conducted before Mamdani was endorsed by AOC, who is expected to bring with her substantial support from Latinos and residents of Queens, among other groups. Notably, Mamdani has racked up tremendous numbers among young men, a demographic the Democratic Party has struggled to attract in recent elections. Cuomo will not go down without a fight however. The political nepo-baby has already secured a separate ballot line for the November election, meaning he will be in the race even if he loses the Democratic primary, and he is being boosted by a new million-dollar digital ad spend by Airbnb, per POLITICO. The New York City Democratic Primary will be held on June 24th.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The Trump regime cracks down on anti-ICE protestors in Los Angeles: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj93d3r0zz0o...California Governor Gavin Newsome: "This is about authoritarian tendencies. This about command and control. This is about power": https://t.co/uuAiHzYiIo(https://x.com/Acyn/status/1931914095382683742?t=0lQ3pMrV8fm2BgTsRdCUfw&s=03...Houston Congressman Al Green: https://x.com/RepAlGreen/status/1931854998792483178?t=Hch52bcXItXUxhnB663h5Q&s=03...Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett: https://x.com/RepJasmine/status/1931765398464278764?t=uecU2-aFLGLqskq7CdNCuw&s=03...San Antonio Congresman Joaquin Castro: https://x.com/JoaquinCastrotx/status/1931850211707818119?t=pgmCz58LyIIHwUNnm5TSjw&s=03...Robert Reich writes that "we are witnessing the first stages of a Trump police state": https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/09/trump-police-state-robert-reich...While Texas normally resists federal control, the current state government is in close lockstep with Trump: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/09/texas-doj-undocumented-tuition-courts-friendly-lawsuit-paxton/?_bhlid=903e7fc1680827506b8a6fbc8da6f56a70ef7d2f...As Governor Abbott prepares to sign a law that will force all Texas sheriff's departments to enter collaborative agreements with ICE: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/gov-abbott-to-sign-bill-into-law-requiring-county-jails-to-work-with-ice/...More on those agreements with Francesca D'Annunzio of the Texas Observer: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-212-a-giant-ice-army-how-local-police-in/id1552998795?i=1000705993353...All of this leads into Saturday's No Kings Day rallies and protests, dozens of which dot the entire range of Texas: https://www.nokings.org/Runoff elections across Texas this weekend confirm a progressive resurgence, including Gina Ortiz Jones' win for San Antonio mayor: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/07/san-antonio-mayor-gina-ortiz-jones/...Other wins confirm that Republicans in Texas "don't own the cities anymore": https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-runoff-results-prove-the-tide?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1220969&post_id=165491676&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=33j12m&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=emailWe're celebrating our 15th anniversary in Dallas Tonight! Join us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2025anniversary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Radio and TV journalist Ira Flatow produced his first science stories back in 1970 during the inaugural Earth Day. Since then, he has worked for Emmy Award-winning science programs and covered science for a number of high-profile news organizations, and has hosted the popular public radio program “Science Friday” for more than three decades. In his career, Flatow has interviewed countless scientists, journalists and other experts about the most exciting developments in science. Now the Club welcomes Flatow in conversation with local journalists to speak about the role of science writing in the current cultural climate. About the Speakers Ira Flatow is an award-winning science correspondent, TV journalist, and the host of "Science Friday," heard on public radio stations across the country and distributed by WNYC Studios. He brings radio and podcast listeners worldwide a lively, informative discussion on science, technology, health, space, the environment and more. Flatow describes his work as the challenge “to make science and technology a topic for discussion around the dinner table.” Annalee Newitz writes science fiction and nonfiction. Most recently, as a science journalist, they are the author of Stories Are Weapons: Psychological Warfare and the American Mind, about the history of psychological warfare, from Sun Tzu to Benjamin Franklin and beyond. They have published in The Washington Post, Slate, Scientific American, Ars Technica, The New Yorker, and Technology Review, among others. Newitz is the co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast "Our Opinions Are Correct," and has contributed to the public radio shows "Science Friday," "On the Media," KQED "Forum," and "Here and Now." Ezra David Romero is a climate reporter for KQED News. He covers the absence and excess of water in the Bay Area—think sea level rise, flooding and drought. For 12 years he's covered how warming temperatures are altering the lives of Californians. He's reported on farmers worried their pistachio trees aren't getting enough sleep, families desperate for water, scientists studying dying giant sequoias, and alongside firefighters containing wildfires. His work has appeared on local stations across California and nationally on public radio shows such as "Morning Edition," "Here and Now," "All Things Considered" and "Science Friday." Naveena Sadasivam is a writer and editor at Grist covering the oil and gas industry and climate change. She previously worked at the Texas Observer, Inside Climate News, and ProPublica, and is based in Oakland, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inner Moonlight is the monthly poetry reading series at the Wild Detectives in Dallas. Curated by Dallas poet Logen Cure, the in-person show is the second Wednesday of every month in the Wild Detectives backyard. We love our podcast fans, so we release recordings of the live performances every month for y'all! On 5/14/25, we kicked off our 8th year with featured poet Robin Turner!Robin Turner's poems, prose poems, and flash fiction have appeared in numerous publications, among them Rattle, The Texas Observer, Rust & Moth, DMQ Review, One, and Bracken Magazine. Her work has been tucked inside little poetry houses in Pittsburgh, paired with photographs in a Deep Ellum art gallery, and transformed into tiny artist books for Lisa Huffaker's White Rock Zine Machine. Her chapbooks are Elegy with Clouds & (Kelsay Books) and bindweed & crow poison (Porkbelly Press). A longtime community teaching artist and sometime reader for Sugared Water, she lives near White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.www.innermoonlightpoetry.com

Reviving a program that was discontinued under the Obama Administration due to widespread abuse including racial profiling, the Trump administration has begun entering into agreements with local law enforcement agencies that essentially convert their officers into ICE agents, tasked with seeking out and arresting people whom they suspect are undocumented. More and more Texas police and sheriff's departments are signing up to work for ICE - which sidetracks time normally spent keeping their communities safe - on YOUR taxpayer dime. Investigative reporter Francesca D'Annunzio's excellent work on this story for the Texas Observer prompted us to invite her to join us for the first time.Read "Texas Police Are Slowly Joining What Could Be A Giant ICE Army": https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-police-287g-ice-army/?goal=0_975e2d1fa1-6ccb7927f5-34916602&mc_cid=6ccb7927f5&mc_eid=0c4d5631c2Learn more about Francesca D'Annunzio at https://www.texasobserver.org/author/francesca-dannunzio/.Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

