Texas Progressives talk Bonnen, Ike Dike, more

Texas Progressives say RIP to Elijah Cummings, note that "thoughts and prayers" don't stop tornados in Dallas from happening (remember the "prayed it away" stupidity in 2015?) and didn't stop them from being started in the first place, all while wondering what the Houston Astros can do in this year's fall classic and whether they don't deserve to lose instead due to incredible boorishness about domestic abuse.

This corner also quotes Rick Perry and says "Adios, mofo," to state Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, who has now announced he's not running for re-election.


Texas politics — Bonnen

What's next for the state House, the Speakership and more, now that Bonnen is leaving? My updated take here.

Off the Kuff rounded up a variety of reactions to the infamous Bonnen-Mucus tape.

At D Magazine, Matt Goodman weighs in on Bonnen's now revealed hatred of city and county government. Goodman offers a good reveal of the Lege's growing practice of bracketing, which used to be limited to just private member's bills. (It was bad enough there.)

Robert Rivard compares Bonnen to Joe Straus and finds him wanting.

Stephen Young also looks at Bonnen's future.


Texas politics — other

At the Observer, Justin Miller asks how vulnerable John Cornyn might be. Sidebar: The infamous perpetual candidate Gene Kelly gave Cornyn his first break, winning a primary over a Dem lawyer who might actually have beaten Cornyn for chief justice of the state Supreme Court.

Brains has his P Slate on constitutional amendments. I agree.


Texana

Janis Joplin gets a new bio.

TransGriot celebrates the opening of an LGBT center at Prairie View.

Texas Signal notes that Dallas and San Antonio have joined Austin in renaming Columbus Day.


Dallas

Trump's tariffs aren't only against China, and not all of them not against China have been ended. In fact, new ones started Friday on Scotch, non-sparkling European wines, various European liqueurs, cookies and biscuits, some European pork products, and all your European cheese mainstays. Above my pay grade on restaurants, but tariffs on European food and wine are hurting the Dallas haute cuisine scene.


Fort Worth

Jim Schutze from the Dallas Observer jogs over to Cowtown news and reminds us that Atatiana Jefferson reportedly had a gun in her hand. This does nothing to address the stench of general Cowtown policing problems, but? I think Jimbo is on better ground here than his pre-trial bromancing the case of Amber Guyger. That said, per others' comments about Jefferson and the gun, including a family member saying she was NOT pointing it at anything but a window, I am not sure that Schutze is on THAT MUCH better ground.


Houston

Brains offers his P Slate in Houston elections.

Dos Centavos has his Stace Slate.

In the wake of new stories about the natural artificial sand dunes the Corps of Engineers has proposed as part of its "Ike Dike" being a cost-overruning tissue of lies, I've updated my story from a year ago calling it a cost-overruning tissue of lies back then. ("Word" to Kuff and partially to Brains; I don't know if David Bruce Collins ever drank that Kool-Aid or not.)


Texas-National

Socratic Gadfly talks about Beto, aka Bob on a Knob, O'Rourke, batting 0 for 2 on recent constitutional issues.

Texas Monthly profiles Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, and details how this grifter insinuated himself into Trump's 2016 campaign, became a Trump Trainer as part of that, and what he's doing so far for 2020.

If Texas isn't in play, then why did Trump come here, the Trib asks. And even though Dennis Bonnen, according to Mucus' tape, worries about Trump's influence, Cornyn as well as Cruz sucked up to him.

Alex Jones lost his appeal on the Sandy Hook lawsuit. He'll surely take it to the state Supremes next. Note how we don't talk about him as much between the lawsuit and the social media boot?


National

SNL goes hilariously over the top with its open last week on the LGBTQ Dem Debate:

Close some national parks? Sounds radical, no? I actually agree with the idea, and the mindset behind it. If neither duopoly party is going to fund the Park Service more, shut some sites down. Read all the "related" pieces linked at bottom. Some are good or OK, others are stupid.

Brians looks at Dem Debate 4, especially the Medicare for All part.

The Lunch Tray connects universal free lunch to higher test scores.