Sunday, December 26, 2021
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Another Wrangle Before Christmas
Don't forget the tamales on Taco Tuesday.
A few items to update from yesterday:
Texas' Harris County on Monday reported its first death related to the Omicron COVID-19 variant, a man who was unvaccinated, the county health department said https://t.co/1S5GzE6nR5
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 21, 2021
Franklin Barbecue became the first high-profile Austin restaurant to be affected by the recent surge. https://t.co/zliFTHNb4u
— Austin 360 (@austin360) December 21, 2021
From Friday: Court sets Sept. 27 start date for trial in federal Texas redistricting case.
— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) December 20, 2021
The three-judge panel is blocking off two weeks.
Preliminary injunction hearing for SD10 claims still on for Jan. 25. #txlege
The push to ban books in Texas schools has now spread to public libraries
— Joshua Fechter π (@JoshuaFechter) December 20, 2021
From @allyson_renee7 & @Kevinreynolds30 https://t.co/BJ8TkNERBA @TexasTribune #txlege
The energy companies @GovAbbott met w/on Thursday to receive assurances the lights will stay on this winter have contributed $3.2M to his campaign since 2013, at least $1.09M of which came in June via its PACs, CEOs & lobbyists. #txlege #txenergyhttps://t.co/4sUc7oyhTM
— RA News (@RANewsTX) December 18, 2021
Some 'old business' I'm behind on.
Abortion rights supporters prepare for an elongated court fight with no clear path for a major victory following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on Texas' law. https://t.co/oekC97kC1L
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) December 19, 2021
One piece of new business, from the border.
Down in Texas, @GovAbbott is touting the Texas Wall. They even distributed photos to the media to show the magnificent barrier behind them!
— Fr. Robert R. Ballecer, SJ (@padresj) December 20, 2021
... Of course, if you look at some of the non-official photos, you might see an issue with their "airtight security" π€£ pic.twitter.com/KvyljSsFka
.@GovAbbott funnels another nearly $40 million into his border security initiative, paying for police equipment, overtime for cops/courts/lawyers, radio towers and travel.
— Jolie McCullough (@jsmccullou) December 20, 2021
State lawmakers signed off on nearly $2B (yes, a B) for border security efforts this year. #txlege pic.twitter.com/XUMYcZ7Awv
And if you really want to know what lies Trump fed his rain-soaked lackeys in Houston and Dallas over the weekend, there you go.
Former President Donald Trump has revealed he received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, drawing boos from a crowd in Dallas. https://t.co/bSMePKDNZu
— CBSDFW (@CBSDFW) December 21, 2021
And the criminal and social justice developments, not all of them bad.
HERE is my *favorite* story this year. It came from a guy on death row, who told me how prisoners there started a radio station - and how it gave him a last chance to find community.
— Keri Blakinger (@keribla) December 20, 2021
Here’s a THREAD about the power of words & the magic of 106.5 The Tank https://t.co/dGaly1tHMl
Earlier this year, the Texas Legislature passed the Bonton Farms Act, which helps former inmates wipe fines from their records upon release. This helps them find independence and avoid being saddled with debt upon release. https://t.co/m2KbbnHBSX
— D Magazine (@DMagazine) December 20, 2021
The court sided with us and REJECTED the teacher's request for an appeal! #atheist #Christians #Christianity #atheism #Atheists #God https://t.co/taXvo31fyR
— MrAYEtheist Clause π π·π (@MrAYEtheist) December 16, 2021
The @HoustonChron now has women in nearly all its top positions, including @mdougreeve as editor, @ChronFalkenberg as editor of opinion, and @lbeththomas as metro editor. πππ» https://t.co/bytIP61vfv
— lomikriel (@lomikriel) December 15, 2021
I was impressed that what might have been -- in an earlier time -- the lede regarding the Chron's new publisher was buried.
Meyer and her wife, Melissa Macri, plan to move to the Houston area from Miami in the coming months.
H-Town held it down this Saturday and mobilized on short notice against Neo-Nazis who showed up for the WLM national day of action. We outnumbered the Nazis two to one, took their signs, and stood ground until the Nazis left soaked in rain. Details here:https://t.co/a6cDCDsfQF pic.twitter.com/rRR0zp8Gcv
— Screwston Anti-Fascist Committee (@screwstonafc) December 19, 2021
Unfortunately that's it for the good news.
