







LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Monday that he would visit Lubbock and make a statewide announcement at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
— The Bingham Group, LLC (@binghamgp) March 1, 2021
@GovAbbott #txlege https://t.co/w2wzUuqRnY
This announcement is coming five days after @GovAbbott said he was looking at when to end all statewide orders on COVID-19 and that he'd have announcements "pretty soon": https://t.co/jHHGSNe6Mu #txlege
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) March 1, 2021
Famous surgeon Atul Gawande opposes relaxing of Covid restrictions: 'We haven't even come down below the surge last summer' https://t.co/RTnNExhltY #txlege @GovAbbott @GregAbbott_TX
— Dick Lavine (@dlavine) March 2, 2021
The Republic of Texas was only in existence for a short period, but it is a unique history... pic.twitter.com/Tp9exDzOcH
— Patricia Sharkey (@PatriciaShark11) March 2, 2021
*Limited Ticket Alert* Houston Press Tacolandia Taco Stop tickets are selling fast because who could resist 25+ tacos & drinks for less than $30? Get your tickets while you can here → https://t.co/bABGN4us9V
— Houston Press (@HPStreet) February 25, 2021
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia is proposing that officers no longer cite or arrest most people who are found with small amounts of marijuana. https://t.co/PU45Bmccbx
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) March 1, 2021
Paxton’s Circus Clown Show returns home: he’s filed suit to remove San Antonio’s Police Chief from office. Are you kidding me? Blocking Texans, fleeing the state to stay warm, golfing with Trump and now meddling in local law enforcement. What’s next? https://t.co/TZtJ5UEvhV
— Joe Jaworski (@JaworskiForTX) February 28, 2021
Federal judge rules two HPD officers must stand trial on assault and battery, excessive force charges
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) March 2, 2021
https://t.co/jtwpLXSEhZ#khou #hounews pic.twitter.com/Jey81VgLtt
2nd Fort Worth police officer fired over ‘racially insensitive’ posting on social media https://t.co/uVeXbcGwjc
— Donald Pedersen (@DonaldP28785881) March 1, 2021
We have found the voter fraud. It’s the GOP.
— Hoodlum πΊπΈ (@NotHoodlum) March 1, 2021
Republican Judge Tomas ‘Tommy’ Ramirez III was arrested along with three other people on 150 counts of voter fraud. They’re accused of multiple charges including ballot harvesting at nursing homes in South Texas. pic.twitter.com/Fb3uuyzCxm
Just Liberty is asking the #txlege to ↑ food budgets to make prisons healthier, safer places. https://t.co/NWtijrtW55
— Grits for Breakfast (@Grits4Breakfast) March 2, 2021
Dostoevsky said “the degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” What judgment does Texas prison food deserve?
The bills to punish cities for divesting from police are already rolling in. HB 2362 was filed today. And Lt. Gov. Patrick announced that SB 23 would do the same in the Senate. Texans deserve robust public healthcare, not status quo, racist policing. https://t.co/srLJtwjyNP
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) February 26, 2021
After multiple calls for her resignation, @PUCtx Chair DeAnn Walker stepped down amid the #TexasFreeze fallout. Walker was appointed to the position in 2017 by @GovAbbott and testified in front of #txlege hearings on the blackouts last week.https://t.co/eA775mKsPd
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) March 1, 2021
Two bills filed by @RepMattSchaefer (R-Tyler) would have prohibited Governor Greg Abbott's mask orders in the first place. If passed, his bills would end all current state and local mask mandates.https://t.co/bnjhV2N41Z
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) March 1, 2021
Texas Republicans just filed a bill to make it illegal to vote at night. This is in direct response to efforts by @HarrisVotes to make sure that ALL Texans, including first responders, medical professionals, and shift workers, can vote at a time convenient for them. #txlege pic.twitter.com/TtRKCqfqtd
— Chris Hollins (@CGHollins) February 25, 2021
A message to my fellow #Texans, this is what #txlege Republicans are doing to avoid expanding medicaid https://t.co/1ybTEMUjTn
— Ethan O. McBride (@EthanOMcBride) March 2, 2021
Expert weighs in on 3 new COVID-19 variants now emerging in Houston https://t.co/YbukV5zuoS
— Laredo Morning Times (@lmtnews) March 1, 2021
Texas guidance on COVID vaccines: “DON’T limit eligibility by citizenship status. There is no requirement that a person be a citizen to receive the vaccine." @LUPE_rgv https://t.co/Ahw5c67idl
— NBC Latino (@NBCLatino) February 28, 2021
Last week, our producer Davis Land headed out from his neighborhood in Houston to talk with people trying to restore their homes after a devastating winter storm knocked out power for so many Texans. It was nearly 80 degrees -- a huge change from a couple of weeks back, when many Texans were shivering under coats and blankets, waiting out a deep freeze and a utility shutdown. But after the cold let up, what was left behind was a mess of plumbing: burst pipes and sagging walls full of leaking water. There simply aren’t enough hands to do the work.
