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With conservative culture war architect Karl Rove now turning on GOP Texas Railroad Commission nominee Bo French, we're getting an update on where the line between open racism and more private racism now lies for Texas conservatives. And we do hope that the grownups surrounding Texas Longhorns star QB Arch Manning will have a word with him about whether or not violence against women is a laughing matter.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/14/bo-french-kal-rove-endorsement-jon-rosenthal/Lone Star Left: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/republicans-pretend-to-be-outragedTexas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/not-all-texas-republicans-are-condemning-bo-french/Twitter: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/2099841032468713653?s=20Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! Sponsor and RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
The Senate Republican leadership is pouring tens of millions of dollars into the U.S. Senate campaign of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is locked in a tight race with Democratic nominee James Talarico. A super PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune last week purchased about million in television broadcast ads across the state's major media markets, The Texas Tribune reported. In addition, MAGA Inc., a PAC aligned with President Donald Trump, bought million in ads. Paxton is trailing slightly in the most recent polls. To date, he has been vastly outspent by Talarico and his... Article Link
Through Sunday's episode surrounding racist comments made about non-white Texas Longhorns fans, folks appear to be realizing what we've known for a long time - Bo French, GOP nominee for Texas Railroad Commission, is an admitted, virulent racist - and placing a vote for him in November supports the institutional racism that plagues our state.New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/us/bo-french-racist-post-republicans-texas.html?smid=nytcore-android-sharePolitico: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/13/john-cornyn-bo-french-texas-students-01073901Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/13/bo-french-john-cornyn-republican-texas-railroad-commissioner-ut/Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/texas-republicans-stand-racists-party-22430386.phpJoin Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! Sponsor and RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
Racking up over 1.5 million views - overnight - in the first 8 hours of its release, the Jimmy Kimmel interview with James Talarico forced off the air by Donald Trump's FCC is set to far surpass typical network viewership. On this 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Texas Republicans are leaning into anti-Muslim hate as a primary midterm campaign plank - while we recall Trump's lies and grift related to that tragic day. And it looks like the GOP midterm convention was a bummer for many of its attendees, as Grindr fails to function properly under heavy demand in Dallas.The Kimmel/Talarico interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLDE9LrGpNkNBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/jimmy-kimmel-abc-tv-show-wont-air-james-talarico-interview-fcc-threats-rcna596994KERA Dallas: https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-09-11/texas-republicans-target-islam-muslims-at-republican-midterm-conventionSan Antonio Current: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/gay-hookup-app-grindr-experiences-dallas-outages-during-republicans-trump-a-palooza/Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! Sponsor and RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
The first day of Donald Trump's two-day Dallas "convention" failed by far to fill the American Airlines Center, showing severely lacking interest in all matters Trump in Texas' third-bluest county. New polling shows good reason for GOP panic as Democrat Gina Hinojosa is now in a dead heat with Governor Greg Abbott - largely buoyed by a massive leftward shift among Texas Latinos. And Jimmy Kimmel's yanking of a James Talarico interview shows conclusively that American media is under attack by an authoritarian, conservative government - making YOUR support for fact-based, progressive independent media like Progress Texas all the more crucial.Bobby Pulido on MS Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tsrXkvg7BEFort Worth Star-Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article317189200.htmlLone Star Left: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/a-plague-has-decended-upon-dallasAxios Austin: https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/09/10/democrats-suburban-texas-austin-turnoutNewsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/greg-abbott-faces-worrying-poll-as-trumps-texas-rnc-begins-12423150Cook Political Report: https://www.cookpolitical.com/analysis/house/texas-house/exclusive-new-poll-hispanic-texas-voters-shows-collapse-gops-2024Variety: https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/jimmy-kimmel-live-james-talarico-youtube-fcc-1236856911/Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
The Trump rally masquerading as a midterm convention beginning today in Dallas is a sure sign that the GOP sees Texas slipping from their stranglehold - while Texas Democrats respond with grocery drives and a rally of their own. And the new documentary on Elon Musk shows the world's first trillionaire and Texas' worst transplant to be a one-man existential threat to global democracy.Houston Chronicle: https://www.chron.com/texas/article/trump-texas-midterm-convention-22423270.phpKERA Dallas: https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-09-08/republican-national-convention-dallas-1984-trumpapalooza-midterm-trump-talarico-paxton-democrat-differentWFAA Dallas: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/elections/dallas-protest-republican-rnc-midterm-convention-gop-dallas-city-hall/287-329ac334-9811-4c2c-954f-7b34483bf29bNew York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/movies/elon-musk-film-alex-gibney-venice-film-festival.htmlUSA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2026/09/08/elon-musk-documentary-revelations/91663252007/Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
The GOP "convention" in Dallas this Wednesday and Thursday will feature no party business - focusing instead on a desperate, gaudy Trump sideshow designed to bolster flagging interest in his brand. Trump's "MAGA Inc." PAC has set a $10 million ad buy across Texas for Ken Paxton, out of similar desperation. Current Paxton ads goofily try to blame James Talarico for policies leading to Chinese landownership in Texas. Ted Cruz racks up a huge private airfare bill while he barnstorms for Paxton (but really for himself). And Beto O'Rourke warns of GOP election meddling both to come, and already underway.Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/article/dallas-hosts-gop-midterm-convention-heavy-on-trump-22417111.phpTexas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/05/texas-maga-inc-10-million-ad-spend-paxton-trump/Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/ted-cruz-midterms-private-jets-22407804.phpSan Antonio Current: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/politics-and-elections/at-san-antonio-rally-beto-orourke-warns-gop-may-use-intimidation-tactics-to-steal-midterms/Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
Appointed and un-elected Texas Comptroller Don Huffines wants to double the $1 billion budget for the private school voucher scam. Democratic Railroad Commission nominee Jon Rosenthal details his fact- and strategy-based agenda for overseeing Texas' massive energy sector. Democratic nominee for Governor Gina Hinojosa sees yet another poll placing her in striking distance of a win, while Governor Greg Abbott's reversal on Flock cameras apparently doesn't apply to Texas DPS. Ken Paxton chickens out of a fourth debate against James Talarico, this one offered by CNN. Elon Musk's PAC gives Paxton almost a quarter-million dollars, while his Tesla Cybercabs roll out in Austin - minus steering wheels.Texas Tribune on vouchers: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/03/texas-school-voucher-program-2-billion-expansion-budget-comptroller/Texas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/railroad-commission-bo-french-jon-rosenthal/Texas Tribune on Flock cameras: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/04/texas-flock-cameras-dps-network-search-abbott/KXAN Austin: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/third-poll-in-five-weeks-shows-hinojosa-within-point-of-abbott-its-a-real-race/Austin American-Statesman: https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/state/article/talarico-paxton-cnn-texas-senate-debate-22414048.phpScripps News: https://www.scrippsnews.com/politics/elon-musks-super-pac-starts-spending-to-help-gop-in-midterms-including-texas-ken-paxtonAssociated Press: https://apnews.com/article/tesla-cybercab-austin-elon-musk-driverless-8791add840f4debbc41bcaa9d1e64561Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfestThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
Republican Study Committee Chair Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) stopped by the townhouse to chat with Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer about the state of the GOP, rooting out fraud, immigration reform and MUCH more. Stick around: The Texas Tribune's Gabby Birenbaum and MS NOW's Mychael Schnell join for That's Not Gonna Fly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After years of refusing to expand Medicaid coverage to help lower-income Texans get health coverage, Governor Abbott is now demanding Medicaid dollars that the Trump administration is withholding. As more and more Texas cities disconnect their Flock cameras, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn is still big on them. And while Texas GOP officials slash polling locations for the midterm election, the US Postal Service is allegedly preparing to help Donald Trump kneecap mail-in voting.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/02/texas-hospitals-medicaid-greg-abbott/Fort Worth Star-Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article317080708.htmlAustin American-Statesman: https://www.statesman.com/politics/article/usps-mail-voting-texas-22412931.php?utm_source=redditThe midterm election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
