CAIR suing Greg Abbott

That's the big story, to me, out of Strangeabbott declaring the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the Muslim Brotherhood, as "transnational terror organizations" then directing his butt-flunkies at DPS to open an criminal investigation against both.

That latter is clearly a page out of Donald the Demented's playbook.

The former? First, since Strangeabbott is not a president of a country (contra Tex-ass exceptionalism of the Texas nationalist type of wet dreams) is nugatory, first of all. 

It's also baseless, even per Donald the Demented's State Department:

Neither the Muslim Brotherhood nor CAIR is listed on the U.S. State Department’s list of terrorist groups.

There you are. 

It's also bullshit:

Abbott also said the investigation will target people or groups “who unlawfully impose Sharia law,” which he said violates the Texas Constitution.

Because these groups don't do that. 

Speaking of? This part:

Murtaza Sutarwalla, president of the Muslim Bar Association of Houston, spoke at the same news conference and rejected Abbott’s “repeated claims that the Sharia law is banned in Texas.”

Is true. 

Federal law allows the use of private religious law between consenting private religious individuals and authorities.   

Strangeabbott is either legally ignorant himself, playing off others' ignorance, or some combination. 

Ditto for him attempting to fuse and conflate CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Here's the bottom-line legal angle:

Abbott’s declaration opens up an array of potential constitutional issues, said Emily Berman, a professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Limiting property purchases based on viewpoints and religious affiliation could prove problematic under the First Amendment and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. 

“What is the motivation of these designations?” Berman said. “Is it about their religious views? Is it about their viewpoints on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which would be another First Amendment red flag? You can’t discriminate on the basis of someone’s viewpoint.” 

The designation also raises due process concerns, Berman said, given that it’s not clear how groups can formally challenge the designation. 

The U.S. Secretary of State holds the power to designate a group a foreign terrorist organization, though they must notify Congress and publish the designation in the Federal Register. An organization can appeal that designation within 30 days of that publication. 

It’s not clear whether such a process exists at the state level. In the order, Abbott said he consulted with Freeman Martin, Texas Department of Public Safety director, and the state’s Homeland Security Council to determine whether to make the designation as required under state law. Whether groups can appeal the state-level designations is unclear. 

It’s possible CAIR, for example, could challenge the law in court by arguing the state is overstepping its bounds by making laws around national security matters, Berman said.

Period. End of story. 

The second story? 

As I told Kuff in commenting on his Off the Kuff story about Abbott's original proclamation, we all know what this is about: Palestine and Palestinians. The dog that IS barking, repeatedly, in Texas and that Kuff refuses to write about. And, Kuff and other Democraps who refuse to talk about the barking dog only encourage mouthbreathers like Strangeabbott and Legiscritter Cole Hefner.

Happy Thanksgiving, you bigotry and genocide fellow traveler. 

See, Abbott is one of many modern American conservative cafeteria Catholics who have approached modern fundagelical Protestants on many issues, including Israel and Zionism, even though Rome, like old mainline Protestant churches, is officially amillennial on the book of Revelation. 

Per the bullshit above, though, Abbott would turn a blind eye toward a Kiryeas Joel in Tex-ass. 

Strangeabbott: Support Cook, not Burrows, or else — else WHAT? more grifting?

Now that McDade Phelan has bailed from the Texas House Speaker's race, and the buttoned-up two-thirds wingnut David Cook faces an alleged challenge to succeed him from the blathering Dustin Burrows, our state's beloved Gov. Strangeabbott has weighed in, a slight bit more directly than Dannie Goeb did from the state Senate and Lite Guv's house.

There on Shitter, Strange referenced the number of House Republicans that he primaried over caucuses:

Let me be clear:

I worked this entire year to elect conservative candidates who will pass conservative laws, including school choice.

To achieve that goal we need a Texas House Speaker chosen by a majority of Republicans in accordance with the Republican Caucus Rules.

Seems straightforward.

Contra the Trib's piece building off that, this won't "dash" Burrows' hopes. Burrows did that to his own self within the first 24 hours of his claim that he had the votes. Even if he's not lost eight or more Rethugs, or more than one Democrap, he's still got uphill sledding in a shitstorm of his own making.

That said, also on Shitter, Scott Braddock points out that either Strangeabbott himself or his paid political flunkies are doing grifting while trying to play both sides of the street. More of that rabbit hole is here.

This looks like the normal Jesuitical-type parsing, flunkies' apparent grifting or not, for which the likes of Chris Hooks has long called him out.

Thoughts on this year's races as early voting starts

This will incorporate reflections on the polls at right, and also build on my "Gadfly slate" of last Friday.

First, here in Tex-ass, statewide offices.

I'm not yet ready to say Strangeabbott's odds against Beto-Bob are in above 80 percent, but they are at 70-79 percent. And, barring Kenny Boy Paxton busted for fucking the wife of a Republican official, if Strangeabbott wins, so does every other statewide Rethuglican. Jeebus Shot Sid Miller wins. Wayne "Oil Wells Are" Christian wins. Kenny Boy wins. So do others.

The Lege? I'm not analyzing 150 House races, or even 31 Senate races. Let's say the GOP gains two in the House and holds serve in the Senate. Dade Phelan holds on as Speaker.

Nationally? New inflation concerns, thanks to the latest OPEC cuts, plus tight diesel stocks, have slackened the sails of earlier Democratic tailwinds, as Jeet Heer notes at The Nation, with me discussing in more detail here. So, I've revised downward thoughts I had just a week ago.

And, I mentioned "denialism" in Nancy Pelosi's take on the inflation issue. Susan Glasser at New Yorker applies that word to Warmonger Joe's take on the whole election.

The Senate, I think, odds are about 50 percent it stays 50-50. I had originally had this at a bit above 50-50 that Dems hold serve or improve.

The House poll was the first one I started, when inflation was really bad. Wingnut nominees on the GOP side stand better chances in the House than the Senate. Inflation dipped, but now, gas prices have crept back up. I don't think Dems will lose 50, but, losing 40 wouldn't surprise me.

This could well make Kevin McCarthy as Speaker a slightly loonier, yet ultimately as wingnut-squared-challenged, as Boozing Boehner or Eddie Muenster Ryan. With that big of a majority, the Lauren Boeberts (if re-elected) and Marjorie Taylor Greenes will run wild and might not even be the worst.

Of course, that would relieve Nancy Pelosi of the onus of considering violating her pledge to step down as Speaker. It would also relieve AOC of the onus of having to vote against her, if she did that, in an even tighter House.

Is Beto-Bob going to catch up?

