Podcasts about texas republicans

US Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, discusses US-Canadian trade tensions, the backlash against data center development and the legacy of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on "Balance of Power: Evening Edition." He talks to Bloomberg's Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's DMN Debrief covers Texas Republicans defending their grip on statewide races, families weighing the rising cost of quinceañeras and how a bird-watching video game could help people with mild memory loss or early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Plus, we look at how the World Cup games impacted the North Texas economy. This digest was partially generated by AI and then reviewed and edited by our newsroom staff. Learn more: dallasnews.com/ai_use. We welcome your feedback: ⁠audience@dallasnews.com⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Jim and Greg for the Thursday 3 Martini Lunch as they discuss how the U.S. Secret Service smuggled President Trump out of Turkey on a different plane without the media or his staff knowing, Texas Republicans getting very worried about Ken Paxton losing the U.S. Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed becoming the latest Democrat to hate Thanksgiving, and the cautionary tale of former rising political star Andrew Gillum.First, they dive into how the Secret Service used covert moves to get President Trump onto a different plane when he was leaving Turkey last month due to the threat of an Iranian attack. Some in the media are crying foul because they or their colleagues were left on the original plane. Jim and Greg walk through what criticism is fair and what is not.Next, they get nauseous as Republicans in Texas openly worry that Ken Paxton is on track to lose his U.S. Senate race against James Talarico. GOP operatives tell Mark Halperin that Paxton is being lazy in his campaigning and evasive in addressing his many scandals. But this is Texas. Against Talarico. Is it really that dire?Then, they throw up their hands as Abdul El-Sayed becomes the latest Democrat in this cycle to express his hatred for Thanksgiving. It was seven years ago and El-Sayed insists he does not believe that anymore. But it came after his run for governor in 2018. They also react to El-Sayed's comments comparing football to the transatlantic slave trade.Finally, they detail the latest legal trouble for former Tallahassee, Florida, Mayor Andrew Gillum, who was narrowly defeated by Ron DeSantis in the 2018 governor's race. Since then Gillum has faced numerous drug charges and other revelations. Jim wonders about the impact of being a political star everyone quickly forgets about. Greg says Florida dodged a huge bullet.Please visit our great sponsors:AG1https://DrinkAG1.com/3ML Start your first AGI subscription order, and get a FREE AG1 Flavor Sampler and a FREE bottle of Vitamin D3 + K2 in your Welcome Kit.Noble Goldhttps://NobleGoldInvestments.com/3MLIf you want to see how physical gold and silver could fit into your portfolio, download Noble Gold Investments FREE Wealth Protection Kit.IncogniTake control of your digital footprint today. Use code 3ML at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/3MLNew episodes every weekday. 

Join Jim and Greg for the Thursday 3 Martini Lunch as they discuss how the U.S. Secret Service smuggled President Trump out of Turkey on a different plane without the media or his staff knowing, Texas Republicans getting very worried about Ken Paxton losing the U.S. Senate race, Abdul El-Sayed becoming the latest Democrat to […]

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: A new poll on Texas statewide races is the first in a while to reflect on-the-ground political reality, or come close to such, for Texas. Talarico is up by two over Paxton and other statewide Republicans are up about five points over Democrat challengers. The best write up is at The Texan. The Texas Tribune seemed only interested in “black voters” and Talarico.Here is the actual poll results: New Poll: Senate Race A Toss-Up, With Narrow GOP Leads in Other RacesOther campaign stories I covered: Texas Republicans campaign with urgency despite decades of dominance In Texas, a Political Group, Somos Votantes, Bets $6 Million on Latino Voters Coming Back to Democrats Texas GOP cuts ticket prices to Trump's unconventional convention Gina Hinojosa makes big ad buy in effort to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.Texas A&M System sued over limits on race, gender teachings. See also: A&M Officials Discussing ‘Race and Ethnic Studies Institute' With Attorneys .New federal lawsuit filed against Texas by the get-'em-high THC drug industry.Old Liberal Lon Burnam gets carried out of the Tarrant Co. Commissioners Court meeting by deputies. It was all grandstanding. Notice the old white guys with their communist fist salute in the photo!Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

