Earth Day Wrangle

#ClimateChange is the defining challenge of our time.

If we are to

🌍 halve emissions by 2030,
🌍 reach the goals of the #ParisAgreement,
🌍 and create a healthier future

we need every day to become #EarthDay. pic.twitter.com/EzGzBES6ao

— UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) April 22, 2022

I did not see as much urgency associated with the pending fate of the planet's inhabitants as a result of previous bad decisions as I expected yesterday.  I saw a lot of "Happy Earth Day", as if the occasion was akin to 'Mac and Cheese Day'.  I saw the by-now-predictable performative actions from politicians local and national.  So I'm more than a little disillusioned today.  And while I collected and posted an enormous amount of tweets that are, simply put, bad news ... it appears that's not what drove engagement on my timeline yesterday.  So rather than keep screaming into the void, I'll discard those and share a few of the things that made me feel hopeful.

Opponents deluge @TxDOTCommission with calls to rethink highway projects across state, including I-45 @StopTxDOTi45 @airallianceHOU @makeI45better @TxDOTHouston https://t.co/4CJVNcEjYa

— Dug Begley (@DugBegley) April 20, 2022

India is lining their canals with #solarpower. It provides #cleanenergy and stops water evaporation at the same time.

We have so many solutions. Implement them. RT if you agree. #ActOnClimate #ClimateCrisis #ClimateAction #renewables #solar #GreenNewDeal via @MikeHudema pic.twitter.com/nXfIa2oM6s

— Climate Hero (@ClimateHeroIN) April 17, 2022

Pumped to see @Third_Act_Org's bank campaign getting good coverage from @fred02138 and @WBUR
"Big banks have become an important front in the climate movement."https://t.co/VxD152cAKo

— Bill McKibben (@billmckibben) April 21, 2022

An award-winning queer Navajo filmmaker's new film shows how Indigenous communities in Colombia, the Philippines, Mexico and Standing Rock facing the same struggle.https://t.co/cInC8Iv5Eq

— Truthout (@truthout) April 22, 2022

Companies ask EPA to pause schedule on cleanup of San Jacinto waste pits.
EPA response: Nah, stick with the plan https://t.co/nhclnrf42G via @houstonchron #hounews

— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) April 18, 2022

Sea-farmed supercrop: how seaweed could transform the way we live https://t.co/WmSzzDALge

— Guardian Environment (@guardianeco) April 19, 2022

GREAT NEWS! 🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺
A wild litter of red wolf pups has been born - the first since 2018!

The potato-sized pipsqueaks (4 females, 2 males) were born to new parents F2225 and M2323. Join us in sending celebratory howls their way!

More via @USFWS ➡ https://t.co/A4smC8OJt1 pic.twitter.com/4DtmTfY2bn

— Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) April 21, 2022

The Zoo’s Pollinator Grow Zones planted with Texas native plants have been growing for five years. After planting native milkweed last fall, this spring we have monarch eggs and caterpillars! It might be hard to tell, but this little guy is less than half an inch long. pic.twitter.com/Xbt3dGATPD

— Fort Worth Zoo (@FortWorthZoo) April 22, 2022

Funnies tomorrow, and much more negativity in the pipeline.

"We Have Issues" Wrangle

Enough for a few subscriptions, and not just those associated with the climate emergency or the vast depth of the corruption in state government.

But that's our jumping-off point today.

.@GovAbbott’s top donor, Kelcy Warren, and his pipeline company @EnergyTransfer had a colossal methane leak https://t.co/X3hFcOJabB via @RANewsTX #TXLege

— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 20, 2022

This news must have been painful for Fox's Groogan to break.

Breaking: Attorney for GOP activist Dr. Steven Hotze confirms his client has been criminally indicted by Harris Co. Grand Jury on charges of unlawful restraint and aggravated assault w/ a Deadly Weapon in connection with a private voter fraud investigation Hotze funded in 2020. pic.twitter.com/u81nhptRrT

— Greg Groogan (@GrooganFox26) April 20, 2022

Here come the tabs for Governor ASSTax's border crisis.

Economist says Gov. Abbott’s border inspections lost Texas $4.2 billion and 36,000 jobs https://t.co/tTx5au3xZG

— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) April 20, 2022

This week's political cartoon by @Branchtoon. #Abbott #TexasPolitics pic.twitter.com/aHFJC7EAeX

— Houston Chronicle Opinion (@ChronOpinion) April 21, 2022

ProPublica's team did the digging on two decades' worth of political stuntery on the southern border, going back to Rick Perry's re-election campaigns.

