Joe Biden made his first visit as President to Dallas last night to attend the wake of late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/national-politics/president-biden-members-congressional-black-caucus-bid-farewell-late-congresswoman-eddie-bernice-johnson-monday-wake/287-1198c86e-95ba-4783-b0e6-7e7dbd26d6c1 ...After a disturbance at Love Field by pro-Palestine protestors resulted in over a dozen arrests: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/01/08/p...
Jan 09, 2024•16 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Scott Braddock at Quorum Report predicts that retribution efforts by both Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, the fight to unseat Ted Cruz, the border and, most importantly, abortion rights will be central to this huge election year: https://news.yahoo.com/texas-politics-2024-biggest-stories-005524497.html ...While Governor Abbott is rebuked by the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle for his "devious plot" of busing a...
Jan 08, 2024•11 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The family of longtime Texas U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, who died at 89 on New Year's Eve, alleges that she was neglected under the care of Baylor Scott and White's rehabilitation center: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/04/texas-eddie-bernice-johnson-lawsuit/ ...We also have a correction on misreported details on her memorial services, happening early next week: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/eddie-...
Jan 05, 2024•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Health officials in the D/FW area are watching a spike in both COVID and flu-related hospitalizations - a good time to be sure vaccinations are up to date: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/flu-and-covid-19-cases-continue-to-increase-across-texas/3424962/ The Biden Department of Justice has sued the state of Texas over SB-4: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-justice-dept-sues-texas-over-immigration-law-2024-01-03/ ...While U.S. House Speaker...
Jan 04, 2024•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that federal guidance does not compel doctors in Texas to provide abortion care, even if that care is the best treatment for a problematic pregnancy: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/02/us/texas-emergency-abortion-ban-appeal.html ...While the Biden administration asks the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene in a 5th Circuit decision stopping federal border agents from removing razor wire placed on the b...
Jan 03, 2024•12 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The closed-door meeting with top Mexican officials and representatives of the Biden administration is said to have been productive: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/mexico-leader-urges-us-invest-people-not-walls-ahead-blinken-meeting-2023-12-27/ ...While the mayors of several Democratically-led U.S. cities plead with the federal government with help handling migrants dumped in their metros by Governor Abbott: https://www.westhawaiitod...
Dec 28, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A team of U.S. officials led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken are scheduled to meet with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on border and immigration issues: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/us/politics/blinken-mexico-migrant-caravan.html ...While a scary interaction with Operation Lone Star agents experienced by an El Paso family provide a preview of likely outcomes of SB-4 should it be allowed to take effect in March: htt...
Dec 27, 2023•9 min
As we shut down what's been a year brimming with crazy in Texas politics - and steel ourselves for a 2024 likely to take the cake - we present the holiday wishes of our guests at our two 2023 holiday parties in Austin and Dallas! As progressives in Texas, what would we like to receive as gifts this holiday? We firmly believe that if we stay the course and persist, all of our dreams will come true. All of us at Progress Texas wish you a merry, memorable, and safe holiday - and a prosperous and pr...
Dec 23, 2023•39 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Officials expected to enforce SB-4 and their observers see it as not only impossible, but rife with ethical and justice-related hazards: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/texas-sb-4-immigration-18568738.php SB-4 is a "middle finger" to the United States and its Constitution: https://newrepublic.com/article/177725/texas-immigration-law-federal-government-constitution New York City is watching closely as immigration policy here ...
Dec 22, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Local law enforcement, especially in border communities, are not prepared to enforce SB-4 when it lands in March: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sb4-texas-immigration-law-enforcement-migrant-crisis/ ...While Governor Abbott takes to the skies in his ever-expanding theater of migrant cruelty: https://www.axios.com/2023/12/21/texas-governor-charters-migrant-flight-chicago-border-protest-biden ...And federal authorities target Colony Ridge, prev...
Dec 21, 2023•12 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The ACLU, alongside El Paso officials, have sued the state over Governor Abbott's signing of SB-4: https://newrepublic.com/post/177674/texas-just-passed-one-countrys-racist-immigration-laws ...El Paso's district attorney is one of the lawsuit's targets - though Bill Hicks' office has said they won't pursue SB-4 cases: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/us/el-paso-texas-migrant-arrest-suit.html ...The immigration advocacy group American Gate...