As of Friday, Texas Republicans have reclassified a range of popular hemp-derived THC products like Delta-8 as Schedule I substances - possession of them is now a felony. Driven by millions in campaign contributions, the wholesale alcohol lobby has persuaded Republican leaders to eliminate hemp competition and protect their state-sanctioned distribution monopoly. Listeners can fight back by bypassing major distributors, and buying directly from local independent taprooms, distilleries, and self-distributing craft producers.KHOU Houston: https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/thc-restrictions-hemp-businesses/285-3fe2342e-5ba7-4fb0-997d-915430e8fc96Progress Texas: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbgND1Lpuza/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==This election year, you can support the real free press by investing in pro-democracy, pro-justice, pro-gressive storytelling. Become a monthly donor or increase your giving TODAY for our Summer Sustaining Donor Drive today, and we'll thank you with "perks for progress" - plus you'll get a shoutout on the Daily Dispatch: huge thanks to new monthly supporter Carolyn Frawley! Join Carolyn and the rest of the Progress Texas family now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/summersustainers26⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@progresstexas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Progress Texas is now part of the lineups at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KPFT-FM in Houston,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Empower House Radio in San Antonio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Stephen Parr and Louis R. Avallone. This is the full show for July 30, 2026. We open with the Texas Senate race — where Democratic nominee James Tallarico released a polished campaign ad called Waking Up, featuring him driving a full-sized Dodge Ram 1500 through Texas oil fields and farm country. There's one problem: it's not his truck. Tallarico drives a Chevrolet Colorado, but its tinted windows made the interior too dark for filming, so his campaign rented the Dodge from a local company. We make the distinction between normal campaign staging and renting a persona — because the entire ad was designed to sell Tallarico as a natural extension of working Texans, and the truck was the centerpiece of that message. We also note that Republicans handed Democrats an opening by nominating Ken Paxton — damaged goods with a messy personal and political record — instead of Wesley Hunt, who would have won this race by a landslide. Texas Republicans got this one wrong. In our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, President Trump's Attorney General nominee Todd Blanch is in limbo after John Cornyn and Thom Tillis signaled they would not support him in the Senate Judiciary Committee — concerned about a proposed fund to compensate victims of political prosecution under Biden, including January 6th defendants, even after Blanch testified under oath the deal was dead. Trump is reportedly considering withdrawing the nomination until both senators leave office in January. Then the federal government demanded Colorado repay $8 million in Medicaid funds after an audit found the state had billed for services totaling more than 24 hours in a single day for the same patients — a mathematical impossibility. Colorado disagrees with the findings. And thousands of military-age North African men breached the border between Morocco and Spain at Ceuta — overwhelming local law enforcement, with at least nine people killed in the chaos. Spain's Supreme Court recently ruled that sea arrivals cannot be deported without due process hearings. Most of Spain's borders are water. We also cover the WNBA's latest self-inflicted embarrassment — the league itself posted and then deleted a video from All-Star Weekend showing Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese apparently agreeing to a $400 bet on the outcome of a game between their own teams. The WNBA's own rulebook explicitly prohibits players from wagering on league games, with penalties ranging from fines to lifetime bans. We ask the obvious question: what are the odds that Angel Reese faces the same consequences Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham would face in the same situation? Our American Mamas Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson respond to a listener question about the growing number of rules new parents are imposing on grandparents before they can see a newborn — mandatory vaccinations, isolation periods, mask requirements, no kissing — and trace it directly to the damage Anthony Fauci did to medical credibility during COVID. A generation raised on social media sees the exception, not the rule, and draws sweeping conclusions from rare worst-case scenarios. Teri's advice: get the vaccines with 50-year safety records, do your research on the newer ones, and for the love of everything good — let grandparents kiss the babies. We dig into a J7 report — tracking antisemitic violence in the seven countries with the largest Jewish populations outside Israel — which found that 2025 was the deadliest year for antisemitic attacks in the Western world since 1994. There were 23,000 antisemitic attacks in those seven countries last year alone, including 20 murders of Jewish people motivated by hatred of Jews — three in the United States. We trace the rise to mainstream media coverage of Israel's response to October 7th that portrayed military action against a terrorist organization as genocide — providing ideological cover for people who were already antisemitic to act. We also connect it to the intersectionality framework that positions whoever appears most oppressed as the default sympathetic party — a framework that simultaneously claims to support women, gay people, and Palestinians, without reckoning with the fact that none of those three positions are compatible with each other under Hamas governance. For our first Bright Spot, President Trump announced that Middle East mediators — including Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey — have reached an agreement on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with a phased plan to rebuild Gaza, establish a new Palestinian government, and guarantee Israel's security. We call it what it is: not a ceasefire, not a pause, but a structured plan — and potentially the most significant Middle East development in a generation. For our second Bright Spot, the island nation of Micronesia — 75,000 people spread across 607 islands in the South Pacific — used to charge $65 per megabit per second per month for internet access because the government ran the only internet provider. When the government ended its monopoly and allowed private companies in — including Starlink — the price dropped 99% to 78 cents per megabit and internet access jumped from nearly nothing to 88% of the population. All they did was end the government monopoly. We connect it directly to New York City's government grocery store plan — and suggest Mamdani study Micronesia before he opens his first store. We also cover New York City bodegas allegedly allowing customers to use EBT food stamp cards to purchase kratom — an herbal extract not approved as food, a drug, or a dietary supplement — and potentially THC products. We call it what it is: SNAP trafficking, a federal crime that diverts money intended for nutrition into products that have nothing to do with nutrition. We also note that families of 9/11 victims are asking organizers of the 25th anniversary Ground Zero memorial to bar Mayor Mamdani from attending — citing his political positions, his anti-Semitic endorsements, and his statement during his campaign that the worst thing about 9/11 was that his aunt feared people were looking at her suspiciously. We say that day belongs to the families and to the fallen — and that Mamdani would be a distraction from both. And we close with 73-year-old Dave Whitlow of Richmond, Virginia — who has spent eight years volunteering twice a week at the Children's Hospital of Richmond as a professional cuddler of premature babies. On busy days he holds eight different babies, some weighing less than two pounds, giving them the human contact their developing systems need. As he places each one back into their NICU bed, he tells them the same thing: grow strong, grow smart, grow kind. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace examines the fatal ICE shooting of an unarmed Houston construction contractor that has reignited debate over immigration enforcement, transparency and accountability in Texas. Jeremy speaks with U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia and Houston Chronicle reporter Julian Aguilar about the conflicting accounts of the shooting, the calls for an independent investigation, similarities to the shooting in Maine, and the broader political fallout. He also breaks down the renewed effort by Texas Republicans to ban THC products after Governor Greg Abbott's vetoed their ban last year. Plus, a rare public campaign stop from Senate candidate Ken Paxton shows how he's going to use a classic GOP line of attack in his battle against Democratic challenger James Talarico in one of the hottest races in the nation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:An annual quality of life study by CNBC gives Texas an "F" and ranks us the second-worst state in which to live in the U.S.: https://www.chron.com/texas/article/texas-worst-states-2026-22342359.php...In their business survey, Texas is #4 - proving that economic success does not guarantee a good quality of life for most people: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/democratic-challenger-hinojosa-blames-gov-greg-abbott-for-texas-decline-in-top-states-for-business-list/...Data centers and their local pollution are a great example of lax business regulation negatively impacting life quality for people who live nearby: https://www.wired.com/story/data-centers-taking-over-texas-pollution-could-be-catastrophic/With all of that happening, Texas Republicans are working instead on further bans on THC products for next year's legistlative session: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/texas-republicans-going-after-thc-again-40694510/Austin listeners: you're invited to check out a FREE screening of the documentary film "John Lewis: Good Trouble" on Friday! Info and RSVP: http://bit.ly/GTLOAUSTINThis election year, you can support the real free press by investing in pro-democracy, pro-justice, pro-gressive storytelling, delivered by Texans, for Texans. Join Progress Texas this summer ahead of the midterms, and become a monthly donor or increase your giving TODAY for our Summer Sustaining Donor Drive! With your partnership, we can reach more independents, progressives and young voters, who must be mobilized to win elections. So far, 3 donors have signed up or increased their gifts during our summer drive, and if you join them today, we'll thank you with perks for progress in the form of union-made merch to match your values - you can choose from our exclusive "Resist" coffee mug, a sweet Progress Texas summer koozie, and a mystery button pack - plus you'll get a shoutout on the Daily Dispatch! Our good friend Karen Wilkerson was the first to step up, and we're not surprised. Thanks Karen for your ongoing friendship! Join the family at https://act.progresstexas.org/a/summersustainers26.Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@progresstexas⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Progress Texas has expanded into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KPFT-FM in Houston⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and to our Spanish expansion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

Prices for the cheapest tickets to Tuesday's World Cup semifinal at Dallas Stadium dropped by 60% but the cheapest ticket on the secondary market still costs more than $1,600 to watch France against Spain. In other news, for a few weeks this summer, Frisco and Mansfield became home away from home for Sweden's and Czechia's World Cup teams with local officials saying the international attention will have lasting benefits; leading Texas Republicans took to social media after the sudden death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, celebrating the native South Carolinian as a great conservative leader. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We Dissent co-host Rebecca Markert was recently featured on "In Progress," a part of the Progress Texas podcast network. Please enjoy this episode of In Progress while you wait for our next episode!  From Dan Patrick's declaration that the separation of church and state is dead, to Texas Republicans kicking Muslims out of their state convention in Houston, to the Ten Commandments and bible stories permeating our public schools, the takeover by Christian Nationalism of Republican politics is no longer a theory - it's real, and it's here, right now. How to resist is now one of the primary questions for progressive people - and we've brought on Rebecca Markert to discuss that question. She's the Vice President and Legal Director of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, a national organization dedicated solely to the protection of the foundational American principles of freedom of religion - and freedom from religion. Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support their ongoing work at progresstexas.org   Check us out on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and X. Our website, we-dissent.org, has more information as well as episode transcripts.