Nearly 24,000 people have applied for rent relief from the city and county https://t.co/iKms5OLs6P via @houstonchron
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) March 2, 2021
A Texas father whose family was nearly stabbed to death and other victims of anti-Asian racism early in the pandemic share how they're coping a year later. A recent wave of new attacks has Asian American advocates pushing for solidarity. https://t.co/cbaZWO059n
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 2, 2021
"UT needs rich donors who love The Eyes of Texas more than they need one crop of irresponsible and uninformed students or faculty who won't do what they are paid to do"
— Kate McGee (@McGeeReports) March 1, 2021
Emails show wealthy alumni supporting “Eyes of Texas” threatened to pull donationshttps://t.co/w6TpTFR5ga
Last week, Jerry Jones lined his pockets while working-class Texans froze.
— Austin DSA (@austin_DSA) February 28, 2021
For that, he wins the distinction of being Austin DSA's Class Enemy of the Week. Read the full story here:https://t.co/jamz9Y9YQZ
Frozen to death. Poisoned by carbon monoxide. Trapped in home fires. Dead from crashes on icy roads.
— Krista M. Torralva (@KMTorralva) March 1, 2021
Texas is trying to count the winter storm death toll.
“We’ll probably never have a really accurate number,” the Dallas medical examiner said.https://t.co/na3JwBZFln
If you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you are in Harris County you can also call 713-221-6000 or 911. You are not alone, we are here to help. #hounews https://t.co/GWCsUsFIE4
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) March 1, 2021
Latest list of candidates in the #TX06 special election, ahead of tomorrow's 5 p.m. filing deadline: pic.twitter.com/ywea5qsFVd
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) March 2, 2021
THREAD:#TX06 could flip from red to blue — here's how.
— Daniel Friend (@DanielJFriend) March 1, 2021
Democrats have been eyeing the seat for the past few elections, but under normal circumstances, that's a fairly unrealistic target.
If he wins on Election Day, he’ll become San Antonio’s first openly gay city councilman. https://t.co/cX6cFsl8UB
— San Antonio Current (@SAcurrent) February 27, 2021
— El Arroyo (@ElArroyo_ATX) February 28, 2021
"Representatives, uh, Shirley Jackson Lee, Al Green, Sylvia Garcia, Lizzie Pannili, uh, excuse me," Biden said and winced. "Pannell, and uh, what am I doing here?" he said. [...] "I’m going to lose track here," he added.
This week Biden:
— weston (@westonpagano) February 26, 2021
- Reopened one of Trump's for-profit camps for migrant kids
- Broke his pledge to stop deportations, gave ICE more power instead
- Abandoned his own promise of $15/hr
- Illegally bombed Syria without authorization
Where's that harm reduction we were promised?
ππππ pic.twitter.com/91W3WgJt6Z
— Charlie Bonner (@CharlieKBonner) February 27, 2021
Texas ranks 49th in percentage of its population that’s received at least one vaccine shot.
— Zack Malitz (@ZackMalitz) February 27, 2021
49th.
Meanwhile, @GregAbbott_TX is talking about lifting COVID restrictions.
Abbott is incompetent. All he can do is pretend to govern. This is government as political theater.
"The biggest thing people are feeling is that they were abandoned," said Charlie Bonner of @MOVE_texas.
