But they are hanging by a thread. Let's begin with the political tweets from the weekend.
Starr County District Attorney Gocha Allen Ramirez has filed a motion to dismiss a murder charge against a woman for performing a "self-induced abortion."https://t.co/4webnyyBZZ
— Texas Public Radio (@TPRNews) April 10, 2022
The arrest of Lizelle Herrera reverberated across the nation. Not just because we all thought it was about Texas being, you know, but because the law enforcement officials in Starr County are all Democrats, including the DA, whose office would've -- under the usual procedure -- presented a charge of murder to a grand jury for indictment before suddenly deciding the law wasn't on his side. There is a great deal more the public needs to know about this matter, and I suspect it is going to smell very bad.
RGV Democrats are in a world of hurt, it seems.
By chasing an early retirement and triggering a special election, veteran @RepFilemonVela of Brownsville has opened up a big opportunity for Republican candidate @MayraFlores2022. https://t.co/HbtXIMx0Do
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) April 10, 2022
Greg Abbott's border fiasco is also being exposed.
“This is not a thoughtful, humanitarian approach, but just one more politician manipulating #migrants to score points at the expense of our community,” El Paso County judge says of @GovAbbott's new #border orders, @ajcorchado & @imegarcia write. #txlege https://t.co/tQvnYT4LJN
— John Gravois (@Grav1) April 7, 2022
Abbott playing politics on the border isn't a harmless venture. He's taking $ from Texans, risking our economy, and spreading xenophobic, racist rhetoric along the way. It may not matter to his far-right supporters, but it does affect the future of Texas. https://t.co/IBZkV9VrPD
— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) April 10, 2022
It will be a pretty nifty trick if the governor can stifle commerce with America's largest trading partner, choking the supply lines and driving up inflation to new heights, and get away with blaming it on Biden. I think the only real question is whether Democrats will let him.
"They’re vilifying and bullying people instead of solving problems." — @rossramsey https://t.co/TXN253Cfcv
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 8, 2022
While denying a pandemic disaster exists, @GregAbbott_TX continues to declare a covid disaster across Texas' 254 counties because the declaration of disaster gives force of law to his executive orders. He's using that nifty trick to do anything he wants with no oversight #TxLege https://t.co/gpguqBCooo
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) April 8, 2022
Teddy Wilson explains how much worse it can get after Roe v Wade is overturned. And with the postpourri from the TPA, Kuff notes that the state of Texas is seeking to do violence to the Voting Rights Act as it defends itself against multiple redistricting lawsuits. The San Antonio Report reports on the city's settlement of two "sanctuary cities" lawsuits filed by Ken Paxton. The Texas Signal highlights Dan Patrick's obsession with Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law, and the TSTA Blog has some straight answers as to why there's a teacher shortage.
One more:
Austin will vote to decriminalize marijuana on May 7th (Early Voting April 25 - May 3)! Click here to request your free yard sign! stop2end https://t.co/Ok5qokQN4h https://t.co/K8cGQQudaH
— IDKWhatsNext (@JeanGenevie1) April 9, 2022
The environmental news still dominates the headlines (or at least it should).
Yesterday, Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 20 wildfires for 4,069 acres burned. The fire environment today/Mon. will support large wildfires in the High Plains, S. Plains, Western Hill Country, Rolling Plains where extremely dry vegetation, critical fire weather is present. pic.twitter.com/OfPeJrHn47
— Incident Information - Texas A&M Forest Service (@AllHazardsTFS) April 10, 2022
SocraticGadfly took note of the new IPCC climate report, which (he interprets as saying; it doesn't actually say...) we're up shit creek and doubts either major party will take the actions needed to address this as a crisis (he gets this right). And Texas 2036 announces the results of its poll about younger Texans' preference for electric vehicles.
Texas A&M Shut Down a Major Climate Change Modeling Center in February After a ‘Default’ by Its Chinese Partner - Inside Climate News https://t.co/JMvUuH7rp1
— Charlie Richmond (@charlierichmond) April 8, 2022
I will file legislation to make this industry more accountable to our communities & give more authority to @TCEQ to more scrutinize permit process. It’s deplorable our folks have to use these tactics to shame folks into doing right thing. #txlege https://t.co/C5Qn5YdBsR
— Armando Walle (@RepWalle) April 8, 2022
Lovely flare at ExxonMobil SABIC this am. Wish we knew the toxic emissions coming out of this plastics facility. #methane #plastic #nurdles @EPAMichaelRegan we need EPA air monitors. San Pat County has none & TCEQ relies on industry to "self-report" bc they're so trustworthy. 🙄 pic.twitter.com/wclTSY0air
— e (@elidaic) April 6, 2022
The cool thing about Tesla's Cybertruck announcement is that its Austin Gigafactory got a sweetheart public water hookup while the local community is forced to rely on expensive, dirty private water https://t.co/1OXUGtHHiG
— Brian Kahn (@blkahn) April 8, 2022
I posted at length about the Cyber Rodeo, the splashy open house for Musk's GigaTexas factory east of Austin, on Friday.
A few social justice updates.
A school district near Dallas, Texas ripped down LGBTQ ally symbols, functionally shut down a student newspaper, barred faculty from being part of GSA meetings, and now plans to terminate an openly gay teacher
— Tyler Kingkade (@tylerkingkade) April 7, 2022
My new @nbcnews story explains what happenedhttps://t.co/XNye1njgUL
NEW this a.m.: Some landlords got a piece of Texas’ $2 billion in rent relief money — and evicted their struggling tenants anyway https://t.co/Z2TiFpeYRt @TexasTribune #txlege
— Joshua Fechter 📝 (@JoshuaFechter) April 8, 2022
One reason for the U.S. labor crunch that has largely flown beneath the radar: Immigration to the U.S. is plummeting, a shift with potentially enormous long-term implications for the job market. https://t.co/F4kJkPesaA
— CBS News (@CBSNews) April 8, 2022
And closing today with the soothers.
Ahead of Scott Scheffler's victory at the Masters yesterday, Richard Justice wrote a profile of the UT alum who is professional golf's top player.
Scottie Scheffler has tied the all-time record for 36-hole lead at Masters. Here’s the Texan’s backstory at @TexasMonthly https://t.co/JBQovnkbTR
— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) April 8, 2022
"Its general contractor shares restoration updates and choreographed dances online — but he won't comment on the ghost rumors." https://t.co/yNc7cBnn1z
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 9, 2022
From “Fart Car” to a giant roller skate, here’s how weird it got at this year’s Houston #ArtCarParade https://t.co/uWBwhOOUXS #HouNews #HTX
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 10, 2022