*Trigger warning for this episode at book, as we do discuss briefly some of the traumatic experiences that are written about in the book. After today's episode, head on over to @therapybookspodcast to learn about our latest giveaway.   If you are enjoying these episodes, please leave us a 5-star review.   *Information shared on this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only.  In this weeks episode, Jessica Fowler speaks with Dr. David Dorado Romo about his book Borderlands and the Mexican American Story. We discussed a lot in this episode about stories that are often not taught about Mexican American History, why it is important to know for ourself, to teach about it, how it can be related to mental health and intergenerational trauma. Highlights include: 4:16 Dr. Romo shares why he wrote this book, including for himself as he was taught very little about his own history in school.   7:03 We discuss the bath riots. 18:53 Institutionalized racism.  20:37 Examples of young people protesting. 28:36 The importance of younger people knowing these stories. 30:05 Who this book is for and why. 32:44 Discussing why these stories are not told. About the author: David Dorado Romo, is an author, historian and musician with a Ph.D. in Borderlands History. He is the author of the award-winning Ringside Seat to a Revolution: An Underground Cultural History of El Paso and Juárez, 1893-1923 (Cinco Puntos Press, 2005) and Borderlands and the Mexican American Story (Penguin Random House, 2024), which was recently placed on the list of Best Books of 2024 by Kirkus Review and the School Library Journal. His historical essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Texas Monthly, Texas Observer, and Mexico's City's Nexus. Borderlands and the Mexican American Story is his first non-fiction book aimed at middle and high school students.  David is a curator and co-director of the Museo Urbano, a public history project based in El Paso that exhibited “Uncaged Art,” a 2018 exhibit the featured the artwork of migrant children interned at a detention center in Tornillo, Texas.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:A child died Tuesday night of measles at a Lubbock hospital - the first American measles death since 2015: https://apnews.com/article/measles-outbreak-west-texas-death-rfk-41adc66641e4a56ce2b2677480031ab9...New Trump administration U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to downplay the Texas outbreak, falsely claiming that most hospitalizations are simply for quarantine purposes: https://newrepublic.com/post/192025/robert-f-kennedy-jr-response-measles-death...Texas Republican leaders are now forced to try to counter the anti-vax sentiments they've allowed to develop in Texas as they send out teams to contain the outbreak: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/texas-measles-death-outbreak-20189434.phpA rare unanimous vote in the Texas Senate as priority school funding passes, including raises for teachers but not an increase in the basic allotment for schools, which has not risen since 2019 despite inflation: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-senate-teacher-pay/...A clear prioritization of raises for rural Texas teachers over their urban counterparts may be a strategy to soften the blow that small town schools are likely to suffer as private school vouchers get closer to passing: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/26/texas-house-vouchers-republican-cosponsors/...Proposed budgets from both the Senate and House include massive funding cuts for Texas universities, a clear threat for those institutions to do away with anything remotely resembling DEI: https://www.click2houston.com/news/texas/2025/02/27/texas-legislature-proposes-400-million-cut-to-higher-ed-as-dan-patrick-threatens-university-budgets-over-dei/A legal complaint against a Dallas-based assistant chief counsel for ICE has been filed, using a Texas Observer report that he's the author of a virulent racist social media account as its basis: https://www.theroot.com/this-texas-ice-attorney-allegedly-tweeted-america-is-a-1851766609We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Texas Republican lawmakers in D.C. are mostly silent as Donald Trump threatens to abandon Ukraine and NATO in favor of Russia and Vladimir Putin: https://www.mytexasdaily.com/news/national/pressured-by-putin-and-trump-walls-close-in-on-zelensky/article_4c5d2204-56ec-51ad-b4f3-35c960e01b04.htmlDallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett points out that red states that elected Trump generally use more federal benefits than blue states do, and that that funding is on Elon Musk's chopping block: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jasmine-crockett-red-states-recession-find-out-trump-cuts_n_67b6b508e4b0cc5d77998248Trump and Elon Musk are both weighing in in favor of private school vouchers in Texas, with Trump threatening House Republicans that he "will be watching closely": https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-vouchers-trump-elon-musk-greg-abbott/Congressman Greg Casar is demanding answers from OSHA on the death of a Pleasanton electrician at the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/greg-casar-tesla-death-gigafactory-austin-texas-elon-musk-victor-gomez/269-c045d03a-35ae-4100-a312-0839489aeaeeWe are heartbroken at the story of Jocelynn Carranza, a Gainesville sixth grader thought to have committed suicide after being bullied with threats from classmates to turn her parents in to ICE: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/family-blames-bullying-immigration-status-11-year-olds-death-suicide/287-257d34b7-b8ba-41e1-8504-7122e7004105...Right on cue, Texas Observer investigative reporter Steven Monacelli identifies a Dallas ICE legal employee as the manager of a virulently racist social media account: https://www.texasobserver.org/ice-prosecutor-dallas-white-supremacist-x-account/We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The early giving period for this year's Amplify Austin Day has begun! Support Progress Texas at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/progress-texas-institute⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Progress Texas is now ranked in the top 3% of all podcasts worldwide for listenership - thank you!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/progress-texas-podcasts-progress-texas-pHdPjbaN-7B/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Grab your goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This is Part 5 in the series that covers the story of Billy Sol Estes, Mac Wallace, Bobby Baker and other members of Johnson's Texas inner circle.  Men who were quite intertwined around Johnson at the time of the assassination. These men were involved in circumstances that were closing in on Johnson too and that provided him great motive in the killing of the president. Today's episode continues with the story of  Billy Sol Estes  as we present the third mini episode wander into the story of  the Henry Marshall murder. Today's episode goes deeper and covers the final portion of the story tell as it appeared in the 1986 Texas Observer article by Bill Adler. Marshall, who worked for the agriculture department, dared to step in front of Billy Sol Este's cotton allotment scheme and he paid the price for it with his life. The case was originally ruled a suicide until larger forces prevailed. According to Estes, this murder is but one of many that can be tied back to Lyndon Johnson and Mac Wallace. It also involves Cliff Carter and Estes himself. Rumors of Johnson's involvement began to swirl almost immediately after the assassination and there is a defined school of thought within the JFK assassination research community that staunchly believes in Johnson's involvement. His involvement  in both the assassination and its cover up. Join us in one of the most fascinating story tells of the Kennedy assassination and stick around as we will be returning to the Mexico City series right after we complete this min-series that was spawned by the recent release of the Billy Sol Estes and Cliff Carter tape that the two recorded in 1971. Folks, you just can't write this stuff. Even as early as 1964, rumors and serious concerns over  the lone gunman theory and the evidence that might contravene it,  were becoming a major concern for the government and the commission. Conspiracy theories were contrary to the government's stated narrative from the very beginning. This  real-life story is more fascinating than fiction.  No matter whether you are a serious researcher or a casual student, you will enjoy the fact filled narrative and story as  we relive one of the most shocking moments in American History. An event that changed the nation and changed the world forever.

Part 1:We talk with Francesca D'Annunzio, Reporting Fellow at the Texas Observer.We discuss the appointments made by Trump to the DEA leadership. On January 21, Trump announced that Derek Maltz would head the agency. This week, he announced that it would be Terry Cole. Cole's appointment seems to be targeted at Mexico, since Cole is a Mexico hawk. We discuss the kinds of surveillance that we can expect , because of Cole's connection to PenLink, a surveillance technology company, that is able to spy on phone calls and texts without obtaining search warrants.Part 2:We talk with Bill Curry and Robert Hockett. Curry is a two-time candidate for Governor of Connecticut, a writer, and served in the Clinton White House. Hockett is a professor and author, dealing with company ownership and the role of Labor in our economy.We discuss how Democrats were unable to showcase their accomplishments for the US infrastructure. We discuss the multiplier effect of infrastructure spending by the government, and how it affects the economy as a whole. The role of media and the messages conveyed is also discussed. The Electorate seems oblivious to how choices will affect their daily lives.  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovics, "Time to Act", for Will Von Sproson

We're sharing a recent interview with Michelle Pitcher of the Texas Observer about living conditions and forced labor in the TDCJ, the Texas prison system. You can reach Michelle at pitcher@texasobserver.org or follow her at @michellepitcher.bsky.social . Thank you again so much for the continuing support of this project. https://www.texasobserver.org/prison-heat-lawsuit-tdcj/ https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-prison-plantations https://www.texasobserver.org/solidarity-prison-labor-union/ Our prior interview with Jason Walker (more of his writings at his blog) can be found here (with a transcript available). And our prior chat with Comrade Z can be found here.

“The Apprentice” is one of 2024's best films, and didn't get as much credit as it deserved, according to the co-hosts of The New Abnormal. Then, a conversation with Steven Monacelli of the Texas Observer about his investigation into the identities behind four anonymous neo-Nazi accounts on X. Plus! Paola Ramos, the author of “Defectors: The Rise of the Latino Far Right and What It Means For America” joins the program to discuss the Democratic Party's post-election struggles and the challenges of reconnecting with disillusioned young voters and communities of color. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to season 2 episode 12 of A Friend for the Long Haul - A Long COVID Podcast! This week's guest is Katie Drackert, who most of you will know as @kd_kinetic. Katie is the founder of Clear the Air ATX, a volunteer-led, community resource library that lends out air purifiers and other COVID mitigation tools for free to artists, musicians, and independent event producers in Austin, Texas - where I lived for many years and sadly had to leave due to my COVID experience. In the pre-rona days, Katie primarily worked full time as a performance artist. When Omicron hit, things changed. In this episode, we discuss our personal experiences with chronic health issues, including long COVID, and the challenges we face managing our symptoms while advocating for ourselves and others. We share our experiences with medical treatments, their emotional impacts, and the importance of community support and self-care. The conversation also touches on our backgrounds - which are really similar despite our age difference (I am an old) as well as our many shared interests, and future plans for advocacy work and creative projects that we are both plotting. By the end of this episode, I became fully obsessed with Katie, and I think you will, too! You can find out more about Katie's advocacy work in so many places! Check out: Co-created a Zine with The Sick Times, Featured in  BioWorld Med Tech, Teen Vogue, CBS Austin - Mask Bans, CBS Austin - Homeless Camping Ban, Texas Observer, Spectrum Local News, YES! Magazine, 48 Hills, KUT Austin, and Austin American Statesman. Follow Katie on Instagram Follow Clear the Air ATX on Instagram Clear the Air ATX's Linktree is full of so many resources and ways you can donate and support the org! Don't forget to like, subscribe, follow, and share A Friend for the Long Haul if you can. And if you're feeling extra generous, leave a review. Your support helps get this in front of more earballs and helps me bring more episodes.You can listen to the A Friend for the Long Haul Long Covid Theme Songs playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3n0GXLFRWqDJyifglNNM4K?si=7948dbf2222c4392 If you'd like to support this low budget/high love podcast, you can check out my Bonfire shirt for silly long covid apparel: https://www.bonfire.com/store/a-friend-for-the-long-haul/ or my Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3MYBB5G0P7YUD?ref_=wl_share