Beto-Bob has slightly more money than Strangeabbott. But, he's only very slightly narrowed the polls and remains well outside the margin of error.

Add in that his "let's go to Muleshoe" lunacy means that he's spent weeks, nay months, squandering time, energy, money and, above all, focus.

Winning?

I doubt it. Strange is right that the polls have essentially flatlined. As prognosticators said months ago, abortion isn't a big needle-mover. And, while he's running for gov, not Congress, inflation is a negative needle-mover against Beto-Bob.

And, he didn't make even more hay on electric bills during summer power warnings by ERCOT. He should have been visiting the fast-growing exurbs of our major metros, not Muleshoe, in July and August.

Agree? Disagree? Hit the polls at right.

Texas Progressives: Guns and Visa, Beto-Bob, more

Elizabeth Warren asked for it, then got called out as "fascist" for the request, but Visa will start tracking gun sales as a particular category. It should make it easier to track down suspicious sales, which was her whole intent. And, since Visa is the biggest, let us hope, per the story, that it indeed pressures MasterCard and Amex to follow.

We'll also see if Second Amendment absolutist Delilah Barrios, running for gov for the Green Party, says anything about this.

==

Off the Kuff analyzes the latest poll of Texas and Harris County. (Note: See my gov, House and Senate polls at right.)

==

SocraticGadfly said Beto O'Rourke needs to fire himself as chief campaign strategist.

Related, from Twitter:

Coming next: Greg Abbott uses the Uvalde Park shooting as an excuse to send yet more DPS, Texas National Guard, etc., to the board.
Coming next after that: Pander Bear Beto O'Rourke says he'd send more people to the border, too, but only if they volunteer. https://t.co/UvVczG4gKU

— TheRealSocraticGadfly (@real_gadfly) September 9, 2022

==

I have no idea who Coulda Been Worse is run by. Let's just hope that any new anti-Abbott ads don't engage in child exploitation, unlike Moms Against Greg Abbott. Their first ad is here on Twitter, via Patrick Switek. Not bad, but not great in presentation. The "Coulda Been Worse" needs to be cut in more than just once at the end. A second voice in voiceover, preferably female, should be there.

==

DPS head Steve McCraw told CNN he'd resign if it was found that his troopers had any culpability in a delayed response to the Uvalde shooting. He's bullshitting, of course, starting with that he'd set his own parameters on "any culpability."

==

Shock me that two North Texas small-town police chiefs belong(ed?) to Oath Keepers. Of course, they, like others statewide and compadres nationally, have spouted the usual bullshit lines like, "I didn't know who they were," or "they changed their mission" or "someone else signed me up."

==

Gohmert Pyle reached a new low even for him.

==

Per this Tweet:

Glenn Hegar remains full of posturing gasbag shit vis-a-vis Harris County https://t.co/QfdPSNTjTd even after a Travis County district judge TOLD .@Glenn_Hegar he's full of shit. https://t.co/qvVDG01Zov

— TheRealSocraticGadfly (@real_gadfly) September 9, 2022

Glenn Hegar reached a new low, even for him.

== 

Danny Goeb is in a pissing match, per his news releases, with the authors of a Texas Monthly semi-gotcha piece that's nonetheless good gotcha. Knowing something about Russell Gold and Dan Soloman's writing for the Monthly (and elsewhere from Gold), I was worried Patrick may be at least half right. I shouldn't have been. An updated version of the article notes Patrick's claims, and does further gotcha on the date of passage of SB 13 vs the date of his BlackRock divestiture. Plus, like Ralph Nader (who I didn't vote for in 2000 cuz I knew this, probably due to Al Gore oppo research) and Jill Stein (who I learned about too late in 2016 cuz Hillary Clinton oppo research forgot to allow for early voting) Patrick and his wife also owned Black Rock mutual funds. (Nader and Stein owned oil and gas, defense and tobacco stocks via mutual funds.)

==

MANNUUUUU.

==

A restart on the Iran nuclear deal looks to be officially on the rocks. That's from the German Foreign Ministry.

Texas 2036 warns that the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, could happen here.

The Texas Living Waters Project released a study showing how much water we lose in this state due to old infrastructure. Texas Monthly gives a fond final farewell to Paul Burka.

The Texas Signal reports on the first day of school in Uvalde.

The TSTA Blog argues that it's the disrespect for democracy that disqualifies so many Texas Republicans from holding office.

The Dallas Observer notes the Cards Against Humanity protest against anti-abortion laws.

Federal coronavirus bailout money for cities and counties went to ... cops and courts.

Texas Progressives talk Texas exceptionalism, elections, virtue signaling

Ross Ramsey tries to have his brisket and eat it too, fellating Texas exceptionalism while at the same time talking about all the things Texas needs to be fixed to be exceptional. I won't miss you from the Texas Trib any more than Evan.

Will Texas adopt a new teacher certification test? And, does this test have racial bias issues, as is the contention in some states?

SocraticGadfly said that the Green Party's call for a gas boycott from Earth Day to May Day ultimately came off as virtue signaling.  

NOT virtue signaling? Or maybe, in some twist, it is? Baylor is granting its first charter to an LGBTQ organization. (It still faces multiple Title IX-based lawsuits.)

Justin Miller calls out the billions and counting fiscal cost of Strangeabbott's border bullshit. With the primary over and this not likely being an appeal to "independents" in his November showdown with Beto, this too is virtue signaling.

Strangeabbott says that Texas Hispanics are about to break GOP. The Monthly says polls say otherwise. 

Stace tells us about Greg Abbott's sudden change of heart regarding who pays for his welcome wagon.

Off the Kuff wants to know where the coverage of mail ballot rejections in the May election is. 

Will investors seeking to recoup past fracking-based losses lose their block on new drilling in the Permian? Russell Gold notes that a biggie like Schlumberger is interested, but labor and supply chain issues have the next block on drilling. Halliburton says US-based fracking outfits are booked through the end of the year.

Is Texas facing a California-like wildfire future? The Observer says it sure looks that way.

Beyond native Texans, Californians who are Californicating Texas are driving highway-NIMBY suburbanification of the Metromess.

Slate says SB8 is affecting not only abortion availability, but women's thinking and decision-making process.

Jef Rouner shows how more and more of Texas' government is now under Greg Abbott's control.

Rick Casey looks at one San Antonio school district's response to a book-ban inquiry.

Laura Morales shows how Greg Abbott's anti-trans executive order also harms intersex people.

Michael Li breaks down the weirdness of New York's Congressional redistricting process. 

Paradise in Hell reacts to the Elon Musk Twitter news.