Brandon Herrera, the AK Guy-turned-congressional candidate for Texas' 23rd District, joins Morning Wire to talk gun rights progress under the Trump administration, his path from YouTube gun content creator to GOP nominee after the scandal that ended predecessor Tony Gonzalez's career, and why Texas Republicans aren't sweating the "turning blue" narrative. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.- - -Ep. 2876- - -Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3- - -Today's Sponsors:Alliance Defending Freedom - If you believe in the freedom to practice your religion — this is an opportunity to take action. Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE to sign the petition today.Lean - Get 20% off when you enter code WIRE at https://TakeLean.com - - -Privacy Policy: https://www.dailywire.com/privacymorning wire,morning wire podcast,the morning wire podcast,Georgia Howe,John Bickley,daily wire podcast,podcast,news podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luxa https://linktr.ee/LuxaStrata welcomes Literoin & Fr. Damiana to talk about the John Carpenter movie, They Live (1988) and a pop culture magic experiment inspired by the film. What did you see when you “put on the glasses”?Luxa shares about The Green Mushroom Project https://greenmushroomproject.com/ and Void House- creating consent centered magical spaces for conducting group work both in person and online, investigating the magical and alchemical properties of consent, and providing consent education to magically inclined people. Thanks for listening to the Lux Occult Podcast! Support the show by helping Luxa buy books and curtail other costs, as well as taking a bibliomancy break by giving on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/luxoccult . Or, Buy Me a Coffee.com is an option for a one time donation: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/luxoccultpod?new=1 We would love to hear from you! Please send your thoughts, questions, suggestions or arcane revelations to luxoccultpod@gmail.com or message on Instagram @luxoccultpod https://www.instagram.com/luxoccultpod/ and on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/luxastrata919.bsky.socialCheck out the Lux Occult YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn8n4oQIH1uo08NhMvjjlBMerch! https://www.etsy.com/shop/IlluminIndustriesCommunity Protection Salt Ritual https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Atu6rNWkCSajdF6Fp6KYiMSHk7Sai-6IAlZfopNKFOU/edit?usp=sharing Music for Good: A Mixtape for MN Mutual Aid by Community Aid Network MN (CANMN) https://canmn.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-good-a-mixtape-for-mn-mutual-aidCheck out The Consent Academy https://www.consent.academy/Find Luxa's work published in Serpents of Circe: A Manual to Magical Resilience edited by Laura Tempest Zakroff and Ron Padrón https://revelore.press/product/serpents-of-circe-a-manual-to-magical-resilience/Referenced in today's episode:Project Spex All Out of Bubblegum Ceremony https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mVTyd4yi9T9IqCAram2WdJ4AnznvExAbxEM4hes0Xz4/edit?usp=sharing‘They Live': John Carpenter's Brilliantly Simple and Hugely Enjoyable Assault on Reagan's America by By Sven Mikulec https://cinephiliabeyond.org/live-john-carpenters-brilliantly-simple-hugely-enjoyable-assault-reagans-america/John Carpenter Wants Internet to Stop Misinterpreting ‘They Live' https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/john-carpenter-they-live-twitter-internet-nazis-jewish-control-capitalism-1201764730/They Live: John Carpenter's action flick needs to be saved https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2017/jan/09/they-live-john-carpenter-neo-nazisGee, whiz: elephant relieves itself on floor of Texas Republican convention https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/13/texas-elephant-republican-conventionThey Live Trivia https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096256/trivia/The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wretched_of_the_EarthSaw the TV Glow (2024) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Saw_the_TV_GlowAbby Hoffman and Steal This Book https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbie_Hoffman Albert Hoffman and LSD https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_HofmannBud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud,_Not_BuddyLeak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel's Secretive ‘Dialog' Society https://www.wired.com/story/leak-exposes-members-of-peter-thiels-secretive-dialog-society/#intcid=_wired-verso-hptrending_693ebede-53d6-4172-80db-00ed15bc0d62_popular4-2 How the Peter Thiel-Linked Dialog Club Secretly Ranks Its Members https://www.wired.com/story/how-peter-thiels-private-dialog-club-secretly-ranks-its-members/

Texas Republicans said in the wake of this week's Supreme Court ruling affirming automatic citizenship for anyone born in the United States should stop issuing birth certificates if the parents aren't citizens. In other news, as Dallas-Fort Worth prepares to host its second knockout-round match of this World Cup, last-minute asking prices for tickets on the secondary market have dropped significantly; Tormenta: Rampaging Run, a record-breaking dive coaster coming to Arlington's Six Flags Over Texas, will open Thursday, July 9th; and Dallas-based hospitality management company Local Favorite Restaurants acquired popular chain Cotton Patch Café. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Dan Patrick's declaration that the separation of church and state is dead, to Texas Republicans kicking Muslims out of their state convention in Houston, to the Ten Commandments and bible stories permeating our public schools, the takeover by Christian Nationalism of Republican politics is no longer a theory - it's real, and it's here, right now. How to resist is now one of the primary questions for progressive people - and we've brought on Rebecca Markert to discuss that question. She's the Vice President and Legal Director of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, a national organization dedicated solely to the protection of the foundational American principles of freedom of religion - and freedom from religion.Learn more about AU at https://www.au.org/.Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:The one bit of good news - in two days of mostly bad news from SCOTUS - was the denying of Donald Trump his wish to end birthright citizenship: https://progresstexas.org/blog/statement-american-birthright-protected-trump-denied-tyranny...Texas Republicans, as you might imagine, are beside themselves: https://www.chron.com/politics/article/birthright-citizenship-scotus-texas-22327186.php...And the bad news: in NRSC v. FEC, SCOTUS has relaxed limits on big money in politics even further, giving billionaires and corporations even more advantages over grassroots-funded candidates: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/supreme-court-nrsc-fec_n_69e13160e4b0555d213a5c96...In upholding bans on transgender girls playing women's sports, SCOTUS provides a lane for a broader weaponization of laws against LGBTQ people in general: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/01/us-supreme-court-trans-athletes-ruling...And in perhaps the worst news from SCOTUS this week, Monday's ruling in Trump v. Slaughter gives the President largely unlimited power to fire federal regulators: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/29/supreme-court-trump-agency-firings-slaughter-ftcNational Democrats aren't bothering to counter Donald Trump's announced midterm GOP convention in Dallas this September: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/30/trump-republican-convention-midterms-dallasCheck out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: ⁠⁠https://substack.com/@progresstexas⁠⁠Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KPFT-FM in Houston⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and to our Spanish expansion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

On Monday's show: Three years ago, Texas Republican lawmakers approved a state law eliminating Harris County's chief elections official and allowing state officials to intervene and supervise elections here. We learn how the state is using the law to take over elections in some other, much-smaller counties.Also this hour: We hear the story behind the Houston-based nonprofit Love You Adam Foundation and how it is using some new approaches to prevent suicide.Then, an expert from the UTHealth Houston Neurosciences-Headache & Pain Center answers your questions about headaches and migraines.And, after some MLB players wrote Bible verses on the rainbow-themed hats they wore on a recent LGBTQ+ Pride night, we talk about athletes and free speech -- what they can say, do, and even wear on the field.Watch

Tuesday, June 21st, 2022 In the Hot Notes: the fourth committee hearing on the attempted coup is today at 1 PM ET; a DeSantis judge committed a crime by lying on her state Supreme Court application; a federal judge rejects a Proud Boys motion for pretrial release; and the fascist Texas Republican platform has been released; plus Dana and Allison deliver your Good News. Follow our guest on Twitter: Hugo Lowell https://twitter.com/hugolowell Follow AG and Dana on Twitter: Dr. Allison Gill https://twitter.com/allisongill https://twitter.com/MuellerSheWrote https://twitter.com/dailybeanspod Dana Goldberg https://twitter.com/DGComedy   Listener Survey: http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short Have some good news, a confession, a correction, or a case for Beans Court? https://www.dailybeanspod.com/good Fluffy Butt Rescue mini-doc: https://youtu.be/3SYrOq-Aa3o Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Can the party the says it believes in freedom of religion also ban people from worshiping how they want? That's exactly the line Texas Republican Party is trying to walk. On this week's Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace pushes one of the leaders of the anti-Islam push in Texas, Alan Schoolcraft, about his claim this isn't about religion. The Democrat running to lead the biggest county in Texas isn't buying it. Harris County Judge candidate Letitia Plummer, a Muslim, joins the Take for an exclusive interview to explain how the GOP's latest culture war won't distract her from what she says is the real work of dealing with affordability and public safety. "When people are having culture wars, we are bringing hope," Plummer says. Plus, D'rinda Randall, fresh off her victory to become the new chair of the Republican Party of Texas stops by the show for an exclusive 1-on-1 interview to talk about her plan for fixing how the state party operates. And yes, we have elephants peeing and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in more leather than you've ever seen him. Reporters John Moritz and Haajrah Gilani join this week's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stories from the State Convention of Texas Republicans.