Monday, December 9th, 2024Today, the Assad regime in Syria has fallen and Russian state media says he has fled to Moscow; ex-Proud Boys leader delivers combative testimony in court; a judge rules that the Naval Academy can use affirmative action for admissions; Elon Musk spent over a quarter of a billion dollars electing Trump; President Biden crushed the November jobs report; Tennessee state Republican Senator Ken Yager was arrested and charged for a DUI hit and run in Georgia; JP Morgan Chase told the Texas Observer they fired the operator of a neo-Nazi X account identified as their employee; Jamie Raskin asks the inspectors general to keep him posted on Trump malfeasance; Pete Hegseth and Doug Collins push to cut veterans benefits at the VA; military leaders are rattled by a list of ‘woke' officers that a group has urged Hegseth to fire; Nick Fuentes has been arrested and charged with assault; and Allison and Dana deliver your Good News.Thank You Beam DreamIf you want to try Beam's best-selling Dream Powder, get up to 40% off for a limited time when you go to ShopBeam.com/DAILYBEANS and use the code DAILYBEANS at checkout.Thank You Helix SleepHelix is offering 20% off sitewide plus 2 FREE  Pillows with any mattress purchase when you go to HelixSleep.com/DailyBeans.Stories:Employment Situation Summary (bls.gov)Naval Academy can consider race in admissions, federal judge rules (The Washington Post)REVEALED: THE OPERATORS BEHIND FOUR MAJOR NEO-NAZI X ACCOUNTS (Texas Observer)Raskin pledges to back federal watchdogs (Politico)Tennessee State Sen. Ken Yager arrested, charged with DUI, hit and run in Georgia on Tuesday (The Tennessean)Military leaders are rattled by a list of ‘woke' officers that a group urges Hegseth to fire (AP News)Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio delivers combative testimony in ex-cops defense (Ella Lee|The Hill)Elon Musk spent a quarter-billion dollars electing Trump, including financing mysterious 'RBG PAC' (By Bridget Bowman, Ben Kamisar, Scott Bland|NBC News)White supremacist Nick Fuentes charged over Chicago pepper-spray incident (The Guardian)Hegseth and Collins' push for cutting veterans' health benefits alarms service members and veterans groups (Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky|CNN) If you want to support what Harry and I are up to, head to patreon.com/aisle45podHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/From The Good NewsBluesky (bsky.app)hud.govva.govAbout GI Bill benefits (VA.gov)Petunia (El Cajon, CA | petfinder.com)lionelslegacy.org Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewroteDana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

In this episode of the Non-Profit Build Up Podcast, we explore the critical role of fiscal sponsorship in justice reform with special guest Jennifer Toon. Jennifer, Executive Director for Lioness JIWA and a powerful advocate for system-impacted women, joins our Founder, CEO, and Managing Attorney, Nic Campbell, to discuss how fiscal sponsorship creates capacity and provides essential support for justice-impacted communities. Together, they dive into the unique challenges and opportunities of building infrastructure, securing funding, and sustaining advocacy work. Jennifer shares her personal journey, offering insights into why trauma-informed leadership is essential and how fiscal sponsorship can be a pathway to amplify the voices and efforts of marginalized communities. Join us as we unpack strategies for developing sustainable support structures, fostering partnerships, and navigating the complexities of justice reform funding. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, funder, or advocate looking to better understand the impact of fiscal sponsorship, this conversation is for you! Jennifer Toon, Project Director for Lioness: JIWAJennifer Toon is a passionate prison abolitionist. As a formerly incarcerated woman, her experience with the criminal legal system began at age 15 when she was adjudicated under Texas determinate sentencing laws. Her conviction started a long journey through 27 years of criminal justice involvement. Jennifer has been published in The Texas Observer, The Marshall Project, The Guardian and is also the co-host of On the Rec Yard: Women's Prison Podcast. As the Project Director for Lioness, Jennifer aspires to use her lived experience to bring attention to the often-forgotten voices of other system-impacted women, youth, and people with disabilities. She lives in Austin, Texas with her cat Taylor, who embodies the mischievous energy of Taylor Swift.

Después de ser un elemento clave en la estrategia de desinformación sobre la llamada "invasión" de Estados Unidos, Tom Homan, nombrado "zar de la frontera" de Donald Trump, implementará las deportaciones masivas y se prepara para impulsar ataques militares en México contra cárteles. Invitamos a Monica Camacho, de Lighthouse Reports, y a Francesca D'Annunzio, del Texas Observer, que publicaron un reporte sobre Homan, para hablarnos de qué hizo en la campaña y qué pretende hacer en la nueva administración de Trump.

As President-Elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet and key White House positions, including creating a new government-efficiency office for Elon Musk, the DMZ America podcast's Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) are joined by their colleague, fellow political cartoonist Ben Sargent, formerly of the Austin American-Statesman and now at the Texas Observer.Republicans are urging a peaceful easy feeling between Americans whether or not they voted for Trump, but is that possible with an ideologically far-right slate of top personnel? On the other hand, many in MAGA world seem disappointed that Trump's appointees include long-time Washington “swamp creatures.” Whatever happened to draining the swamp?If personnel is policy, what do these choices harken about Trump's intended policies for his second term?Ben Sargent is the Texas Observer's longtime cartoonist. He launched his career drawing editorial cartoons for the Austin American-Statesman in 1974. Sargent won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1982. He has also received awards from Women in Communications, Inc., Common Cause of Texas, and Cox Newspapers. He is the author of Texas Statehouse Blues and Big Brother Blues.The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrallWeb: Rall.com

As President-Elect Donald Trump fills out his cabinet and key White House positions, including creating a new government-efficiency office for Elon Musk, the DMZ America podcast's Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) are joined by their colleague, fellow political cartoonist Ben Sargent, formerly of the Austin American-Statesman and now at the Texas Observer.Republicans are urging a peaceful easy feeling between Americans whether or not they voted for Trump, but is that possible with an ideologically far-right slate of top personnel? On the other hand, many in MAGA world seem disappointed that Trump's appointees include long-time Washington “swamp creatures.” Whatever happened to draining the swamp?If personnel is policy, what do these choices harken about Trump's intended policies for his second term?Ben Sargent is the Texas Observer's longtime cartoonist. He launched his career drawing editorial cartoons for the Austin American-Statesman in 1974. Sargent won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1982. He has also received awards from Women in Communications, Inc., Common Cause of Texas, and Cox Newspapers. He is the author of Texas Statehouse Blues and Big Brother Blues.The DMZ America Podcast is recorded weekly by political cartoonists Ted Rall and Scott Stantis. Twitter/X: @scottstantis and @tedrallWeb: Rall.com

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Multiple Texas news outlets are pointing to the Texas Democratic Party, led by Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa since 2012, which must own a major part of this historic defeat. Reform Austin: https://www.reformaustin.org/elections/after-three-decades-of-defeat-will-texas-democrats-finally-demand-change/ ...The Texas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-house-dems-defeat-2024/ ...The Texas Tribune: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-house-dems-defeat-2024/ ...The Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/11/07/texas-republicans-rewrote-states-political-playbook/ What the battle is likely to look like in Texas under the second Trump administration: https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2024/11/06/trump-election-texas-impact Why NOW is the time to renew our commitment and stand up for our values: https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2024/11/trump-victory-democracy/680549/ We salute the Texas State University students who stood down a Christian Nationalist demonstration on their San Marcos campus yesterday: https://universitystar.com/28322/multimedia/photo-gallery-demonstrators-spark-counter-protest-of-hundreds-at-txst/ Our annual holiday fundraising parties approach! We'll be gathering both in Dallas and Austin this December, and there are sponsorship opportunities available: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/progress-texas-holiday-parties-2024⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Project 2025 is no longer a warning: it's now the playbook of the next American administration: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Cuban journalist Jesús Jank Curbelo joins Rebecca to speak about a range of topics, including the legacy of El Taiger, one of Cuba's most popular artists who was killed recently in Miami. We also talk about Curbelo's career in Cuba reporting on the reparto movement, as well as the pain of leaving Cuba and challenges of building a new life in Texas.Curbelo has published several pieces at the Texas Observer and Palabra.Conversation in Spanish. Follow along with an English-language transcript here:Songs played:Coronamos (Remix), Taiger & J. Balvin (feat. Cosculluela, Bad Bunny & Bryant Myers) Hilito Rojo, El Taiger & DJ CondsSend us a textSupport the showIf you like this podcast, please subscribe and give us a 5-star rating on Apple PodcastsFollow The Clave Chronicles on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @clavechronicleshttps://theclavechronicles.buzzsprout.comIntro and outro music: "Bengo Latino," Jimmy Fontanez/Media Right Productions