As Tarrant County's Republican-dominated Commissioners Court slashes polling locations for Election Day, that bellwether county becomes the epicenter of the midterm paritisan struggle across Texas. Yet another death happens in the Tarrant County Jail, even as Sheriff Bill Waybourne is lauded with a plaque. And a Tarrant GOP nominee for the State House is being pressure to resign from leading a charter school board over her own racist social media posts.Associated Press: https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/plan-cut-number-polling-sites-major-texas-county-136078582Democracy Docket: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/a-deliberate-barrier-texas-battleground-county-cuts-30-of-midterm-voting-locations/KERA Dallas: https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-09-01/tarrant-county-residents-rally-to-protest-jail-deaths-days-after-woman-dies-in-custodyFort Worth Star-Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article317080564.htmlThe election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
After a raucous protest delayed their plans weeks back, the GOP-dominated Tarrant County Commissioner's Court is set to vote again this morning at 10 on a plan that still significantly reduces polling locations in minority areas. An impasse between Governor Abbott and RFK Jr. begins costing Texas $27 million per day in federal funding as of today, while our backlogs on SNAP and Medicaid applications have grown by exponential factors. And some clarity on the voter suspense list: being on it doesn't disqualify you from voting, but is cause for concern and immediate action.Fort Worth Star Telegram: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article317066909.htmlCommon Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/news/texas-closing-polling-placesKERA on Tarrant vote: https://fortworthreport.org/2026/08/31/talarico-simmons-speak-against-proposal-to-cut-almost-a-third-of-tarrant-county-voting-sites/Texas Tribune: https://fortworthreport.org/2026/08/31/talarico-simmons-speak-against-proposal-to-cut-almost-a-third-of-tarrant-county-voting-sites/KERA on Medicaid backlog: https://www.keranews.org/health-wellness/2026-09-01/texas-medicaid-snap-food-stamps-applications-backlog-grows-hhsc-data-texans-care-for-childrenVoteBeat: https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/08/31/voter-suspense-list-registration-canceled-confirm-address/The election approaches! Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org. And see a handy ballot customizable to your home address from the Texas Tribune at https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-general-election-ballot-november-2026/.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.
Rural Health News is a weekly segment of Rural Health Today, a podcast by Hillsdale Hospital. News sources for this episode: Twilight Greenaway Et al., “Hurricane Lala Passes Big Island: Hawaiʻi Spared From Direct Hit,” August 15, 2026, https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/08/hurricane-lala-brings-rain-and-strong-winds-thousands-on-hawaii-island-lose-power/, Honolulu Civil Beat. Joseph S. Pete, “2 Methodist Hospitals campuses have power again, offering public food and services,” August 18, 2026, https://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_58a16c9f-b147-427c-bed9-9007ad31f581.html?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_The_Times_of_Northwest_Indiana&fbclid=IwY2xjawT9erNwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4BcplBpGKi72APyCMIiTHemUnNCkZM9vFSlXN-Wzg6GYqmTX86J6DqJ35WCA_aem_knYqaiBHKDJx0OGlMzTrlQ, NWI Times. Aaron Dorman, “Power Down,” August 26, 2026, https://chicagohealthonline.com/northwest-indiana-storms-power-outage-health/, Chicago Health. The Associated Press, “'Survival mode': Indiana residents endure a ninth day without power,” August 21, 2026, https://www.wunc.org/2026-08-21/survival-mode-indiana-residents-endure-a-ninth-day-without-power, WUNC News. Kristiane Huber, “How States Are Navigating the Intersection of Disasters and Public Health,” May 5, 2026, https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2026/05/05/how-states-are-navigating-the-intersection-of-disasters-and-public-health, The Pew Charitable Trust. American Hospital Association, “Fact Sheet: Facility Fees,” February 2025, https://www.aha.org/fact-sheets/2025-02-20-fact-sheet-facility-fees. Stephen Abresch, “Michigan Introduces Facility Fee Restriction Legislation,” April 10, 2026, https://archive.ascfocus.org/content2/articles-content/articles/2026/digital-debut/michigan-introduces-facility-fee-restriction-legislation, ASC Focus. Jayme Lozano Carver, “Lack of broadband service, funding gives rise to telehealth services in rural clinics,” August 6, 2026, https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/06/rural-texas-telehealth-services-broadband-access/, The Texas Tribune. Rural Health Today is a production of Hillsdale Hospital in Hillsdale, Michigan and a member of the Health Podcast Network. Our host is JJ Hodshire, our producer is Kyrsten Newlon, and our audio engineer is Kenji Ulmer. Special thanks to our special guests for sharing their expertise on the show, and also to the Hillsdale Hospital marketing team. If you want to submit a question for us to answer on the podcast or learn more about Rural Health Today, visit ruralhealthtoday.com.
The latest election year reversal on his own policies comes this time from Governor Abbott on Flock cameras - just as we learn that they were quietly funded by our own auto insurance premiums. Abbott's healthcare solutions are also just deregulation - they do nothing to help Texans stay healthy. And a personal health scare over the weekend reminds Chris of why Texas is in drastic need of a change of leadership.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/28/texas-flock-cameras-auto-insurance-fee-mvcpa-grants/Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-affordability-22391524.phpThis 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! Join 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.
Amidst mounting public outcry, the federal government last week halted construction of border barriers through state park property in far West Texas, The Texas Tribune reported. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodeny Scott personally stopped construction until he could visit the region. Hundreds of people showed up at the annual meeting of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, gathering outside its headquarters in what resembled a tailgate party. The federal government already has sent bulldozers into Big Bend National Park. Among those trying to rally people to the cause was former Republican Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. “I have yet... Article Link
Governor Greg Abbott, in his striking pivots into developmental "pauses" on data centers and high-voltage transmission lines, are by definition temporary - and will be lifted quickly should he be re-elected. Ken Paxton has a long record of opposing efforts to prevent animal cruelty, both as AG and as a state representative. And Kid Rock has been promoted by the Dallas Observer from merely the third-biggest douchebag in country music, to the hallowed top slot.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/24/texas-765-transmissions-lines-data-centers-pauses-delays/Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/greg-abbott-texas-data-centers-backlash-2026-8Axios: https://www.axios.com/2026/08/23/greg-abbott-texas-data-centers-ai-backlashMeidas Touch: https://meidasnews.com/news/ken-paxton-helped-bury-the-records-on-400-tortured-lab-animalsDallas Observer: https://www.dallasobserver.com/opinion/correction-kid-rock-is-the-biggest-douchebag-of-all-time-40706408/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! Join 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.
The Cook Political Report has updated its projections for the 2026 midterms, moving the Talarico/Paxton race to "toss up" from "lean republican", and the Hinojosa/Abbott race from "solid Republican" to "lean Republican". Ken Paxton is expected to receive some desperately-needing funding support from Elon Musk. Republicans are threading a narrative needle on the Big Bend as they attempt to avoid public backlash without crossing Donald Trump. And Republican Texas Railroad Commission nominee Bo French - a notorious anti-Semite - has invoked the century-old "Judeo-Bolshevism" trope in AI-generated images of his Democratic opponent Jon Rosenthal, the only Jewish member of the Texas House.The Hill: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6041660-cook-political-report-texas-iowa-senate-races/San Antonio Current on Cook Report: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/top-political-watcher-declares-the-talarico-paxton-race-a-toss-up/San Antonio Current on Elon Musk: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/elon-musk-expected-to-give-paxton-much-needed-cash-injection/Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/21/texas-big-bend-border-wall-barrier-republicans-paxton-trump/The Forward: https://forward.com/news/724588/ten-commandments-jon-rosenthal/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! Join 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.