Today's Headlines: Trump's 80th birthday UFC fight at the White House went ahead as planned, sponsored by Meta, Polymarket, Bud Light, and Monster Energy, with fighters' bonuses paid in Trump crypto instead of actual dollars, weigh-ins at the Lincoln Memorial, and a crowd of million-dollar VIP ticket holders plus military members pre-screened for waist-to-height ratio — just as the Founders intended. The $14 million reflecting pool renovation, completed mere days ago, is already growing green algae because the color choice is algae growth friendly, which is a perfect metaphor. The Kennedy Center name removal deadline came and went with maximum drama — the Trump administration filed last-minute court motions to stop it, millions watched a live stream of construction workers put up a giant tarp, though the tarp remains up for unclear reasons. On the war beat, The US and Iran reportedly agreed on a peace deal, with a formal signing scheduled for Friday in Switzerland — terms not fully disclosed because the administration was busy with the birthday cage match — but the Navy blockade will end and the Strait of Hormuz will open toll-free when signed, kicking off 60 days of nuclear negotiations. The deal was briefly delayed by Israel launching strikes on Beirut, prompting Trump to tell Axios "Why did Bibi have to do a f---ing attack? I was so pissed off. He has no f---ing judgement" — which is a remarkable thing to say about your closest ally on your birthday. On the erosion of free press, the DOJ approved Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Brothers Discovery, with Bari Weiss reportedly set to oversee CNN as well as CBS News after the deal closes, because apparently the documented viewership collapse at CBS wasn't enough of a red flag. And finally, Argentina's Javier Milei submitted legislation to create a legal category for "non-human corporations" — essentially corporate personhood for AI systems — as part of his plan to make Argentina the Silicon Valley of unregulated AI, which Peter Thiel is presumably thrilled about. Resources/Articles mentioned:  NBC News: No heavyweights allowed: Troops must meet fitness criteria to attend White House UFC event The Guardian: UFC to pay White House fighters in crypto issued by Trump company TikTok: MAYBE WE'LL NEVER EVER TAKE IT DOWN | eiffel tower Yahoo: A tarp now covers where Trump's name used to hang at the Kennedy Center The Independent: Algae in the Reflecting Pool started growing just days after Trump's $14M renovation: report Axios: Scoop: Trump aides fear Haberman and Swan obtained Situation Room tapes for "Regime Change" USA Today: CBS won't air UFC White House event, viewers will need Paramount+ to watch The Guardian: Gee, whiz: elephant relieves itself on floor of Texas Republican convention  WSJ: U.S. and Iran Say They Have Reached a Deal to Stop Fighting NY Post: CBS News boss Bari Weiss poised to oversee CNN editorial operations: report Axios: Scoop: Paramount seeks business counterpart for Bari Weiss at CBS News Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Texas regulators are moving closer to allowing treated wastewater from oil and gas drilling operations to be reused on farmland and other sites outside the energy industry. Some fear the proposal is getting ahead of the science. Texas Republicans signaled their priorities at their convention in Houston, with Gov. Greg Abbott outlining his vision for […] The post State regulators weigh new uses for fracking wastewater appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Texas Republicans are in convention in Houston and have elected a new state chairman, defeating the incumbent. D'Rinda Randall has been elected the new head of the Republican Party of Texas and David Covey has been elected as vice chairman. Also, the report of the temporary committee for Texas legislative priorities has reported a list of 15 priorities that will likely be reduced to about half by the convention. In the #15 item on AI, this could come right out of the Democrat Party's platform anytime over the last 40 years!Our Lone Star story of the day is sponsored by Allied Compliance Services providing the best service in DOT, business and personal drug and alcohol testing since 1995.DPS Releases Details in Midland Shooting.Attorney General Paxton ruling rightly declares that so-called ‘skill' gaming machines can still violate Texas gambling laws.Governor Abbott partly grandstand on directive making data centers pay their own infrastructure expansion (electric grid) costs. They, and every other industrial customer, generally already does this. Maybe he'll achieve a small incremental gain with this?Bill Clinton appointed, McGovern supporting federal judge in Massachusetts says Texas cannot sue the Dem money machine ActBlue because it helps Paxton's campaign. By that logic, this judge's order help's Talarico's campaign so he's wrong.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com

This week on The FratChat Podcast, we're counting down the Best and Worst Straight Actors to Play LGBTQ Roles. Some performances were so authentic and compelling that audiences forgot they were watching an actor at all. Others aged about as well as a Blockbuster membership card. From acclaimed portrayals in films like Milk, Brokeback Mountain, and Capote to performances that sparked backlash, controversy, and endless eye rolls, we're ranking the actors who nailed it and the ones who completely missed the mark. Along the way, we tackle the bigger questions about authenticity, stereotypes, representation, and what separates a great performance from a caricature. Plus, we dive into Emails From the Listeners, break down the latest headlines in The News, and return with another installment of Not the Drag Queens, featuring the arrest of a Texas Republican precinct chair who was charged after investigators allegedly discovered a large amount of child sexual abuse material during a cyber-crime investigation. We also go off on several classic FratChat tangents, including Adam Sandler's wild movie phase, whether I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry has aged terribly, Christina Aguilera's acting in Burlesque, the enduring greatness of Stanley Tucci, and why some performances still hold up years after Hollywood changed the conversation around LGBTQ representation. It's comedy, controversy, movie debates, and just enough chaos to keep everyone uncomfortable. Got a question, comment or topic for us to cover? Let us know! Send us an email at fratchatpodcast@gmail.com or follow us on all social media: Instagram: http://Instagram.com/FratChatPodcast Facebook: http://Facebook.com/FratChatPodcast Twitter: http://Twitter.com/FratChatPodcast YouTube: http://YouTube.com/@fratchatpodcast Follow Carlos and CMO on social media! Carlos:  IG: http://Instagram.com/CarlosDoesTheWorld YouTube: http://YouTube.com/@carlosdoestheworld TikTok: http://TikTok.com/@carlosdoestheworld Twitter: http://Twitter.com/CarlosDoesWorld Threads: http://threads.net/carlosdoestheworld Website: http://carlosgarciacomedy.com Chris ‘CMO' Moore:  IG: http://Instagram.com/Chris.Moore.Comedy TikTok: http://TikTok.com/@chris.moore.comedy Twitter: http://Twitter.com/cmoorecomedy Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Having campaigned for more mainstream candidates during the primary, Texas Republican officials from Governor Greg Abbott down the line are now embracing the MAGA fringe nominees they were opposing just days ago: https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2026-06-04/bo-french-texas-railroad-commission-oil-gas-election-republicanERCOT officials have begun streamlining the approval process for new data centers to plug into the state grid, making it easier for the biggest, thirstiest and power-hungriest projects to sail through: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2026/06/02/553505/ercot-votes-to-streamline-process-for-data-centers-looking-to-join-the-power-grid/Frisco is rapidly becoming ground zero for the Islamophobic culture war at the center of Republican election messaging - its mayoral race has become a de-facto referendum on the issue: https://tx3dnews.com/friscos-runoff-is-about-more-than-who-becomes-mayor/...A confrontation developed at Frisco City Hall on Tuesday as armed counter-protestors provoked by a "Rally Against Rednecks" announced on social media assembled: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/article/frisco-protest-flier-draws-counter-protesters-22286166.php...Progress Texas has signed on to an open letter against the Republican amplification of anti-Islamic sentiment in Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/open-letter-islamophobiaEnvironment Texas is calling on concerned voters to voice their opposition to the selling off of public lands, currently being considered by the U.S. Senate: https://tinyurl.com/3kpp37xpWe're excited to see you in Dallas for our 16th anniversary celebration on Tuesday June 16! Make your reservation now:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://act.progresstexas.org/a/anniversary2026⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Progress Texas is expanding into both broadcast radio - including a new partnership with⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KPFT-FM in Houston⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and to our Spanish expansion⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

Ken Paxton beats John Conryn in the Texas Senate race after being endorsed by Trump. The Apes give their thoughts on what this means moving forward for the Texas elections as now the race could be alot closer with Paxton as the Republican nominee. 

