.@ceciliaballi and two of her colleagues spoke to 100 Texas Latinos to better understand Latino voters and nonvoters in Texas.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) December 4, 2020
We asked her what she learned. Here are some highlights from our conversation. https://t.co/OhaDDHDCT2
Will Texas Latin@s eventually turn the state from Republican red to Democratic blue? The answer to that question is complicated, says Cecilia Ballí, a writer-at-large at Texas Monthly, covering the borderlands of Texas, security and immigration.
Over the past year, Ballí, along with two colleagues -- anthropologist Michael Powell and sociologist Betsabeth Monica Lugo -- had one-on-one conversations with 100 Latin@s in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. Their research, commissioned and funded by the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund, sought to better understand Latin@ voters and nonvoters in Texas.
Ballí -- who wrote about the study for Texas Monthly -- talked to The Texas Tribune on Instagram Live about their key findings. The conversation’s highlights are here. You can watch the full conversation here.
Heartfelt eulogies poured in for Latina activist Maria Jimenez from Judge Lina Hidalgo, Stace at Dos Centavos, and Angela Valenzeula at EEP & P in TX blog.
Longtime Houston civil rights activist Maria Jimenez dies at 70 https://t.co/MX2SceBPTB
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) December 3, 2020
Voting and election related-developments since Monday include the following:
‘I refuse to be afraid.’ Appeal filed in Tarrant County woman’s illegal voting conviction https://t.co/GIZV7hf6iP
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram (@startelegram) December 1, 2020
Nine Texas Republicans in Congress have signed a letter chastising U.S. Attorney General William Barr for a "shocking lack of action" in response to unproven allegations that voter fraud occurred in the 2020 election. https://t.co/AD5YZeJsHo
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) December 2, 2020
Errors found in Texas certification of votes for President, but @TXsecofstate says it is too late to fix them https://t.co/WM3994gnWI #TXLege pic.twitter.com/kuWDDPdblJ
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 3, 2020
That Harley didn’t take MJ Hegar to the Senate. Now she’s selling it on eBay, @toddgillman reports. #TxSen #2020Elections @mjhegar #txlege https://t.co/ZAhBlYubyl
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) December 1, 2020
NEW: Harris County Democrats ignore Paxton's letter disputing legality of election administration office https://t.co/LKUvqFKofH #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) December 2, 2020
Hmmmm https://t.co/FI00vqdWqS pic.twitter.com/LUZTmlXM03
— Jackson the Syndicalist🚩⚒️ (@TheRockettMann) December 2, 2020
COVID updates are next.
NOT WAITING ON THE FEDS: City of Houston to send $1,200 checks to residents struggling during coronavirus pandemic
— ChickenFriedPolitics (@ChkFriPolitics) December 2, 2020
-Southern politics are always on the menu at ChickenFriedPolitics.com-https://t.co/P1XgacJAgw
Is @realDonaldTrump busting @GovAbbott's balls over his failed #COVID19 response? Sure sounds like it. #ouch #TXLege https://t.co/jM77SMJ8m3 via @TexasTribune
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 1, 2020
Texas could receive initial coronavirus vaccine doses for up to 1.4 million Texans in December, assuming U.S. health officials approve coronavirus vaccine candidates from drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) December 2, 2020
The vaccines require two doses per person. https://t.co/86NZr6ljOU
On #GivingTuesday, 1 in 5 Houston adults going hungry https://t.co/ZGgNEjltIp via @ReformAustin #HouNews #HTX
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 1, 2020
Where to find free food pantries in Dallas, Fort Worth and other parts of North Texas, from @dallasnews: https://t.co/GFfuRzIVW2
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) December 2, 2020
Here's a couple of COVID-related "Texas Leaders Behaving Badly" items.
Reminder in the midst of this uncontrolled pandemic, with record new COVID cases, that Texas budgeted $17.7 million for infectious disease surveillance, prevention, and epidemiology this year, and more than $400 million—23 times as much—on border security. https://t.co/sYrGjLh7qt https://t.co/E0fvFknXDw
— Sophie Novack (@SophieNovack) December 3, 2020
😂😂🤣 That’s such a neo-Austin thing to do. It you’re familiar with the old Austin vs. the present-day hypocrite hipster Austin, then you know exactly what I mean. 😉
— TheDiaryofDaniel (@DiaryofDaniel) December 3, 2020
Austin mayor's video urging residents to stay home was shot from Cabo https://t.co/bWP7i0oPDW
It sure seems as if Austin could do a lot more progressive than the guy who rushed to be first in the line to endorse Pete Buttigeig for president.
I have criminal and social justice posts, environmental news, and a non-socialist-leaning business news update next.