Governor Greg Abbott wants more state control over local ISD spending, despite ongoing GOP efforts to defund them to death - while Lt. Governor Dan Patrick threatens schools who refuse to remove books he considers "filthy and dirty" with state takeovers. State water plans, based on historical trends instead of proven climate science, are failing cities like Corpus Christi. And rural Texans, who see GOP trampling of local control as a threat to their private property rights, are starting to sour on the Republicans.Texas Tribune on Dan Patrick: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/19/texas-dan-patrick-obscene-books-school-libraries-penalties/Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/abbott-school-district-audits-22395105.phpTexas Tribune on Corpus Christi: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/19/texas-water-planning-drought-corpus-christi/Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/19/how-data-centers-and-power-lines-could-turn-texas-governors-race-blue-01041065This 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! Join 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.
This week, Scott is joined by Rev. Rosedanny Ortiz, a newly commissioned United Methodist Pastor serving as the lead pastor of Christ's Foundry UMC in Dallas. Originally from Puerto Rico, Rosedanny is now a leader who the Texas Tribune describes as one of the Latina clergy reshaping the UMC. Rev. Ortiz talks about the importance of people of faith sharing the story of their community and reflects on her work serving a church with a large immigrant population. Later in the program, they discuss the work we all have to do to engage in advocacy and encourage faithful civic participation. We hope you enjoy this episode and invite a friend to listen along. If you share it in your social media, make sure to tag us! To learn more or get involved, check out Texas Impact's Action Center at texasimpact.org. Weekly Witness is hosted by Scott Atnip and engineered and produced by David Vassallo. Our executive producer is Bee Moorhead. Theme music by Kimberly Zielnicki, Hayden Havard and Andres Garcia-Bonilla. The opinions expressed on Weekly Witness are those of Texas Impact and our guests, and they do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsors. Weekly Witness is a product of Texas Impact. Visit us online at texasimpact.org.
Governor Greg Abbott has refused to extradite an ICE agent to Minnesota, where he is wanted on a felony indictment. Harris County is suing the feds over their holding funding hostage over election policy demands. A Republican nominee wants you to ignore the fact that he's a Republican - while the entire GOP just wants to get past the election and get back to their comfy corruption and grift.Houston Chronicle on Minnesota lawsuit: https://www.houstonpress.com/news/harris-county-sues-trump-over-threats-to-local-elections/Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/18/minnesota-sues-abbott-texas-ice-agent-extradition-lawsuit/Houston Press on Harris County lawsuit: https://www.houstonpress.com/news/harris-county-sues-trump-over-threats-to-local-elections/Houston Press on Orlando Sanchez: https://www.houstonpress.com/news/county-judge-hopeful-to-latinos-forget-im-a-republican/New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/us/politics/islamophobia-texas.html?smid=nytcore-android-shareNPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/08/19/nx-s1-5922546/in-texas-some-asian-immigrants-say-theyre-facing-increased-hostilitiesChristianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/08/texas-should-not-define-religion-down-freedom-worship-dallas-islam/Houston Chronicle on THC: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/thc-marijuana-texas-confusing-legalize-reefer-22394088.phpDallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/article/data-center-abbott-audit-community-impacts-22393458.phpSan Antonio Current: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/faux-pause-why-greg-abbotts-data-center-crackdown-looks-a-lot-like-election-year-theater/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! Join 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.
Texas public school campuses and districts received their state report cards late last week from the Texas Education Agency, with most showing little change from the previous school year, The Texas Tribune reported. Of the more than 9,000 campuses in the 2025-26 school year, 24 percent earned an A; 34 percent earned a B; 23 percent earned a C; 10 percent earned a D; and 4 percent earned an F. Some schools did not receive grades. About one in four schools saw their grades improve, while about the same number of campuses saw a drop. TEA Commissioner Mike Morath praised... Article Link
The 5th Circuit Court Of Appeals has restored SB 1 - the 2021 Texas law that establishes strict registration requirements for mail-in voting registration, and other voting obstacles. The NAACP's Legal Defense Fund and other voting rights and disability advocates are condemning the decision. Meanwhile data about Texas' new private school voucher program - where it can be deciphered through a veil of "transparency theater" - shows that a large number of kids offered vouchers are turning them down, finding it impossible to locate a private school appropriate to their needs that they can afford, even with the voucher.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/12/texas-mail-ballot-voter-id-application-appeal-ruling/NAACP LDF: https://www.naacpldf.org/press-release/ldf-strongly-condemns-texas-appeals-court-ruling-allowing-voter-suppression-law-to-go-back-into-place/Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/article/20-700-texas-students-gave-school-vouchers-22379018.phpSan Antonio Express-News: https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/texas-school-voucher-reporter-lacks-transparency-22385561.phpJoin Progress Texas and Civitech on Friday morning at 11AM at Antone's downtown for a free podcast taping event with Civitech's Jeremy Smith, Progress Texas Executive Director Kathleen Thompson, Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder, and South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain, who will discuss the ways that today's technology can be harnessed to build a new progressive majority! Details here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/civitechThis 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 Paul Swan! Join Paul 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.
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
The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Fox News releases a poll showing Paxton behind by 3 points in the U.S. Senate race. I discuss what the detail in the poll tells us about a little cadre of sour grapes Republicans and about the confusion over what is character.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.Gary Boren discusses his race to fill an unexpired term on the Lubbock City Council – election day is tomorrow. I fully endorse Gary in this race as I have said many times on the air. This is a balance of power election for Lubbock.Texas finds some registered voters wrongly flagged as noncitizens, reports the Texas Tribune as if this is some scandal. Of course that is the case. That's how it works: Those that don't match up get notified by their county and can then clear up the matter. Democrats complain that keeping voters rolls clean is somehow discriminatory but the only reason one would not keep such rolls clean and proper is if election cheating is the goal which, brings us back to why Democrats oppose cleaning the voter rolls.Johnson County's sheriff found himself back in jail today.Oil and gas drilling rig count up this week in Texas but not my much.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com
Despite reports from social media influencers, as of this morning, the Ken Paxton campaign has still not accepted times or terms for a debate with James Talarico. Texas has joined 11 other Republican-controlled states in a SCOTUS appeal for them to allow Donald Trump to place harsh new limits on mail-in voting. John Cornyn has helped stymie the confirmation of Todd Blanche, Trump's choice for U.S. Attorney General. A sweeping new ban on hemp products will take effect across Texas tomorrow. And, the Texas Tribune is strangely celebrating a new potential milestone for Republican women to be elected to Congress - representing a party that has done immense harm to American women in recent years.USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/29/texas-senate-debates-take-shape-as-talarico-paxton-trade-positions/91088811007/WFAA: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dates-times-announced-debate-paxton-talarico/287-3f31b225-e83a-4f1b-9276-e09223ae1d09MS Now: https://www.ms.now/the-last-word/watch/texans-deserve-answers-about-ken-paxton-dem-senate-nominee-james-talarico-says-demanding-debates-2508970051676Democracy Docket: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/gop-states-join-doj-in-asking-supreme-court-to-let-trump-block-some-mail-ballots/The Hill: https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5998751-todd-blanche-confirmation-delay-cornyn-tillis-gop-scorn/CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/29/todd-blanche-attorney-general-trump-irs-audit-cornyn.htmlAustin Chronicle: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/where-the-texas-hemp-market-currently-stands/KERA: https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2026-07-30/thc-businesses?_amp=trueTexas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/30/texas-republican-women-congress-house-record-steinmann-mealer-2026/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.