Could reality TV star Spencer Pratt become Mayor of Los Angeles? And could Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton cause Texas to go blue? This week, Alex dives into all things primaries to see if we can read the tea leaves for what awaits both Republicans and Democrats in the future. She's joined by Nikki Laurenzo, anchor and political reporter for FOX40 in Sacramento, to break down the chaotic and still very undecided races shaping California politics. Then she speaks to Crooked Media's Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Pod Save America and author of the Message Box newsletter, to get a read on the consequences of Senator John Cornyn's loss to Ken Paxton, and why a crowded gubernatorial primary in California could be a warning for Democratic presidential hopefuls in 2028.

John's monologue focuses on the recent Texas Senate race and the surprising nomination of Ken Paxton, a man embroiled in scandal yet embraced by Texas Republicans. John explores the absurdity of a political system that rewards corruption while contrasting Paxton's candidacy with that of his opponent, James Talarico, a compassionate and principled candidate who embodies the values the GOP claims to uphold. Next, he speaks with podcast star and political commentator Bob Cesca. They chat about issues of healthcare, capitalism, and the moral responsibilities of caring leaders in a democracy. And then finally, John welcomes back The God Squad: theologians Desimber Rose and Dylan Nabor Cruz, who discuss the implications of Paxton's nomination for both Texas and the national political scene. They tackle the intersection of faith and politics, dissecting how the Republican Party has co-opted religious rhetoric to justify their actions while losing sight of the core values of empathy and service. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Check out CrabDiving radio podcast Wednesday!

Texas Republicans chose scandal over values, while Big Oil celebrates volatility and shareholder payouts as drivers struggle with high gas prices.Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletterPurchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make AmericaUtopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And BeFit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of anAfro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

Ken Paxton defeated four-term Senator John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary by nearly two to one, setting up what could be the most competitive Senate race in the state in decades as Democrats see an opening. South Carolina Republicans blocked President Trump's push to redraw the state's congressional map, with some in the party warning the nationwide redistricting effort is energizing Democrats and independents ahead of the midterms. And President Trump has declared progress on an Iran deal at least six times and still no deal, now as negotiations continue Trump is pushing for more Gulf countries to join the Abraham Accords.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Larry Kaplow, Rebekah Metzler, Mohamad ElBardicy and Taylor Haney.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.And our Supervising Producer is Michael Lipkin.(0:00) Introduction(02:36) Texas Primary Results(06:32) South Carolina Rejects Redistricting(10:06) Iran Deal WhiplashSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

-- On the Show: -- Donald Trump attacks James Talarico as a vegan and plans rallies for Ken Paxton while Republicans reveal growing fear about holding Texas -- A Texas Republican voter says Donald Trump controls the Republican Party and refuses to support Ken Paxton in the general election -- Donald Trump declares “perfect” health after another medical exam, while the White House turns medical updates into a publicity campaign -- White House social media accounts flood the internet with energetic Trump photos as videos of him appearing asleep spread online -- Dr. Jonathan Reiner warns that Donald Trump's repeated daytime sleeping and insomnia could signal serious health concerns -- Videos show Donald Trump swaying while saluting, fueling debate about age, fatigue, balance issues, or shoe lifts -- Jessica Tarlov criticizes Donald Trump's Iran policy on Fox News and leaves the rest of the panel visibly speechless -- JD Vance stumbles through grammar comments and welfare claims during an awkward public appearance -- On the Bonus Show: Biden sues DOJ to stop audio release, California's public universities embrace AI, construction begins on the White House UFC cage for Trump's birthday party, and much more...

Mark opened the show by explaining why President Trump moved the scheduled Camp David Cabinet meeting to the White House. The shift comes as the administration prepares for critical talks with Iran. Mark noted that if these negotiations fall through, the U.S. could respond with significant military action against Iran. President Trump's recent physical exam reportedly showed excellent health. In the Texas Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, signaling a major victory for the party's conservative wing. Mark takes your calls!  Mark interviews Boston radio host Howie Carr. Both agreed that President Trump's performance in his second term appears stronger than his first. They discussed the escalating tensions with Iran, calling this moment potentially decisive. In Texas, Rep. Al Green lost the Democratic primary to Christian Menefee, the current Harris County Attorney. Mark and Howie speculated whether Rep Al Green's initial electoral success was influenced by sharing a name with the famed soul singer.

Mark opened the show by explaining why President Trump moved the scheduled Camp David Cabinet meeting to the White House. The shift comes as the administration prepares for critical talks with Iran. Mark noted that if these negotiations fall through, the U.S. could respond with significant military action against Iran. President Trump's recent physical exam reportedly showed excellent health. In the Texas Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, signaling a major victory for the party's conservative wing.

