Texas progressives tackle Sahara law, Texana grifting, more

This corner of Texas Progressives thinks that, once again, people on Twitter need to get a life (and stop threatening to end another's life) over the death of their favorite celebrity or whatever.

In the meantime, there's enough nuttery in this week's Roundup for you to enjoy. PLENTY of nuttery.


Texas politics

Socratic Gadfly invited people who claim they live in the land of the biggest wingnuts to learn about Texas' 13th Congressional District, the most GOP-friendly in the nation, where Sahara law is apparently even worse than sharia law.

Aren't YOU special? The Texas Trib interviews five and only five (unless more are to come, but it didn't say so) of the Texas Dems seeking the Senate nomination. And, no, Evan, I ain't sitting through hour-long one-on-one schmoozefests. Gimme a written transcript. Or don't you have enough donor money for that?

Texas Lawyer floods the zone with judicial race coverage.

Via Brains, Progress Texas is a contributor to the bastardization of the word "progressive," when it lets "public option" candidates claim to be "certified progressive."Yours truly stopped using the word "pergressuve" as a replacement for "librul" years ago because of this.

I tweeted, TP responded:

Hey there @AFCC_Esq 👋
MJ Hegar, and many other Senate candidates, completed our questionnaire and agreed to these 10 progressive values, giving them the Certified Progressive title. We plan to hold all of these candidates accountable to  this commitment.https://t.co/gRxarAjXRN

— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) January 28, 2020

There you go. As for the 10 items on the questionnaire? Toothless, especially the first, on health care, which nowhere has the words "Medicare for all" or "single payer."

Texana

A second case of coronavirus has hit the state. Two notes. One? Fuck the QAnon types spreading conspiracy theories and fuck social media sites enabling this. Two? Fuck American exceptionalist types hand-wringing over this.

John Sharp has a beef with people who have a beef with beef, or who have a beef with trying to have your beef and eat it too.

Long read: The Observer looks at solitary confinement in state prisons.

Texas Monthly fails to tell the whole truth about Anglo Texan grifting in Fredericksburg and Marfa.

The Lunch Tray remembers a time when both parties supported feeding school children healthy food.

Sean O'Neal watched 911: Lone Star so you don't have to.


The City Not So Different

After the Austin City Council voted for the city to officially ride easy on marijuana enforcement, Police Chief Brian Manley said "no way Jose" back to the council. So, don't smoke if you got it at SXSW.

Reform Austin looks at the campaign finance report from ten key State House races.


Dallas

If Kobe Bryant really deserved to have his number retired in Dallas, Mark Cuban could have either done it long before his tragic death, or else waited a few days rather than slipstreaming on the grief.


Cowtown

Fort Worth Weekly's Edward Brown writes about political problems in Tarrant County impacting him personally as well as for the mag.


Houston

Off the Kuff did four candidate interviews in HD26: Sarah DeMerchant, Lawrence Allen, Rish Oberoi, and Suleman Lalani.

Mean Green Cougar Red is skeptical of fare-free public transit.


National

Brains previews Dems' run-up to Iowa.

Therese Odell returns to Impeachment Corner.