Among the many questions we continue to have is how is it possible no Texas state agency can provide a basic accounting of all of its state border operations? This has cost Texans billions since 2005 - and where are legislators on this? https://t.co/a78GiSBysA

— lomikriel (@lomikriel) April 20, 2022

But racial hatred is what Texas was fought over and founded on.  Why should we expect there to be any change after almost 200 years?

While Republicans fetishize the Alamo, the San Jacinto Battleground, where Texas actually won its independence, is surrounded by petrochemical plants and Superfund sites. https://t.co/wfsObrQ2Gy pic.twitter.com/lo46yGZzBi

— Dr. Bryan Edward Stone (@bestoneTX) April 18, 2022

I have a lot to get to, so I'll put more Earth Day posts in a separate Wrangle.  Here's more news from the RGV.

Democratic lawmakers and candidates are calling for details on the Biden administration's plan to lift Title 42, the controversial Trump-era migrant expulsion policy, and how the administration will handle an expected surge of migrants at the U.S. border. https://t.co/3KWZ1Ag2vb

— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) April 20, 2022

VIDEO: This week, @lilialuciano @CBSNews rode with @TxDPS and its Operation Lone Star on the Texas-Mexico border.

The op, limited to arresting migrants for misdemeanor trespassing, costs Texas taxpayers $250 million a week.

Effect: Uncertain. #txlegehttps://t.co/PVQyt2CEru

— wgs (@gardnerselby) April 21, 2022

Is Texas Facing An Invasion At The Border? Paxton Fails To Explain

Read more at RA News 👇🏼https://t.co/GBnAcx3miW

— RA News (@RANewsTX) April 18, 2022

Some Texas schools now run "migrant lockdown" drills, in the vein of active shooter drills, even though administrators at 8 school districts told @amnelsen they couldn't recall a single incident where a migrant on school grounds harmed a student. https://t.co/3kyR8D183M

— Rachel Monroe (@rachmonroe) April 19, 2022

And here are a few legal, criminal, and social justice updates.  Alex Jones hit the trifecta in this category.

Alex Jones' InfoWars files for bankruptcy amid Sandy Hook lawsuits https://t.co/p4yzkk9U3Z

— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 18, 2022

Houston council OKs security camera mandate for bars, convenience stores over ACLU objections https://t.co/cRq52sYVzp

— Dylan McGuinness (@dylmcguinness) April 20, 2022

Between ShotSpotter and this, it shan't be long before Mayor Sly interviews Tom Cruise to head up a local Department of PreCrime.  With Democrats like these in Texas, who needs Republicans?

Which brings me to Kim Ogg.

One of the most interesting political stories in Houston is how Kim Ogg beat the Republican DA as a progressive candidate in 2016 and now counts Republicans as her most important allies in her fight against her fellow Democrats who run the county. https://t.co/VpMNFR7vdY

— Zach Despart (@zachdespart) April 21, 2022

Ogg IS a Republican.  She won't be coming out of the closet until she runs for re-election in 2024, but the leopard's spots can't be changed.

Harris County DA’s office wants a self-described socialist judge accused of ‘indefensible bias’ suspendedhttps://t.co/e1dB0nOLX3 via @houstonchron #hounews

— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) April 20, 2022

It wasn't enough that her assistant DA defeated him in the primary last month; she wants him off the bench six months early.

Ogg has -- like so many DAs before her -- devolved into a megalomaniac.  Harris County Democrats are going to have to do better two years from now.  I'm looking at YOU, HGLBTQ Caucus.

A few more of these:

Harris County officials dismiss Abbott Astroworld task force findings as blame game continues https://t.co/pcJXYYsGX0 via @houstonchron #hounews

— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) April 20, 2022

The task force makes crowd safety recommendations but doesn't evaluate how Astroworld authorities did or did not follow them. And the report's summary of the disaster has numerous inaccuracies. https://t.co/XJjHEre8Vl pic.twitter.com/VvkA4ykH49

— Zach Despart (@zachdespart) April 20, 2022

OUT NOW: For part II of our series on media coverage of #BondReform and the criminal legal system in Harris County, we analyzed almost 500 articles from the Houston Chronicle. https://t.co/Xq2xaO2fjA pic.twitter.com/FFEVZqfKME

— Texas Center for Justice and Equity (@TexasCJE) April 20, 2022

Edinburg Politics reported that the Orwellian-named Texas Privacy Act was overturned on a First Amendment violation by US Judge Robert Pittman last month.  Techdirt followed up on the amicus brief filed against Texas at the Fifth Circuit regarding free expression online.  And with some developments on women's right to choose ...