New polling has Democrat James Talarico ahead of Republican Ken Paxton in the race for the U.S. Senate by five percentage points, and shows Talarico performing well among independent and moderate voters. Renewable energy has been pulling Texas' fat out of the fire this summer - but will that continue under the strain of hundreds of data centers? Governor Abbott is under building pressure to call a special session on data centers - and in Texas, that's not just about natural resources - religion has a lot to say about Big Tech as well.Texas Tribune on polling: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/28/texas-senate-poll-james-talarico-ken-paxton-july-2026/Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/article/solar-wind-power-renewable-texas-heat-22363504.phpSan Antonio Express-News: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-data-centers-22359062.php?utm_source=redditTexas Tribune/Religion News Service: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/29/texas-data-centers-religion-opposition/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.
A strange moment indeed in Texas, as our top two elected officials - Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick - have both openly declared war on the U.S. Constitution: Patrick in his assault on the separation of church and state, and Abbott in his zealous quest against birthright citizenship via "birth tourism" - a harmless, statistically insignificant non-issue.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/27/texas-dan-patrick-religious-liberty-interim-charges-religion-public-life-legislature/Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/article/greg-abbott-texas-order-birth-tourism-citizenship-22361795.phpNPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/28/nx-s1-5869808/family-trump-profit-corruption-voters-ethics-democrats?unified=true&renderPlatform=nprone_iosThis 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.
The Texas Water Development Board doesn't have enough information about data center demand to include it in our resource projections, and they seem okay with that. A new college admissions test that emphasizes ideology over academics is approved for Texas' public universities. South Texas appears primed for a seismic shift away from Trump and the GOP, while Democratic nominee Bobby Pulido's chances to unseat his Republican opponent appear strong. And, James Talarico has officially "arrived" as Donald Trump includes him in his list of national enemies.Community Impact: https://communityimpact.com/central-austin/texas-legislature/texas-includes-minimal-data-center-info-in-state-water-plan-citing-limited-data/Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/27/conservative-college-entrance-exam-texas-universty-admissions/Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/the-texas-counties-that-could-decide-whether-democrats-flip-senate-seat-12223307Texas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/bobby-pulido-monica-de-la-cruz-south-texas/Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/article/trump-jabs-james-talarico-at-correspondents-dinner-22360074.phpThis 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.
Part 1:We talk with Lexi Churchill, reporter for ProPublica and Texas Tribune.We discuss the Texas controversy about private school voucher that are being withheld from schools that are sponsored by Muslim organizations.Part 2.We talk with Bill Curry and Harold Meyerson.We discuss the agreement made by Trump and Saudi Arabia to allow them to enrich nuclear materials. We also discuss how the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund is investing in US companies, particularly in media companies such as Paramount.We also note that the US and Israeli military are now integrated, despite the actions of Israel, which has been accused of war crimes. WNHNFM.ORG productionMusic: "That's how every empire falls," John Prine
An analysis of the personal wealth of 15 first-time congressional candidates from Texas shows that only the rich can easily run for office, while Elon Musk dumps billions into GOP candidates and right wing PACs - and boorish billionaire behavior is fueling a growing populist backlash.Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/07/22/texas-congress-delegation-net-worth-millionaires-2026-midterms/San Antonio Express-News: https://www.expressnews.com/business/article/elon-musk-campaign-donations-texas-gop-abbott-22352250.php?utm_source=redditPaul Krugman: https://substack.com/home/post/p-208095884This 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! Join the Progress Texas 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 is part of the lineup at KPFT-FM in Houston! 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.
In this week's BIG 12 WINNERS & LOSERS, Heartland College Sports' Pete Mundo explains why a new Texas Tribune report is NOT a good look for Cody Campbell and Texas Tech. What is the Big 12 fallout from it?Plus, we look at teams with older players, who end up as BIG winners this week. And what other conference ended up a winner?Subscribe if you're exhausted by the SEC and BIG Ten bias in college football news.
The prognosticators of doom for traditional newspapers are everywhere and it’s hard to argue with them. But for more than a decade, Matthew Watkins has been part of a new model of non-profit journalism at The Texas Tribune as editor in chief.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's episode, our hosts speak with Texas Tribune reporters Uriel J. García and Colleen DeGuzman about the unanswered questions and incoming investigations in response to the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo.
Mark, Melynda & Ed Meta discontinued its new Muse AI feature on Instagram after backlash Texas Tribune story asks voters who will they vote for Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard asking for a 90 day moratorium on new gas stations near residences See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Texas Attorney General and Republican candidate for Senate, Ken Paxton's marriage fell apart two years ago when his wife accused him of having an affair and she moved out of the house they shared. According to new reporting from the Texas Tribune and ProPublica, the address of that house is still on Paxton's voting registration even though he hasn't lived there for years and does not appear to be going back. Zach Despart, Texas Tribune investigative reporter, talks with Jen Psaki about why Paxton may have committed voter fraud, and why that would be an especially rich irony. Graham Platner's time as Maine Democrats' candidate for Senate appears to be about to end, with another brutal round of reports of sexual impropriety. But Platner has been underperforming as a candidate anyway, so replacing him may be to Democrats' advantage if they can pick a good candidate. But how do they choose a new candidate in the short time they have, and straddle the requirements of mainstream Democratic politics while incorporating the renegade, grassroots spirit that has become a hallmark for a party in transition. Jim Messina, campaign manager for former President Barack Obama, and Amy Walter, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, talk with Jen Psaki about how the Democratic Party should navigate a potential Platner exit. Rep. Debbie Dingell joins to discuss the contentious Democratic primary in Michigan. 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.