— mySA (@mySA) February 26, 2021
"The feeling that state leaders weren't going to do anything was profound." https://t.co/n3OkFLKWUO
'Muzzled and eviscerated': Critics say Abbott appointees gutted enforcement of Texas grid rules. My latest w/@Dexinvestigates https://t.co/2VxrwumDFO via @houstonchron 1/
— Jay Root (@byjayroot) February 26, 2021
Phelan, referring to legislative hearings last week on this month's power outages: "I can tell you that I didn't think the answers were adequate ... from the PUC, and I think my colleagues feel the same way."
— Cassi Pollock (@cassi_pollock) February 28, 2021
Background: https://t.co/qhzoJJ3Sok https://t.co/8R1k1uvcpI
Texas AG @KenPaxtonTX is now saying that he left Texas during the outages last week to meet with Utah AG Sean Reyes "to start preliminary investigations into ERCOT."
— Lauren McGaughy π (@lmcgaughy) February 26, 2021
Also he says Google is attacking him using algorithms that promoted his trip. #txlegehttps://t.co/FXRHBLugBI pic.twitter.com/eGNvwlJQ4t
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Blames Constituents for Giant Electric Bills: “Read the Fine Print” - @thespybrief https://t.co/yy9mVwn7Ec
— Susan Vermazen πΊπΈ (@SusanVermazen) February 25, 2021
Forty percent of Texas nursing homes reported power outages and structural problems to the state in the wake of last week's winter storm. https://t.co/3M7IJXOqxn
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) February 27, 2021
A total of 509,206 people were still impacted by boil water notices as of Sunday night, with 458 boil water notices in effect, according to the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
Jaquaree Simmons. You probably haven't yet heard his name. 23 years old. Caged pretrial in Harris County, TX. Called his mom almost every day from his jail cell. Crying & begging for help. One week after he entered, found dead. This happened 10 days ago. “All I can do is scream." pic.twitter.com/s20rkXqfhq
— Scott Hechinger (@ScottHech) February 28, 2021
You know what didn’t release harmful pollution during the blackouts in Texas? Wind turbines. https://t.co/tVT3i1ac8d
— EDF (@EnvDefenseFund) February 26, 2021
"The ongoing catastrophe is not a system failure – it is the necessary outcome of capitalist free markets functioning exactly as designed."
— Austin DSA (@austin_DSA) February 25, 2021
Austin DSA comrade and National Political Committee member Dave Pinkham in the Chronicle: https://t.co/ubppIOWcRL
After 5.25 hrs of testimony from @ERCOT_ISO CEO Bill Magness, it is clear many @TexasGOP @TexasSenateGOP biggest problem is with free market capitalism and a profound confusion between the spot market allowed by deregulation and price gouging that a real AG would fight.#txlege
— Jesse Ayala (@FordhamLawTX) February 25, 2021
I'm outside the offices of Comstock Resources, a natural gas company that is primarily owned by Jerry Jones, which recently made the news for profiting off the skyrocketing price of natural gas due to last week's winter storm disaster.
— steven monacelli (@stevanzetti) February 25, 2021
@dallas_sunrise is here in protest. pic.twitter.com/xoabvfvimk
With @emilyhholden and @bgibbs for @FloodlightNews/@guardian , @SAReport and @TexasObserver: Here's a look at how the natural gas industry is trying to tank local climate plans in Texas-- and across the country. https://t.co/d4Iawjxr7E
— Amal Ahmed (@amalahmed214) March 1, 2021
Californians named 'Honorary Austinites' after driving to Texas with storm relief supplies https://t.co/sTKjiKqpby pic.twitter.com/b3e9q3FvTC
— News 4 San Antonio (@News4SA) February 26, 2021
From Massachusetts with love: truckloads of food head to Texas, courtesy of US veterans, New England Patriots https://t.co/KWDQCbWvef
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) February 25, 2021
NEW from @reeseoxner: Texas expects to receive more than 200,000 initial doses of newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine https://t.co/IS1iMlJ1HR #txlege
— Evan Smith (@evanasmith) February 27, 2021
That time back in 1969 when Led Zeppelin played the Municipal Auditorium in Austin ... pic.twitter.com/xVQvbh54Ae
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) February 27, 2021
President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden to travel to Houston on Friday. https://t.co/7GW7pC0lMl via @houstonchron #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) February 23, 2021
“If all consumers don’t benefit from this, we will have wasted our time and failed our constituency,” then-state Sen. David Sibley, a key author of the bill to deregulate the market, said when the switch was first unveiled in 1999. “Competition in the electric industry will benefit Texans by reducing monthly rates,” then-Gov. George W. Bush said later that year.