Texas Progressives look for an opposing viewpoint to stupidity

As many in Texas have heard, Southlake Carroll was hoist on a petard created by a mix of itself and the Lege's HB 3979, the anti-critical race theory law, when a school administrator said the Holocaust needed an alternative point of view. Wingnuts in the Lege like Kelly Hancock are of course blaming schools and school districts, not themselves, for a law that's hugely vague as well as, of course, being hugely craptacular. The Monthly goes in more depth. Chris Hooks note that it's a part of coarsening attacks on school boards by parents. And now, this stupidity has made it all the way to the LA Times op-ed pages.

StartleGram columnist Bud Kennedy notes Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley is, even more forcefully than before, calling out Danny Goeb and Christofascist Tim Dunn for wrecking his Texas Republican Party. Abbott's "no vax mandate" appears to have been his latest trigger. He also claims that it's not just that Abbott is responding to Don Huffines; rather, Whitley says, he's got his eye on the White House and is trying to out-DeSatan Ron DeSantis. That said, if The Donald runs in 2024, Abbott will put his tail meekly between his legs again. DeSatan may not.

Well, the Supremes officially can't dodge the anti-abortion SB8 now. The Biden Administration appealed the Fifth Circuit's reinstating the law for now, overruling a federal district judge's injunction. Team Biden is asking for the Fifth Circuit's ruling to be paused while the appeals court hears the substance of the state's appeal from the district court. This boils down to the same issue that we faced this summer: Can John Roberts convert Brett Kavanaugh?

Steve Vladeck explains why the Fifth Circuit was wrong in its order allowing SB8 to remain in effect.

In stupidity, judicial version, Smilin Sam Alito proves critics' point, and in part over SB8, and does so in part by trying to block full, free and frank discussion of this. A side note: Notre Dame forfeited academic respect by signing off on his press-muzzling in advance.

Battleground Texas live-tweeted the House hearing on the proposed Congressional map. (And, you may be a Twitter addict if you wade through that entire thing.)

Off the Kuff was on top of the Greg Abbott max ant-vaxx fiasco. 

The Observer reports that, despite Supreme Court rulings, the Border Patrol thinks "tonks" don't deserve medical care.

It's always Banned Books Week in Texas prisons.

In stupidity, sports division, SocraticGadfly talks baseball, specifically, why the Cards suddenly fired Mike Shildt.

Former La Habra, California police chief Alan Hostetter, arrested as part of the Jan. 6 insurrection, is being allowed to defend himself. Hostetter, a Three Percenter wingnut even before this time, asked to defend himself, so he can expose the "FBI corruption." Getcha popcorn, and Judge Royce Lambeth will probably be ruling about 90 percent of his requests and blatherings as out of order.

Iowa's first Black state Democratic chair has received lynching threats over an anti-Trump op-ed in the DeMoines Register.

The Nobel in economics went to a team that conclusively showed higher wages are not inflationary.

Progress Texas offers recommendations on the eight Constitutional amendments on your ballot. 

Texas Monthly brings news of a nude Texas cavers calendar. The Bloggess heard a very different version of Talking Heads' "Wild Wild Life" song than you or I did.

Coronavirus week 73B: what's next?

The biggie here in Tex-ass? Last week, Kenny Boy Paxton admitted in legal pleadings that his office cannot and will not enforce Abbott's GA-38 banning masks, and Harris County's county attorney set this out for public consumption. I would assume, then, that Kenny Boy also cannot enforce bans on vaccine mandates. Flip side is that the Texas Supremes sided with Strangeabbott again, and that the hypocritical sack of shit amended GA-38 to include ALL COVID VACCINES, whether of an EUA only or full FDA approval.

That's even as school districts like Leakey ISD and Medina ISD are shut this entire week, because of COVID. The Lege has passed a bill with modest to moderate expansions of remote learning, but its fate at Strangeabbott's hands is murky.

And as Caleb Wallace is now dead.

And, outside of Texas, so is Mark Bernier.

Off the Kuff notes that for all of the litigation over Greg Abbott's mask mandate ban, Abbott himself admits he can't enforce it anyway.

The Atlantic reminds us that Delta is likely not the last variant, but that ... as any non-troll knows, vaccination "corrals" the virus and reduces its evolutionary variant development, along with all the other things vaccination does.

At Jacobin, Branko Marcetic supports a national vaccination mandate. The Atlantic has a related story that says we need to keep shifting the public health burden onto the antivaxxers.

Just because you can smell perfume, or farts, through or around a mask, even an N95, doesn't mean they're not effective. This was raised ... and dismissed ... 16 months ago. More here. And on Reddit even.

The man who claims to have invented mRNA vaccination technology is also a COVID antivaxxer, which he denies. TLDR, or preview? He's overstating his vaccine work claims (which is nonetheless not insubstantial), he IS a COVID antivaxxer, and despite his graduate work, he's idiot enough to have gotten a vaccine AFTER getting COVID and thinking it would reverse the already started effects of infection, which in his case seems to include long-haul COVID. Sadly, wingnut media is giving him the recognition he craves.

Robert Malone is also apparently the nut who started mongering the claim that Pfizer's vaccine, now with the name of Comirnaty, has not "really" gotten full approval and is still on an EUA, per Orac. (Somebody emailed my newspaper about this.)

Biden appears to be kowtowing to Beijing on not pushing for more information about a possible lab leak at WIV being the root of the pandemic. Orac will continue to not discuss this, of course.

Zeynep Tufekci is a co-author, one of several, of a new piece at Science studying the history of scientific study of aerosol transmission of viruses. She gives the nickel version of the piece at her Substack, which also has a link to a NYT column, which discusses the lack of large scale clinical trials related to COVID, AND an announcement she will now be a regular columnist there. Hey, Zeynep, wade into foreign policy and kick Teapot Tommy Friedman in the nads. The Science piece (and I already know part of the history, and this builds on that) shows how blind reliance by many immunologists and related scientists at the start of the pandemic had them convinced that droplets, not aerosals, was the primary means of transmission.

More on waning vaccine efficiency. 

Coronavirus Week 70: Dallas ISD, Dallas County tell Abbott to fuck off in Texas Progressives back-to-school Roundup

I had wondered, yesterday, on Twitter, commenting to the Texas Association of School Boards, this:

.@tasbnews Why hasn't any Texas school district taken a page from the Florida school districts that told Gov. Ron DeSatan and his antimask Florida Man state money to fuck off and done the same to Strangeabbott and the TEA?