Mark opened the show by explaining why President Trump moved the scheduled Camp David Cabinet meeting to the White House. The shift comes as the administration prepares for critical talks with Iran. Mark noted that if these negotiations fall through, the U.S. could respond with significant military action against Iran. President Trump's recent physical exam reportedly showed excellent health. In the Texas Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, signaling a major victory for the party's conservative wing. Mark interviews Boston radio host Howie Carr. Both agreed that President Trump's performance in his second term appears stronger than his first. They discussed the escalating tensions with Iran, calling this moment potentially decisive. In Texas, Rep. Al Green lost the Democratic primary to Christian Menefee, the current Harris County Attorney. Mark and Howie speculated whether Rep Al Green's initial electoral success was influenced by sharing a name with the famed soul singer. Mark discussed Zohran Mamdani's controversial housing plans, which are drawing criticism from landlords and property owners. He explained the pushback and concerns raised in the rental market. Jason Barrett, Founder and CEO of Barrett Media, joined the show to talk about the upcoming 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit, which will honor leading figures in the broadcast radio industry. Mark highlighted that radio listenership remains strong, with industry reports showing radio reaching more Americans weekly than network television, and audio advertising maintaining high levels of trust among audiences. Mark interviews Republican candidate for New York Governor, Bruce Blakeman. Blakeman discussed the status of his campaign and the increasing role of social media in reaching voters. He criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's record, pointing out that electricity rates in New York are about 70 percent higher than the national average. Bruce also stated that he had resolved earlier campaign financing issues, alleging that Democrats and Governor Hochul's allies attempted to block his funding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark opened the show by explaining why President Trump moved the scheduled Camp David Cabinet meeting to the White House. The shift comes as the administration prepares for critical talks with Iran. Mark noted that if these negotiations fall through, the U.S. could respond with significant military action against Iran. President Trump's recent physical exam reportedly showed excellent health. In the Texas Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, signaling a major victory for the party's conservative wing.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark opened the show by explaining why President Trump moved the scheduled Camp David Cabinet meeting to the White House. The shift comes as the administration prepares for critical talks with Iran. Mark noted that if these negotiations fall through, the U.S. could respond with significant military action against Iran. President Trump's recent physical exam reportedly showed excellent health. In the Texas Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, signaling a major victory for the party's conservative wing. Mark takes your calls!  Mark interviews Boston radio host Howie Carr. Both agreed that President Trump's performance in his second term appears stronger than his first. They discussed the escalating tensions with Iran, calling this moment potentially decisive. In Texas, Rep. Al Green lost the Democratic primary to Christian Menefee, the current Harris County Attorney. Mark and Howie speculated whether Rep Al Green's initial electoral success was influenced by sharing a name with the famed soul singer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark opened the show by explaining why President Trump moved the scheduled Camp David Cabinet meeting to the White House. The shift comes as the administration prepares for critical talks with Iran. Mark noted that if these negotiations fall through, the U.S. could respond with significant military action against Iran. President Trump's recent physical exam reportedly showed excellent health. In the Texas Republican primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated Senator John Cornyn, signaling a major victory for the party's conservative wing. Mark interviews Boston radio host Howie Carr. Both agreed that President Trump's performance in his second term appears stronger than his first. They discussed the escalating tensions with Iran, calling this moment potentially decisive. In Texas, Rep. Al Green lost the Democratic primary to Christian Menefee, the current Harris County Attorney. Mark and Howie speculated whether Rep Al Green's initial electoral success was influenced by sharing a name with the famed soul singer. Mark discussed Zohran Mamdani's controversial housing plans, which are drawing criticism from landlords and property owners. He explained the pushback and concerns raised in the rental market. Jason Barrett, Founder and CEO of Barrett Media, joined the show to talk about the upcoming 2026 Barrett Media Audio Summit, which will honor leading figures in the broadcast radio industry. Mark highlighted that radio listenership remains strong, with industry reports showing radio reaching more Americans weekly than network television, and audio advertising maintaining high levels of trust among audiences. Mark interviews Republican candidate for New York Governor, Bruce Blakeman. Blakeman discussed the status of his campaign and the increasing role of social media in reaching voters. He criticized Governor Kathy Hochul's record, pointing out that electricity rates in New York are about 70 percent higher than the national average. Bruce also stated that he had resolved earlier campaign financing issues, alleging that Democrats and Governor Hochul's allies attempted to block his funding.

As Texas Republicans follow Donald Trump's direction and give a primary victory to deeply flawed candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Jim Messina, campaign manager for Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign, and Chuck Rocha, former senior advisor to the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, talk with Jen Psaki about how the Republican Party's inability to break away from unpopular Trump is setting them up for and even more difficult midterm election. Ali Velshi offers insights from the election data. Jen Psaki describes the basic contours of some of the many scandals that make the newly selected Texas Republican candidate for Senate, Ken Paxton, endorsed by Donald Trump, a disastrously difficult candidate for voters to support, even Trump-era Republican voters with a high tolerance for corruption, disgrace and dishonor. Rep. Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, joins to discuss. And Senator Cory Booker joins to discuss the potental shift in power in Congress after this year's midterms and how lame duck legislators burned by Trump may haunt him as their terms run out. To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn in the Texas Republican primary — and Democrats couldn't be happier. But Paxton will face Democrat James Talarico come November, and that means a lot of campaign money will have to be raised between now and then. Playbook's Jack Blanchard and Adam Wren get into all of this and more about the Lone Star state. 

A heated political commentary out of Texas claims a dramatic power shift inside the Republican Party following a major primary outcome. Supporters describe it as a rejection of establishment influence, while critics call the rhetoric extreme and historically loaded. The episode focuses on allegations involving long-standing GOP factions, political operatives, and figures such as Ken Paxton, alongside references to former President George W. Bush and broader accusations about party ideology, globalism, and immigration policy.

Texas Republicans on Tuesday chose Attorney General Ken Paxton's hard-charging MAGA style over Sen. John Cornyn's seasoned establishment conservatism after one of the state's most bruising races in years. Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred beat incumbent U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson in Tuesday's runoff for a newly drawn North Texas district in a race that turned the onetime Democratic allies against each other. In other news, Fort Worth ISD said it will reassign a new principal after her hire sparked a sharp backlash from conservatives and far-right groups; a Mesquite man facing a charge of capital murder in the death of a 4-month-old girl was barred by a protective order from the apartment where he told police he was alone with the child before she became unresponsive; and despite the team's ownership demonstrating an interest in legalizing gambling in Texas, Dallas Mavericks CEO Rick Welts maintains the group does not have a “casino component” attached to current plans for a new arena. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. launched fresh strikes on Iran, targeting missile sites and boats laying mines, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio says negotiations to end the war could still take a few more days, with Israel warning the emerging deal is a bad one as it escalates attacks in Lebanon. Russia carried out one of its largest attacks on Ukraine, hitting every district in Kyiv over the weekend while Ukraine continues long-range drone strikes on Russian oil facilities and warns it desperately needs more air defense systems.Texas Republicans are voting today in the most expensive primary in U.S. history, with President Trump's endorsed candidate Ken Paxton challenging longtime Senator John Cornyn in a high-stakes race that could have major implications for the midterms.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Miguel Macias, Tina Kraya, Anna Yukhananov, Mohamad ElBardicy and John Stolnis.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas.Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Zo van Ginhoven. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.(0:00) Introduction(01:59) US Hits Iran Amid Talks(05:49) Russia-Ukraine War Intensifies(09:44) Texas Primary RunoffSee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Texas Republicans are set to decide between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton for a crucial Senate seat. California authorities say a chemical plant explosion has been averted, but that threats still remain. And an Ebola outbreak is only beginning to come into focus in Africa.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. and Iran appeared close to a deal over the holiday weekend. The Wall Street Journal’s Alex Ward explains why plenty of questions and skepticism remain. Texas Republicans vote today in a Senate primary runoff between incumbent John Cornyn and Trump-backed Ken Paxton. Steven Sloan of the Associated Press joins to discuss why some inside the party are worried about a Cornyn loss. Very little is known about Trump's “anti-weaponization” fund. Brian Schwartz of the Wall Street Journal breaks down why friends and foes of the president are lining up to file claims. Plus, authorities in Southern California said the threat of a major chemical explosion is eliminated for now, Pope Leo took on AI in his first encyclical, and why, despite viral claims, booking your flight at the library might not save you money. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.