#txlege working hard for the people, I mean there's nothing going on in the state that our elected representatives should be resolving... If we continue to re-elect incompetence simply because of partisan leanings, we should only expect incompetence from these people. https://t.co/tmU0NfwWrY
— Josh Reddoch (@JoshReddoch) February 23, 2021
The #TXLege last week: Out Cold https://t.co/SZkTHwD03B
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) February 22, 2021
#txlege fail. pic.twitter.com/zhTLkizuk1
— Chris Manno (@Chris_Manno) February 22, 2021
Story now on the web: https://t.co/LTug4EYGzS
— Catherine Traywick (@ctraywick) February 23, 2021
Sen. Ted Cruz is on his phone while former Chief of Police Steven Sund testifies about violence at the January 6 Capitol insurrection.pic.twitter.com/vXR1odKmFX
— The Recount (@therecount) February 23, 2021
"Who wants to go to a failed state? Sure, there is no income tax. But we're rationing gas, turning off electricity for millions of households and boiling water so it doesn't poison us." — @rossramsey https://t.co/L37Ydusx0i
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) February 22, 2021
"In a city that boasts of its low cost of living, it’s time we acknowledge the true toll of Houston’s incessant stream of unfortunate and deadly events," writes op-ed editor Raj Mankad. https://t.co/AwaKX3BkwV
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) February 21, 2021
Thanks for sharing, Jim. As TDP points out in the memo, there's just no way for them to win if they keep getting beat on crucial elements like registration and turnout.
— James BarragΓ‘n π (@James_Barragan) February 22, 2021
"Texas prides itself on being the Lone Star State," (Bullard says). "But this severe weather event and the power outages and loss of water has shown us that we are the ALONE Star State. Our energy policy of 'go it alone', keep the federal government out, doesn't make any sense. And it's never made any sense. We need to rejoin the United States [and] rejoin the grid."
she's right pic.twitter.com/CLjpcdnu53
— kim possible facts (@kimpossiblefact) February 22, 2021
Fox news headline: Windmills attacked a train carrying harmless fossil fuel. https://t.co/lTHr8tn3Xn
— I don't vote for racists or rapists. (@WorkinClassAss) February 23, 2021
Here’s the band, if you want to hire them! #CancunCruz pic.twitter.com/HjZPiCoc1Q
— Ryan Graneyπ©π»π¦° (@RyanEGraney) February 22, 2021
the party store I live near has made a ted cruz piΓ±ata pic.twitter.com/oKZkiPeK8g
— mallorie sullivan π (@malloriesullivn) February 23, 2021
As frozen Texas reel(ed) under one of the worst electricity outages in U.S. history, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott blamed grid operators and iced-over wind turbines but gone easier on another culprit: an oil and gas industry that is the state's dominant business and his biggest political contributor.
And as the toll deepened (last) Friday from a week of historic winter storms, which have killed more than 20 people in Texas, the dogpiling on a power grid that is proudly isolated from the rest of the country ignores warnings known by the state's GOP leaders for years.
Abbott's slathering of blame for this week's electrical outages solely on the operator of Texas' power grid is both misdirected and coming a decade too late, say critics familiar with the state's utility systems.
[...]
“What happened is absolutely unacceptable and can never be replicated again,” he said.
But critics point out that this week's rolling blackouts were themselves a repeat of a 2011 incident in which freezing temperatures played havoc with the state's grid.
Why are so few talking about the PUC? They are THE oversight committee for ERCOT. Any failure of ERCOT is a failure of the PUC. Any fix will likely need to start with the PUC rules, oversight etc. #txlege.