Eric Fagan, elected during a larger national reckoning on race and law enforcement, will lead an office that has been under fire for racial profiling. https://t.co/igjes0GPzB
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) December 3, 2020
Sunset Commission blasts poor training, oversight of Texas law enforcement https://t.co/2HvbLa6Wf8 #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) December 1, 2020
El Paso Matters reports that the incoming district attorney has fired several lawyers and staff as she prepares to take office in January, including the prosecutors on the Walmart shooting case. Leif Reichstad at Texas Monthly explains how Austin was able to reduce spending on its police department by a third. The family of Atatiana Jefferson, the Fort Worth woman shot and killed by a police officer in her mother's home while she baby-sat her 8-year-old nephew -- has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the ex-cop. And the state's First Court of Appeals has reversed a legal victory for the city of Houston, ordering it to continue litigating the case of an HPD officer who rear-ended another vehicle while looking for a cellphone charger. A few more social justice pieces ...
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Ghosts of Segregation https://t.co/Ie8jN8n8el
— Paul Garrett (@PaulGarrettATX) December 2, 2020
A “segregation wall,” built to separate customers of color, at the Templin Saloon in Gonzales, Texas. The wall was left standing to remind patrons of the saloon’s history. pic.twitter.com/AMKQ339L33
Red Hook Seafood Bar and Grill
— KathiSasebo64 (@KathiSasebo64) December 2, 2020
6759 Northwest Loop 410
San Antonio TX 78238
(210) 592-1017
General Manager - Keelie Taylor https://t.co/lxaZmSSFvA
Hello Texas friends, we want to let you know about Doghead Division(formerly "Cult of the Doghead"), a fascist group actively trying to radicalize members of the police and the military.https://t.co/PYTIYdzcDX pic.twitter.com/F3EupRJWt6
— Corvallis Against Fascism (@CVAgainstFash) November 30, 2020
And on to climate justice.
Day 2 Naughty List: NRG Energy Corp. NRG is headquartered in Houston and Princeton, NJ. Their W.A. Parish Plant in Fort Bend county produces more carcinogenic Particulate Matter than any other plant in Texas, contributing to as many as 178 deaths annually. https://t.co/8ad5HDfEIc
— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) December 2, 2020
🚨 On Dec 12, Houston DSA is putting Lizzie Fletcher on notice: she needs to #FightForOurLives, not big oil. 🛢️💀🏭
— Houston DSA (@HoustonDSA) December 3, 2020
Lizzie received more oil & gas donations in 2020 than ⚠️ any other congressional Democrat ⚠️ We fight big money with people power: https://t.co/6PuXhWYMY1 pic.twitter.com/Vqczscr7QN
Study found clear correlation btwn distance from oil refinery & rate of all #cancer types. Of >800,000 cancer patients living in #Texas, 34% lived close proximity to oil refinery. Patients living w/in 10 mi of refineries most likely advanced cancer#TXlege https://t.co/tWqO6s0nPD
— Anna Núñez (@nunez_anna) December 1, 2020
KVUE has a story about Central Texas residents threatening to sue neighboring cities as a last-ditch effort to keep treated wastewater out of their Hill Country waterways.
The San Gabriel River winds its way from Burnet into Williamson and Milam counties, 50 miles through some of the most scenic parts of Central Texas -- and now hotspots for growth. But with the development are cries for help to keep this once-pristine waterway, and others like it, from being polluted. [...] (Upstream),the Liberty Hill wastewater treatment plant has permission from the state to dump 1.2 million gallons of treated wastewater discharge into the San Gabriel River every day.
Yet according to EPA records, it has exceeded permitted discharge limits 98 times since 2015, 15 times this year.
And despite more than 50 permit violations cited by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the state now allows Liberty Hill to expand operations to dump 4 million gallons per day.
Much more at the link.
What the savviest of conservative populist politicians see here is an opportunity. The same wedge issue is forming between supporters of high speed rail (cities, big business) and opponents (country folk concerned about their property rights). Greg Abbott is the most opportunistic of politicians in the state; he sees it, understands it, and is unlikely to let someone like Dan Patrick get to the right of him on it. The Texas Central Railway, thus, may go the way of the Trans-Texas Corridor.
That leads me to my business wrangle.
Much of what became @HPE came from Houston-based Compaq when HP acquired it. So HPE’s planned headquarters move is something of a homecoming. https://t.co/VBf6x4fySX#hounews #houtech pic.twitter.com/ROwG5fmp07
— Dwight Silverman (@dsilverman) December 2, 2020
The old Sears building in Midtown Houston is undergoing a transformation, and slated to be a tech/innovation hub called The ION upon completion.
Tilman Fertitta mulls taking a substantial part of his Golden Nugget casino / @LandrysInc restaurant company public https://t.co/BbUed7XWkT #HouNews
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 2, 2020
Meanwhile, JC Penney quietly left their Plano headquarters behind after exiting bankruptcy. Their future remains uncertain.
Wrapping a long Round-up with some lighter items.
Enjoyed having a chance to talk w @TexasStandard about the #WASPWWII and my book #TheWomenWithSilverWings. Thanks @KUTjoydiaz! @CrownPublishing @jenmarshall3 @TWUpres @twulibraries @WomenInAviation @WomenMilAv8rs https://t.co/5WNho5s8zM
— Dr.Katherine Sharp Landdeck (@katelanddeck) December 1, 2020
Also known as Chicano soul, the Westside Sound blends rock’n’roll with San Antonio roots. https://t.co/O03a36zWYW
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) December 3, 2020