Part 1:We talk with Francesca D'Annunzio, who is a Roy W. Howard Investigative Reporting Fellow at the Texas Observer.We discuss the importance of undocumented people to the economy of Texas. Why are business leaders so silent on on such an important issue? 40-50% of workers in many sectors are undocumented in Texas. What would be the cost of deportation? What would be the effect on mixed-status families?Part 2:We talk with Rafael Martinez, Asst. Professor of Southwest Borderlands at Arizona State University.We discuss the lives and plight of undocumented persons from their perspective. Prof. Martinez DACA status, and works with students and others who do not, but are living in the US. Since 2016, there has been no access to DACA for persons who have migrated as children. They are criminalized, not by their own actions. We talk about what recourse they may have.  WNHNFM.ORG  productionMusic: David Rovics, "Time to Act", for Will Von Sproson

Early voting is almost here, and while many of our regulars are excited to vote for Kamala Harris and Colin Allred, we remind you that it's important to understand and vote your ENTIRE ballot - and nowhere in Texas is that more true this time than in Dallas. Propositions S, T, and U are written for the ballot to appear common sense, public safety and accountability measures, but in reality, they threaten to bankrupt the City of Dallas' budget and grant unprecedented local control to wealthy activists - many of whom directly involved don't even live or work in Dallas. We're happy to welcome back Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazaldua, who has a keen understanding of how these measures threaten to upend Big D, and investigative reporter Steven Monacelli, who has just dropped a major expose on the "Dallas HERO" group behind these three measures, exposing their funding, their motives, and how they hope to establish a model for the future short-circuiting of other Democratically-run big cities in Texas. Find Steven's piece in the Texas Observer at https://www.texasobserver.org/dallas-hero-initiative-monty-bennett-crowds-on-demand/. Find Dallas City Council Member Adam Bazaldua at https://dallascityhall.com/government/citycouncil/district7/Pages/default.aspx Thanks for listening! Learn more about how you can support Progress Texas' important work, through the election and into next year's pivotal legislative session - including by attending or sponsoring our December holiday parties in Dallas and Austin - at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A three-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice reveals endemic and pervasive abuse against kids in the Texas juvenile justice system: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-youth-lockups-beset-abuse-mistreatment-children-justice-112492737 A committee of UT Austin professors has determined that the university's leadership broke its own rules in the crackdown on pro-Palestinian protestors back in April: https://www.kut.org/education/2024-07-31/ut-austin-committee-of-counsel-on-academic-freedom-and-responsibility-report-pro-palestinian-protests Investigative reporters at the Texas Observer have identified a group that attacked a family after a river trip in Martindale in June as members or supporters of the largest white supremacist hate group in the country: https://www.texasobserver.org/neo-nazi-martindale-arrest-gang/ Eddie Canales, a beloved advocate for migrants in South Texas, has died at 76: https://myfox8.com/news/border-report/longtime-south-texas-migrant-advocate-has-died/ The deadline to register for the November election is October 7. Are you registered? Are you sure? ALL Texas voters should confirm their registration, right now: https://govotetexas.org/ See Progress Texas' analysis of Project 2025, and what it will mean for Texas should it be enacted: https://progresstexas.org/blog/project-2025-vs-progress-2025 ...And a complete guide to Project 2025 from Media Matters: https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at https://progresstexas.org.

NOTE: This is part two of a two-part episode. To hear both parts right now and without ads, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars. In part two of our deep dive on John Forester and his 1976 book Effective Cycling, we take a look at the paltry data and research underpinning the alleged safety benefits of vehicular cycling and the long-term impact Forester had on cycling for transportation in the United States. Even though cities such as New York started building protected bicycle lanes in earnest in the late 2000s and early 2010s — and even though quality bike infrastructure has existed in places such as Davis, California for decades — John Forester's legacy continued well into the 21st century, with federal guides such as AASHTO's "Green Book" discouraging or even prohibiting things such as parking-protected bikeways until as recently as 2018. On top of that, many of Forester's disciples held positions atop major advocacy organizations and city bike planning departments for years, and used their influence to prevent the construction of protected bike lanes. In a lot of ways, we're still pedaling in the world John Forester created. This episode was sponsored by Bull Moose Softgoods and Cleverhood.  Listen to the episode for the latest discount codes. LINKS/SOURCES Read Peter Flax in conversation with John Forester, via Bicycling Magazine. Northeastern University's Peter Furth takes on John Forester. STUDY: "Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street," by Lusk, Furth, et. al. PAPER: "A Historical Perspective on the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities and the Impact of the Vehicular Cycling Movement," Schultheiss, Sanders, and Toole, 2018 AASHTO's Draft Bikeway Guide Includes Protected Bike Lanes and More, Streetsblog 2016 Key Design Guide to Finally Include Protected Bike Lanes, Streetsblog 2018 'Death Of A ‘Dinosaur:' Anti-Cycleway Campaigner John Forester Dies, Aged 90, by Carlton Reid in Forbes Read Bike Boom: The Unexpected Resurgence of Cycling, by Carlton Reid. Read Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road, by James Longhurst. How the former Dallas bicycle coordinator held back cycling infrastructure for years, via the Texas Observer. Dallas' Former Bike Czar Tells Newbie Riders to Go Play in Traffic, via the Dallas Observer Access John Forester's website via the Wayback Machine. If you're a glutton for punishment, pick up a copy of John Forester's Effective Cycling. Grab some merch in our official store! This episode was edited by Yessenia Moreno. It was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. https://thewaroncars.org/

NOTE: This is part one of a two-part episode. To hear both parts right now and without ads, become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars. "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." That quote is the core philosophy of John Forester, the father of vehicular cycling. Forester, who died in 2020, was a major figure in the the world of cycling advocacy and transportation policy, and his influence shaped street design and bicycle safety in the United States for decades. We take a deep dive into Forester's 1976 book, Effective Cycling. Part guidebook, part encyclopedia, part polemic, Effective Cycling explains why cyclists should not be afraid to ride not just in traffic, but as traffic. Throughout the book, Forester dismisses anyone who might be afraid of taking the lane with fast-moving cars and trucks as suffering from what he calls the "cyclist inferiority complex" and asserts that only a strict adherence to the principles of vehicular cycling can keep everyone safe. Who was John Forester? What is vehicular cycling? Why are we talking about a book that was published almost fifty years ago? It's all here in this mega episode. This episode was sponsored by Cleverhood and Pinhead Locks. Listen for the latest discount codes. LINKS/SOURCES Read Peter Flax in conversation with John Forester, via Bicycling Magazine. Northeastern University's Peter Furth takes on John Forester. STUDY: "Risk of injury for bicycling on cycle tracks versus in the street," by Lusk, Furth, et. al. PAPER: "A Historical Perspective on the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities and the Impact of the Vehicular Cycling Movement," Schultheiss, Sanders, and Toole, 2018 AASHTO's Draft Bikeway Guide Includes Protected Bike Lanes and More, Streetsblog 2016 Key Design Guide to Finally Include Protected Bike Lanes, Streetsblog 2018 'Death Of A ‘Dinosaur:' Anti-Cycleway Campaigner John Forester Dies, Aged 90, by Carlton Reid in Forbes Read Bike Boom: The Unexpected Resurgence of Cycling, by Carlton Reid. Read Bike Battles: A History of Sharing the American Road, by James Longhurst. How the former Dallas bicycle coordinator held back cycling infrastructure for years, via the Texas Observer. Dallas' Former Bike Czar Tells Newbie Riders to Go Play in Traffic, via the Dallas Observer Access John Forester's website via the Wayback Machine. If you're a glutton for punishment, pick up a copy of John Forester's Effective Cycling. Grab some merch in our official store! This episode was edited by Yessenia Moreno. It was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. https://thewaroncars.org/

Writer Deirdre Coyle's fiction and essays have appeared in Electric Literature, Lit Hub, The New Republic, The Texas Observer, Hobart Pulp, and elsewhere. This story, "Stakes," was performed at a show at the Getty Center in L.A., at a show produced in conjunction with the online literary collective, Belletrist Book Club. If you don't know Belletrist, it was founded by committed friends and readers Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss. They recommend new works by an incredible collection of writers, host online conversations and foster a community of like-minded readers. Emma Roberts reads this story, and we feature an interview between host Aparna Nancherla and Karah Preiss in this episode.