— Crushes Xi Jinping Thought Kool-Aid peddlers 🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) August 10, 2021

And, I was informed that Dallas ISD has done just that. And Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has backing:

In a statement, Ben Mackey, Dallas’ board president, said he was fully supportive of Hinojosa’s stance. 

“The superintendent is the educational leader and chief executive officer of our school district tasked with the day-to-day operations of the district, which includes implementing safety protocols,” Mackey said. “Requiring masks for staff and students while on district property is a reasonable and necessary safety protocol to protect against the spread of COVID-19 and the new delta variant. 

“Towards the end of last school year, we saw very low transmissions rates on campuses, thanks in part to masks being worn consistently by educators and students.”

Bravo! Houston ISD is reportedly considering a follow-on. Per Hinojosa, it sounds like he thinks it will. And maybe others.

What will Strangeabbott do? Does his proclamation have "loopholes." Will he salute Hinojosa for thinking like Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff 14 months ago? Or will he be as Jesuitical, as casuistry-driven, as he was back then?

Update: Speaking of? Both Bexar County and the city of San Antonio have joined the sue-Abbott frenzy.

If not, can he actually do anything? That's a real question:

Abbott’s executive order, issued in May, bars public schools and the Texas Education Agency from issuing any requirements on mask usage. Those who defy Abbott’s order could be subject to a fine of up to $1,000. It’s unclear how such a penalty could be applied to school districts. 

Asked about a potential fine, Hinojosa responded: “Who knows?” 

“All this is going to play itself out, and we’re not going to be the only ones taking this action,” Hinojosa said.

Well, we'll find out soon enough!

And, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins (also a lawyer, a better one than Abbott, and inheritor of the legal estate of "Strong Arm" Brian Loncar) has ALSO told Abbott to fuck off. That's after enforcing a mandate at Commissioners Court and booting GOP Commish J.J. Koch from the Aug. 3 meeting for not wearing one.

 

Update: Jenkins has now signed an executive order for a mask mandate in the county.

Austin ISD has joined Dallas ISD, too.

A thing or two to unpack.

Abbott's GA-38, following on GA-36, says "$1,000." It does NOT say "per day." It does NOT say that each new day is a new offense. This is why Abbott sucks as a lawyer and as AG and gov has lost two-thirds of Texas cases against the feds. In the cases above, the school boards or the commissioners court will vote to pay a $1,000 fine, if necessary, and challenge Abbott on what's a violation and the no "per day" and related issues.

As far as vaccines? It only covers no vax mandates under their current emergency use authorization. Should one or more of them get a permanent authorization, he's up shit creek on that one, too.

As for suspensions of local disaster declarations? He's now acting as high-handed as the wingnuts said he was 15 months ago.

And, I'd love to see Clay Jenkins take a shot at kicking his ass in court.

See updates to some of this at my "week 71A roundup."

These concerns are real. So says Trump FDA head Scott Gottlieb, among many.

And now, pulled from the regular Texas Progressives roundup for the week, a couple of other items.

First? The TSTA Blog decries Greg Abbott's order forbidding school districts from implementing mask mandates. Let's see what the TSTA Blog says in days ahead. Will it back Dallas ISD or leave it hanging out to dry?

 

Second and national? Rashida Tlaib IS open to charges of semi-hypocrisy, at least, given the apparent size of the wedding, it all being indoors, and no-commenting Fox, per the NY Post. Deal with it, #BlueAnon, and see Gavin Newsom, Steve Adler, Gretchen Whitmer in Tlaib's own Michigan, etc.

Mandy Giles bemoans Greg Abbott's return to bashing trans kids and endangering their health. 

Off the Kuff looks at Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's defiance of Greg Abbott's executive order forbidding local action on mask mandates. 

Dos Centavos is not happy about being back at RED and Stace tells us how he really feels.

Texas House Dems execute Runaway Scrape 2.0: First thoughts

I had wondered a month ago if House Democrats in the Texas Legislature would pull off a new version of 2003's "Living on Ardmore Time," the new update of that classic hit.

You get Don Williams' version, not Clapton's, because Williams was first and Clapton's a racist and an asshole.

I figured several things had changed since then.

1. Democratic president, so Strangeabbott, unlike Tricky Ricky, couldn't lie to FEMA about missing planes.

2. Narrower margin in the House side than then.

3. Generally more organized Dems. Yeah, there's still a few ConservaDems in the House, but nobody like Helen Giddings of back then whoring herself out for Tom Craddick plum committee assignments. Dade Phelan is newer to the House than Craddick was back then, and brand-new as Speaker.

Anyway, they've done it. For non-Texans or new arrivals unfamiliar with the original Runaway Scrape, click that link.

Per this update from the Trib, at least four Dems — three from ConservaDem districts, the fourth retiring, have stayed.

Four Democrats were present on the House floor Tuesday morning: Reps. Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City, Tracy King of Batesville, Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass and John Turner of Dallas.

It appears a few others, per the math, have also not fled. 

And, gone to DC, which as the Federal District, is not like a state in some ways. Had they gone to Ardmore again, in part, Okie Gov Kevin Stitt certainly would have helped Abbott round them up. Had they gone to New Mexico, like some of them in 2003, Michelle Lujan Grisham would have resisted more, but Abbott would have pushed harder.

Different in DC.

So, how long can this last?

Well, several things are in play. 

One is the suit against Abbott defunding pay of Legiscritter staff, which starts Sept. 1. If the veto is still in play, will Republicans be less likely, or more likely, to compromise if that hasn't been settled?

Possibly more.

Let's not forget that there's the special special session for redistricting that has to happen, and that won't happen until after Sept. 1 for sure. GOP Legiscritters are going to want staff there to help them crack and pack, though they probably could try to do it with outside consultants only.

Since 2010 redistricting ultimately went to court anyway, Dems have no incentive to return for THIS special special any more than for the regular special sessions, until some negotiations happen.

Will they?

How long before trust gets burned out and Democrats stop pretending that collegiality exists at some core level?

That determines whether negotiations happen before House Dems de-scrape or not.

What if the whole 30 days run out and nothing happens?

Do House Dems, expect for a purely symbolic few, not even bother showing up in the first place when Strangeabbott calls his second special session?

I think they have to do that.

Given that Abbott has now said he'll arrest them upon their return, and given that the quorumless House GOP took a vote to that effect, giving the whiny little titty-baby (look at his face, it looks like a perpetual pout) surely relishing the opportunity to posture, why would they return?

Abbott will send state troopers to their hotels and rented houses if the whole House Democratic Caucus shows up for the next special and there's been no movement between now and then.

Besides, there was no good faith at the start of this session, not even on the more collegial House side, Morales claims.

