Tuesday, December 15, 2020

The Weekly Wrangle from Far Left Texas

A week away from the blog hasn't made me feel any more relaxed or rested.  The same appears to hold true for the TXGOP.



I feel certain you haven't missed anything, but since it's been awhile and for the sake of posterity, I'll break it down by Tweet, in something close to chronological order.


I decided to leave Ted Cruz and Dan Crenshaw out of this rundown ... because there's only so much bullshit all of us can take.


Chris Hooks at Texas Monthly attempted to describe Ken Paxton to a new audience.  Steve Vladeck gave his explanation of the Paxton lawsuit, then broke down the SCOTUS ruling

There was lots of news on the COVID-19 front.


With the FDA granting Pfizer an EUA for its coronavirus vaccine, Socratic Gadfly presented his round-up of coronavirus-related news, which covers vaccine efficacy in the real world, distribution to problematic and/or impoverished rural areas like the "Big Rez", and more, including how long the vaccine's protections may or may not last.  Bud Kennedy at the Startlegram says rural Texans are 'angry' at the coronavirus and its toll on the grieving.


Greg Abbott says the White House -- i.e. Deborah Birx -- was "unaware" of all the things he's done to slow the spread.  Whoever happens to be at fault (and I would assert it's all of them), the pandemic is grinding everybody down.


And as my segue to the criminal justice collation:


Grits for Breakfast lists his top ten Texas criminal justice stories of the year.  The latest Texas Watch podcast outlines the brutal history of tort reform in the Lone Star State.


Both men were put to death last week.

As a transition from this topic to election news ...


More in this Tweet thread from the Chron's Jasper Scherer.


There were other municipal runoff election results from the Metroplex covered by TXElects.  LareDos posted about the progressive candidates who won in that city's council and community college board races.  And El Paso's mayor, Dee Margo, lost to his predecessor, Oscar Leeser.


I predict no action will be taken.  In more positive developments for leftists, David Collins blogged about the Green Maps Project.


Of note is that Texas Greens already have a 2022 candidate for governor.

There were a few news items from the Lege yesterday.  Maybe you heard.


That would be Kyle Biedermann.  Secession could be yet another litmus test between the Trumpublicans and the other ones.


Oh yeah, the Electoral College met.  Nothing of interest to report there that I haven't already mentioned at the top, so here's the Texas Music Office director playing his violin while they counted the votes.


A plethora of environmental developments:

Texas Environmental News aggregated these: the SCOTUS gave New Mexico a win in the latest skirmish over water between us and them; BP's dismal refinery safety record finally came to the attention of Trump's Labor Department; and the Midlothian cement facility pollution plan is moving ahead, but activists there are not relenting.


The Week says it's mostly hype, though. *heavy sigh*


There's a balance of good news, bad news, and a hybrid of both in the Tweets below.


DSA activists had a busy weekend in Houston last.


A couple of Texas-based firms figure prominently in the latest Trump election conspiracy theory/Russian hacking episodes.


I should do these Wrangles at least twice a week, shouldn't I?  A few social justice pieces, centering on the looming eviction crisis.


Liberation News profiled H-Town's I-45 expansion opponents.  And the San Antonio Current reports that the Alamo City will hold its largest holiday food distribution event of the year today.

Wrapping up with these lighter-side items.


As Steve Bresnen noted, low profile run-flat tires were not a recent invention.

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