Dec 20, 2023•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As expected, Governor Greg Abbott signed the blatantly unconstitutional SB-4 into law: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-immigration-law-sb4-signed-greg-abbott/ ...The law mandates that judges send migrants in violation back to Mexico: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-arrest-migrants-crossing-border-illegally-under-new-state-law-2023-12-18/ ...El Paso's County Commissioners are in on an ACLU lawsuit against SB-4: https://kvia.com/new...
Dec 19, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The ACLU has prepared a legal challenge to the new Texas immigration bill SB-4, which it will file immediately after Governor Abbott signs it into law: https://wsbt.com/news/nation-world/aclu-prepping-lawsuit-awaiting-abbott-approval-of-controversial-immigration-law-southern-border-migrant-crisis-border-security-initiatives-american-civil-liberties-union-rio-grande-floating-barrier ...Meanwhile Abbott's migrant busing effort has caused majo...
Dec 18, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Senator Ted Cruz, sensing the volatility of the issue, continues dodging questions about developments in Texas surrounding our abortion bans: https://newrepublic.com/post/177569/ted-cruz-does-not-want-talk-texas-abortion-case ...In fact, the entire Republican Party appears queasy about it: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/republicans-struggle-defend-texas-abortion-law-cox-1234928770/ ...The Texas business sector, normally...
Dec 15, 2023•7 min
Which Texans inspired us with their tireless work to press progress forward in Texas this year - and which Texans did all they could to keep us in the olden times? The whole Progress Texas staff is in on this one, and we've got lots of love (and shade) to dish out as we wrap up another nutty year in Texas politics with the ten best - and ten worst - Texans of 2023. See the blog and follow along: https://progresstexas.org/blog/top-10-best-and-worst-texans-2023 Join the worldwide Humans Against Te...
Dec 15, 2023•55 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The U.S. Supreme Court, dominated by conservative Trump appointees, is set to review a Texas judge's revoking of the FDA approval of the common abortion drug mifepristone: https://www.keranews.org/government/2023-12-13/u-s-supreme-court-to-consider-limits-on-abortion-medication-mifepristone ...The prospects of the SCOTUS review are "grave": https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2023-12-13/supreme-court-to-hear-case-determining-access-t...
Dec 14, 2023•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The entire country is stunned over recent developments regarding abortion care for women with problematic pregnancies in Texas: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-does-texas-supreme-court-ruling-emergency-abortions-mean-patients-2023-12-12/ ...The Texas Supreme Court regards Cox's legal plea as evidence she doesn't qualify for exception to the ban: https://x.com/AliceOllstein/status/1734372711332274677?s=20 ...The reassuring language fro...
Dec 13, 2023•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Texas Supreme Court ruled against Dallas-area mother Kate Cox, denying her emergency emergency care, forcing Cox to leave Texas to receive it: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2023/12/11/kate-cox-flees-state-to-get-abortion-after-supreme-court-decision/ ...Proving that the "exceptions" Texas law provides are really not intended to help Texas mothers: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/opinion/texas-abortion-ban.html ...And ...
Dec 12, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: On Friday, the Texas Supreme Court stayed a lower court order that would have allowed Dallas mother Kate Cox to terminate a doomed pregnancy that threatens her health: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-abortion-ban-supreme-court-hold-kate-cox/ ...Drawing national attention to the contrast of approaches to reproductive freedom between Democrats and Republicans: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4351771-five-things-to-know-texas-abortion...
Dec 11, 2023•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Dallas-area mother of two Kate Cox is granted a temporary restraining order allowing her to terminate a dangerous and hopeless pregnancy: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-abortion-ban-kate-cox-emergency-fetus-trisomy-18-judge-maya-guerra-gamble/ ...While Attorney General Ken Paxton threatens legal action against any doctor who provides abortion services in Texas: https://www.reuters.com/legal/texas-judge-allows-woman-get-emergency-abortio...
