Sunday "Grand Orgy Party" Funnies

The #SEJ2022 and #TDOV Wrangle

Since the Society of Environmental Journalists is convening locally this end-of-week, let's begin with some climate posts.

Excited to be heading to #SEJ2022 Houston for my first IRL conference since 2019. Can't make it in person? Plenary sessions on Friday and Saturday will be live-streamed via Zoom (pre-registration required) https://t.co/oXR4X2EZGm

— Tony Barboza is at #SEJ2022 (@tonybarboza) March 30, 2022

Glad to be in Houston for #SEJ2022! If you’re here too, I’m hosting the lunchtime plenary Friday on energy & environmental justice, and participating in panels Saturday on objectivity in climate reporting and controversial climate solutions. Full agenda: https://t.co/3QxGlDpHci pic.twitter.com/ZqmCzxu1k7

— Sammy Roth (@Sammy_Roth) March 30, 2022

The guy who was blaming wind and solar for the power outages last year sounded very different when I heard him yesterday touting the states renewable energy gains as an international leader https://t.co/nNj7XSmFEr via @houstonchron

— Jeremy Wallace (@JeremySWallace) March 29, 2022

Texas needs #renewableenergy more than we ever have before. pic.twitter.com/u2BPIYia9z

— 🌻 (@IndiscreetMuse) March 29, 2022

Now you know why I'm voting for Hunter Crow.

Members of Texas’ state commission overseeing the oil and gas industry took tens of thousands of dollars from donors embroiled in the fight over a holding company’s proposal to build an oil waste disposal site in western Texas. https://t.co/6qaU8ms2iN

— OpenSecrets.org (@OpenSecretsDC) March 28, 2022

More than 30 states have sent firefighters to help Texas respond to an unusually high number of wildfires burning right now. https://t.co/98rtDTYBPD

— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) March 30, 2022

-- The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality awaits the results of its Sunset Commission performance review; in the meanwhile, it has denied a petition to create a rule against issuing wastewater discharge permits on pristine streams like Barton Creek in Austin.  And a story from earlier this month noted the agency's inability to communicate effectively en Espanol.

-- "Embattled Cuellar Distancing Himself From Koch Money":

(Koch Industries') move to stay in operation in Russia has added a new level of toxicity to Cuellar’s political career. A spokesperson for the representative told CNBC that “Congressman Cuellar has not received any money from the Koch Brothers this year and will not accept any future campaign contributions until they disassociate from Russia.”

Earlier this year, Cuellar’s office was raided by the FBI. Though law enforcement has been tight-lipped about what exactly they are investigating Cuellar for, experts speculate that it may be related to illegal actions by Azerbaijan oil companies. Cuellar has lobbied for the interests of the Azeri government and participated in trips to the country that included meetings with the heads of the state oil company.

.@DrBobBullard says “America is segregated, and so is pollution” that was true he says when he started as a sociologist back in the 70s and it’s still true some 40 years later. The father of environmental justice kicking off #SEJ2022 @sejorg’s opening night! pic.twitter.com/psUGhTZOH3

— sadiebabits (@sadiebabits) March 31, 2022

-- Ku Klux Climate: Coal, Petro-Palingenesis, and the Historical Materialism of Fossil Fascism, by Paul Street

It's also a big week for social justice.

Discrimination is not a Texas value. Let’s show the world that trans people are welcome in Texas by joining us for a rally in observance of Transgender Day of Visibility. We’ll gather on the south steps of the Texas Capitol on Saturday, April 2.
Details: https://t.co/NjsQvWnH5D pic.twitter.com/8NSJ4vyUiP

— Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (@PPTXVotes) March 30, 2022

Katy, Texas — We are a diverse student body struggling with this wildfire of BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Holocaust censorship.

Outnumbered by conservatives for months, students took back the narrative at two consecutive board meetings. Here are the takeaways from last night 🧵▶️

— cam✌️ (@cameronjsamuels) March 29, 2022

A federal judge hammered Texas’ investigation into a Bastrop-based facility charged with helping female victims of sex trafficking.https://t.co/P6n3OOZODy

— Texas Public Radio (@TPRNews) March 30, 2022

Which Texas communities have declared themselves to be “sanctuary cities for the unborn”? Here’s the current map as the movement continues to spread.#txlege #abortion #SB8 #SenateBill8 #sanctuarycities #RoevsWade https://t.co/KHWeuIeY7W

— John Gravois (@Grav1) March 29, 2022

75% of people in jail have not been convicted of a crime

And a brand-new data-rich study *proves* “holding a person in jail for *any* amount of time before trial may undermine public safety”.

In other words: cash bail is just criminalized povertyhttps://t.co/f0nfXGAEAD https://t.co/1H7VH9P9m9

— AWKWORD (@AWKWORDrap) March 29, 2022

ONE MONTH to take action and #SaveMelissaLucio, innocent on TX death row! Experts stated she was convicted on an unreliable confession and unscientific and false evidence. More info and all the ways to take action here: https://t.co/OEZaMqdxd3 pic.twitter.com/RtZWeoTbN0

— Karine Omry (@KarineOmry) March 27, 2022

From our editorial board: "Texas lawmakers throw staggering amounts of taxpayer money at border security. Texans should demand transparency and accurate data with which to determine if Abbott's border initiative is working." https://t.co/f6YKNLxoLe

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) March 29, 2022

Midland, TX | “I have so many questions,” Ms. Vela, who also has three daughters, said last week at her modest home. “And no one’s telling me what happened.” https://t.co/mdQZwcqXuC #JuanHerrera

— #ACAB (@OLAASM) March 29, 2022

Here's some politics news.

Attorney General Ken Paxton has spent at least $43,000 in legal defense fees in response to complaints filed over his failed lawsuit that asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the results of the 2020 election in various states. https://t.co/z9LvwionOk

— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) March 31, 2022

Though Ken Paxton is seen as the most vulnerable Republican statewide candidate, a poll of both parties’ attorney general candidates found that 52 percent of Democratic voters “had not thought enough about the race to have an opinion.” https://t.co/9jMv0Tlt3s

— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) March 26, 2022

"Texas Ranger Daron Parker, states that Parker believes information in the seized devices will show that Dunn, Nader, and Triantaphyllis committed misuse of official information, a third-degree felony, by “providing an advantage to a competitor” in a bidding process." https://t.co/V2FkWRSoar

— Stevens Orozco (@Stevens_Orozco) March 30, 2022

Citing experience as a former Houston City Council member, Amanda Edwards announces run for mayor in 2023 https://t.co/auXAbkz6NT via @houstonchron #hounews

— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) March 23, 2022

Edwards is the epitome of the worst kind of Democrat IMO: a platitude-mouthed centrist.  She'll only draw votes from Chris Hollins and let John Whitmire ease in to the top of the Bagby horse shoe.

"Democrats don’t believe in democracy," Sen. @tedcruz said on @FoxNews.

The Texas senator famously objected to the certification of the 2020 presidential election results in Arizona and has also spread false claims about the election. https://t.co/fPhMi1bauD

— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 30, 2022

I need some calm-me-downs.

Blooming Midtown outdoor art fest welcomes art fans + furry friends https://t.co/FqEIqA4CnR

— CultureMap Houston (@culturemap) March 30, 2022

Attn Austinites: ACLTV and @austinpbs will present a special broadcast of @foofighters Rock Austin City Limits to celebrate the life of Taylor Hawkins.
Watch Thursday, March 31 at 7pm CT on Austin PBS#acltv #taylorhawkins #foofighters #atx #austintx #austin pic.twitter.com/QotM17ztvn

— Austin City Limits (@acltv) March 28, 2022

It’s not too early to start planning for summer travel! Use our Historic Road Trip itineraries to explore by region or theme: https://t.co/K9M5aOtr5n pic.twitter.com/pJdy09hUZg

— Texas Historical Commission (@TxHistComm) March 28, 2022

NOW LIVE! East Austin Barrio Landmarks Project, including a self-guided tour of twenty-five sites honoring Austin's Mexican American Heritage. Check it out at the link below! ☀️ 🇲🇽 📍https://t.co/scgfovJwId

— Preservation Austin (@PreservationAtx) March 10, 2022

Dazzling downtown chalk art festival draws up jaw-dropping designs https://t.co/fFyH0hf5aM

— CultureMap Houston (@culturemap) March 29, 2022