For 70 years, building out and expanding American highways have been core parts to the entire US transportation project. But the initial effort to connect cities and states has created gigantic problems in the subsequent decades. Instead of fixing many of these critical issues, too often we see cities and states double down on the problem and make our transportation system worse. And carbon emissions from the transportation sector are a huge part of the climate fight. So what do we do about highways as these roads continue to expand and draw investment? Our guest, Megan Kimble, has been looking for the answers. In her new book, City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and The Future of America's Highways, she both looks back at the origins of the American highway system and examines today's fight to determine what is happening and how decisions are being made that design our transportation system. We discuss the "freeway fighters" that are working to remove highways and prevent highways from being expanded, how federal investments favor highways over transit, how highways have been used to exacerbate racial inequities, and why climate activists are helping to make change.  Megan Kimble is an investigative journalist and former executive editor at The Texas Observer. She has written about housing, transportation, and urban development for The New York Times, Texas Monthly, The Guardian, and Bloomberg CityLab.  Check out City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and The Future of America's Highways As always, follow us @climatepod on Twitter and email us at theclimatepod@gmail.com. Our music is "Gotta Get Up" by The Passion Hifi, check out his music at thepassionhifi.com. Rate, review and subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and more! Subscribe to our YouTube channel! Join our Facebook group.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A lawsuit against the FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, having found favor in the courtroom of Amarillo anti-abortion federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, has failed at the U.S. Supreme Court: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/13/supreme-court-texas-mifepristone-ruling-abortion/ ...Meanwhile, Kacsmaryk is staying busy - he's temporarily blocked that new ATF rule requiring background checks on gun transactions at gun shows and online: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2024/06/13/judge-blocks-atf-rule-on-expanded-firearms-background-checks A Fort Worth man has been charged with making threats to an FBI agent over the Hunter Biden case, in a repulsive expression of bloodthirsty rage: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-man-charged-threatening-federal-agent-guns/story?id=111112158 ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas revises his estimates of grid capacity growth requirements over the rest of the decade, which he thinks will need to almost double from today's figures - due to demands from crypto-currency mining and AI data centers: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidblackmon/2024/06/13/ercot-ceo-stuns-texas-officials-with-new-estimate-for-power-needs/ A new Texas Observer essay depicts in heartbreaking detail the desperation of migrants trapped between American razor wire and Mexican cartel bandits at our border: https://www.texasobserver.org/between-the-concertina-wire-and-the-cartel/ D/FW folks: Come see us at our 14th Anniversary and Election Preview Fundraiser in Dallas on June 25: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/2024anniversary It's Pride Month! Check out the history of Pride and a full calendar of events happening across Texas throughout the month: https://progresstexas.org/blog/deep-heart-pride-celebration-pride-month-texas 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/.

The Austin newspaper, the Texas Observer, chose Searchlight reporter Alicia Inez Guzmán, to receive its 2024 MOLLY Prize on May 30 th . Guzmán holds a Ph.D. in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester in New York. Her article, “Buried Secrets, Poisoned Bodies,” is exemplary investigative journalism. The prize, awarded to only one journalist a year, honors Molly Ivins, the Observer editor for six years in the 70's. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ccnsupdate/support

In this episode of "Democracy Nerd," Jefferson is joined by Andrea Grimes, an independent journalist whose writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Texas Observer, and DAME Magazine. The episode includes an in-depth discussion about the current state of American media and its role in safeguarding democracy, sparked by a recent statement from New York Times' Executive Editor Joe Kahn, who asserted that threats to democracy are "one" of the issues the Times will cover, though "not the only one." Jefferson and Andrea critically examine whether the media is adequately fulfilling its democratic duty. They explore how the content of broadcast media often fails to reflect the true realities across the United States, highlighting the disconnect between what is reported and what is actually happening on the ground. This leads to a broader conversation about alternative media models that could better serve the public interest beyond the prevailing capitalist framework. Andrea also provides an update of her home state of Texas, sharing stories of numerous engaged activists determined to drive change, embodying the spirit of "messing with Texas." Jefferson and Andrea's discussion provides a thought-provoking dialogue on the intersection of media, politics, and grassroots activism, emphasizing the critical role that an informed and engaged citizenry plays in maintaining democratic principles.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Governor Greg Abbott has extended his orders to the TEA to defy new Federal guidelines on Title IX protecting LGBTQ students to administrators of state universities: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/greg-abbott-texas-universities-ignore-title-ix-revisions/3536397/ ...As Carroll ISD is asked by the U.S. Department of Education to address four claims by students about racial and homophobic harrassment endured in its schools: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/southlake-texas-carroll-isd-civil-rights-investigation-rcna151009 That "weather watch" from ERCOT yesterday helped spur a massive spike in power prices last night: https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-05-08/summer-power-prices-seen-surging-for-texas-falling-in-california The GOP runoff between incumbent U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales and his primary challenger "The A.K. Guy" presents possible headaches for Republican leadership: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/07/tony-gonzales-inter-gop-fight-texas-00156073 Steven Monacelli at the Texas Observer writes on the "Remnant Alliance", a new effort by Christian Nationalist groups to take over Texas school boards: https://www.texasobserver.org/christian-schoolboards-education-k12/ Joe Jaworski writes in the Dallas Morning News on the near-complete takeover of Texas' state government by a small group of billionaires: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/05/09/billionaires-are-running-texas-now/ TODAY! Thursday May 9 at 12 noon, join us for our "Burning Issues" town hall on liquid natural gas (LNG) pollution in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-hosts-climate-justice-town-hall Also for your calendar: a public forum will be held on May 20 by the Texas Medical Board on proposed exceptions to Texas' near-total ban on abortion: https://x.com/hannahnorton89/status/1785054901661216800?s=12&t=Bt_w1MN2AlTfFkWGHJiOJg Progress Texas could use your help in funding our trip to June's Texas Democratic Convention in El Paso - thanks in advance! https://progresstexas.org/donate It will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/ 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/.