Griff Jenkins fills in for Brian Kilmeade to break down a massive day of news, starting with a historic finish at the Indy500 with winner Felix Rosenqvist. We dive deep into the Texas Republican primary runoff as Karl Rove exposes the high stakes of the Paxton vs. Cornyn race and the progressive threat from James Talarico. Plus, Congressman Jim Jordan exposes the radical left's multi-step border plan, Col. Allen West reacts to President Trump's potential Iran deal, and Manhattan Institute's Judge Glock breaks down why current industrial policies fail middle America.  [00:00:00] Felix Rosenqvist   [00:10:32] Allen West   [00:18:26] Rep. Jim Jordan   [00:36:50] Karl Rove   [00:55:13] Sen. John Cornyn   [01:13:38] Judge Glock   [01:24:43] John Stanford   [01:32:01] Elizabeth Pipko Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas Republicans are about to answer a question that has been hanging over the party since 2024: is partial loyalty to Trump enough anymore, or do you either become fully absorbed into MAGA or get pushed out entirely? Because both John Cornyn and Chip Roy represent different versions of Republicanism that tried, in different ways, to coexist with Trump without completely surrendering to him. And right now it looks like both experiments are failing. Chip Roy backed Ron DeSantis and spent years cultivating the image of an ideological purist who would occasionally buck leadership. Cornyn, meanwhile, did the exact opposite. He spent the last few years trying to carefully stay inside Trump's orbit, hiring Trumpworld operatives and constantly reminding voters how aligned he was with the president. One strategy was confrontation, the other was accommodation, and both may end in political extinction.Politics Politics Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.The Roy situation honestly feels more straightforward. MAGA voters have absurdly long memories when it comes to perceived disloyalty during the DeSantis challenge. Roy spent the last year trying to re-enter the fold by being more cooperative, less antagonistic, more visibly aligned with the movement, but the suspicion never really disappeared. In a normal political environment, Roy's résumé would make him a strong favorite for statewide office in Texas. Instead, he now looks like somebody who made one unforgivable career calculation at exactly the wrong moment. If the polling is right and Mays Middleton wins comfortably, then the lesson Republican politicians will take from this is brutal: you do not get credit for eventually coming home after backing an alternative to Trump. The scarlet letter sticks.Cornyn's downfall is more interesting because he actually played the game correctly, at least according to the old rules. He built institutional support. He raised enormous amounts of money. He aligned himself with Trump operationally. For a while it even looked like it might work. He outperformed expectations in the initial round of voting and there were persistent rumors that Trumpworld had seriously considered endorsing him. But the problem with trying to survive inside Trump politics is that eventually survival itself becomes weakness. Ken Paxton understood this instinctively. He didn't need to prove he was more effective than Cornyn. He just needed to remain more emotionally connected to the base long enough for Trump to make a final decision. Once the endorsement landed, the race effectively stopped being about qualifications and became a referendum on who belonged more naturally inside the MAGA coalition.What's fascinating is that this same dynamic is now showing signs of strain elsewhere. South Carolina Republicans refusing to immediately fall in line on redistricting suggests at least some elected Republicans are beginning to quietly calculate for a post-Trump future. Not necessarily because Trump lacks influence — he very clearly still has it — but because the timing starts to matter. If Trump cannot personally destroy you until after the next election cycle, then maybe you can survive long enough for his attention to move elsewhere. That's the first real symptom of lame-duck politics: not open rebellion, but selective hesitation. Politicians start making small bets that enforcement may become inconsistent.And that's probably the deeper story underneath all of this. Trump still absolutely has the power to end Republican careers. Thomas Massie just learned that. Cornyn is probably about to learn it. Roy may learn it too. But the coalition is also beginning to subtly adapt around the reality that Trump's political clock is finite. The question is whether Republicans are entering a transition period where fear of Trump remains dominant but no longer universally paralyzing. Because once politicians begin believing there are scenarios where they can survive crossing him, even temporarily, then the entire incentive structure inside the party starts to change.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:02:51 - Final Texas Prediction00:09:05 - AI Ads with Brian Brushwood00:30:23 - South Carolina00:33:54 - Iran00:37:46 - Trump's Physical00:40:47 - AI Ads with Brian Brushwood, con't01:18:25 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

President Donald Trump will host a cabinet meeting at the White House on Wednesday, after first announcing that the meeting would take place at Camp David. The president on Tuesday postponed the cabinet meeting at Camp David based on possible bad weather conditions.An American journalist and the son of a Texas Republican politician has been charged with acting as a Chinese agent. Court records show Thomas Pauken II was allegedly paid at least $100,000 for selling intelligence to the Chinese Communist Party.Vice President JD Vance hosts a roundtable with state attorneys general on anti-fraud efforts. Kurt Couchman, senior fellow in Fiscal Policy at Americans for Prosperity, joins NTD to discuss.

