Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As three Texans die, millions go without power, and flooding threatens multiple parts of the state, Governor Abbott continues a tour of East Asia, playing President: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/article/abbott-hurricane-beryl-acting-governor-patrick-19561623.php A Texas oil billionaire family finds itself in the crosshairs of the Federal Trade Commission on anti-trust suspicions as their massive contributions to state...
Jul 09, 2024•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Hurricane Beryl has made landfall at Matagorda and is currently slamming the Houston metro area: https://www.khou.com/article/weather/weather-impact/hurricane-beryl-texas-gulf-coast-landfall/285-c5815723-a9d2-440b-9b15-93341665e0c0 ...While Governor Abbott is out of the country on an economic excursion to Taiwan: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-lt-governor-dan-patrick-is-acting-governor-where-is-greg-abbott/287-76ddfe70-...
Jul 08, 2024•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A new poll (from a conservative think tank, mind you) shows only a three point advantage for Ted Cruz over Colin Allred, with women and independents far in Allred's favor: https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-polls-texas-senate-allred-narrow-lead-1921176 A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked a new Federal Trade Commission ban on non-compete agreements: https://www.axios.com/2024/07/03/ftc-non-compete-agreement-ban-workers Prisoners ...
Jul 05, 2024•6 min
Stories we're following here at Progress Texas: Austin U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett has become the first House Democrat to publicly call for President Biden to drop out of the 2024 race: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/us/who-is-lloyd-doggett-biden.html ...Dallas U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett disagrees strongly: https://x.com/JasmineForUS/status/1808295266992128154?t=5YH20SnNuChhoWaGrzrgIw&s=03 ...As does Houston U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee: https://x.com/SJacksonLee/status/1808243082108063829?t...
Jul 03, 2024•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's granting of broad immunity to the President are only beginning to develop: https://apnews.com/article/trump-immunity-supreme-court-capitol-riot-trial-72ec35de776315183e1db561257cb108 ...Basically, if the President wants you dead, you're dead: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trump-immunity-supreme-court/ ...Not easy, but the Trump call is the worst of the year for SCOTUS: https://progres...
Jul 02, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Friday's SCOTUS move to overturn Chevron v NRDC represents a massive power grab by MAGA courts: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/06/elena-kagan-dissent-supreme-court-john-roberts-chevron-disaster.html ...SCOTUS also backs the right to criminalize homelessness: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/28/supreme-court-texas-homelessness-camping-bans/ ...While the Texas Supreme Court defends a Waco-area judge's right to refuse to marry sa...
Jul 01, 2024•10 min
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people dates far, far back before the horrific events of October 7, 2023 - this is a generational conflict that is seen by some, especially considering recent events, as a truly unbridgeable divide. That's not the view of Atidna, a student-led and Texas-based organization that has dedicated itself to fostering positive connections between the two sides, partly in educating both on the many common aspects of their respective histories, and attemptin...
Jun 29, 2024•47 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Last night's debate between President Biden and Donald Trump was a failure...but this election is about more than two candidates - it's about two wildly different visions of America: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/trump-biden-debate-takeaways-19543481.php ...CNN's format allowed Trump to tell dozens of lies with no fact-checking guardrails: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-election-debate-trump-b...
Jun 28, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Texas Criminal Court of Appeals has denied, without explanation, a request from Travis County DA Jose Garza to review Governor Greg Abbott's unorthodox pardoning of convicted murderer Daniel Perry: https://apnews.com/article/black-lives-matter-shooting-pardon-93855c04f27b5f7a8eb4c4d684534a03 79 of the misdemeanor criminal trespass cases stemming from the crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests at UT Austin in April have been dismissed: ht...
Jun 27, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The spike in infant mortality relative to abortion restrictions in Texas lays bare the cruelty of hopeless pregnancies forced to term: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/texass-pro-life-abortion-law-has-literally-led-to-more-infant-deaths Brad Pritchett of Equality Texas weighs in on the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to consider laws barring transgender youth from medical care: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-lgbtq-supreme-court-...