Texas Progressives look at Abbott's veto cancel culture

It was hot outside last week, and ERCOT shows it still doesn't work right. I address the root cause at the bottom of this week's Roundup.

Meanwhile, Abbott made sure it will be hot inside the Pink Dome for any special sessions with his big action.

Let's dig in.

Texas stuff

Strangeabbott did it — he issued a likely unconstitutional veto of legislative and legislative staff pay. But, it's no surprise that wingnuts within the GOP, having long lost touch with the US Constitution, would start doing the same with the state version, too.

 

Mike Hixenbaugh reviews a few of the other bills Greg Abbott vetoed. Hypnosis as investigative junk science remains in law. Requiring school students to learn about domestic and dating violence? Out.

From winter storm to heat wave, and still, all ERCOT can do is say "buckle up and use less power." That's even as SB 3's weatherization requirements have semi-toothless fines and other problems. At the Monthly, Loren Steffy has more on the latest clusterfuck and it being part of an ongoing mega-clusterfuck that Abbott et al don't want to expend the effort to fix. Also there, Andrea Zelinski asked four experts if enough had been done to fix the system. Shockingly, the two in the traditional energy bidness said yes. Non-sarcastically shockingly, a consumer advocate halfway agreed. As for whether this needs further addressing as part of a special session, the consumer guy said yes, the one traditional energy guy said no (with no comment from the other), and the fourth, representing renewables, also said no.

Speaking of, "Win Free Electricity for a Year!" The fine print? We can control your thermostat and remotely adjust it if ERCOT issues an alert. And, we will.

Danny Goeb, against wingnuts selling guns to terrorists until he was for it. (The same goes for Strangeabbott, of course.)

Mark Levin talks about how Goeb hates criminal justice reform.

The Observer talks about an apparent "trans panic" legal defense, one that not officially called that, or officially framed that way by defense attorneys.

Texas Monthly has its biannual best and worst of the Lege. Interestingly, Senate Dems are among the "worst." (They deserve it, TM notes, starting with voting unanimously for Goeb's budget.) Special awards include "Cockroach" Bryan Slaton.

Off the Kuff introduces you to median districts and shows how they have changed over the course of this decade.

The ACLU of Texas shows you 15 ways that the lives of Texans will be impacted as a result of the recent legislative session.

Lisa Gray installed rooftop solar panels so you could learn from her experience. (Blogowner’s note: Rooftop solar will never be a big deal in Tex-ass without a state income tax to offer tax deductions, unless the state OKs a consumer version of a Chapter 313. They also won’t be a big deal until Texas follows western states and adopts a feed-in tarrif.)  

Kimiya Factory tells why she celebrates Juneteenth. 

Luby's sold to Chicago-based catering company that promises, as much as possible, the 32 purchased locations will stay open with most staff. Deal does NOT include the restaurants' physical real estate. Per its website, that leaves not quite 25 restaurants still not sold, it would seem. With Fuddruckers sold off, I can't see these remaining restaurants getting sold.

Texas-national-global

SocraticGadfly says we need some climate radicalism, which we're not getting, in the battle against climate change.

National

At least within African-Americans, being perceived as beautiful may affect income more than sex, or the Black-White race gap.

Steve Vladeck observes that you can't evaluate the Supreme Court's term without also considering the “shadow docket.”

Are some Black people, even if not Republicans, against Critical Race Theory? Sure. Barrington D. Martin makes an "interesting" case, talking about Blacks being upstanding (even though he ran again against John Lewis in last year's primary as a pro-pot legalization guy), hard-working (though he's a pro-Basic Income guy and knows the stereotypes on that) and Christian (even though as someone pro-pot and pro-BI, he should know that's pandering, and also that Black Nones are growing almost as fast as White Nones.)

Global

The Mayor of Kabul talks about the pending departure of (nearly? remember those 1,000 Biden didn't originally count?) US troops from Afghanistan.

I tackle the latest Betomania lead balloon

So, Robert Francis O'Rourke ain't running against Strangeabbott. Probably a smart move in several ways.

First, he loses again, and he's now a three-time loser, not a two-time, counting his aborted and abortive 2020 prez primary run. Even Tricky Dick Nixon wouldn't beat that.

Second, he would lose again. No Trump on the ballot, Dems don't do as well in 2022 as in 2020. Plus, Strangebbott, even with the Abbott Blackout, isn't straight off loathsome the way Cancun / Havana Ted Cruz is.

Third, shock me that this is the usual Beto pandering. A subhed on the Snooze piece says that, after his initial comments, he added the word "currently" to his plans. The Trib offers more on the weaselly update.

Given the fact that he suggested alternatives by name in his original piece, it's clear that Rump Fuck O'Rourke's original statement was firm. He wasn't running and dear Dems, take one of these people instead.

THAT said, the ideas he had in mind were themselves semi-laughable. 

Lina Hidalgo and Clay Jenkins, as Harris and Dallas County judges, have a certain insider following, but aren't that well known statewide. Also, Hidalgo is in her first term. ALSO, county judges statewide come up for election in 2022, which means either one of them would have to leave their current office.

So, next option for Gilberto Hinojosa is, I guess, either finding a state Senatecritter who's tired of office or else a private bidnessman (Tony Sanchez 2.0?) with name recognition and suitable Dem chops. Exactly zero come to immediate mind, other than, if actors are businessmen, wing-waiting ConservaDem Matthew McConaughey. I've already given my take on him not once but twice, at least in passing both times.

Third option is hoping Abbott gets primaried from the right and loses.

Texas Progressives look at energy kabuki theater, redistricting, Abbot pandering

I pulled out my original section on energy kabuki theater as it was long enough for a separate blog post.

Here you go. Read and get mad. If you're a Dem, and your legiscritter doesn't act as needed, and on the RRC as well as PUC and ERCOT, get them primaried!

With that ...

On to other items in a fun Roundup with a few surprises.

Redistricting

SocraticGadfly looks at the Census delay and wonders if that will make redistricting even harder and more of a fistfight in a Lege special session, including the possibility of internecine Republican fights as well as R-D battles.

Abbott pandering watch

Off the Kuff focuses on the maskless mandate and the widespread negative reaction to it.

Abbott's masklessness order, along with his blaming Ill Eagles later, is just another move in his pander watch. I keep the odds of him being primaried from the right next year at about 50 percent. Question is, by who?

This social media bill drafted by Bryan Hughes and enthusiastically backed by Strangeabbott is of course unconstitutional. Facebook and Twitter are private actors. As Abbott is required by law to swear to protect the Constitution of the US, it would be "fun" to see Biden try to remove him ... or, to give teeth to James Wilson's worries, criminalize the bill requiring such oath-swearing.