Dec 08, 2023•9 min
Progress Texas has endorsed longtime U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in her run for mayor of Houston, which will be decided on Saturday in that city's very important runoff election, which will also determine Houston's next city controller (a race in which we've endorsed Chris Hollins) and several at-large City Council seats. Congresswoman Jackson Lee took a few minutes during a busy campaign day on the last day of early voting on Tuesday to tell us about her vision of the future Houston a...
Dec 07, 2023•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Abortion rights plaintiff Kate Cox's case will receive a temporary restraining order hearing this morning at 9am in the Austin court of judge Maya Guerra Gamble: https://www.youtube.com/live/0oCALdrAefY?si=HnOo90di5qICHhI0 ...ABC News provides a good summary of the Cox case: https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-suing-texas-abortion-bans-mother/story?id=105420503 Ken Paxton follows the right wing conspiracist narrative into a new lawsuit against ...
Dec 07, 2023•8 min
Kate Cox, a Dallas mother of two, is calling for a court order to allow her to receive abortion care amidst a dangerous pregnancy: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/05/us/texas-abortion-lawsuit.html ...Every day that passes increases the danger to Ms. Cox: https://progresstexas.org/woman-sues-texas-allow-abortion SB-4, the blatantly unconstitutional immigration bill, could be signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott any day now: https://www.click2houston.com/news/investigates/2023/12/06/texas-on-th...
Dec 06, 2023•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The mindblowing news that Texas' Republican Party has chosen not to disavow Nazis continues to reverberate nationally: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/dec/04/texas-republican-party-vote-antisemitism ...Representing the continued embrace of extremism on the political right in Texas: https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-gop-extremism-nazi-ban-policy-language/ ...While the still-Nazi-free half of the Texas GOP at least pretends to reco...
Dec 05, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Texas Democratic Party has issued a resolution calling for peace in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: https://www.texasdemocrats.org/media/texas-state-democratic-executive-committee-unanimously-passes-israeli-palestinian-resolution-calls-for-a-humanitarian-ceasefire-and-release-of-hostages Meanwhile - over the same weekend - the Texas Republican Party struck from their pro-Israel resolution language condemning associations with Nazi sym...
Dec 04, 2023•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: DPS officials have been ordered by a district judge to (finally) hand over its records regarding the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/30/uvalde-shooting-investigation-records/ Ken Paxton's AG's office has sued Pfizer, claiming they inflated claims regarding their COVID-19 vaccine in order to maximize profits: https://www.reuters.com/legal/pfizer-is-sued-by-texas-over-covid-19-vaccine-claims-2023-11-30...
Dec 01, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A new report from Human Rights Watch highlights the deadly hazards Operation Lone Star high-speed chases are creating among our border communities: https://abc13.com/texas-dps-chase-human-rights-watch-report-operation-lone-star-reports-troopers-involved-in-chases/14119628/ The confusion surrounding abortion care for troubled pregnancies in Texas is receiving more national attention following the Zurawski hearing: https://prospect.org/health...
Nov 30, 2023•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Much discussion of yesterday's Texas Supreme Court hearing of the Zurawksi vs. State Of Texas case: https://www.statesman.com/story/news/state/2023/11/29/texas-supreme-court-hears-case-challenging-texas-abortion-bans-health-risks-pregnancy-women/71727577007/ ...Amanda Zurawski appeared after the hearing on MSNBC's The Reid Out show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRZM63wun-Y Governor Abbott, in lieu of announcing a fifth special session, h...
Nov 29, 2023•11 min
Abortion rights activists across the country were glued to this morning's hearing at the Texas Supreme Court of the State appeal of a lawsuit brought by 20 Texas women and two doctors whose lives have been upended by our state's poorly-written and carelessly-implemented abortion bans since the fall of Roe v Wade. We convened an expert panel as the hearing closed late this morning: State Representative and longtime reproductive freedom advocate Donna Howard, veteran Texas civil rights attorney Ja...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Zurawski vs State Of Texas case will be the subject of a hearing at the Texas Supreme Court this morning: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/11/28/1215463289/texas-abortion-lawsuit-texas-supreme-court ...Livestream link: https://www.texasbarcle.com/CLE/sc.asp Will there be a fifth special session? No word yet from the Governor: https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/texas-legislature-recesses-with-school-choice-legislation-still-i...
Nov 28, 2023•11 min