Jun 26, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Vice President Kamala Harris, in a talk with Sheryl Lee Ralph, calls out the barbarity of Texas' abortion ban (index to 7:30): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GVaSFsHQuY ...Progress Texas runs down the two years since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v Wade: https://progresstexas.org/blog/two-years-terror-pregnant-texans-after-roe-reversal ...Our official statement: https://progresstexas.org/blog/statement-healthcare-horror-stories-rise-d...
Jun 25, 2024•9 min
Pride Month 2024 sees an incredible expansion of Pride celebrations and activism across the state - much of that in rural and small-town Texas, which until just recently, was near-unthinkable. As we know, over the past few sessions, Texas has also set new standards for legislative bigotry and cruelty towards its LGBTQ+ community. So, the push for equality and equity has never been stronger - while the opposition has never been more hateful. We welcome two of the community's most determined advoc...
Jun 24, 2024•41 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The second anniversary of the 2022 Dobbs decision at SCOTUS sees the almost-complete eradication of abortions in Texas - at least those that are legal or safe: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/24/abortion-dobbs-anniversary-pregnancy-complications/ ...The Texas Medical Board provided minor and largely useless new reporting guidelines on medically-necessary abortions for doctors on Friday: https://apnews.com/article/abortion-texas-excepti...
Jun 24, 2024•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Audio captured during a Gateway Church staff meeting, called to announce the resignation of Pastor Robert Morris, includes a board member calling accepting the resignation as a "difficult" decision: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gateway-church-leader-announces-robert-morris-resignation-audio-rcna158026 ...Due to Texas' statute of limitations, Morris is unlikely to be charged - and efforts to change that statute have met resistence fr...
Jun 21, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning: Members of the state's Maternal Morbidity Review Committee express concern that the addition of a vocal anti-choice OB/GYN presents unfavorable optics for the entire committee: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/18/texas-maternal-deaths-committee-changes/ The Texas Department of Agriculture, after a year with a blatantly trans-phobic office dress code, remains on thin legal ice: https://www.texasobserver.org/sid-miller-transphobic-dress-code-emails/ Ted Cr...
Jun 20, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: For the fourth year, today sees Juneteenth celebrated nationwide as a federal holiday: https://apnews.com/article/what-is-juneteenth-celebration-ideas-federal-holiday-2f7116be4418065cd954b6dbf98c62b8 ...The history of Juneteenth is one of the advance of freedom and progressive solidarity: https://www.splcenter.org/hopewatch/2024/06/18/juneteenth-national-celebration-history ...A history and listing of today's Juneteenth events statewide: ht...
Jun 19, 2024•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Robert Morris, pastor of Gateway Church in Southlake, is out after the public revelation that he sexually abused a young girl for four years in the 1980's: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/i-was-a-12-years-old-woman-accuses-gateway-church-founder-of-molesting-her-as-a-child/ ...Morris is chummy with both Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz: https://x.com/MrsAMartini/status/1802917597286969565?t=JFcQSbPuXFhQJ88EB1trcg&s=03 Texas ...
Jun 18, 2024•9 min
Young voters - those under 25 - represent a huge percentage of the electorate in Texas, large enough to make decisive differences in electoral outcomes in upcoming elections, most notably at present the one we're working towards in November. But - are we reaching them effectively? Have established progressive political entities done a good job in communicating with and activating this all-important voting bloc? That's a difficult question to answer - and to try to answer it, Progress Texas Advoc...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Austin gun store owner Michael Cargill's lawsuit opposing the federal ban on bump stock devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to be fired like machine guns succeeds, putting those devices back on the market: https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-backs-challenge-federal-ban-gun-bump-stocks-2024-06-14/ Abortion opponents will NOT rest following SCOTUS's call last week not to rule on a challenge to the FDA's approval of the abortio...
Jun 17, 2024•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A lawsuit against the FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone, having found favor in the courtroom of Amarillo anti-abortion federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, has failed at the U.S. Supreme Court: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/13/supreme-court-texas-mifepristone-ruling-abortion/ ...Meanwhile, Kacsmaryk is staying busy - he's temporarily blocked that new ATF rule requiring background checks on gun transactions at gun shows and o...