Strangeabbott has also backed an anti-riot bill similar to those making the rounds in other wingnut-led states. The 2019 Lege passed a "pipelines not people" bill similar to that of the Cajun Coneheads to the east.

John Coby is mad about the damage Republican political leaders have done to Texas' reputation. (With this, is John defending a Democratic version of Texas Exceptionalism?)

Therese Odell vents some fury at Greg Abbott.

Other Texas politics

David Beard takes a deeper look at the TDP 2020 autopsy report.

Charles Miller appraises the new federal Medicaid proposal, which could mean $3 billion more for Texas.

Other stuff

Planned Parenthood is back in Lubbock. Good.

Californication DOES happen in some not -so-good ways in Texas. Like natural-gas utilities in Austin, as per PG&E in California, battling regulation.

The "eyes who really care about Texas" are on rich racist tea-sippers. They're also on privilege-pandering administrators. As Jemele Hill notes (and she did a great thing leaving ESPN), this is nothing but conservative cancel culture. And the song DOES have a racist background. Grits offers a solution.

What will Alamo Drafthouse look like as it emerges from bankruptcy?

The DMA has a new Frida Kahlo exhibit. Learn more here.

Metromess

A new political action group wants to push left — in May's nonpartisan local elections.

A Dallas police officer is under investigation for allegedly being involved with murdering two murder witnesses.

Jim Schutze was national on CBS This Morning, even though he's been AWOL from D Mag for a month and counting now, and D Mag has said nothing about his change in status.

Cooke County Attorney Ed Zielinski may not fully grasp the First Amendment.

National

The Supremes have scheduled a conference on the Libertarian-Green lawsuit against the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Biden's executive order on voting is nice. Well, no, it's "nice," because it's kabuki theater.

I kicked Andrew Kloster's ass on Twitter. Again. And from the start.

National/global

Not all Israeli leadership, including not all Israeli military leadership, at least in the retired wing, either oppose the Iran deal or like everything about modern Israel. Remember, frank talk about Israel and Palestine is more likely in Tel Aviv or even West Jerusalem than in New York or Washington.

Texas Progressives: the Pelosi honeymoon is over

National

Whether or not Movement for a People's Party was trying to game some things with "Force the Vote," the Democratic Congressional establishment is trying to game things with their priority bill by designation, HR1. David Bruce Collins notes that it would (if it actually lives up to that) cut, but not eliminate, so called dark money from races but ONLY at the expense of third-party matching funds, making that MUCH more difficult. He notes other problems with HR1 besides that.

Jimmy Dore has channeled his inner Caitlin Johnstone and red-black alliance wet dreams to try to normalize Boogaloo Bros. fellow travelers.

More evidence is coming in on the coordination of the Capitol riot.

Mark Pitcavage explains the history of the word "sheeple".

 

National-sports

SocraticGadfly explains why he is totally on board with the pending trade of Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Texas

Texas Dems have run two real Hispanics for gov in the past 20 years, and they were two two biggest flops in that time, as Loopy Lupe Valdez well underperformed other Dems running for statewide race in 2018, and in 2002, Tony Sanchez turned out to be a former Republican donor. So, instead, maybe Dems will run a fake Hispanic in 2022, as Billy Bob Beto, aka Robert  Francis O'Rourke, has indicated interest in challenging Strangeabbott. And, of course, Beto's a Pander Bear and other things.

Rep. James White, who has an R. last initial, wants TDCJ to rename prisons that are named after former slaveowners and other racist types. It's a start. How about decriminalizing pot next? Or ending arrests for Class C misdemeanors, to further the spirit of Sandra Bland-based reform?

Thanks to the Innocence Project, Rosa Jimenez is finally free (and not deported, either).

Wind energy is nice, but what do you do with all the old blades, which aren't really recyclable? The Observer looks at options.

Ted Cruz supports a constitutional amendment to term-limit senators. Anybody really expect him to voluntarily not run in 2024? (Actually, it's possible he tries to get the prezzie nomination again; it's also likely he fails again.)

Grits for Breakfast expresses cautious optimism about new Travis County DA Jose Garza. Grits also has a roundup of criminal justice issues.

Off the Kuff examines a couple of polls about current political attitudes in Texas.

 

Loren Steffy observes that the oil industry didn't do so well under Donald Trump.  

 

Reform Austin reports from the first Senate Special Committee on Redistricting meeting. 

 

Jef Rouner calls for a MAGA ban at fan conventions. 

 

North Texas

Jenna Ryan, the new Shelley Luther, may face a tougher time grifting for (alleged) legal defense money.

As of the weekend, we were up to seven arrested Capitol insurrectionionists from North Texas.

I agree with TPWD and remain doubtful that it was a mountain lion that killed a Hood County man. Related? I've seen way too many Texans claim to have seen a cougar/mountain lion/panther when almost certainly you saw a bobcat. You're 10 times more likely to see a bear in Texas, and yet, nobody actually claims to see one.

Walmart's bringing robot-fueled warehouses to two North Texas stores to fill pick-up orders, and Kroger is converting one Dallas store to clerk-free. Both are brought to the table by COVID, but likely would have happened soon enough anyway.

Texas Dems' new suit against Abbott will quickly die

For the unaware, in the middle of last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott partially tightened his expansion of early voting rules that he had done because of coronavirus.

He had initially allowed counties to have several drop-off stations for in-person submission of vote-by-mail ballots as well as adding a week to early voting.

He pulled back on the "several drop-offs" and cut it to one. 

And now he's being sued. Twice And, in federal, not state court, on First and Fourteenth Amendment grounds as well as Voting Rights Act grounds. More here. And here. Complaints are here and here.

This is going to get crushed. And, in fact, the crushing may start with a venue rejection.

Next? There is no First Amendment ground on this case. None, so even if the feds don't bounce this on venue issues, that won't fly.

Second, as the Fifth Circuit rejected the Twenty-Sixth Amendment based attempt to expand vote by mail, the Fourteenth and VRA claims here that are age-based will also be bounced.

Back to state courts it will be, and they'll reject it, too.

Is this unethical by Abbott? Absolutely.

Could it backfire on him, at least a bit, also affecting outer-ring suburban voters? Possibly.

Is it illegal? Most certainly not.

Finally, given this is NOT Judge Marmolejo ruling, it will likely get crushed in state court when sent there. There's really not a lot of parallel between the two cases, legally. Abbott is modifying an executive order which had suspended part of the state's election code on early voting. He's not junking his original modification, nor is he being even worse and trying to tighten state election code. In the straight ticket voting case, it was an attempt to end run an established state law.