A new report by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune alleges Ken Paxton, the Republican now in a dead heat against Democrat James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, may have broken the law by casting ballots outside the district where he resides. We’ll hear details. A priestly group with churches in Texas has been excommunicated […] The post What a Catholic Church schism could mean for Texas parishioners appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
The news of Texas covered today includes:Our Lone Star story of the day: Fourteen Texas Democrats missed the May 5th deadline to pay their fines for trying to tank “Democracy” by breaking quorum in the Texas legislature. Some who did pay wrote vulgarisms on their checks which is a reflection of who they are.Meanwhile, Democrat media is wondering if the extremely liberal, and on the record as such over and over for years and years, Austin-centric Dem ticket is that good of an idea for November (a little late, no?)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 Justices Toss Cities' Challenge to Cable Franchise Fee Cap – great!Texas Tribune cries that Republicans might further reduce the scope of local governments' power and this story is a good example of why it's not a bad idea: Harris County electronic monitoring program doesn't track defendants who become fugitives. They don't track those who cut off the monitors!!! What's the point of the program then?Oil and gas rig count shows Texas adding more drilling rigs. Meanwhile Chevron and Exxon/Mobile execs warn of a disastrous price spike possibility.Alamo renovation moving along.Listen on the radio, or station stream, at 5pm Central. Click for our radio and streaming affiliates.www.PrattonTexas.com
Sen. Ted Cruz joined Jake Sherman to unpack the Protect College Sports Act — what it means for student athletes, schools and more. Plus: A deep dive into Texas politics. Stick around: Texas Tribune's DC Correspondent Gabby Birenbaum and our own Policy Reporter Samantha Handler keep the conversation going with That's Not Gonna Fly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What control do county officials have when a data center wants to move in? A look at an investigation from the Texas Tribune.The ballots are set for the midterm election in November, but at least one big thing is changing: Texas’ top elections leader, Secretary of State Jane Nelson, is stepping down.What do the results […] The post Rural Texas counties say data centers are arriving faster than regulations appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
Texas AG Ken Paxton won the GOP Senate primary against Sen. John Cornyn after an 11th-hour endorsement by Trump. Gabby Birenbaum of the Texas Tribune breaks down the two very different campaigns. Political insecurity and public distrust are making it hard for officials in Congo and other countries to contain a deadly Ebola outbreak. The Washington Post’s Lauren Weber explains. Long wait lists at some colleges and universities are leaving thousands of students wondering whether they’ll ever be admitted. The Wall Street Journal’s Roshan Fernandez discusses why it can be harder to get off the wait list than getting into school. Plus, Alabama’s new congressional map was rejected by a federal court, Iran’s internet blackout appears to be partially over, and U.S. Soccer announced its World Cup squad. Today’s episode was hosted by Gideon Resnick.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Election Day is here for the 2026 midterm primary runoff - that record turnout in March has dwindled significantly for Democrats, but remains strong for voters in the Republican runoff, powered by the Cornyn/Paxton bloodbath: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-to-expect-in-the-texas-us-senate-republican-primary-runoff...A final Quantus Insights poll shows that Ken Paxton's advantage over John Cornyn has grown to nearly ten points: https://www.newsweek.com/ken-paxtons-chances-of-beating-john-cornyn-on-eve-of-senate-runoff-poll-11990938...The Cornyn/Paxton fight has led to $109 million in ad spending, most of it dedicated to worshiping Donald Trump: https://apnews.com/article/texas-senate-paxton-cornyn-trump-election-00cc96aa8db7fb1844f4ce8d39629f53...That worship continues even as Trump's disapproval numbers have hit a new all-time high: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-approval-rating-iran-groceries-b2983270.html...Republican candidates have saved a little room in their advertising to keep hatin' on Muslim Texans: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/texas-senate-runoff-anti-muslim-adYour last chance to vote in the primary runoff is today! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/We'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 - and into Spanish language media! 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.
Ralph welcomes back union organizer, Chris Townsend, to discuss the reasons why the AFL-CIO shrinks from effectively fighting for its members and expanding the power of workers. Then, political scientist Lee Drutman lays out a system of proportional representation that would take away the incentive to gerrymander congressional districts. Plus, Ralph gives some quick takes on Thomas Massie's primary loss, fish hopped up on cocaine, and the situations in Lebanon and Ukraine.Chris Townsend has been a union member and labor leader for more than 45 years. He was most recently the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International Union Organizing Director. Previously, he was an International Representative and Political Action Director for the United Electrical Workers Union (UE), and he has held local positions in both the SEIU and UFCW.[The upcoming AFL-CIO] convention is deliberately kept secret. It's what I describe as sort of a hideout strategy. It enables the leadership to not have to discuss or take positions that for them are difficult, such as: What is the labor movement going to do to confront the rampant lawlessness and criminality of the Trump regime? What is the labor movement going to do to address the rampaging inflation that is eating up living standards? There's no wage policy. There's no bargaining policy of the Federation. What are they going to do to address the ongoing national health care crisis and disaster?... And what are they doing about the crisis of the unorganized?Chris TownsendThe labor movement finds itself (I would submit) with the leadership disinterested in going out and organizing the unorganized. But even for those who do (and there are some), the laws—Taft-Hartley primary among them—provide such a minefield that we have to run through, that our ability to organize on any scale for decades has been stopped. And therefore, we are condemned to a perpetual shrinking size, resources, and whatnot. [And what] might help for folks to figure out how or why this is happening is that the labor movement is systematically being converted from trade union fighting organizations, membership-driven fighting organizations, to harmless not-for-profit organizations. And this is today's administrative layer of trade union leaders that don't see anything wrong with that. But that doesn't help anyone in the shop, in the office, in the workplace. And it doesn't help anyone looking to the labor movement for something better—better treatment, better wages, better benefits, better conditions, better health and safety in the workplace.Chris TownsendLee Drutman is a senior fellow in the Political Reform program at New America, where he focuses on electoral reform, Congress, and democratic health. He writes the newsletter Undercurrent Events and co-hosts the podcast Politics in Question. And he is the author of The Business of America is Lobbying and Breaking the Two-Party Doom Loop: The Case for Multiparty Democracy in America.The whole issue of gerrymandering is really just an outgrowth of this way that we use single-winner districts with winner-take-all votes. It's also what entrenches the two-party system in the US, which limits the choice of voters. So there's this one weird voting mechanism that we have that most countries have gotten rid of, that is an antiquated voting system, that preserves the two-party system and makes gerrymandering just inevitable—and that's the use of single-member districts. Now, in a proportional system, you take away the districts, and you do this statewide, you can carve up larger states into a few multi-member districts. And then seats get allocated proportionally by party share. That takes away the entire incentive of gerrymandering, it gives voters everywhere meaningful choices, meaningful votes, and it is just a superior system of representing the pluralism and diversity of our pluralistic and diverse society.Lee DrutmanPeople like the idea of proportional representation as basic fairness—that people think that parties should get seats in proportion to the share of votes they get. I did some polling on it a few years ago, and I'm hoping to do a little bit more… But I think that one of the challenges is people don't entirely understand how it works. And so it's a challenge to poll people on a concept that they don't know about. But I think more and more people understand it. And from the polling I've seen, at a principles-based level, people get the idea that proportionality is a form of fairness, and people like fairness.Lee DrutmanKaty O'Donnell is the editorial director at Haymarket Books, a radical, independent, nonprofit book publisher based in Chicago.News 5/22/26* Our first story this week has to do with what appears to be the impending downfall of ultrazionist media personality, Bari Weiss. Weiss, who resigned from the New York Times to found the Free Press and then sold that venture to become “Editor-in-Chief” for CBS News under the Ellison regime, is reportedly facing down the barrel of her role being scaled back substantially. Puck reports “As Paramount closes in on its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery…members of the senior leadership team have had informal discussions about changing Bari's mandate at CBS News—and, eventually, CNN—in ways that would give her less control over the linear product.” This piece cites her missteps stewarding CBS News, including her inability to improve the ratings for Evening News, even failing to secure new anchor Tony Dokoupil a travel visa to China in time for President Trump's recent visit to the People's Republic. While a total dismissal of Weiss seems unlikely in the near future, such a dramatic reduction in her clout would constitute a tremendous, humbling blow.