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How did you toast the New Year?



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A week-ending, year-beginning Lone Star Round-up *updated with Ted Cruz's latest folly

A tide-us-over in order for the regular Monday Wrangle to keep from going long.

Opening with the predictable bad-behaving leaders of our Great State: Greg Abbott, with the assist from Ken Paxton, has decided he's just going to take over running the city of Austin from its duly-elected mayor and city council.

Austin-area residents will be allowed to dine-in at restaurants this weekend, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday.https://t.co/z0D8s1bepl

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 2, 2021

"Local declarations cannot order needless shutdowns in conflict with the governor’s order, and these orders demonstrated blatant contempt for the citizens and businesses of our great state,” Texas AG Paxton says. #TexasCOVID #txlege #ATX #Austin #COVID19 https://t.co/9fseLibaLP

— John Gravois (@Grav1) January 2, 2021

They had lost in court before appealing to the SCOTX, but that didn't stop them from telling everyone in Travis County to just ignore that.

NEW: Despite a judge’s ruling to the contrary, Texas @GovAbbott and AG @KenPaxtonTX encourage restaurants to defy local order to close dine-in services between 10:30pm and 6am over the next few days. pic.twitter.com/9MeLD7lLgJ

— Matt Largey (@mattlargey) January 1, 2021

Texas @GovAbbott suing to let bars stay open for indoor events on New Years Eve while the state has a botched vaccine rollout - and is running low on ICU beds - is peak Gov. COVID.

— Ed Espinoza (@EdEspinoza) January 1, 2021

"Botched vaccine rollout", you say?  Tell me no.

THE COVID VACCINE ROLLOUT in TEXAS has been marred by poor messaging from state officials, technical errors, logistical delays and supply shortages—@GovAbbott, what have you, @SenTedCruz and @JohnCornyn done with the VACCINES?👇https://t.co/tAuLz5EltA via @TexasTribune

— AMHotFlash (@AMHotFlash) January 1, 2021

In a private conversation with county judges, a top Texas health official said "government has reached the limits of what it regulates and controls.” DSHS Commissioner Hellerstedt said the fight against covid is now about persuasion: "Politics is not a four-letter word." #TxLege https://t.co/RaxrzxtlpX

— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) December 31, 2020

The epitome of "markets work; governments don't", I suppose.  With all of these VIPs calling for grocer HEB to take over, it's just a matter of time before Ted Cruz or John Cornyn ask Jeff Bezos to assume control of the federal vaccine distribution effort.

While Americans go hungry and grow more desperate for assistance, Cornyn votes 'no' and then posts more pictures of food they cannot afford.

Fresh off of helping to torpedo #StimulusChecks in the Senate, John Cornyn helps himself to a $150 hunk of cow. https://t.co/lYCHoDCze7

— Kurt Hackbarth 🌹 (@KurtHackbarth) December 31, 2020

Meanwhile, Cruz defies Trump and mobilizes the GOP vote in Georgia this morning.

In Georgia, Ted Cruz warns a GOP crowd that the battle for the Senate is “a dogfight” and “the Democrats are turning out their voters.”

“Dead or alive!” yells one attendee.

“Legal or illegal!” shouts another. pic.twitter.com/lNVVEOIC6o

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 2, 2021

I wonder if he called for donations.

LMAO @TedCruz pocketing money he’s raising for #GArunoffs https://t.co/pmAiZD9HAe #TXLege

— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 30, 2020

Update:

11 More Republican Senators Say They Will Vote Against Certifying Joe Biden's Electoral College Win https://t.co/SBSW5m0o8h via @clarissajanlim Enjoying your democracy, everyone?

— Bunkunin (@bunkybun) January 2, 2021

And Louie Gohmert took one last shot at trying to keep Trump president by suing Mike Pence (don't ask).  He missed.  I just don't know how much of this lunacy I will have the patience to report on in 2021.  Here's more listicles; some looking forward, some back.

Texas’ Biggest Political Surprises in 2020 https://t.co/O7YLfXzbEu via @ReformAustin

— RA News (@RANewsTX) January 1, 2021

Texas Freedom Network pointed out that there some good things that happened last year.

While this round up of off-the-beaten-path news items won’t undo the shittiness of 2020, we hope these moments will help you enter 2021 with a tiny bit of levity.https://t.co/SJ2C2IMQdG

— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) December 29, 2020

Happy New Year!

Eight inspirational Texans share their honest advice for a strong start to 2021: https://t.co/fBwY8Jr0Rd

— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) January 1, 2021

And stopping here with these until Monday.

This weekend catch ACL Hall of Fame: The First 6 Years on @PBS. Enjoy select cuts from the first six years of Austin City Limits’ Hall of Fame celebrations. Performers include @WillieNelson, @therealBuddyGuy, @TheBonnieRaitt, @LosLobos, @rosannecash and more. #acltv #aclhof https://t.co/svhihEACvu

— Austin City Limits (@acltv) December 30, 2020

Businesses at Four Corners in Sabine Pass, 1940. Love the signage. Grand Prize Beer was, at one point, the best-selling beer in Texas. It was brewed by Gulf Brewing, which also brewed Southern Select and which was owned by Howard Hughes at one time. pic.twitter.com/OpXMt1oerT

— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) December 28, 2020