I'm not a financial advisor; Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or invest after clicking a link here, we may earn a commission. Engage to support our work.Devin: What do you see as your superpower?Abby: Having spent the last almost 20 years in journalism wearing different hats, I feel like [it's] bringing like an ecosystems approach, of trying to look at a community–whether that community is a local community or a professional community–and trying to figure out what are the roles each of us can play?In today's episode of the Superpowers for Good show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Abby Rapoport, the cofounder and publisher of Stranger's Guide. Abby's vision for the publication stems from a simple yet profound idea: to make the world feel smaller and more interconnected by focusing on the unique, yet universal aspects of different locales.Abby shared, "We started Stranger's Guide to create a publication that was rooted in the idea of place and exploring how different places feel to those people who are living there." She continued, "What does it mean for the individual who's going to work, taking their kids to school, making dinner? We aim to dig into what all of those big global themes mean for daily life."The essence of Stranger's Guide lies in its commitment to telling the stories of a place through the eyes of those who know it best—the local writers and photographers. Each issue is a deep dive into a single location, crafted by at least 80% of contributors from that area. This approach ensures that the narrative remains authentic and grounded in the community's lived experiences.Stranger's Guide isn't just about the exotic or the familiar; it's about bridging the gap between them. It offers readers a multifaceted portrait of a place, mixing human rights, history, sports, and culture to enrich our understanding of the world. It's about seeing the big picture and the tiny, essential details through a lens that respects and values every culture's unique contributions and challenges.By reading Stranger's Guide, we don't just learn about different parts of the world; we connect with them on a human level. It's a reminder that despite our differences, we share common threads—family, work, joy, struggle. This connection fosters empathy and, ultimately, a more compassionate worldview.In essence, Abby's work with Stranger's Guide serves as a powerful reminder of journalism's role in society—not just to inform but to connect us. By focusing on the universal yet unique experiences of communities around the globe, Abby and her team invite us to celebrate our shared humanity. This, indeed, is journalism as a form of superpower, the kind that nurtures understanding and respect across borders.AI Episode Summary1. Devin introduces Abby Rapoport, the co-founder and publisher of the Stranger's Guide, highlighting her role in creating impactful journalism.2. Abby explains the origin of the Stranger's Guide, which was inspired by the divisive political climate of 2016 and the desire to explore sustainable models for journalism.3. The publication focuses on storytelling from the perspective of locals, covering a broad range of topics from human rights to food, emphasizing the importance of understanding different cultures.4. Abby shares how the Stranger's Guide has published issues themed around various locations worldwide, aiming to provide a multifaceted portrait of each place.5. The conversation shifts towards challenging the notions of "good" and "bad" countries, highlighting the complexity of global affairs and the value of understanding individual perspectives within countries.6. They discuss the rise of authoritarianism globally and the role of journalism in questioning leaders and presenting complex narratives.7. Devin appreciates the Stranger's Guide for offering deep insights into different cultures for a fraction of the cost of traveling, underscoring the importance of understanding human commonalities and differences.8. Abby emphasizes the publication's focus on creating beautiful, memorable issues that encourage people to explore and understand places they might not physically visit.9. The interview explores Abby's superpower of tackling challenging topics and fostering ecosystems that contribute to community and global understanding.10. Finally, Abby provides details on how to access and support The Stranger's Guide, encouraging subscriptions and highlighting the publication as a unique gift option.How to Develop an Ecosystems Approach As a SuperpowerAbby identifies her superpower as her Ecosystems Approach. This involves engaging deeply with communities, both local and professional, to orchestrate collaborative efforts that leverage diverse strengths and viewpoints toward common goals.Abby's superpower lies in her ability to see and cultivate the interconnectedness within communities. Whether it's in her role at Stranger's Guide or in community volunteer work, she excels at identifying and mobilizing diverse stakeholders around shared challenges. This approach not only fosters a deeper understanding among diverse groups but also drives them towards practical, impactful collaborations.A striking example of Abby's superpower in action can be seen in her work on the Ukraine guide for Stranger's Guide. During a particularly intense period marked by conflict and displacement, Abby and her team strategically partnered with Impact Justice to sponsor a series focused on incarceration experiences around the world, including a powerful story about a prison in Ukraine. This initiative, by weaving together the narratives of various communities, illustrated how Abby's ecosystems approach can illuminate shared human experiences across different contexts.Abby suggests that to develop a similar capability, one should start by engaging deeply with their local community. She emphasizes the power of listening and establishing connections with people from diverse backgrounds. This groundwork fosters the ability to understand different perspectives and find common ground, crucial skills for building effective partnerships and collaborative projects.By following Abby's example and advice, you can make an Ecosystems Approach a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileAbby Rapoport (she/her):Cofounder and Publisher, Stranger's GuideAbout Stranger's Guide: Founded in 2018 by Editor-in-Chief Kira Brunner Don and Publisher Abby Rapoport, Stranger's Guide uses place-based stories to investigate how culture, power and access to different freedoms inform our lives and identities. Through our print issues and online, we center our work on local voices offering first-hand accounts of daily life, that underscore the unique facets of each place we explore, from the complex and controversial to the intimate and beautiful. . Stranger's Guide includes print guides, newsletters and carefully selected products and partnerships. Stranger's Guide has won three National Magazine Awards including two for General Excellence and one for Photography, and its work has been featured in America's Best Travel Writing and America's Best Magazine Writing. Website: strangersguide.comX/Twitter Handle: @strangersguideCompany Facebook Page: fb.com/StrangersGuideMag/Other URL: strangersguide.substack.comBiographical Information: Prior to co-founding Stranger's Guide, Abby spent the first portion of her career as a political reporter, covering Texas politics for the Texas Tribune, the Texas Observer and then The American Prospect. Her work has also appeared in Glamour, The National Journal and The New Republic. She has also served as Acting Publisher for the Texas Observer and currently sits on the boards of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and TYPE Investigations, as well as several Austin community nonprofits.X/Twitter Handle: @RarapoportPersonal Facebook Profile: fb.com/rarapoportLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abby-rapoport-46823820/Instagram Handle: @RarapoportUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.* Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on May 14, 2024, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, you must first become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.* SuperCrowdHour, May 15, 2024, at 1:00 Eastern. Each month, we host a value-laden webinar for aspiring impact investors or social entrepreneurs. Stay tuned for details.* SuperCrowdChicago, June 12, 2024. This in-person event at Columbia College Chicago features some of Chicago's prominent citizens and community leaders, along with crowdfunding experts. Use the discount code “SuperCrowd” to save 30 percent!* Recently, we created an AI GPT to help you learn more about The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, and our upcoming events. Click here to try it.SuperCrowd Community Event Calendar* Successful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET * Move Your Money Month, April 2024, American Independent Business Alliance* How to Design an Equitable Retirement Plan: A Guide for Nonprofits, Foundations, and Mission-Driven Businesses, April 25, 3:00 PM ET.* Crowdfunding for Small Business, April 25, Crowdfund Better* Crowdfunding Professional Association Webinar, May 8, 2:00 PM ET* The Reg A & Crowdfunding Conference, June 20, Westchester Country Club (Save 20% with the code Super20)* Crowdfunding Professional Association, Summit in DC, October 22-23If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 4,000+ members of the SuperCrowd, click here.We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Megan Kimble is the former executive editor of The Texas Observer and has written for The New York Times, Texas Monthly, and The Guardian. Her new book is City Limits: Infrastructure, Inequality, and the Future of America's Highways. “I have never lived in a city that was not wrapped in highways. It's hard for me to imagine anything else. And I think that's true for a lot of people today. ... [But] we have known since the origins of the interstate highways program that building highways through cities doesn't fix traffic. And yet we keep doing it. To me, that really fueled a lot of the book. It wasn't supposed to be this way.” Show notes: @megankimble megankimble.com Kimble on Longform Kimble's Texas Observer archive 11:00 Kimble's Austin Monthly archive 13:00 “Austin's Not-So-Fair Housing Market” (Austin Monthly • Sept 2018) 49:00 “The Road Home” (Texas Observer • July 2021) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brett Cross is a small-town kid who grew up in Western Texas, among the oil fields, near Odessa. He worked in the oil fields, worked his way up to doing pipeline work, eventually moving to green energy work. He even became a foreman, working hard to provide for his family. And Brett was at work when he got the call from his wife Nikki that changed their lives forever. It was May 24, 2022, Nikki was at their sons' school, Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, Texas. “This is not a fucking joke,” she said, “there's a shooter at the boys' school.” We talk to Brett about his life before, about living in a small town, working and making your own fun, we talk about some of the family memories he cherishes most. We remember Brett and Nikki's son Uziyah “Uzi” Garcia, we talk about the day Uzi was taken from them, along with 18 of his classmates and two of his teachers, and we talk about the unimaginable fight for justice and real change that Brett and Nikki have been fighting ever since.Studio Production: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Jules TaylorCW: This episode discusses school shootings and the murdering of children. Additional links/info below…Brett's Twitter/X pageSneha Dey, Erin Douglas, Andrew Zhang, Brooke Park, & Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune / ProPublica, “21 Lives Lost: Uvalde Victims Were a Cross-Section of a Small, Mostly Latino Town in South Texas“Edgar Sandoval, The New York Times, “A Year After the Uvalde Massacre: Did Anything Change?“Gus Bova, Texas Observer, “The Uvalde Parents Won't Back Down“Elissa Jorgensen, American Statesman, “‘There Are no Good Days': Uziyah's Family Won't Stop Fighting Until Gun Laws Change“Danielle Campoamor, Today, “A Father's Fury: Uvalde Dad Brett Cross Is Mad as Hell and Wants You to Know It“Kayla Padilla, Texas Public Radio, “Arrested Uvalde Father Says Police More Upset With Him Using Expletive Than Children Dying“Yvette Benavides, David Martin Davies, & Julián Aguilar, Texas Public Radio, “‘We Did It!' — Uvalde's Entire School Police Department Suspended Following Activism from Families“Lomi Kriel, Alejandro Serrano, & Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune / ProPublica, “‘Cascading Failures': Justice Department Blasts Law Enforcement's Botched Response to Uvalde School Shooting“John Woodrow Cox, Steven Rich, Linda Chong, Lucas Trevor, John Muyskens, & Monica Ulmanu, The Washington Post, “More Than 360,000 Students Have Experienced Gun Violence at School Since Columbine“Permanent links below…Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music…Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongJules Taylor, “John L. Handcox Remix”Follow Jules on Twitter and FacebookHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner tells The New Abnormal that the former president could soon see his assets seized. Plus! Andy Levy speaks with Steven Monacelli, the Texas Observer's Special Investigative Correspondent, about a new social network built on a vision of Christian supremacy in America that's gaining traction with GOP politicians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brett Cross is a small-town kid who grew up in Western Texas, among the oil fields, near Odessa. He worked in the oil fields, worked his way up to doing pipeline work, eventually moving to green energy work. He even became a foreman, working hard to provide for his family. And Brett was at work when he got the call from his wife Nikki that changed their lives forever. It was May 24, 2022,  Nikki was at their sons' school, Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, Texas. “This is not a fucking joke,” she said, “there's a shooter at the boys' school.” We talk to Brett about his life before, about living in a small town, working and making your own fun, we talk about some of the family memories he cherishes most. We remember Brett and Nikki's son Uziyah "Uzi" Garcia, we talk about the day Uzi was taken from them, along with 18 of his classmates and two of his teachers, and we talk about the unimaginable fight for justice and real change that Brett and Nikki have been fighting ever since.    C/W: This episode discusses school shootings and the murdering of children.  Additional links/info below… Brett's Twitter/X page  Sneha Dey, Erin Douglas, Andrew Zhang, Brooke Park, & Jessica Priest, The Texas Tribune / ProPublica, "21 Lives Lost: Uvalde Victims Were a Cross-Section of a Small, Mostly Latino Town in South Texas" Edgar Sandoval, The New York Times, "A Year After the Uvalde Massacre: Did Anything Change?" Gus Bova, Texas Observer, "The Uvalde Parents Won't Back Down"  Elissa Jorgensen, American Statesman, "'There Are no Good Days': Uziyah's Family Won't Stop Fighting Until Gun Laws Change" Danielle Campoamor, Today, "A Father's Fury: Uvalde Dad Brett Cross Is Mad as Hell and Wants You to Know It" Kayla Padilla, Texas Public Radio, "Arrested Uvalde Father Says Police More Upset With Him Using Expletive Than Children Dying" Yvette Benavides, David Martin Davies, & Julián Aguilar, Texas Public Radio, "'We Did It!' — Uvalde's Entire School Police Department Suspended Following Activism from Families" Lomi Kriel, Alejandro Serrano, & Lexi Churchill, The Texas Tribune / ProPublica, "'Cascading Failures': Justice Department Blasts Law Enforcement's Botched Response to Uvalde School Shooting" John Woodrow Cox, Steven Rich, Linda Chong, Lucas Trevor, John Muyskens, & Monica Ulmanu, The Washington Post, "More Than 360,000 Students Have Experienced Gun Violence at School Since Columbine" Permanent links below... Working People Patreon page Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show! Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter page In These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter page The Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music... Jules Taylor, "Working People" Theme Song Jules Taylor, "John L. Handcox Remix" Follow Jules on Twitter and Facebook