* Moving to state-level news, last week, Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis announced he would be commuting the sentence of former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for tampering with voting systems to overturn Joe Biden's victory in the Centennial State. Peters will now be eligible for parole June 1st. This move has been widely condemned, most notably by the Colorado Democratic Party which voted by a margin of over 90% to officially censure Polis. In a statement, the CDP wrote, “Reducing [Peters'] sentence now, under pressure from Donald Trump, is not justice…It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you're friends with the president.” According to NBC, the CDP also banned Polis from being able to “participate as an honored guest, speaker or officially recognized representative of the Colorado Democratic Party at party-sponsored functions.”* In more positive state-level news, NPR reports Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has signed a bill banning prediction market sites like Polymarket and Kalshi – which allow consumers to “place…wager[s] on…future outcome[s], like sports, elections, live entertainment” – from operating in the North Star State. This makes Minnesota the first state in the nation to ban the prediction betting platforms. As this story notes, the Trump administration is pursuing legal action on behalf of the platforms, ensuring a legal battle over whether states can act to protect their own consumers from these predatory betting services. Minnesota Rep. Emma Greenman, who introduced the measure, is quoted as saying, “We as a state should decide how best and what regulations we think should attach to gambling, to protect public safety, to protect our kids.” The administration, meanwhile, specifically the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is arguing in court that prediction market industry regulation should be the sole preserve of the federal government.* Looking toward Congress, this week saw a number of high-profile primaries, including in the state of Pennsylvania. Leading up to that primary, the Pennsylvania machine went all out against the congressional campaign of State Representative Chris Rabb. Rabb, who had won the endorsements of everyone from AOC and Rashida Tlaib to Jamie Raskin and Philly DSA to the Philadelphia Inquirer, was targeted by a barrage of anonymous text messages to Philadelphia voters accusing him of “spreading conspiracy theories and holding extremist views,” per the Inquirer. What is remarkable about this smear campaign, however, is that it was organized by Philadelphia's Democratic City Committee and that it violated federal election law by failing to disclose that fact. In another troubling portend of things to come, one of the texts featured an “AI-generated image of Rabb acknowledging his supposed lack of legislative accomplishments in Harrisburg.” Rumors have long circulated that Governor Josh Shapiro wanted Rabb to lose, and worked the backrooms to this end while avoiding public statements.* Yet, despite all of that, Rabb prevailed – winning over his two establishment-backed opponents with around 45% of the vote compared to his opponents, who each won approximately 30% and 24% respectively. The Pennsylvania primaries turned out to be a good night for progressives more generally, with Bob Brooks – a firefighter's union chief and former state rep. who successfully united the Democratic Party behind him, winning the endorsements of both Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator Bernie Sanders. Brooks will face off against freshman Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie in November in the R+1 seventh district of Pennsylvania, while Rabb's general election campaign is seen as little more than a formality in the D+40 PA-03.* Yet, if it was a good streak for Democratic progressives, it was a very bad one for Trump critics within the GOP. This week, Thomas Massie lost his primary in Kentucky's fourth congressional district, buckling under the war chest deployed against him in what amounted to the most expensive House primary on record. Massie joked that “My vote was never for sale, so they bought a congressional seat. They found out what it cost.” Massie, perhaps Trump's most formidable intra-party opponent in the House during his second term, worked with Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna on bills ranging from the Epstein Files Transparency Act to War Powers Resolutions related to the administration's actions in Venezuela and Iran. In retaliation, Trump made it clear that he would go to any lengths to ensure Massie would not be reelected. That said, Massie will remain in the House until January and has indicated that he will make that time as painful for Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson as he possibly can. Moreover, during his concession speech, Massie's supporters chanted for him to run for president in 2028, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Whether he is even entertaining that thought is unclear, but if he did run as a right-wing independent candidate, one could easily imagine him capturing a large enough share of the vote to deny certain states to the Republican nominee. Meanwhile, his ally across the aisle, Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, said in a statement that Massie “lost because he had the guts to stand up to the Epstein class and against the war…He won voters under 45 by 30 points…Tonight, I say to [his] voters who feel rejected by Trump. We welcome you. Join our coalition to take on a rotten system and stand for the working class over the Epstein class.”* Massie isn't the only Republican targeted in the latest round of Trump purges. Downballot, Trump loyalists have ousted the Indiana Republicans who resisted Trump's pressure to implement mid-decade redistricting, but the real scalps he is claiming are in the Senate. Last weekend, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost his primary runoff. Fox reports this makes Cassidy the “first elected Republican senator to lose renomination since Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana in 2012.” Trump wasted no time in dancing on Cassidy's political grave, writing on Truth Social, “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of a legend, and it's nice to see that his political career is OVER!” His supposed disloyalty, of course, refers to Cassidy's vote to convict Trump in the Senate trial for his second impeachment following January 6th. Former Senator Mitt Romney, who also voted to convict, is quoted in this article saying that Cassidy is a “person of character,” and that his “departure is a loss for the country.” Cassidy, however, is likely soon to be joined by longtime Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn. Cornyn is currently making his last stand against scandal-ridden Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in that runoff election. Trump has long prevaricated regarding whether and whom he would endorse in this race, at times leaning towards either candidate but remaining neutral up until this week, when he formally gave the nod to Paxton, per the Texas Tribune. This move has caused great consternation amongst Senate Republicans and cautious optimism among Democrats, who see Paxton as the weaker opponent to go up against Democratic nominee James Talarico in November – giving Democrats their best chance in years to flip a Senate seat in Texas.* What Cornyn's next move will be is a mystery, especially as he has not yet officially lost the Texas primary. Cassidy, however, appears to have chosen the Massie route of going down fighting. This week, Cassidy flipped his position to become the deciding vote in favor of the Senate War Powers Resolution on Iran – successfully pushing it through along with support from fellow Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul, despite disloyal opposition from Democratic Senator John Fetterman. The measure was then sent back to the House, but fearful it might actually pass – Democratic holdout Jared Golden had vowed to vote yes, and war-weary House Republicans Thomas Massie, Warren Davidson, Brian Fitzpatrick and Tom Barrett were all signaling their support – leadership abruptly canceled the vote, per MSN.* One factor cited in the Republicans' calculus around this latest War Powers push was the absences of Members of Congress. In their view, the absences would have given Democrats the votes they needed to win. Two of these absences have garnered substantial attention in the media: those of Republican Congressman Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey and Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson of Florida. The 83-year-old Wilson, who was missing for a month with little public acknowledgment or explanation, has finally resurfaced, saying that she was undergoing a major eye surgery but still plans to seek reelection. In a remarkably tone-deaf comment, a source close to the Congresswoman was quoted in Axios saying “missing votes is not a sign she's sick or retiring…She shows up when she wants to.” Still, at least her absence has been explained and she has now returned to her duties in the House. Congressman Kean's disappearance is more mysterious. As of May 21st, Kean has not “been seen in Washington for more than 75 days,” NOTUS reports. When his absence first began to gain media traction, his Chief of Staff added fuel to the fire with the cryptic remark “there are no cameras where Tom is.” Now it is being reported that his neighbors back in New Jersey haven't seen hide nor hair either. There has been some indication that Kean is dealing with a personal or medical issue, but Speaker Mike Johnson claims to have no knowledge of the particulars. It is not controversial to say that being an American Member of Congress is too important to simply be AWOL for long periods of time, especially without deigning to explain why to one's constituents. Something must be done.* Finally, we turn to Latin America, where former president Evo Morales has leveled claims that the government of his native Bolivia, in coordination with the DEA and the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) is plotting to “detain or kill” him, TeleSUR reports. According to this report, “Morales detailed specific military units allegedly involved, including the Army's Ninth Division in the tropical region under Colonel Franz Andrade Loza, whom he said the government promised to promote to general and appoint as armed forces commander ‘if he finishes off Evo.'” Morales also “cited an F-10 unit under Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Giménez Ortuño,” a former aide to the defense minister in the government of the unelected U.S.-backed regime of Jeanine Áñez. These allegations sound somewhat outlandish, but in a moment when the U.S. has recently kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, worked to undermine the governments of Mexico and Colombia via the Hondurasgate scheme, and just recently moved to indict 94 year old Raúl Castro for his role in an incident three decades ago when the Cuban government downed a civilian aircraft that entered their sovereign airspace, it does not seem so far fetched.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