— James Frank (@RepJamesFrank) February 21, 2021
True, @ERCOT_ISO as an entity has a legal obligation to maintain the grid, but Republican legislatures wrote those rules, and GOP governors appoint the agency's overseers, the PUC. What I should say is do not let Abbott and Patrick blame-shift. https://t.co/naskJxPBat
— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) February 17, 2021
Change can only come from the governor and the Legislature. PUC can tweak rules, but can’t change the market structure. ERCOT is powerless to do anything significant. https://t.co/ZFDgLXk1D5
— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) February 18, 2021
“It hasn’t been a problem for a long time. It became a problem this week…”
— GMA3: What You Need To Know (@ABCGMA3) February 19, 2021
T.J Holmes: “Sir, in 2011, you were warned by federal regulators. To say that this has only become a problem this week is not correct.”
Texas Lt. Gov. @DanPatrick discusses the state’s power crisis. pic.twitter.com/yVCVVKv6yU
Action Alert! The Texas House is taking public comments about the statewide power outage ahead of their hearing on Thursday, 2/25. Make your voice heard: https://t.co/5NN7O46jjt#txlege #TexasPowerOutages #TexasWinterStorm2021 #TexasBlackout #TexasFreeze https://t.co/LBUk2iqb4h
— Air Alliance Houston (@airallianceHOU) February 20, 2021
If you are in one of the 77 Texas counties declared a disaster by @POTUS, you can register for @FEMA Assistance in a variety of ways:
— Texas Division of Emergency Management (@TDEM) February 21, 2021
π₯ https://t.co/EfZ4X0Khhn
π² Download the @FEMA App
π Call 1-800-621-3362#TexasWinterStorm2021 pic.twitter.com/cqjNnpV6VG
Thrilled that Congresswoman @AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -NY, joined dedicated volunteers today at the Houston Food Bank to highlight the great work happening here in the freeze aftermath. #txlege @RepSylviaGarcia @JacksonLeeTX18 pic.twitter.com/X6h8x3H0me
— Rep. Penny Morales Shaw (@VotePennyShaw) February 20, 2021
One last update (I think!): We just hit $5 million raised for Texans across the state.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 22, 2021
Thank you ALL for your collective action when people need it most.
Charity can’t replace policy, but solidarity is how we’ll face climate change and build a better world. πͺπ½π
Thank you ππ½ pic.twitter.com/RzdgXllXoS
Bonnie Valdez went to check on her store in San Antonio.
— Erin Brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) February 19, 2021
All the 150 cases of bottled water stacked outside were gone.
Stolen?
No... When she went in, she found the money & notes.
They had all left the cash...
Most had over paid... #TexasStrong ππππ pic.twitter.com/ML0asHh2ig
Scenes from today’s #HoustonFreeze supply drop with @mutualaidhou @sayhername_tx. Inspired by so many volunteers and community members coming together to help one another and build power ✊πΎ✊π½✊πΏ pic.twitter.com/XtdsRkukGy
— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) February 20, 2021
To prevent damage to their processing units due to the shutdowns, refineries flared, or burned (feedstock that would have been refined under typical operating conditions), releasing gases, Reuters reported.
The five largest refiners emitted nearly 337,000 pounds of pollutants, according preliminary data supplied to the Texas Commission on Environment Quality (TCEQ).
[...]
Exxon’s Baytown Olefins Plant emitted nearly a ton of benzene and 68,000 tons of carbon monoxide, with the company blaming the halting of “multiple process units and safe utilization of the flare system.” It said the shutdown was due to loss of utilities, including third-party natural gas supply, and the icy weather.
Meanwhile, Valero Energy Corp said in its filing to TCEQ that the Port Arthur refinery released 78,000 pounds over 24 hours beginning last Monday. It also cited the winter storm and interruptions in utility services.
Oil refineries in Texas have also suffered widespread damage due to the brutal cold and are expected to be down for weeks of repairs. Companies in the oil industry have warned customers that they won’t be able to meet deliveries under contract, Bloomberg noted.