This flyer was distributed to homes in NW Austin. Now which celebrity and "news" stations have created the set up for this drivel #txlege pic.twitter.com/O99szkrfbC
— harvey kronberg (@HKronberg) December 20, 2021
"It was the most humiliating experience of my life." Haitian migrants pursued by Border Patrol agents on horseback in September have filed a lawsuit accusing the U.S. government of physical and verbal abuse, inhumane treatment and denial of due process. https://t.co/WORzF6s6jX
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 21, 2021
San Antonio must help repair families’ houses, instead of demolishing them & sending the displaced former homeowners the bill.@210TeriCastillo is right: “These demolitions… are perpetuating racial and economic injustice.”#TX35 @ksatnews @KENS5 @News4SAhttps://t.co/QBtUev5yTf
— Greg Casar (@GregCasar) December 21, 2021
#Texas AG #KenPaxton launches investigation of drug companies for marketing hormone-blocking drugs for children with gender dysphoria @SpectrumNews1TX
— ChickenFriedPolitics (@ChkFriPolitics) December 16, 2021
-Southern politics are on the menu at ChickenFriedPolitics.com-https://t.co/SspSDWLM6j
Yeah it's totally normal in a democracy for 1/3 of the legislature to be reelected by default without a single vote being cast. https://t.co/lQG7bStd2o
— Bexar County Greens π»π (@BexarGreensTX) December 17, 2021
π¨Correction needed @HoustonChron @mo_unique_
— Anna NΓΊΓ±ez (@nunez_anna) December 20, 2021
“The name of the company has not been reported.”
Rogel Aguilera-Mederos was working for Castellano 03 Trucking LLC, based in Houston. 1st reported on 9/24 by NBC @9NEWS. Cited by NYT https://t.co/KL6qyCd65W
Currently working on a story detailing the uptick in drivers killing people on bicycles in Houston and Harris County. I can say none of them were in a bike lane, because there likely weren’t any for them to use https://t.co/X69iIyokrq pic.twitter.com/2yFMbW5nH5
— Jay R. Jordan (@jayrjordan) December 16, 2021
South Texas College of Law Houston, the local chapter of the NAACP and supporters are seeking clemency for 110 Black soldiers who were sentenced for inciting a riot and committing mutiny while stationed at a military camp in Houston in 1917. https://t.co/Bly14rw1qH
— Howard Henderson (@hhendersonphd) December 21, 2021
. @TxDot’s planned highway expansion in #Houston will demolish thousands of homes and businesses, and displace thousands of families. We partnered with @airallianceHOU, @LINK_Houston, @StopTxDOTi45, and @TexasHousers to file a complaint.
— Texas Appleseed (@TexasAppleseed) December 16, 2021
Read more: https://t.co/ZjUZUmQfvL pic.twitter.com/DZ67ruiHnw
Multiple people, all under the age of 30, have been indicted in a human trafficking conspiracy involving young runaway girls on what it known as the “Blade” or the infamous "Bissonnet Track," the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. https://t.co/TSMTikSIhT
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) December 16, 2021
A new book illustrates how complaints are often suppressed—even in the case of a Galveston judge who sexually assaulted employees in his chambers. https://t.co/M2LYftvyZ0
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) December 16, 2021
And to segue to the soothers: Higher education at last.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have launched the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy. This center is the first of its kind in Texas, according to the university.https://t.co/qI0cb7CDOj
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) December 17, 2021
Chente Christmas carols on the San Antonio Riverwalk π pic.twitter.com/brgspJ2JMa
— Maddy Skye (@MaddySkye) December 21, 2021
Visit these steadfast institutions that have made their marks on Texas for 100-plus years. https://t.co/gxForyTk6O
— Texas Highways Magazine (@TexasHighways) December 19, 2021
The Dallas area—where members of Plains tribes and Five Civilized Tribes converged by the thousands after the Indian Relocation Act of 1956—has emerged as a fry-bread epicenter in Texas. https://t.co/IfvKiBIvou
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) December 10, 2021
Globe-trotting TV host Samantha Brown loves Houston in new season https://t.co/6gxCjbfIK5
— CultureMap Houston (@culturemap) December 16, 2021
Ending today with notable Texans who left us recently.
Very somber news:
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) December 20, 2021
Journalist, Dallas Morning News politics reporter, author Wayne Slater killed in car crash #txlege @dallasnews #Texashttps://t.co/KtwyWGmePh
On the barbecue life of John Mueller, including some of my favorite conversations with him and stories about him: https://t.co/3BXr7Gphm4
— Daniel Vaughn (@BBQsnob) December 18, 2021
HE HELPED MAKE AUSTIN INTO A RESEARCH POWERHOUSE: 'God of aerospace engineering': Hans Mark, former UT chancellor who fled Nazis, dies at 92 https://t.co/MI3c6QPWrx via @statesman
— Michael Barnes (@outandabout) December 20, 2021