Five Texas district attorneys — from Dallas, Travis, Bexar, Nueces and Fort Bend counties — have publicly promised that they will not pursue abortion-related criminal charges if Roe v. Wade is overturned. https://t.co/PNVpc69ZmQ

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 21, 2022

Notably, not Kim Ogg of Harris County.  More from Alternet on the tipping point of Oklahoma's abortion ban, and the Texas Signal on the Frontera Fund's promised fight.  All power to Wendy Davis and her lawsuit, but I am past the point of believing she is an effective advocate for anything.

New: Over the last six months, a record number of Texas teachers have been reported to the state for quitting in the middle of the school year. https://t.co/5THTl4HuMd

— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) April 19, 2022

#HISD:
#1: HISD Kickback Scheme taken down by FBI
#2: HISD Teachers =LOWEST Paid in Houston
#3: HISD Receives $1.1BILLION #ESSER Funds
#4: HISD cries to Media: $70M Deficit -March '22
#5: HISD Found 2 Have $300M SURPLUS -April '22
#6: HISD denying 10K Retention stipend 2 Teachers pic.twitter.com/ahDO39pCSh

— Houston Teachers United (@TeachersHouston) April 19, 2022

"Texas Republicans Behaving Badly" features the usual lineup.  I'll add the cops also.

@RepChipRoy knew about the planned coordinated attack on our nation’s Capitol for months.

Several Capitol Police Officers lost their lives. Chip could have warned someone, anyone about January 6 but stayed silent.

His compliance cost people their lives. America deserves better. pic.twitter.com/CJJ8mnDgUg

— Claudia Zapata for Congress, TX-21 (@PoderConClaudia) April 15, 2022

Ted Cruz suggested Disney’s opposition to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law will result in shows featuring Mickey and Pluto “going at it.” https://t.co/ey7zVGTGD6

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) April 19, 2022

Denton pigs filed a report on the Patriot Front banner & the months of daily stickers & wheatpasting on the square. Their identities are less secret than the police would believe. Thomas, Rousseau, Kieran Morris, and Graham Whitson of Haslet are orchestrating the drops. pic.twitter.com/TcRDrbyWH6

— Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club (@EFJBGC) April 18, 2022

Lots more but running long so I'll close on the calm-me-downs and promise more later.

50 Years Ago Today: Local news coverage about the Texas #Rangers playing their first home game at Arlington Stadium! (April 21, 1972) #OTD #MLB #Baseball #History pic.twitter.com/LiaHYRSbaV

— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) April 21, 2022

"He rolled it up, started it off. And we each took a little hit. This was like on the first tour with him. Then he said, he tapped it out and he said, 'Here, save it for later. Here's something nice for later.' I saved it. I'm not going to ever use that. It's behind glass." https://t.co/JqXKvqaIeD

— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) April 20, 2022

Wonder if he needs a job.... https://t.co/A1mMQAjuhL

— SaintArnold (@SaintArnold) April 19, 2022

Earth Week Wrangle

I'll get to the depressing stuff and the rotten people in just a moment.  I'll begin today with the Chron's feature of Willow Waterhole, the former coastal prairie turned rice field turned detention basin turned into one of the best green spaces in Houston.  And it's right across the street from my house.

$15M project to bring trails, fishing pier and dog park to southwest Houston greenspace https://t.co/bIK9jSiM1M

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) April 17, 2022

Please peruse the pictures and read the story.  There was a music festival weekend before last that seems to have finally raised the profile of the area as a destination spot.

Here's your Black History read.

I'm in Brenham,TX visiting my aunt; a thing I've done a lot. I found a paper on Reconstruction in Texas that listed Washington County, which includes Brenham, as one of 16 counties in Texas known as the "Black Belt" This time I went to dig up some of that history. Findings:

— Amber Sims (@msberbiage) April 16, 2022

Yes, I opened with the calm-me-downs first because the state news last week was just so...

Greg Abbott's border stunt created a logjam of trucks that resulted in “hundreds of millions of lost dollars from spoiled produce and shipping delays.”

Abbott has no one to blame but himself for this disaster. #AbbottIsTheCrisis #AbbottFailedTexasAgain https://t.co/oLbVBZnVTo

— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) April 18, 2022

https://t.co/kYRhtRRMZQ
Here's another "Christian Nationalist" governor doing his best to hurt everyday working Americans. #GregAbbottInflation #AbbottIsTheCrisis #GOPHypocrisy

— Merry Gangemi (@GangemiMerry) April 15, 2022

“With the volume of reduction we’ve seen, you are costing the U.S. economy in total economic impact almost a billion dollars a day,” Ray Perryman, president of the economic research firm Perryman Group, said. https://t.co/ADPTE4ikij

