The Weekly Wrangle

Some of the Texas Progressive Alliance are big baseball fans and some aren't, but all of us tip our caps to the Houston Astros, who delivered a thrilling victory over the New York Yankees in the American League championship's seventh game.  The Astros will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, beginning tomorrow night.

Off the Kuff noted the plethora of Democratic Congressional candidates, and jobsanger cited Progress Texas for some charts that show Democrats gaining voters in Texas.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston weighed in on the money race in CD-7, and suggested a couple of candidates *cough*Cargas*cough* drop out.

Daniel Williams has a thorough explainer for the seven state constitutional amendments on your ballot in this fall's election.

All five former US presidents -- and Lady Gaga -- gathered in College Station for a benefit for hurricane relief efforts in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, according to the Texas Tribune.

SocraticGadfly took note of the latest stupidity of Eddie Bernice Johnson, plus her history, and thinks she should stop running for Congress and needs a Green challenger if nothing else.

"The Eleven", a documentary about the hunt for the murderer of young women in Galveston County in the 70's, was previewed by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Neil at All People Have Value reviewed important public art in Houston. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

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More Texas news and blog posts!

In Austin last Friday, Gus Bova of the Texas Observer reported that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blasted undocumented immigrant "pedophiles",  "drug dealers", and "sanctuary cities", while protestors outside chanted, held signs that said 'Sanctuary for All' and laid a trampled Klansman's robe in front of Sessions' motorcade, which he drove over as he departed.

Better Texas Blog has concerns about our retirement savings shortfall, and calls for support of Prop 7, on the ballot in the ongoing elections.

Somervell County Salon posts a few logical fallacy resources.

A fight over Texas barbecue is smoldering in Austin, and PoliTex sees Ag Commissioner Sid Miller right in the middle of it.

Free Press Houston reported that a Pasadena metal band member was one of three Texans charged with attempted murder after a shot was fired at anti-Nazi protestors in Gainesville, Florida, where white nationalist Richard Spencer was speaking.

Pages of Victory declares that he is not a Russian bot after disclosing that much of his blog traffic comes from ... you guessed it.

And Leif Reigstad at The Daily Post noticed that Ted Cruz got doused with Dr. Pepper in a Senate hearing, and his response was something the Zodiac Killer would do.

Sunday "What We Signed Up For" Funnies

'The Eleven'

Recommended viewing.

Throughout the 1970s, the cities in and around Galveston County, Texas were haunted by the brutal murders of eleven teenage girls. Journalist Lise Olsen and retired police detective Fred Paige are revisiting these cases after discovering a confession letter from inmate Edward Harold Bell, who is currently serving a 70-year sentence for an unrelated murder. In his chilling confession, Bell describes some of the girls’ deaths in gruesome detail and refers to many of the victims by name. Yet in the investigators’ exclusive face-to-face interviews with Bell, he denies the written confession, proving that linking him to the 45-year-old murders will be a formidable challenge. With a parole hearing for Bell looming this fall, Olsen and Paige must try to piece together evidence that demonstrates a definitive link between the convicted killer and girls he calls ‘the eleven who went to heaven’ before he has the possibility to walk free.

Olsen has a more in-depth preview of the series at Texas Monthly. And you can watch last night's opening two-parter here.

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds you that there's an election coming up in a few weeks (and early voting begins next week).

Off the Kuff says that if giving a tax break to homeowners affected by natural disasters is a priority, the state should cover the cost of that tax break to counties and school districts.

SocraticGadfly looks at a couple of recent pieces by a business columnist at the Chronic, and wonders how many of them apply there and if that will ever be asked?

How about Texas Democrats ask Sylvester Turner to run for governor, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs helpfully suggested.

jobsanger posts eleven steps to a healthier (and fairer) US economy.

Grits for Breakfast knows that criticism of police unions is warranted, but disagrees with the proposed solutions.

Murray Polner at The Rag Blog shares a concise summary of his views on the Vietnam war, motivated by Ken Burns' documentary.

In the Texas Observer's Strangest State roundup, you can read about a cow in Kerrville that looks like KISS rocker Gene Simmons.

The Texas Energy Department's collation of news includes a reminder that Rick Perry is always good for a joke, especially when he's the butt of it.

Neil at All People Have Value attended the weekly Tuesday protest outside the Houston office of Senator John Cornyn.  Senator Cornyn is doing a bad job.  APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

And the Lewisville Texan Journal shares the Mom of No's story about teaching the Son of Never Stops Eating how to speak up at a city council meeting.

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More Texas news and blog posts!

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's PoliTex blog reports that over 6,000 inmates in the Texas Criminal Justice System pooled their commissary funds totaling nearly $54,000 and donated it to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

The Rivard Report shares Ross Ramsey (of the Texas Tribune)'s analysis of bathrooms, business interests, and ballots.

The TexTrib also was first with the news that a federal judge ruled Greg Abbott violated the First Amendment when he ordered a mock Nativity scene removed from the Capitol two years ago.

Bonddad's most recent thought for Sunday regards the rule of gerontocracy.

Chris Ladd at Political Orphans asserts that Democrats will no more recognize -- or effectively oppose -- the rise of their own Trump than Republicans did.

Elizabeth Lewis at Burkablog believes we are misdiagnosing the cause of gun violence.

Better Texas Blog dives into the latest revenue estimate from the state's comptroller, Glenn Hegar.

The TSTA Blog laments the lack of role models at the top of our government.

Therese Odell at Foolish Watcher gamely explains what the First Amendment is.

Grant Brisbee at SB Nation isn't a Texan, but he truly gets what the Astros mean to the city of Houston at this moment.

And Harry Hamid has a tale about mutatis mutandis (if you need to look up the meaning -- like I did -- here you go).