Jun 14, 2024•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Zurawski v Texas plaintiff Lauren Miller testified before Congress this week: https://x.com/ReproRights/status/1801008213766058022?t=PuKkGeM89NN4au_k_4eMFA&s=03 ...A Ted Cruz-sponsored bill that would have withheld Medicaid funding for entire states over IVF policies has been blocked by Senate Democrats: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/12/ted-cruz-ivf-bill-democrats/ The Fort Worth Botanic Garden has announced that it will NOT host...
Jun 13, 2024•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Ken Paxton's lawsuit today against the Biden administration is over a new rule extending Medicaid protections for LGBTQ+ and transgender Texans against discrimination under the Affordable Care Act: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/11/ken-paxton-sues-biden-transition-race/ Four State GOP House Reps have been censured by their own party for campaigning against fellow Republican incumbents: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/11/texas-hou...
Jun 12, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Democratic National Committee has dedicated an additional $140,000 to turning our Texas Democrats in November: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/10/national-democratic-group-spends-140000-on-texas-voter-turnout-effort/ Federal authorities have launched an enforcement operation against "switches" - illegal handgun accessories that allow fully automatic fire of handguns: https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024/06/10/us-attorne...
Jun 11, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Texas Democratic Convention wrapped with solid messages of progressive solidarty against encroaching authoritarianism: https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2024-06-08/texas-democratic-convention-wrapup-el-paso-democrats-cautious-optimism-dire-warnings-november-election ...The resulting platform the polar opposite of the odious Texas GOP platform that emerged from San Antonio recently: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/09/t...
Jun 10, 2024•8 min
Right off the bat - literally, immediately after the Progress Texas team touched down in El Paso on Thursday - we hosted a special live podcast recording to help kick off this year's Texas Democratic Convention at the El Paso Convention Center! We continued our ongoing series with terrific Texas political influencers on the topic of abortion rights before a packed house! Progress Texas Executive Director Kathleen Thompson moderated a stellar panel: TX-15 U.S. Congressional nominee Michelle Valle...
Jun 07, 2024•46 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The 2024 Texas Democratic Party Convention is underway in El Paso, where abortion rights, border concerns, public schools and gun safety are among the top topics: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/texas-democratic-convention-2024-el-paso/ ...The party is looking to unify and end its long drought in statewide electoral wins, with a focus on Dallas U.S. Rep. Colin Allred's challenge to Republican Senator Ted Cruz: https://www.dallasnews.c...
Jun 07, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The PT crew is headed west to El Paso today for the Texas Democratic Convention! https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2024/06/03/democratic-convention-2024-guests-include-beto-orourke-colin-allred/73908478007/ ...Abortion rights and gun safety are expected to be high on the priority list of issues - similar issues to those the Republicans addressed at their convention in San Antonio, but clearly from a different angle: https://ww...
Jun 06, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: President Biden's executive order limiting asylum requests at the border raises almost universal concern, including from his supporters on the left: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/06/04/texas-mexico-border-biden-immigration-asylum-policy/ ...The ACLU is talking legal action AGAINST President Biden's move: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/06/04/texas-border-mayors-join-biden-as-he-unveils-new-asylum-restrictions-to-stem-migra...
Jun 05, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A significant announcement about border policy, likely placing limits on daily asylum requests, is expected today: https://www.kvue.com/article/news/nation-world/biden-prepares-tough-executive-order-that-would-shut-down-asylum-after-2500-migrants-arrive-a-day/507-8e827a7f-ae75-4ce7-b53d-d984894db159 The temporary Texas block on new federal ATF rules expanding requirements of background checks during private firearms sales appears to have en...
Jun 04, 2024•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Friday's decision not to protect pregnant Texans and their doctors by the Texas Supreme Court should provide motivation for pro-choice voters to unite: https://www.reuters.com/legal/texas-top-court-wont-guarantee-right-abortion-complicated-pregnancies-2024-05-31/ ...We hope to see you Thursday in El Paso for our live podcast taping at the Texas Democratic Convention: https://progresstexas.org/blog/live-texas-democratic-party-convention-abor...
Jun 03, 2024•8 min