— KUT Austin (@KUT) April 16, 2022

Gov. Greg Abbott’s border crackdown is producing a private contractor bonanza, showering tens of millions of dollars on staffing companies, technology firms and builders, including one business that sold Texas unreliable COVID tests. https://t.co/G9Q4rSttXv

— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) April 17, 2022

On top of the overwhelming case load, a CPS employee who put his notice in this week says the problem is being compounded by the most recent directive from the governor, which targets trans youth and their families.https://t.co/yfOL0N5ThL

— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) April 16, 2022

Consequences of Texas’ abortion law are now being revealedhttps://t.co/Ci5Lknxiz9

— Socialist Action (@SocialistAct) April 15, 2022

"I would love to stay, but HISD does not pay me enough money to have an affordable living. I can barely afford rent," said one HISD English teacher who's been with the district 23 years.

https://t.co/mvicu7Ro1B

— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) April 16, 2022

Rent, groceries, gas. The cost of everything is going up —except wagesIt's time to #RaiseTheWage. Houston janitors deserve $15! #JusticeforJanitors https://t.co/sUSvI7njPn

— SEIU Texas (@SEIUTX) April 15, 2022

And if these conservative serpents weren't bad enough...

According to the experts, we're in the peak snake season in Central Texas.

Most venomous snakes in our area are pit vipers such as rattlesnake, copperhead, or water moccasin.

Here are some prevention tips as well as information if someone is bitten. https://t.co/bnIuE4tg93 pic.twitter.com/swII7KCWCE

— ATCEMS (@ATCEMS) April 17, 2022

Jessica Shortall collected tweets from politicians who put their logos on Good Friday images.  And the San Antonio Current reminded us of that time Chip Roy wanted to steal the 2020 election.

But Texas Democrats are badly positioned to take advantage of the worst Republicans in the world due to their infighting and incompetence.  SocraticGadfly offered thoughts about the Texas Democratic Party leadership battle.  Stace at Dos Centavos provided insight after Beto O'Rourke called out the Biden administration on the repeal of Title 42.

With Earth Day coming, I'll post frequently on ecological topics this week.

Much of Texas is suffering through a drought—officials fear a repeat of 2011’s wildfires that burned through 600,000 acres. Until the state does more to prepare for the effects of a changing climate, we’re all vulnerable to these threats. #txwater #txlege https://t.co/wHRm07zTfw

— EDF Texas (@EDFtx) April 18, 2022

San Antonio has made zero progress on climate action yet Parks and Recreation are hosting Earth Day San Antonio on 4/23. Join us for Occupy Earth Day SA at Woodlawn Lake Park as we call on city and utility leaders to shut down the Spruce Coal Plant! pic.twitter.com/U55JrcDGfP

— Recall CPS Energy (@RecallCPS) April 14, 2022

The project aims to harden 70 miles of coastline with artificial dunes, sea walls, vast steel gates, making the bay a veritable fortress that could be sealed when hurricanes threaten.

It’s ambitious and expensive but it still may be woefully inadequate: https://t.co/E7FrxTxVuK

— The Advocate (@theadvocatebr) April 17, 2022

"Build the Ike Dike" is a running, unfunny joke.

Here's a few legal updates:

Texas 2036 presented some actual data about crime in the state, while the Texas Observer did more digging into the arrest of Lizelle Herrera.

"Johnson & Johnson can’t use its baby powder bankruptcy to prevent a lawsuit that accuses the company of hiding evidence that its industrial talc operation exposed workers to the toxic material asbestos, a federal judge ruled." #txlege #asbestoshttps://t.co/TOhAleGHqJ

— Texas Watch (@TexasWatch) April 14, 2022

Meanwhile, actual socialism is coming to the state capital.

#ICYMI: The City of Austin is getting ready to move on a pilot program that will give residents facing extreme hardship $1,000 per month for a year. A total of 85 recipients will take part in the pilot. https://t.co/ZqePkkCOHE

— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) April 16, 2022

And a few more lighter items/Texana to close today.

Ted Cruz (R - TX) pic.twitter.com/JUxBWIbZB8

— Fucked Up Looking Senators (@FedUpSenators) March 30, 2022

.@astros getting Minute Maid Park ready for the home opener Monday night against the Angels. pic.twitter.com/yBMmjVPE1d

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) April 15, 2022

"My family ate Easter dinner plates of barbecued chicken, sausage, heaps of rice and beans, Jell-O molds, ambrosia, German chocolate cake, and buñuelos under the carport of my grandfather’s house."

South Texas does Holy Week like nowhere else. https://t.co/iBwvPLQ9fJ

— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) April 17, 2022

"The Easter Bunny is Species-Fluid" Funnies

"I'm Starting A Big Special Submarine Operation Now!"