In the early 1900s, @MarketSquareHou was an epicenter for Black businesses, including the Lincoln Theatre (711 Prairie). The theatre opened in 1916 and was considered the finest, exclusively colored playhouse in the South. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/0j828tZlVV
— Downtown Houston (@DowntownHouston) February 21, 2021
I’m making sure we do everything we can to get the power turned on in Texas and to make sure this never happens again. pic.twitter.com/aSrrZuFjNl
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 19, 2021
We’ve now raised $2 MILLION in relief for Texans & are adding more orgs.ππ½
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 19, 2021
I’ll be flying to Texas today ✈️ to visit with Houston rep Sylvia Garcia (@LaCongresista) to distribute supplies and help amplify needs & solutions.
Let’s see how far we can go: https://t.co/4PQkp4gG9v
As millions of Texans went without power and water, Gov. Greg Abbott told residents to call 311 and use Google to find resources.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) February 20, 2021
The only problem: Many people didn’t have internet access or cell service. https://t.co/Oq8VhHhkH8
Abbott appointees made 'astonishing' cuts to power reliability team before deadly Texas storm. My latest with @Dexinvestigates —> https://t.co/YzbLIgQtGp via @houstonchron
— Jay Root (@byjayroot) February 19, 2021
This is the CEO of Infuse Energy, a mid-size retail provider in Texas. As a company with tens of thousands of customers suffering, our official statement to @GovernorPerry, with all due respect, is to shut your damn mouth.
— Infuse Energy (@InfuseEnergy) February 18, 2021
Local state Sen. Kelly @KHancock4TX and state Rep. @GoldmanCraig chair two of the three committees that will oversee power grid reform. Be sure to let your lawmakers know what you’d like to see and whether you’d pay more for it. #txlege pic.twitter.com/8heHLlwgWd
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) February 16, 2021
Why do I want to run for governor? (A thread) I've lived in TX my entire life and I have seen some amazing, wonderful things. I have been in awe, inspired and fulfilled by our state, our people, our comraderie.
— DelilahForTexas (@DelilahforTexas) November 19, 2020
Lately though, it seems like who we are and what defines us has less
Pls RT
— π»⏳AllDemsRCorruptVoteGreenAnd3rdPartyOnlyπ»π· (@1Kitty6) February 18, 2021
ATTN: SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
π»@DiazForMayor is running for Mayor as a Green Party candidate. No corporate & lobbyistπ°
He supports living wage, affordableπ‘, CJ reform, etc.
Pls follow & consider contributing to his campaign using the link below.https://t.co/eliBVtz9kK
It's all apparently a misunderstanding. When the Texans announced they were shedding JJ Watt's contract, ERCOT heard that "Texans need to shed watts."
— Eric Berger (@SpaceCityWX) February 17, 2021
"We built these fake outhouses around the set of Lonesome Dove, and [Robert] Duvall would take a crap in them because he was in character."
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) February 19, 2021
----- Cary White, production designer for "Lonesome Dove," the TV miniseries, re: how Robert Duvall maintained his edge while filming pic.twitter.com/U1iWnlOocQ
damning... photo evidence of cruz in cancun as we speak pic.twitter.com/itW1lgzlnC
— kill π tim π faust (@crulge) February 18, 2021
Expert says power outages in Texas result of poor planning on multiple levels https://t.co/GbfZpl0qvr pic.twitter.com/4d96mz2SUh
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) February 16, 2021
How it started How it’s going pic.twitter.com/k8ViAdhDFN
— Jay R. Jordan (@JayRJordan) February 16, 2021
It's confirmed: The blackouts in Texas are primarily because of frozen instruments at gas, coal and nuclear plants -- as well limited supplies of gas, according to Ercot.
— Catherine Traywick (@ctraywick) February 16, 2021
Frozen wind turbines were the least significant factor.https://t.co/10L8Br20iY pic.twitter.com/MBoWt7BDmu
Galveston County officials are calling for a refrigerated truck to hold the expected influx of bodies of people who have died from subfreezing temperatures.https://t.co/jwSLfun3YN#Day2 #KPRC2
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) February 16, 2021
.@LinaHidalgoTX just said if residents lose feeling in their hands or legs, or develop other signs of hypothermia at home, they should call 911.
— Zach Despartπ️ (@zachdespart) February 15, 2021
Never thought I'd hear that at a news conference.