So, again, unethical? Yes. Illegal, no. Sorry, Kuff, both on your take, and on your degree of weirdly bromancing Abbott's degree of good action on coronavirus stuff before this in the last graf.

Greg Abbott, Pat Fallon, Drew Springer: partners in sleaze

OK, the bread crumb trail starts with SD 30 state Sen. Pat Fallon, per the Trib's story.  See update below.

(Additional, Sept. 10: Read about the candidate forum for GOPers running to replace Fallon.)

Fallon, known as a venue-hopping ladder climber (surprised he didn't interject himself into the CD13 primary to replace Mac Throneberry) got himself nominated to replace John Ratcliffe as the GOP nominee for the 4th Congressional District after Ratcliffe got himself named Trump's head snoop. (Sidebar two: What's Ratcliffe gonna do if he's out of a job with a Trump loss? Lobbyist for a private sector portion of the Deep State!)

CD 4 is as safely GOP as Fallon's SD 30. So, Fallon's gonna resign his state Senate seat, right?

Not so fast.

Fallon dithered for two weeks, and then decided on a Dale Hanson verson of a Solomonic decision.

Here's Dale on that:



OK, so Patsy said he was resigning on Aug. 22. But, his resignation isn't effective until Jan. 4.

No matter. The Jesuitical Greg Abbott, per C.D. Hooks' take on him, essentially said, "He said he's resigning now, so I can call a special election now" is doing so for Sept. 29. And, calling it for now, rather than the Nov. 3 regular ballot? Wasted money by county clerks, and no, you lying sack of shit Abbott, there's no coronavirus-related reason to necessitate this date. (As if you really cared THAT much about coronavirus-related public safety issues, as we know you don't.)

It's only your fear of a deadlocked House at 75-75 temporarily being undeadlocked if a Springer ran for a special election held AFTER Nov. 3 and Fallon officially winning his Congresscritter race.

Drew Springer, best buds with Fallon, and in some ways even MORE ethically challenged, as noted by the Observer in 2017 as a tax law grifter, but just like Fallon as a quasi-Opus Dei type Catholic equivalent of a fundamentalist Protestant bigot, and state Rep. for HD 68, announced he was running within a day of Abbott's call. He announced that all other state legiscritters whose districts are at least partially within SD 30, as well as some solons outside the bounds, like Phil King, were all in his corner. Per the first link above, Springer has already said he hopes that being in the Senate will let him eliminate Maintenance and Operations property tax.

Being your Senator means you have a better chance of eliminating M and O property tax, a bill I filed in the Texas House but didn't even receive a vote by the House Chamber.

And replace it with what? Nothing? Untrustworthy state funding?

Smells to high heaven. Smells like something two lawyers and a big biz grifter would cook up on a hot stove well in advance of going public with anything.

Abbott could have of course saved money (never stopped him before) with a Nov. 3 special election, but then Little Boy Drew couldn't have run, unless he wanted to risk being neither a state representative or a state senator. Drew (and Fallon) are Abbott type wingnuts. Nice, polite wingnuts who aren't Dan Patrick butt-kissers.

(And, yes, these concerns are real. A Dem-oriented poll has Dems outpolling Rethugs in what are listed as "competitive" state House seats. See page 3 of PDF.)

And, there's someone who's NOT part of the GOP Capitol world, AND nuttier than Fallon, who might just raise a stink about it as part of her campaign.

I am of course talking about known criminal Shelley Luther, who also jumped in the race immediately. Wingnut media was pushing her as soon as Fallon got the Congressional tip. Big wingnut media like Luke Macias and Mark Davis.

Your prognosticator says that, unless another unelected populist wingnut enters the race, Luther takes a plurality in the first round for sure, and an outright majority wouldn't surprise me.

==

Update from the Trib, Aug. 29; Denton Mayor Chris Watts has entered on the GOP side, along with two lesser Republicans and the first Democrat. I don't know if Jacob Minter can make it to the likely runoff or not; with the additional Republicans, I would give him a slim chance rather than none. Neither Nocona small biz owner Craig Carter nor Decatur engineer and 2018 Fallon challenger Andy Hopper is likely to figure heavily in the race. The district certainly is very Republican, but not quite as much so as Springer's House seat.

Watts is certainly going to take some of Springer's votes. To the degree there's, if not "moderate" Republicans in the area, then at least non-wingnut conservatives, Watts is their man. He describes himself as a "fiscal conservative," which is good coding for what he omits: He runs neither Trump nor the Religious Right up the flagpole for a salute.

Minter is from Anna, and with northern Collin County continuing to grow, and all of it and Denton County becoming more Dem-friendly, it's possible, but again, not likely, he cracks the runoff.

Among the five, and three main, GOP candidates, Watts' entry in the race surely ensures none of them gets a majority. Per my original post, I think Luther as a true Trumpist type draws support from people who think neither Springer nor Watts is hardcore enough. BUT! Special elections like this have short timetables. Her name recognition is surely higher in the Metroplex its than in Metroplex-edge Denton, northern Collin and the more rural areas, and she doesn't have a lot of time to boost that, if she needs to. And, if Drew tries to go further right to fend off Luther, that leaves the door open for Watts to scoop up all non-wingnut GOP voters. Watts has resigned as mayor of Denton to run.

Two other points, which could determine who gets to the runoff, and then, what happens from there.

One is how many more knowledgable Democrats decide that Minter isn't going to make the runoff anyway and do strategic voting for Watts from the start? Some people are expecting Minter to advance but I wouldn't hold my breath.

The second is: If it's a Watts-Luther runoff, does Springer officially endorse anybody?

===

Update from CD Hooks  at the Monthly, Sept. 11: He notes that Strangebbott's hokey "Back the Blue" push, with no Dems of note biting, is bullshit, hypocrisy, and probably unconstitutional. He also thinks that while it may be of marginal to modest effect in state House races, it wil be no more than that.

Texas progressives round up various coronavirus and other issues

I am continuing to keep remnant coronavirus news within the main umbrella of the Texas Progressives roundup while, at least for now, splitting out police and race news.

That doesn't mean that there isn't coronavirus news of some sort to talk about, of course, so as with last week's roundup, there will be subsections.

Texas schools

As a member of the media myself, I know that there's lots of uncertainty and fair chunks of fear about coronavirus and the start of the 2020-21 school year at many metro urban and suburban school districts. Even out in the hinterlands, there's worry. At the same time, there's worry about state financing for schools, especially in light of the second year of effect of last year's House Bill 3, combined with COVID hits on the state budget. And, since much state funding is based on average daily student attendance, these two issues connect. The Trib has more.