https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260522.mp3 Right-click here to download this episode (“Save link as…”). Texas Tribune (5/20/26) This week on CounterSpin: You may have seen videos of college commencement speakers telling students who've spent time and money learning how to read, write and think critically that that was dumb, cuz AI is going to be doing that from now on, so just get on the train or else—wait, why are you booing? That's far from the only disconnect between students and teachers who think higher education means engagement with a range of perspectives, and right-wing politicians and their administrative acolytes saying “not so fast.” We'll hear from Karma Chávez, professor at the University of Texas at Austin, at the center of this assault on academic freedoms. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260522Chavez.mp3 CEPR (3/10/26) Also on the show: There is a US State Department memo that calls for “a line of action which, while as adroit and inconspicuous as possible, makes the greatest inroads in denying money and supplies to Cuba, to decrease monetary and real wages, to bring about hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.” Thing is: That memo is from 1960. So while Trump is making everything old, new—and ugly and violent—again, he isn't inventing it all. We try not to do media criticism by counterfactual, but consider: What if another country were cutting off resources to the US, in an explicit effort to cause us misery, in hopes that would make us overthrow our government? We'll talk about what sounds reasonable as long as it's about Cuba with Alex Main, director of international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research. https://media.blubrry.com/counterspin/content.blubrry.com/counterspin/CounterSpin260522Main.mp3
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:On this last day of early voting in the runoff, a tour through the reasons Texas is notorious for bad voter turnout - and several good ideas to fix that are presented in the new Party Politics show from Houston Public Media: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/shows/party-politics/2026/03/20/546612/why-texans-dont-vote-and-what-could-change-that/Texas Republican Party Chair Abraham George is begging Ken Paxton and John Cornyn to knock off their all-out blood battle - but the damage to Republican voter unity is probably already done: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/article/texas-gop-chair-wants-john-cornyn-ken-paxton-22270714.phpThe NAACP has launched an "Out Of Bounds" campaign, encouraging Black athletes to use their outsized influence over Southern colleges - including Texas and Texas A&M - to oppose the marginalization of Black voters in the South: https://www.statesman.com/sports/college/article/texas-texas-am-naacp-sec-boycott-22270162.phpMassive damage is being done to Texas public schools by the private school voucher scam, the immigration crackdown and more - a massive enrollment drop impacted the just-completed school year, and with it, state funding: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/05/21/texas-public-school-enrollment-drops-by-more-than-76k-students-with-hispanic-students-accounting-for-most-of-decline/...Nationally, voucher programs are becoming, as predicted, a public subsidy for wealthy families whose kids were already attending private schools: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/headway/school-choice-movement-vouchers-education.htmlEarly voting in the primary runoff ends after today! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/We'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 - and into Spanish language media! 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.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:A Guatemalan woman, denied a critical surgery by her ICE captors, has become the latest symbol of the cruelty of the Trump immigration enforcement machine: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/doctors-say-woman-in-texas-ice-detention-center-urgently-requires-surgery-shes-being-denied/...An ICE arrest in the parking lot of a San Antonio voting location has prompted warnings against immigration enforcement visibility near the polls - an unacceptable combination for the November midterms: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/san-antonio-news/ice-conducts-enforcement-action-at-san-antonio-voting-location-witnesses-say/Officials in Sinton, Texas - near Corpus Christi - are being accused of hoarding water for data centers as the regional water supply drops to a dangerous low: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/19052026/corpus-christi-emergency-water-supply-delays/Another endorsement for CD 35 congressional candidate Johnny Garcia - and another condemnation of his antisemitic, conspiracist Democratic runoff opponent Maureen Galindo - comes from the editorial board at the Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/endorsements/article/johnny-garcia-maureen-galindo-antisemitism-texas-22269254.php...Our recent visit with Johnny Garcia: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-282-johnny-garcia-progress-texas-endorsed/id1552998795?i=1000768641904Early voting in the primary runoff has begun! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/We'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 - and into Spanish language media! 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.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Donald Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton over John Cornyn in the Republican runoff for Senate has sent shockwaves through the GOP elite: https://apnews.com/article/trump-texas-senate-endorsement-paxton-cornyn-adb4c7213fc2d0db0b29d0ab65d49384...Paxton's manipulation of Trump appears to have paid off handsomely: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/19/politics/ken-paxton-donald-trump-endorsement-john-cornyn...Senate Republicans are now deeply concerned about hanging on to their majority: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/oh-boy-republican-senators-recoil-at-trump-endorsement-in-texas-race-worry-it-could-give-dems-the-senate/...Paxton is seen as a liability not only in Texas but nationally, as defending that Senate seat will require a massive investment in what has been considered a safe state for the GOP: https://www.notus.org/campaigns/trump-paxton-endorsement-cornyn-senate-2026-republican-majorityIn CD 35, the Democratic runoff has made national news as candidate Maureen Galindo has spouted wild anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, effectively killing her own credibility: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/house-democratic-texas-candidate-maureen-galindo-antisemitic-comments-rcna346022...Galindo's campaign has also been raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars from "Lead Left PAC", which is suspected of being a conservative funding operation designed to elevate an inferior Democratic candidate for the general election: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/democratic-candidate-pledges-to-convert-ice-jail-into-prison-for-american-zionists-that-will-also-be-castration-processing-center/...The San Antonio Jewish Federation has condemned Galindo's campaign: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/politics-and-elections/house-candidate-maureen-galindo-pledges-to-send-american-zionists-to-internment-camp/Early voting in the primary runoff has begun! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/We'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 - and into Spanish language media! 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.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Our board at Progress Texas has issued a late endorsement for Johnny Garcia, running in the primary runoff in South Texas' CD 35 against Maureen Galindo, whose campaign has been marred by a broad variety of rhetorical missteps: https://www.expressnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/antisemitism-congressional-election-22260523.phpNew polling shows higher favorability ratings for James Talarico than either Senator John Cornyn or Ken Paxton - but the November race against either a toss-up: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/poll-shows-texas-senate-race-toss-up-cornyn-and-paxton-vie-for-gop-nod/287-3e6e6e91-af0b-4f44-9be2-431654e07184Paxton's office continues its bungling of high-profile cases with an extremely light sentence imposed upon an admitted child molester in Waco: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/19/ken-paxton-waco-plea-deal-child-sex-abuse-texas-attorney-general/...While sex offenders are sliding, Paxton is ramping up his attacks on Muslim schools: https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-05-18/texas-ag-ken-paxton-sues-texam-university-alleging-illegal-degree-programs-and-deceptive-branding...And piling on with the Trump DOJ with a highly dubious legal action against the Southern Poverty Law Center: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5884347-texas-investigates-splc-funding/Meanwhile the hard-right media - clearly on Team Paxton - are making hay of Cornyn's prior support of Islamic Relief USA, a purely humanitaritan charity, simply on the basis of their Muslim affiliation: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/05/18/report-cornyn-funded-islamic-group-linked-planned-texas-muslim-community/An Austin Chick-Fil-A franchisee - part of a chain known for closing on Sunday's to uphold a Christian religious veneer - is being sued for refusing to honor the religious rights of one of its own managers: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/chick-fil-a-austin-texas-lawsuit-saturday-sabbath/269-e84e7adc-debb-4051-a1d7-a3fca50bb84dEarly voting in the primary runoff has begun! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/We'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 - and into Spanish language media! 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.