All because the TX power grid cannot meet demand for electricity to heat homes. https://t.co/pYgyejHFVt
4 million without power—Texas could have invested in at least 3 things for its frozen wind turbines:
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) February 16, 2021
πwater resistant coating on blades
πmore de-icing drones
πupgrades in heating packages
➡️If they can work atop snow-covered Alps. They can work in Texas.π§΅ #PolarVortex pic.twitter.com/wa7LlAMsrG
6) that said, the main failure was its oil and gas production. Texas is producing 21 gigawatts below what is needed... wind is very minor. Most from other reasons. Texas is in a huge cluster pic.twitter.com/6G6KvXQtv3
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) February 16, 2021
Looks like Texas planned for this winter weather about as well as they planned for COVID-19.
— Political Wastelander (@GrumpyGamer_73) February 15, 2021
"Many of the generators that experienced outages in 1989 failed again in 2011, the investigation discovered. Fast forward a decade and here we are again." https://t.co/5BXjTE6LMR
— Justin Miller (@by_jmiller) February 16, 2021
“The ERCOT grid has collapsed in exactly the same manner as the old Soviet Union. It limped along on underinvestment and neglect until it finally broke under predictable circumstances."
— John Tedesco (@John_Tedesco) February 16, 2021
How the state's power grid failed millions of Texans: https://t.co/J7IbBlz8hG #hounews #txwx
.@TedCruz's 2020 tweet about California blackouts comes back to bite him in the ass https://t.co/8GCgVXkXNq
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) February 16, 2021
Anything else going on right now in Texas that you should be pretending to be worried about, @JohnCornyn? https://t.co/h615WklTEs
— Brad Friedman (@TheBradBlog) February 16, 2021
The dumb “own the libs” snark is real funny, until it’s not. With over 5 million Texans without power and freezing cold temps, let’s check in with 2019 John Cornyn. How are you guys in CA? Do you have power today? pic.twitter.com/c8qNk8kzBU
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 16, 2021
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton: "California’s politicians did this"https://t.co/LBSuH0gpUx
— Brian Kahn (@blkahn) February 16, 2021
Greg Abbott & the #txlege took more action to make the Mavs play the anthem before games than they did to prevent folks from freezing & their homes being damaged
— socially distant π since 1988 (@elektritekt) February 16, 2021
Update. https://t.co/PjHUP2Y6bQ pic.twitter.com/QTdQWgnIdP
— wesinjapan (@wesinjapan) February 16, 2021
I think the thing that pisses me off the most is schmucks like Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and Dan Crenshaw will continue posting culture war bullshit instead trying to help constituents freezing in their homes because the GOP base values triggering libs more than their own lives.
— Chris Jackson (@ChrisCJackson) February 16, 2021
.@MattMackowiak caught attempting to fill private jet to Miami during #TexasBlackout https://t.co/w3OTZITQOH #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) February 16, 2021
‘You Go Back Where You Came From,’ Says Texan Pointing Gun At Snowman Trespassing On Property https://t.co/T7OHCABfSP pic.twitter.com/vnWAzDkwBH
— The Onion (@TheOnion) February 16, 2021
Huskies refusing to come inside from the cold is my new fav thing pic.twitter.com/aGAg0qu1GW
— The God Tongue (@aprettyPR) February 16, 2021
My electricity came on about 15-20 minutes ago, after 22 hours. It's 43 degrees inside my house (and up to 44 already). #houstonfreeze #texaspoweroutage #HouNews
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) February 16, 2021
This obviously is a monumental screw-up by the state of Texas, ERCOT, and the companies responsible for power generation in Texas. Why was demand not better anticipated? How are generating plants rated for cold weather production? The list of questions goes on and on. There is plenty of blame to go around, as it seems likely that people will lose their lives due to cold, or medical needs for electricity.
Be wary of those quick to scapegoat wind turbines or any single government official or political sides for this failure. This is a failure of the whole government and a lack of sensible regulation of electricity generators. We need to learn from this mistake so that it is not repeated. After our teeth stop chattering, of course.