Texas coronavirus

SocraticGadfly says that (complete with quote-Photoshopping) Gov. Strangeabbott has coronavirus blood on his hands.

Off the Kuff enjoys a bit of schadenfreude at the expense of the terrible people at Empower Texans.

Jeff Balke fears a sports pandemic within the current pandemic.

Robert Rivard salutes Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff for successfully calling Greg Abbott's bluff on face masks.

Texana

The Observer has a roundup of news of the weird.

Texas/national

DosCentavos puts the SCOTUS DACA decision into perspective.

The Dallas Observer reports on the celebrations by immigration activists over the SCOTUS ruling on DACA.

Dreamers may have been temporarily let off the hook by the Supreme Court last week, but a lawsuit by Kenny Boy Paxton working its way through the federal courts could make that temporary indeed.

National

Howie Hawkins clinched the Green Party nomination, as made clear by actual accredited delegate count. Unfortunately, the official Facebook group posted, and has kept up, a fake news post by someone who's either a general Howie hater or a Dario stanner. And, as for the fake news poster, even if there are going to wind up being a few more accredited delegates, there's no way there's 402 at end. There's also no way Howie doesn't win.

Jesse Ventura, abetted by Gnu Media conspiracy theorist Primo Nutbar, publicly crapped on the Green Party. Primo did this, I have no doubt, in part because he's a Howie hater. Speaking of the GP official Facebook group? It's moderated, and the first time I posted, they just trashed it rather than post it. I reposted, and have tagged a (former?) admin and all listed moderators (Sunday night) when I reposted it in comments. I'm tired of the censorship, and per other comments by Starlene Rankin, the (former?) admin, a certain amount of anti-Howie may be an issue there too.

Boston Review offers a left-liberal perspective on how Gorsuch's opinion in the LGBT discrimination case was quasi-radical in some ways.

Stat News, the go-to site for details on coronavirus (and many other medical issues) says Trump's delays cost "70-99 percent of its Covid-19 deaths."

Juanita basks in Trump's latest egotistical tirade.

Does Greg Abbott have coronavirus blood on his hands?

I say yes.

Six weeks or more after telling cities and counties they couldn't order individuals to wear masks, he said that his policy DID allow local officials to require businesses to have a masks policy.

So, rather than telling Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff "Heh, heh, I'm glad you found the loophole," why didn't he announce that straight up?

Because as many people in Texas know, from wingnuts within the wingnuts at Empower Texas to mainstream media and beyond and as clearly demonstrated here, Abbott hates public accountability.

Elected wingnuts like Bob Hall, a wingnut within the wingnuts of today's Texas GOP, and even wingnuts-lite, are attacking Abbott for being too draconian.

The reality is reflected in the rise in COVID cases and the re-closure, in major metro areas, of restaurants that had tried to reopen themselves at 75 percent. (Yours truly has hopped inside a fast-food restaurant twice in small town north Texas to avoid drive-through lines; I haven't been inside a sit-down restaurant, even in a small town, since the coronavirus hit the fan and have no plans to change that for months.)

At the same time, Abbott ain't up for re-election until 2022, and non-wingnut suburban-district House legiscritters are halfway willing to go along with this, and with police reform, because of this paired set of numbers: 83-67.

But, Strangeabbott's attempt to dodge responsibility has failed. Medical science knew that, those six weeks ago. "Personal responsibility" when three-quarters of Texas GOP backers is libertarian yahoos, whether having the additional encumbrance of being Religious Right or not, is a recipe for disaster.

Texas progressives look at COVID-related, other hypocrisy

As hinted at several times, after "Lucky 13" last week, we've ended separate breakouts for coronavirus news at this corner of Texas Progressives. Per Yascha Mounk, let's hope we can continue that not only through the summer but through the fall. I'm not as pessimistic as him, but I'm not "optimistic," either. Nor, via a piece at Massimo Pigliucci's latest readings, do I care for the use of the "war" metaphor. (Mounk, a Cold War 2.0 guy, likely loves such metaphors.)

That all said, for the second week in a row though, I DO have a separate breakout on police racism, brutality and related issues. It's coming up on Thursday.

With that, let's dig in.


Texas coronavirus

Texas Monthly notes that Gov. Strangeabbott et al have shifted to a "it's your responsibility" plan for "fighting" COVID. And? Isn't that what, on paper, Texas Republican voters have voted for? Of course, blue-ish urban areas have the higher population densities. If they act on their own, how short of a leash will Strangeabbott try to put them on? VERY short, and he's not up for re-election. How would this affect, say, state Lege races?

COVID testing? The Guard helped. Results of said tests? Still AWOL for many for several days.

And yes, cases are continuing to climb.

Space City Weather revisits the question of COVID-19 and the Texas weather.

Texas politics

TM notes Strangeabbott is a hypocrite (in multiple ways, not all enumerated there) for calling on county GOP chairs to resign over racism. Reality? Behind closed doors, Abbott thinks the state GOP stables aren't that Augean.

The Monthly suggests renaming Fort Hood for Roy Benavidez. How about defunding it?

The House District 24 Dem runoff is getting nasty. Olsen's a sort of ConservaDem and vet; that said, Valenzuela is trying to score cheap points off her comments, and I get what Olsen was saying.

Steve Toth makes it into "The Encyclopedia of American Loons."


National

It's official. We're in a recession. Here in Tex-ass, Comptroller Glenn "We're not an oil economy" Hegar's office used the R-word at the start of the month.

Punch Trump in the face enough, metaphorically, and he caves in. He's now admitted he could lose, and if he does, he'll move on, not barricade himself in the White House.

In a surprisingly insightful piece, given its last two or three years of history, High Country News notes that Democrats as well as Republicans like border walls in some way, shape or form.

David Bruce Collins looks at this year's Green Party platform amendment proposals. (The social justice chapter is especially good. That said, I'm with him on cops carrying liability insurance; it would feed the I part of the FIRE maw and might be prohibitively expensive for small governments.)

COVID

A philosopher of science has a great piece on viral virulence evolution in general, and specific information on what we know to date on COVID evolution, and philosophy of science issues behind that.

Fired Florida data scientist starts her own data website. Meanwhile, Florida cases continue to rise even as the GOP moves its convention to Jacksonville to meet in person.

Global

Despite the pandemic being, on paper, a big boost for Amazon, what if people want to shop online, but LIVE and with video assistance? Amazon could get undermined — even though, per the story, it's tried that on a minimalist scale before.