Ralph welcomes Professor Nicholas Chater, co-author of “It's on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We're to Blame for Society's Deepest Problems.” Then, as most of the media turns its attention to Iran, we return to the ongoing genocide in Gaza and welcome back Dr. Feroze Sidhwa to break down his three-part series published in Zeteo called “The Truth About Gaza's Dead.”Nick Chater is Professor of Behavioural Science at Warwick Business School. He has written and co-written more than two hundred research papers and six books, including It's on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We're to Blame for Society's Deepest Problems (co-written with George Loewenstein).I was on a UK government committee as the representative of behavioural science for six years, where my role was (at least I understood my role to be) coming up with smart-aleck ideas about what individual nudges or bits of useful information we could give to the public—how that would help people reduce their carbon emissions. And I came away from that experience extremely chastened. Because almost all the interesting issues were nothing to do whatsoever with individual behavior. They were all about big systemic changes… And the shock for me was realizing that the tools that I was hoping to wield were in fact completely ineffective.Nick ChaterI think it's absolutely true that many of the things that behavioral scientists are supposedly “discovering” [are] the things that campaigners and activists and indeed people in the political world generally and journalists intuitively have long known, and indeed probably have good evidence for. It's simply— it's sort of a sad process of trailing-along-behind which I think the academic world has been engaged in, where we've been slowly realizing that things that everybody else knew initially are actually true after all.Nick ChaterOne of the most powerful things that each of us has is the ability to propagate our own perspective and to campaign for change…I think getting people pulling together and pushing for change can be incredibly powerful. So seeing ourselves as citizens who are actively able to have our voice, make our voices heard, I think that's where the real power lies. And I think that the campaigners and political activists and so on have always known this. And of course, also, big businesses have always known this too. And they certainly don't want us to be doing too much of that. They want us to be focusing on quite the opposite. They want us to be focusing on our own gardens and not worrying about the big picture. They don't want organized opposition.Nick ChaterDr. Feroze Sidhwa is a general, trauma, and critical care surgeon in California. He is also a humanitarian surgeon who has worked in Palestine, Ukraine, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. He most recently volunteered at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, Gaza. He was blocked from entering Gaza by Israel's Shin Bet intelligence service in November 2025.In the first 25 days of the assault on Gaza, more children were killed than in the entire worst year of conflict that Airwars had ever studied previously, which was Syria in 2016. In the first 25 days in Gaza, between 2,200 and 2,600 children were killed in Gaza, compared to 1,900 in Syria. So again, if you adjust for the size of the population (because Syria is a much bigger country than Gaza is a territory), the rate of killing of children in Gaza was 71 to 142 times higher than it was in the worst year on record for children in conflict—Syria in 2016.Dr. Feroze SidhwaGaza is a place where infants freeze to death if they are not sheltered. Well, there are no sheltered infants in Gaza for any practical purposes. They're all unsheltered. So we have a list of the actual names of a dozen or two dozen children who have actually frozen to death…And there is shelter—ready-made mobile shelters for hundreds of thousands of people right outside of Gaza. It's in Egypt and it's in Jordan. The only thing that's stopping anybody from bringing it in is the US and Israel…This is just dastardly. We should think about it for a second—we (meaning Americans) [are] living in a country where neither political party seems to care that we are freezing infants to death.Dr. Feroze SidhwaRight now, the Israelis are blocking cough medicine from going into Gaza. And the reason (they say) is because it contains glycerin. Now, glycerin, in theory, can be used to make explosives. But it's one picogram or something—it's just part of a pill or the syrup that goes into it, right? This is children's cough medicine. The idea that Hamas or Islamic Jihad or anybody else in Gaza has the laboratory equipment and facilities that would be needed to extract the 0.01% of glycerin that's in a pill or a medical syrup to then make a bomb is beyond idiotic. Furthermore, we all know that there's (and I'm speaking literally) hundreds of tons of unexploded Israeli bombs—actually I should say unexploded US bombs—all over the Gaza Strip. That's where Hamas gets all of its explosives from. It just repurposes unexploded Israeli munitions. So all of this is just sheer nonsense.Dr. Feroze SidhwaNews 4/24/26* Our top stories this week have to do with people losing their jobs. First up, Apple CEO Tim Cook – the handpicked successor of Steve Jobs who has led the tech giant for the past 15 years – announced this week that he would transition away from the CEO role. While he will remain on as Executive Chairman, John Ternus, the company's head of hardware engineering, will take over at the helm, PBS reports. Cook's tenure at Apple has received mixed evaluations, with many applauding the steady handed executive for adding an estimated $3.6 trillion in market value to the company, while others have critiqued his supposed lack of innovation compared to his predecessor. Some hope his more technical-minded successor will put more emphasis on product development moving forward. Like many tech CEOs, Cook went to great lengths to ingratiate himself with President Trump in his second term, donating $1 million to his inaugural committee and gifting Trump a glass plaque set in 24-karat gold last August.* Meanwhile, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned this week amid “an internal investigation into her conduct,” which included “instructing staff to buy her bottles of sauvignon blanc on work trips… [stashing] liquor in her office, [encouraging] young female staffers to ‘pay attention' to her father and husband, [having] an affair with a member of her security detail, and [arranging] work travel to visit family and friends,” per Vox. For the time being, the Labor Department will be headed by Keith Sonderling, whom POLITICO calls a “quintessential Washington insider who is well-connected in the capital's Republican circles and his home state of Florida.” Sources quoted in this piece identify Sonderling as a key behind-the-scenes player in the administration whose accumulated influence “extends well beyond DOL.” The choice of Chavez-DeRemer, a former Congresswoman who was seen as perhaps the most labor-friendly Republican in the House, was supported at the time by Trump-aligned Teamster boss Sean O'Brien; her ouster therefore, represents the latest humiliating setback for his strategy of cozying up to Trump to win favorable treatment for his membership. In the words of a recent Current Affairs piece published before the downfall of Chavez-DeRemer, “Sean O'Brien Sold Labor to Trump, and Got Nothing.”* In the House, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned her seat this week, just minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to weigh punishment for the Congresswoman, whom the panel had previously found guilty of “a slew of ethics violations, including accusations that she stole millions in pandemic relief funds and used it to bolster her 2021 campaign,” according to CNN. Cherfilus-McCormick was one of the four Members of Congress included in the proposed bipartisan expulsion deal some weeks ago, along with Representatives Swalwell, Gonzales, and Mills. With the first two gone, a tremendous amount of pressure is sure to be exerted on Congressman Mills to resign as well. Prior to resigning, Cherfilus-McCormick was already facing a stiff primary challenge from young progressive Elijah Manley. Now, it seems her seat – representing hundreds of thousands in Broward and Palm Beach counties – could remain vacant until a new member is sworn in next January, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unlikely to call a special election before then.* Also in Congress, Axios reports Representative David Scott of Georgia, a powerful Black Georgia Democrat who served in the lower house for over 20 years, passed away this week at age 80. Scott, who rose to become the first Black chair of the key House Committee on Agriculture, had filed to run again in 2026 despite rumored resistance from his colleagues. His death leaves Georgia's 13th district without representation in the House and amounts to a stunning fourth death-based Democratic House vacancy in the past year. Like the ones that preceded it, this must be seen as a bright red warning signal to Democratic leadership.* In DC more broadly, the employment picture looks even worse. According to a new report in the Guardian, the combined purging of 300,000 jobs from the federal government – the piece notes this is the “region's largest employer” – by Elon Musk's absurd Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, with another 13,000 job cuts in the private sector, has left DC with the highest unemployment rate in the nation at 6.7%. With little sign of increased hiring in the public or private sectors, there is no indication this trend will reverse itself any time soon.* Elsewhere in the DMV, this week Virginia voters approved a referendum to amend the state constitution allowing Democrats to redraw the state's congressional districts in their favor. Currently, Virginia Democrats hold six districts to the Republicans' five; under the new map, Democrats are poised to hold 10 districts and the Republicans just one. This is the latest episode in the mid-decade redistricting fight begun last year, when Texas Republicans sought to redraw the Lone Star state's maps to be more favorable to the GOP. This set off a stampede of states seeking to redraw their district lines. Now, in light of the Virginia referendum passing, Florida is threatening to redraw their maps to the detriment of Democrats there. The Hill reports House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, taking a sharper tone than usual, responded to news of the Florida redistricting attempt with a statement reading “If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime pick-up opportunities for Democrats, just as they did with Trump's dummymander in Texas…[he vowed] maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”* In California, the downfall of Eric Swalwell has resulted in the unexpected rise of another candidate – former Congressman, California Attorney General, and Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Between April 10th and April 22nd, Becerra surged from a polling average of under 4% to an average of 13% – and in some polls, even moved into first place. While Becerra seeks to consolidate this spike in support, progressives are airing long-held grievances. David Sirota, former Bernie Sanders campaign advisor and founder of the Lever, cited that publication's 2021 report on how “As California AG, [Becerra] demanded the HHS secretary use existing law to lower medicine prices - and then he became HHS secretary & literally refused to do that.” Others have pointed out that, according to Transparency USA, Becerra's campaign has received massive donations from the likes of Chevron. Progressive billionaire Tom Steyer on the other hand this week received the endorsement of Our Revolution, closely aligned with Bernie Sanders, which noted that “Yes, Tom Steyer is a billionaire. But it matters what he is doing with that power: pushing for taxes on the wealthy, expanding universal programs, and dismantling corporate influence in our politics.”* In another case of politics making strange bedfellows, the Chicago Tribune reports the political arm of Planned Parenthood is making an endorsement in the race to succeed retiring Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García in Illinois 4th congressional district. Except, in this case, the reproductive rights group is not endorsing the Democrat in the race. Listeners may recall that Congressman García was sharply criticized for his maneuvering to ensure his chief of staff Patty García would be the Democratic nominee. This has forced other potential aspirants to run as independents. These include DSA-aligned Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-López and activist Mayra Macías – the latter of whom won the Planned Parenthood Action endorsement this week. The Tribune notes that Macías served on the board of Planned Parenthood Action until the beginning of this year. In a statement, Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson called Macías “a proven leader,” who “will be unrelenting in the fight to protect access to sexual and reproductive health care.”* Turning to international news, in South Africa, leftist politician and leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party Julius Malema was sentenced to five years in prison this week for “firing a rifle in ⁠the air at a party rally,” Al Jazeera reports. Unsurprisingly, given that the EFF is the fourth largest political party in South Africa, this case has become a rallying cry for Malema's supporters, with those same supporters accusing the prosecution of being politically motivated. Presiding Magistrate Twanet Olivier disputes this, contending that it “is not a political party who has been convicted here … it is a person, an individual.” Malema's lawyers immediately applied for – and were granted – leave to appeal, but if these appeals fail Malema could be barred from serving as a Member of Parliament.* Finally, in more positive news from abroad, Reuters reports that the much-trumpeted summit of the global Left held in Barcelona this week – designed to help progressives rally their forces to defeat modern reactionary Right-wing nationalism characterized by figures like Trump – drew over 6,000 attendees from over 40 countries. Headline speakers included Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Brazilian President Lula, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. From the United States, an ecclectic group addressed the summit, ranging from video messages of support from Hilary Clinton to Bernie Sanders to Zohran Mamdani, with an in-person address by Minnesota Governor and former Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz. A recurrent theme, hammered home by Isabel Allende, former Senate president ​of Chile and daughter of Salvador Allende, Chile's leftist president ousted in a U.S.-backed coup and replaced with the dictator Augusto Pinochet, was that the left has become too distant from the daily concerns of workers, stating in no uncertain terms that “It's unimaginable to fight against the right ‌if we can't ⁠get closer to ordinary people.”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