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Early voting in the 2026 primary runoffs has begun, continuing through Friday, and culminating in Election Day on Tuesday May 26th. Progress Texas has made several endorsements in the runoff: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-endorsements-may-primary-runoffsGovernor Abbott's push for the Texas Supreme Court to remove Houston Rep. Gene Wu and other State House Democrats from office over the summer quorum break has failed: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/15/texas-supreme-court-gene-wu-greg-abbott-redistricting-map-quorum-break/...Abbott's campaign team, apparently fearing the threat posed by Democratic nominee and State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, has starting digging for dirt - specifically, photos of Hinojosa as a teenager at pool parties in the Valley: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-news/gov-abbotts-top-strategist-seeks-underage-photos-of-gina-hinojosa-as-he-tries-to-dig-up-dirt/Ken Paxton and the Trump DOJ have succeeded in forcing Texas Children's Hospital in Houston to establish a "detransition" clinic: https://apnews.com/article/genderaffirming-care-minors-texas-hospital-29f0f2d157395cb6a70f53ba29c36b5b...The settlement also requires Texas Children's to fire five "ideologically-motivated" doctors: https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/paxton-forces-texas-hospital-to-open-detransition-clinic-as-part-of-settlement-40674995/Early voting in the primary runoff has begun! See a convenient form to see who will be on YOUR runoff ballot from the Texas Tribune: https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2026/texas-may-2026-primary-runoff-ballot/Lots more on voting in Texas: https://govotetexas.org/We have TWO live events on the calendar! The first is in Houston on Wednesday May 20, when we'll record a live podcast with the newly-elected members of the Cy-Fair ISD board to discuss the undoing of MAGA damage to that district. Space is limited! Please RSVP here: https://act.progresstexas.org/a/cypressisdpodcastWe're also 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 - and into Spanish language media! 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.
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Texas Tribune politics reporter Alejandro Serrano and Houston Chronicle reporter Abby Church over Gov. Greg Abbott's treat to pull more than $200 million in law enforcement funds from Houston, Dallas and Austin unless their police start cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. - Prairieland and Antifa Terrorism - The Scariest Court in America feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips - Israel’s Attack on Lebanon - Shadow Banking: The Once and Future Economic Apocalypse - Executive Disorder: ICE at Airports, New DHS Secretary, Iran Negotiations You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone Sources/Links: Prairieland and Antifa Terrorism https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488.367.0.pdf https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488/gov.uscourts.txnd.410488.366.0.pdf https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/antifa-cell-members-convicted-prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting https://www.nacdl.org/getattachment/f536e696-072c-4982-bc47-d2dc7f42f766/gov-uscourts-txnd-411041-89-0_1.pdf https://prairielanddefendants.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Superseding-Indictment-2.pdf https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2026-03-03/prairieland-ice-detention-center-shooting-trial-defendants-self-defense-third-party-defense-theory-judge-mark-pittman https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-3rd-federal-trial-day-7/ https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-6th-federal-trial-day-10/ https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-10-federal-trial-day-12/ https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-10-federal-trial-day-12/#kyle-shideler-prosecutions-antifa-expert-redirect https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/february-26-federal-trial-day-5/ https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/february-27th-federal-trial-day-6/ https://prairielanddefendants.com/court-notes/march-9th-federal-trial-day-11/ https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R41333 https://www.keranews.org/criminal-justice/2026-03-10/dario-sanchez-prairieland-ice-shooting The Scariest Court in America feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips Jack Bass, “John Minor Wisdom, Appeals Court Judge Who Helped to End Segregation, Dies at 93,” New York Times, May 16, 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/16/us/john-minor-wisdom-appeals-court-judge-who-helped-to-end-segregation-dies.html Jonathan Entin, “The Surprising History of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals,” Governing, January 23, 2024, https://www.governing.com/policy/the-surprising-history-of-the-5th-circuit-court-of-appeals. Eleanor Klibanoff, “Again and again, U.S. Supreme Court slaps down 5th Circuit,” The Texas Tribune, July 3, 2024, https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/supreme-court-5th-circuit-court-rulings-texas-overturned/ Mattathias Schwartz, “This Federal Judge Is the ‘Tip of the Spear’ of Trump-Era Conservatism,” New York Times, August 9, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/us/judge-ho-trump-border.html Israel’s Attack on Lebanon Lebanese news source Megaphone news – https://megaphone.news Elia at +972mag - https://www.972mag.com/israels-renewed-war-on-lebanon-is-about-more-than-just-hezbollah/ Death toll and displacement numbers in Lebanon - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/22/hezbollah-attack-kills-one-in-north-israel-as-assault-on-lebanon-continues Nathan Brown on “Israel’s Forever Wars” - https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2026/03/dominance-degradation-and-debilitation Land for peace concept - https://archive.unescwa.org/land-peace-principle Foundation for Defense of Democracy on “Peace for Land” - https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/01/23/peace-for-land-not-land-for-peace/ The book Beware of Small States - https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/david-hirst/beware-of-small-states/9780786744411/?lens=bold-type-books The Fire These Times podcast - https://thefirethesetimes.com/ Shadow Banking: The Once and Future Economic Apocalypse https://www.fsb.org/work-of-the-fsb/financial-innovation-and-structural-change/non-bank-financial-intermediation/ https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/shadow-banking-is-now-a-52-trillion-industry-and-posing-risks.html https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7992100/ https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2013/06/basics.htm https://insights.som.yale.edu/insights/inside-the-cdo-market-that-catalyzed-the-financial-crisis https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48512#ifn146 https://www.jstor.org/stable/26153238 https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/economists/adrian/1306adri_map.pdf https://tellerwindow.newyorkfed.org/2025/10/17/nbfis-in-focus-the-basics-of-private-credit/ https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/bank-lending-to-private-credit-size-characteristics-and-financial-stability-implications-20250523.html https://libcom.org/article/debt-first-5000-years-david-graeber Executive Disorder: ICE at Airports, New DHS Secretary, Iran Negotiations https://x.com/Holden_Culotta/status/2034419794099777620?s=20 https://www.semafor.com/article/03/18/2026/fbi-investigates-national-security-aide-who-resigned-over-war https://abcnews.com/Politics/pentagon-plans-national-guard-dc-2029-2-us/story?id=131234530 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/openai-shutting-down-sora-ai-video-app-1236546187/ https://x.com/cspan/status/2036514340896121179?s=20 https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036105325326016658?s=20 https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036083777164775452 https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036253584090685709?s=20 https://thehill.com/policy/transportation/5799345-ice-deployment-tsa-criticism/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/tsa-data-ice-deportation-san-francisco-airport.html https://punchbowl.news/archive/32326-am/ https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116275668825285445 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2036511652275703864?s=20 https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/us/gregory-bovino-border-patrol.html https://x.com/atrupar/status/2031414203920077123 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Fh_K2gxDA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fW9E2zneDg https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/18/politics/mullin-confirmation-hearing-senate-paul-dhs https://x.com/atrupar/status/2036510924173963558?s=20 https://archive.ph/SmBos https://archive.vn/Xg3zP#selection-717.162-717.174 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/25/iran-war-us-trump.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/23/trump-iran-war-power-plants-energy-infrastructure-middle-east.html https://time.com/article/2026/03/25/trump-peace-proposal-us-iran-war-israel-pakistan/ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/indias-reliance-buys-5-million-barrels-iranian-oil-after-us-waiver-sources-say-2026-03-24/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1450zj6n48o https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgrzr9ynpn1o https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/23/oil-prices-trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz-wti-crude-middle-east-lng-gas.html https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-gets-daily-video-montage-briefing-iran-war-rcna263912 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thai-tanker-strait-hormuz-iran-6015671See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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