According to the UN, the United States-Mexico border is the world's deadliest land route for migrants, with at least 686 deaths and disappearances in 2023. 148 of those deaths happened in the region along the Texas and New Mexico borders with Mexico. Texas's Gov. Greg Abbott has attempted to create a crisis in Eagle Pass, TX with deadly razor wire fencing and deploying national guard units to police the border. He's been supported by at least 14 Republican governors. Abbott has defied a cease and desist order from Biden, and supported by the U.S. Supreme Court. In the Senate, an (anti) immigration bill recently failed as Trump needs the issue for the 2024 campaign. In our latest, we talk with Truthout's Candice Bernd (@candicebernd) about the crisis being created by Greg Abbott, Donald Trump and other far right political actors. We discuss her recent trip to Eagle Pass, TX and her interviews with local residents opposed to Abbott's machinations and the far right convoy which traveled to the area to stand up to the federal government. Bio// Candice Bernd (@CandiceBernd) is senior editor/staff reporter at Truthout. Her work has also appeared in several other publications, including The Nation, In These Times, the Texas Observer, Salon, Rewire News Group, Sludge, YES! Magazine and Earth Island Journal. Her work has received awards from the San Francisco Press Club, the Fort Worth chapter of Society of Professional Journalists, the Native American Journalists Association, and the Dallas Peace and Justice Center. --------------------------------------------------------- Outro- "Headin' for the Texas Border" by Hooka Hey Links// +Locals Say Eagle Pass Is Being Invaded by Christian Nationalists — Not Migrants: https://bit.ly/49dAezQ Follow Green and Red// +G&R Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/greenandredpodcast⁠⁠ +Our rad website: ⁠⁠https://greenandredpodcast.org/⁠⁠ +We're part of the Labor Podcast Network: ⁠⁠https://www.laborradionetwork.org/⁠ Support the Green and Red Podcast// +Become a Patron at   / greenredpodcast   +Or make a one time donation here: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/DonateGandR⁠⁠ This is a Green and Red Podcast (@PodcastGreenRed) production. Produced by Bob (@bobbuzzanco) and Scott (@sparki1969). “Green and Red Blues" by Moody. Editing by Isaac.

This week, what appeared to be a ham-fisted silencing of a large group of journalists and left-leaning activists on Elon Musk's X - the platform that we, frankly, generally still call Twitter - was shrugged off by Musk as a side effect of routine housecleaning of bots and fake accounts. Our friend and regular contributor Steven Monacelli, investigative reporter for the Texas Observer, was one of those who found themselves temporarily in Twitter jail this week; he's not accepting that lame explanation, and neither are we. As the all-important 2024 election year spins up, will Twitter/X remain a place where the truth, and those who make it their life's work to seek out the truth, can count on an equitable playing field? Or, will it be subject to the whims of its increasingly erratic and childish billionaire owner, seemingly more interested in basking in the adoration of his right-wing conspiracist following than truly supporting "free speech" as he loves to claim? Find Steven Monacelli's great work for the Texas Observer at https://www.texasobserver.org/author/steven-monacelli/. Thanks for your support! Please check out our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Despite an early warning of possible operational issues, ERCOT officials remain bullish on the power staying on through the upcoming winter freeze: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/ercot-operating-condition-notice-texas-power-grid/269-ba1f0642-92fd-4f5f-ad1f-cfe45fbcca9f ...Go-to energy expert Doug Lewin thinks we'll be okay: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/ercot-watchful-ahead-of-cold-weather-energy-expert-says-no-cause-for-alarm/3430070/ ...Trader Joe's stores in Denver are already seeing inventory shortages due to bad weather in Texas: https://kdvr.com/news/local/trader-joes-stores-in-colorado-low-on-inventory-due-to-texas-weather/ Regular Progress Texas podcast contributor and Texas Observer investigative reporter Steven Monacelli was among a group of journalists suspended - and then reinstated - by Twitter/X yesterday: https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d948x/x-purges-prominent-journalists-leftists-with-no-explanation Democratic hopefuls for the nomination to face Ted Cruz comment on our junior Senator's silence on abortion: https://themessenger.com/politics/democrats-pounce-on-cruzs-silence-on-texas-abortion-law-as-2024-race-looms ...Mark your calendar for a Democratic Senate primary debate: Friday February 9. CBS News got an inside look at the Texas end of those migrant bus trips, designed to sow chaos in Democratically-led cities: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/texas-officials-accused-of-creating-migrant-busing-chaos/ A law professor at UT Austin is preparing a new class - "Understanding Conservative Legal Thought": https://reason.com/volokh/2024/01/09/new-univ-of-texas-law-class-on-understanding-conservative-legal-thought/ Thanks for listening! See multiple ways to help Progress Texas continue our important work at https://progresstexas.org/.

On Monday's show: State Sen. John Whitmire was elected Houston's next mayor over the weekend. We break down all the results from Saturday's runoff election. Also this hour: A new investigative report from The Texas Observer examines the high human and economic cost of constructing the 288 toll road. Then, Meg Tapp of The Garden Club of Houston answers your questions. And we get the latest on Houston sports from Jeff Balke.

We are back in Texas for Season 4 of Talk So Real with Matt Sonzala and today's guest is yet another great friend of mine with a lot to say, Audrea Diaz! If you are doing ANYTHING in Austin hip hop you have for sure at the very least encountered Audrea more than once as she is the biggest supporter of everything Austin hip-hop that I have ever met. She is always in the place and forever repping for the scene that she loves (and loves her) so much. For years Audrea has been witnessing and covering the happenings around Austin. We cover a lot of ground on this one including but not limited to her work getting Austin's CapMetro transit system to expand their services for the disabled, her writing for the Texas Observer and her plans for her book that she has been working on about, take a guess, yup, Austin hip-hop. She also promises to start her own podcast like, very soon. She is a unique and treasured voice in our community and I personally feel as though she needs to be heard far and wide. Definitely have a listen there is some super real talk on this one! @audrea_diaz

