Lone Star Round Up: #CancelCulture comes for TXGOP-Con

Breaking: Houston officials have canceled the Texas GOP’s in-person convention due to public health concerns.https://t.co/sv3ItxZDhM

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) July 8, 2020

Mayor Sylvester Turner exercised the nuclear option in stopping the RPT's state convention from becoming a super-spreader event in Space City next week.  Printers at the legal offices of conservative attorneys are whirring continuously as they churn out the lawsuits.

Update:

Steve Hotze, @TexasGOP secretary Josh Flynn, former RPT chair Cathie Adams & others, repped by Jared Woodfill, just sued @SylvesterTurner for ordering the cancellation of next week's in-person state GOP convention, alleging various violations of the Texas Constitution. #txlege https://t.co/4wN2KwWGZX pic.twitter.com/u8sLGQgliV

— Jasper Scherer (@jaspscherer) July 9, 2020

It's for their own good; they just don't get it.  Or refuse to.

There's been a spike in people dying at home in Houston.

That suggests coronavirus deaths may be higher than reported.

Produced in partnership with @NBCNews: https://t.co/ezA6zrjP5v pic.twitter.com/BcsR2VTxwQ

— ProPublica (@propublica) July 8, 2020

BREAKING: Austin Convention Center being prepped as field hospital for coronavirus patients https://t.co/IFKaBPTByM

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) July 7, 2020

A follow-up to a news item appearing in Monday's Wrangle:

After new research was released showing that the novel coronavirus strain in Houston is potentially more infectious than the original strain, a top Houston doctor and researcher is offering more insight on what the new information means. https://t.co/WUa62JTdS8 pic.twitter.com/DXQbVcbn2E

— Laredo Morning Times (@lmtnews) July 9, 2020

Pandemic may be making human trafficking worse in Houston https://t.co/epwVZ1tnx0 #COVIDー19 #HouNews

— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) July 8, 2020

I have an abundance of social justice pieces for this post.  Let me begin with the sad closing of the case of Vanessa Guillen; marches were held over the long holiday weekend last, and then crime investigators made the announcement everyone feared.

#BREAKING - The attorney representing the family of Vanessa Guillen said Sunday that the remains found in rural Bell County have been positively identified as those of the slain Fort Hood soldier. pic.twitter.com/xdZqZ0j90n

— KWTX News 10 (@kwtx) July 5, 2020

Multiple female veterans say there's a negative stigma to reporting assault and harassment in the military.

According to Vanessa Guillen’s family, that’s what happened in her situation. https://t.co/DUoNGaIeeP

— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) July 6, 2020

Sexual abuse and harassment of women detained by police officers -- a longtime and under-reported crime -- has become more blatant during the BLM protests.

This is fucking disgusting.
"I DEMAND A FEMALE OFFICER"
Austin, Texas PD @Austin_Police pic.twitter.com/eAiIejUP8j

— 𝕾𝖆𝖒 (@mo0nlitruby) July 6, 2020

LGBTQ community leaders have led the fight for Black Lives Matter in Houston.

Editor’s Note: LGBTQ leaders are spearheading Houston's #BlackLivesMatter movement. https://t.co/eCVGlHRgPr

— OutSmart Magazine (@outsmarthouston) July 2, 2020

“This movement is not just in this moment, but continuous,” he says. “Take the way you’re feeling and responding, and continue with this movement. Don’t step out.” Brandon Mack, @BLMHOU

Read more at @outsmarthoustonhttps://t.co/kD76lhvE79 pic.twitter.com/Y2PwcYlc8F

— END HIV Houston (@ENDHIVHou) July 3, 2020

In H-Town, temperatures between city council members and HPD chief Art Acevedo have finally reached the boiling point.

So, it got a lil heated at city council this morning --> 'He's not listening': Acevedo, council members spar over delayed helmet vote https://t.co/cY1jYFYD3v #hounews

— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) July 8, 2020

In Denton -- not the most liberal bastion in the state -- community organizers have called for justice for Darius Tarver and the defunding of the city's police department.  The 20-year-old UNT student died in police custody in January.  His story is all too familiar by now.

Two environmental updates: first, the Permian Highway pipeline may suffer the same fate as the Keystone Xl and the Dakota Access pipelines.

Kinder Morgan’s 430-mile Permian Highway Pipeline faces a maze of litigation, and the legal action against other pipelines around the U.S. could have ripple effects in Texas.

Higher than expected rates of lung, liver, esophagus and larynx cancers were found in 12 of the 21 census tracts included in the analysis. https://t.co/NJlxfKeHBW pic.twitter.com/r0cQVDvPgO

— bryan parras (@HighTechAztec) July 9, 2020

Before I get to some election news ... we know that many of Trump's relatives and friends are on the dole as the CARES Act money was passed out, but a few Democrats also got caught with their hands in Uncle Sam's cookie jar.

In case you needed another reason to support @donnaimamTX, she's NOT this person https://t.co/H5QzALPORl

— Katie Halper (@kthalps) July 7, 2020

How my congressional race in #TX10 relates to the most notorious incident of racist Texas law enforcement in the last 20 years, a THREAD:

(📷= @courthouselover on Flickr) pic.twitter.com/YqamZie7NW

— Mike Siegel (@SiegelForTexas) July 5, 2020

@teneshiaforHC has impeccable experience & accomplishments.
She is the best person for the job.
I, as a Harris County Precinct Chair, will be voting for her at the August CEC meeting to put her on the ballot in November.
Precinct Chairs must participatee https://t.co/fjbZkX44qM

— Jill Moffitt 🧢💎🌊 (@MoffittJill) July 2, 2020

Texas’ 24th Congressional District, which covers much of the suburban area between Dallas and Fort Worth, is considered by many to be a key political battleground.

There, two Democrats are fighting it out over who gets to run in November: https://t.co/awgZgT7WfC

— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) July 2, 2020

The pre-eminent Texas Democratic election law attorney for two generations passed away over the Independence Day weekend.

Champion of Texas election law and ethics, Buck Wood, dies at 75 https://t.co/NjR4u97DNp

— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) July 4, 2020

And these to end the week.

Space history: Neil Armstrong’s El Lago home is for sale > https://t.co/VOqjrwSZpC #kprc2 #hounews pic.twitter.com/IKVa3ASB1F

— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) July 7, 2020

Astros release 2020 schedule pic.twitter.com/jGt4mqQIBZ

— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 6, 2020