Texas power outages: How the largest energy-producing state in the US failed in freezing temperatures https://t.co/MJJydN01E9
— KVUE News (@KVUE) February 16, 2021
Lots happening; another impeachment trial, Neera Tanden's confirmation hearing, the Lege gaveling back in, and me with a pot full of links already, so here comes a second edition of the Wrangle.
First, a few updates since yesterday. "Team Cruz" has been trending overnight. If Ted wants to play like this, we got time. Today, tomorrow, every day for the next four years.
Team Cruz is soft on cop killing. pic.twitter.com/OzwCHZc6C6
— JimBell12 (@Bell12Jim) February 8, 2021
Apparently, calling for the killing of her coworkers wasn't enough to rile Republicans Chip Roy or Tony Gonzales. https://t.co/2DCnH5XYpu
— San Antonio Current (@SAcurrent) February 5, 2021
A suspected white nationalist who posted on social media about killing Jewish people has been federally charged after he used an undercover FBI agent to facilitate the sale of an AM-15 to a convicted felon, the DOJ said Monday in a news release. https://t.co/FnnLdzDG1w
— KENS 5 (@KENS5) February 9, 2021
Jenny Cudd, a Texas woman who admitted to taking part in the Capitol insurrection and faces charges that could result in a prison sentence, has been given permission by a U.S. judge to go on vacation in Mexico.https://t.co/36i5diYgwx
— NPR (@NPR) February 6, 2021
2 coronavirus variants found in Houston area: https://t.co/tABODBlAtF #kprc2 #hounews
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) February 8, 2021
ExxonMobil, which has its main campus in Houston, reported a stunning $20 billion in losses in the fourth quarter alone. Reuters reports it's the first time Exxon has posted an annual loss as a public company, and some investors are using it as an opportunity to push Exxon to focus on clean energy in hopes of boosting investor returns.
Houston-based ConocoPhillips lost more than $700 million in the fourth quarter for a total loss of $2.7 billion in 2020. BP, which also has its U.S. headquarters in Houston, reported a full-year loss of $5.7 billion, compared to $10 billion profit in 2019.
(Last) week the price of West Texas oil hit an 11-month high at just over $55 per barrel. For most of last year prices hovered at or below $40 a barrel. Many companies say they need around $50-60 per barrel to break even.
Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen, Henry Cuellar of Laredo, Lizzie Pannill Fletcher of Houston and Marc Veasey of Fort Worth objected to the president’s order directing the secretary of the interior to halt new oil and gas leases on federal public lands and waters.
Pushback on Joe Biden’s oil, gas lease moratorium signals clash inside Democratic Party https://t.co/nRxaetNsqb
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) February 1, 2021
“If I’m at the gas pump, and I’m pumping gas into my car, and some spills on the ground, I still pay the tax on the gas.”#txlege is weighing in on if the same should apply to oil & gas companies flaring and venting methane into our atmosphere. @statesmanhttps://t.co/pKl2nxzWMk
— EDF Texas (@EDFtx) February 9, 2021
#Breaking: Several pro teams are launching a coalition to legalize sports betting in Texas. The effort already has the backing of the @dallascowboys, @dallasmavs and @Rangers.
— Lauren McGaughy π (@lmcgaughy) February 8, 2021
The @dallasnews has the exclusive details here: https://t.co/YWIJqBTWX7 #txlege
The announcement of the Sports Betting Alliance comes after the late Sheldon Adelson’s group, Las Vegas Sands, expanded their lobbying effort to legalize gaming in Texas. The Sands' push appears to want to work in tandem with the alliance to take the biggest shot to legalize both sports betting and gambling in Texas in recent memory.
Andy Abboud, senior vice president of government affairs for the Las Vegas Sands, told the Dallas Morning News, “We view sports wagering as a component of our efforts in bringing destination resorts to Texas and creating robust, long-term economic development and jobs for the state. We look forward to working in tandem with their coalition during the legislative session.”
Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks told the Morning News in an email, “I think it’s time ...it makes no sense for us to force Texans to go to neighboring states to gamble in casinos.”
Book review: 'East of Texas, West of Hell' by Rod Davis https://t.co/3JvrZblHRR via @publisherswkly
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) February 9, 2021