We talk with Steven Monacelli from the Texas Observer about the rise of Christian Supremacists, astroturfed activist groups, "Feds", the fall and rise of the Birchers, and moreFind this episode on your favorite podcast player here: https://pod.link/1647010767/Here are some of the sources and references we used to create this episode:THESE CHRISTIANS THINK GOD NEEDS YOU RICH AND TO RULE THE WORLDhttps://www.texasobserver.org/these-christians-think-god-needs-you-rich-and-to-rule-the-world/GOD'S ARMY GATHERS IN FORT WORTHhttps://www.texasobserver.org/gods-army-gathers-in-fort-worth/Flyers Threatening White HP Parents Who Send Their Kids to the Ivy League Reek of Fakenesshttps://www.dallasobserver.com/news/whos-behind-dallas-justice-nows-dont-send-white-kids-to-ivy-league-controversy-12098228Conservative PR Firm Linked to Black Lives Matter Hoax That Fooled Right-Wing Presshttps://bylinetimes.com/2021/08/02/conservative-pr-firm-linked-to-black-lives-matter-hoax-fools-right-wing-press/Operator of 'Keep Dallas Safe' Campaign Linked to 'Astroturf' Scheme in New Orleanshttps://www.dallasobserver.com/news/anonymous-political-group-keep-dallas-safe-managed-by-former-astroturf-operator-11983637HOMEGROWN NEO-FASCIST MOVEMENT MARCHES IN AUSTINhttps://www.texasobserver.org/homegrown-neo-fascist-movement-marches-in-austin/THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY SEES A RENAISSANCE IN NORTH TEXAShttps://www.texasobserver.org/the-john-birch-society-sees-a-renaissance-in-north-texas/Thanks for listening,Jay and GriffEmail us: didnothingwrongpod@protonmail.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.didnothingwrongpod.com/subscribe

Some Texans have been paying close attention all day, every day for the last week as the historic impeachment of Ken Paxton unfolds - others have, you know, jobs and stuff. So we're glad to have stolen a bit of time today with one particular Texan who's doing both at the same time! Justin Miller writes on Texas politics for the Texas Observer and has been covering every minute of the proceedings - which as of tonight, appear to be on the verge of wrapping up. Will Paxton be convicted? And what comes next for him, and for Texas? We discuss. Find Justin Miller and all his great work for the Texas Observer at https://www.texasobserver.org/author/justin-miller/. Thanks as always for listening! We're looking for about 21 more new regular, reliable supporting members to help Progress Texas continue our work into what's shaping up to be a monumental election year. Please consider joining the team at https://progresstexas.org/.

In October 1993, Thurgood Marshall School of Law student Dawn Williams vanished without so much as a trace. Fellow students, friends, and family searched everywhere but no clues were found. Houston Police, too, failed to find anything at all. The following month, a crew cleaning trash from an area in rural Montgomery County found the 25-year-old women's body buried in a shallow grave, partially unearthed by animals. Police, and especially Dawn's father, had a good idea what happened to her and who did it, but evidence has eluded investigators for 30 years. This re-recorded episode features updated information previously unavailable.If you have any information about the murder of Helen Dawn Williams, please call HPD's Cold Case Unit at 713-308-3618 or to remain anonymous and collect a reward, contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-8477Please consider donating to the go fund me for Leon Laureles. You can find it at: gofundme.com/f/leon-laureles-private-detective-and-memorialYou can support gone cold and listen ad-free at patreon.com/gonecoldpodcast Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by using @gonecoldpodcast and on YouTube at: youtube.com/c/gonecoldpodcastThe Houston Chronicle, KHOU Houston, Blackpast.org, The Texas Observer, and the Houston press were used as sources for this episode#JusticeForHelenDawnWilliams #Houston #HoustonTX #ThirdWard #HarrisCountyTX #Texas #TX #TexasTrueCrime #GoneCold #GoneColdPodcast #ColdCase #Unsolved #Murder #UnsolvedMurder #Homicide #UnsolvedMysteries #TrueCrime #TrueCrimePodcast #PodcastThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3203003/advertisement

Today on This is Hell! Chuck interviews Dave Denison about his Baffler article “The Shame of the Suburbs” Dave Denison is a senior editor of The Baffler. He has written and edited for The Texas Observer, CommonWealth magazine, and The American Prospect. A selected archive of his writing is warehoused at www.davedenison.net. A transplanted Midwesterner, he lives near Boston and claims to be an amateur carpenter, an aspiring mason, and an above-average bowler. Read Dave's article on Baffler at https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-shame-of-the-suburbs-denison

In honor of Pride month here in the US, I wanted to bring you a genuine conversation with a number of dear friends of mine about our own discoveries about our places in the LGBTQIA+ universe. We're having a frank, open discussion about our experiences, our joys, our struggles, and so much more. Regardless of how you (or those in your lives) identify, these issues touch all of us, and I want to help bring greater understanding to my community and to all those whose lives you touch. I'm joined by three amazing guests – not “experts” per se, simply real people: Kelly Mahalak, Cassandra Coghill, and Chivas Sandage – as we dive into: Our own journeys to self-discovery The terms we use to describe ourselves, and the challenges in using these terms Compulsory heterosexuality Coming out is not a one-time thing The privilege and curse of “passing” The many joys in our lives related to our queerness Laughter. Tears. Deep truths. This conversation has it all!!! About Cassandra A. Coghill I am Cassandra A. Coghill, a Relationship Alchemist and Intimacy Guide. I am a healer, a priestess, and a witch. I have a Bachelor's degree in Women and Gender Studies, with a minor in Human Development and Family Science, from North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND. (Go Bison!)  While attending college, I became a certified Reiki Master Practitioner and gave birth to my first child. While pregnant with my second child, I was initiated onto the path of priestesshood at the Goddess Temple of Ashland, Oregon. I am also an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church. A powerful inner call to understand the mysteries of life lead me into the study of metaphysics and the occult from a young age. I have been a practicing solitary white witch for the past 11 years. I have studied the Tarot since 2014 and consult it and other oracles for myself and my clients regularly. I work with the so-called “classical” or “Western” elements of Air, Water, Fire and Earth in nearly everything I do. My love for the so-called “Eastern” traditions runs deep (I've studied yoga, tantra, ayurveda, traditional chinese medicine, feng shui and Buddhist philosophy informally but extensively); but, as a person of predominantly British ancestry, the deepest and most powerful magick I bring forth tends to be drawn from ancient, indigenous European traditions, rituals, symbologies and myths. I commune with angels, dance with faeries and sing the songs of my ancestors regularly.” To learn more about and follow Cassandra: infinitegenesis.com/bio-links Facebook.com/Cassandra.coghill.37 Instagram.com/Cassandra.coghill About Chivas Sandage Chivas Sandage teaches women's writing workshops on Zoom and also works privately as a coach, editor, and consultant. Her workshops and coaching packages support women who want to heal and deepen their relationship with writing, generate new work, revise and edit, complete a project, give public readings, and publish. Chivas is a digital columnist at Ms. Magazine and her debut nonfiction book is forthcoming from the University of Texas Press. She won the 2021 Claire Keyes Poetry Award and is the author of Hidden Drive, a finalist for the Foreword Book of the Year Award in poetry. Her poems and essays have appeared in the Texas Observer, The Rumpus, The Long Now, and Deceleration News, among others. Follow her on Twitter @ChivasSandage. To learn more about and follow Chivas: http://www.csandage.com @ChivasSandage About Kelly Mahalak Kelly Mahalak is an Identity and Embodiment Coach specializing in helping women explore and express their deepest truths as they deconstruct learned beliefs and behaviors and remember how to live as their most authentic self. She is passionate about gathering women to create change in the world through community. She lives in Michigan with her 3 children.  To learn more about and follow Kelly: www.Instagram.com/kellymahalak TikTok @kellymahalak   And if you haven't yet joined The Year of WOMAN Membership, get to it! https://carinrockind.com/woman

On this week's episode of The New Abnormal, Texas Observer's Special Investigative correspondent Steven Monacelli talks Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment problems. Then, climate tech investor Molly Wood joins the show to discuss the impact of the Canadian wildfires. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Texas lawmakers have filed 30 bills targeting trans rights this legislative session. April Ortiz is a writer, artist and professor, and she joins host Krys Boyd to discuss coming out as transgender in the face of discrimination and the hate she feels in her home state, and why living in Uvalde strengthened her resolve to tell her story. Her essay, “I am a trans Texan,” was published by the Texas Observer.

Houston Independent School District enrolls nearly 200,000 students, and it's the largest school district in Texas, and 8th largest in the U.S. Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency announced the state was taking over the district citing poor performance.  The state is dismissing the superintendent and the elected school board and replacing them with state appointees. Critics say this is another example of predominantly white, Republican lawmakers taking control over a diverse, and largely democratic city's functions. We speak with Josephine Lee, reporter for the Texas Observer, who says that the takeover is a trojan horse for Texas Republicans efforts towards privatizing education, and will only increase inequities.

Bryan and David touch on a few obits, starting with the Texas Observer, which may or may not be shutting down (0:43). Then they discuss the presidential campaign's first walk-back of the season, featuring Ron DeSantis and his stance on the invasion of Ukraine (12:08). Later, they dive into the Wired profile of popular fantasy author Brandon Sanderson and discuss the writer's approach and the backlash to the piece (30:12). Plus, the Overworked Twitter Joke of the Week and David Shoemaker Guesses the Strained-Pun Headline. Hosts: Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker Producer: Erika Cervantes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices