Sunday, April 03, 2022
Thursday, March 31, 2022
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
— ๐ป (@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.
— Planned Parenthood Texas Votes (@PPTXVotes) March 30, 2022
Details: https://t.co/NjsQvWnH5D pic.twitter.com/8NSJ4vyUiP
Katy, Texas — We are a diverse student body struggling with this wildfire of BIPOC, LGBTQ, and Holocaust censorship.
— cam✌️ (@cameronjsamuels) March 29, 2022
Outnumbered by conservatives for months, students took back the narrative at two consecutive board meetings. Here are the takeaways from last night ๐งต▶️
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
— AWKWORD (@AWKWORDrap) March 29, 2022
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
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.
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 30, 2022
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
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.
— Austin City Limits (@acltv) March 28, 2022
Watch Thursday, March 31 at 7pm CT on Austin PBS#acltv #taylorhawkins #foofighters #atx #austintx #austin pic.twitter.com/QotM17ztvn
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! ☀️ ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐https://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
Tuesday, March 29, 2022
A Blooming Bluebonnet Wrangle from Far Left Texas
Yesterday's Slap-Rock was more than the usual disturbing, and everybody naturally had a take, so I'm sprinkling in some wildflowers today to take the edge off.
The bluebonnets have arrived. The astonishing beauty of Texas in places big and small is a comfort against the rising political ugliness. pic.twitter.com/qWRJzpT1l5
— John Schwartz (@jswatz) March 28, 2022
That doesn't mean I'm going soft on the morons, bigots, criminals, and assholes.
“If you do not issue this retraction, our clients will have no choice but to explore all legal options,” the letter sent on behalf of several abortion funds in Texas concludes. https://t.co/w5Ce1PfqTx
— Texas Signal (@TexasSignal) March 28, 2022
Rather than focusing on abortion itself, the lawsuits filed by Texas abortion advocacy groups argue that the law is unconstitutional because it violated the right to due process, free speech and equal protection under the law. https://t.co/2fygMMXJA0
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) March 24, 2022
This story also underscores why Trump is ride or die for @KenPaxtonTX and would never even consider supporting @georgepbush: Cruz and Trump were running out of other options to overturn the election when Paxton filed his lawsuit, which also didn't work https://t.co/rDoU0qcnMU
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) March 28, 2022
Court-appointed watchdogs of Texas’ troubled foster care system found "ample evidence" that former sex trafficking victims were abused at a foster care facility, contradicting the Texas Rangers’ findings earlier this month. (Via @TexasTribune )https://t.co/TxOuppZ9qG
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) March 29, 2022
Supreme Court rules unanimously against Houston Community College board member who claimed a First Amendment violation; Read the full SCOTUS opinion - https://t.co/CIHtX0srnQ #KPRC2 #hounews #HTX @WeAreHCCS
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) March 24, 2022
"You don’t tell us what to do and you can go take a flying shit." https://t.co/n67lVHjPDK
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) March 28, 2022
The good news is that no rural hospitals in Texas have closed in the last two years. The bad news? They’re still in crisis mode, and the state government is still struggling to find a solution. https://t.co/gF9R7rKz1N
— Ross Ramsey (@rossramsey) March 28, 2022
A man at an upscale Galleria-area hotel was hospitalized early Saturday after he accidentally shot himself in the testicles, police said. https://t.co/6nuftWwXsg
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) March 27, 2022
See? Right here's where we need some aromatherapy.
Sunday reset ๐
— Houston (@VisitHouston) March 27, 2022
Who else is loving the bluebonnet sightings around the city? ๐๐
๐ธ@project46_photography pic.twitter.com/tdXk1Lpp6G
Wildflowers or wildfires? You decide.
TX Wildfire | Das Goats Fire | 2 https://t.co/QZ6AZxjS6U
— NW Fire Blog (@nwfireblog) March 29, 2022
Go ahead and start planning your weekend, whether it's political action or something else (or both).
Join @TFN, @HRC, @TransTexas , @ACLUTx, @LambdaLegal , and @EqualityTexas as we rally to show support for Texas' Transgender community!
— ๐ค Texas Rising ↗️ (@texrising) March 15, 2022
Make plans to rally on Saturday, April 2nd at 12 pm on the Texas State Capitol South Steps ๐ pic.twitter.com/0v8Mkoa0PI
It's already time to start making those Fiesta plans. #SanAntonio #SATX #SanAntonioTX #Fiesta #FiestaSanAntonio #ThingsToDoInSanAntonio https://t.co/LsAppzznzX
— San Antonio Current (@SAcurrent) March 28, 2022
The Deep Ellum Arts Festival is coming up on April 1 - 3 in Downtown Dallas.
— Downtown Dallas, Inc. (@DowntownDallas) March 28, 2022
Don’t miss out on this free event featuring local Dallas art, taste and music.
Visit https://t.co/ulxuTIDv6U for more information
@deepellumartsfestival pic.twitter.com/h3DzRyEmYH
Nearly 7,000 food lovers will gather over four days and three nights to celebrate Cowtown’s thriving culinary scene during the seventh edition of the Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival. https://t.co/HyiDzmKbHE
— Texas Highways Magazine (@TexasHighways) March 28, 2022
Among our next batch of spring road trips, you have an option to avoid the traffic of Interstate 35 from DFW to the Hill Country, discover a different route out to Big Bend, and embark on a trip along Texas’ version of the Pacific Coast Highway. https://t.co/qNDjTCTxgA
— Texas Highways Magazine (@TexasHighways) March 28, 2022
Not enough mellow for you? Here's some more.
Pink Floyd, the Kansas zoo fugitive flamingo, seen on the Texas coast https://t.co/nS3ZeJCcDY
— MySA (@mySA) March 28, 2022
Who remembers bookmobiles? This bookmobile, in Jefferson County, was the first in Texas. It was purchased in 1935 and retired in 1948. pic.twitter.com/BS5yr24SkB
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) March 28, 2022
Eugenia Pickard's philanthropy greatly improved Black neighborhoods in Abilene in the early 1900s. She made several of her properties available to poor families, rent free; a library was dedicated in her name. #WomensHistoryMonth
— Texas Historical Commission (@TxHistComm) March 28, 2022
๐ท: 1940s Abilene, @HSULibraries pic.twitter.com/j0hQ2nQiYj
When Molly Ivins showed up to her @TexasObserver job interview, she brought a case of beer. She was "this 6 foot tall, red haired Texan who spoke truth to power ... She went after stupidity and she was fearless, and man, she was funny." | @mollyivinsfilm https://t.co/s0MPWZ0pol
— KERA (@keratx) March 28, 2022
Everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring weather. #TxStateParks #txwx #WildlifeWednesday pic.twitter.com/dWLc96qyhe
— Texas State Parks (@TPWDparks) March 23, 2022