Texas Progressives talk heat, oil, world politics

Uvalde's mayor denied a research report that a city cop had a chance to shoot the Robb Elementary gunman. I suspect we're going to see more and more denials by both local and state officials in days and weeks ahead.

Odessa may be a small city, not a town, but it's not the largest place in Texas to have water outages from lines that are 50 years old or more. Drought adds to the problem on both water and sewer pipes that are older.

And, speaking of drought? Waco has skipped Stage 1 and gone straight to Stage 2 water restrictions.

So, Marlin hired a director of tourism? The dream of its former, land-grifting, now-booted mayor made true? And, Texas Monthly actually takes his "come visit" ask at semi-face value. Other interesting stuff. Former Mayor Pro Tem Scotty Henderson is featured as the barbecue pusher before Whup's, which does get a brief mention. Sure there's no PR there. And, there is now a "paranormal university" or whatever at the Palace Theater? And the "Coffee and Bites" is pushing CBD stuff hard? Just wow. Interestingly, there is NOT a mention of the Chinese folks who were allegedly kicking the tires on buying the Falls Hotel (No. 8, reportedly in the order of original Hiltons built by Conrad). There's a cursory mention of the old VA, but none of the Houston real estate grifters who bought it and tried to flip it.

Written on the just-passed Fourth, SocraticGadfly offers an expanded book review of "Oh Say Can You Hear, with an in-depth, nuanced take on the National Anthem, including the controversial third verse, and on Francis Scott Key. 

Off the Kuff discusses the two most recent polls of the Governor's race.

Stace ruminates (sort of) on his Thoughts on Viernes about migrant deaths, Abbott's border boondoggle, and the latest on COVID-19. I note that it's "interesting" that even Stace, Democratic stalwart, is getting tired of the "just get out and vote" cries by national Dems.

Can a candidate backed by Jack Danforth block Eric Greitens bid for the Missouri US Senate GOP nod?

Grits for Breakfast covers the history of prosecuting abortion charges in Texas, and notes that the criminal justice reform movement is ill-suited to handle this development.

James Moore delves into the mind of Greg Abbott.

Texas 2036 warns of the wildfire risk this year.  

Robert Rivard reminds us that the Highland Park mass shooter, like the Uvalde mass shooter, could have been stopped before they went on their rampages.  

Jay Jordan reported on a Houston anti-fascist group protecting a family drag show against anti-LGBTQ disrupters.

World items

Per Foreign Policy, of COURSE Merikkka's Nat-Sec Nutsacks™ are mourning the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, and the mourning is kind of loosely connected to full facts of Abe's ministerial life.

Chinese censorship at the behest of Xi Jinping Thought is leading to ever-increasing self-censorship at Hollywood movie studios targeting Chinese audiences just as much as American ones. (Of course, the piece ignores Hollywood studios' long history of being gung-ho for American militarism.)