Texas Progressives talk books, colleges, more

I told Sandy Hook lawsuit filers they needed to get some sort of Alex Jones asset freeze into their cases. Now, his bankruptcy filing may not be actually granted, but ...  Related: The Texas Monthly jumps into a semi-deep dive on Ye's appearance on Infowars.

Abbott SAYS he wants to decriminanlize fentanyl test strips and make Narcan more readily available. The lattter would be doable without the Lege, IMO, by executive order to the DPS. Let's see how much he actually pushes for either one next year. 

SocraticGadfly talks about a citizen suit in New Mexico and other environmental briefs.

The Trib talks about the Texas part of the United Methodist Church break-up. As it notes, the big issue is the "incompatibility clause." The fact that it's survived 50 years without editing or nuancing by more progressive UMC members probably is a good indicator of how deep the fault lines are. In terms of church and politics issues, it's surely right that it means diminished influence for the nation's second largest (I think only the SBC is larger) Protestant denomination. 

Independent bookstores are growing in Texas (and presumably nationally) despite mouthbreathers' comments on what they sell. In fact, as with Jenny Lawson, the mouthbreathers are getting punked. Many struggled during early pandemic days, as did Half Price Books, which has apparently rebounded. (And, per Wiki, outside of Texas, faces a unionization drive.)

Community college enrollment sagged during COVID. The Observer looks at how that, and funding, might be addressed by the Lege and other things. The in-depth story covers how dual enrollment actually hurts community colleges financially and several other issues.

Off the Kuff reminds you to never believe a word Ken Paxton says about "voter fraud".

The TSTA Blog warns about Dan Patrick's con job regarding school vouchers.

In the Pink Texas is not impressed by Ted Cruz and John Cornyn's No votes against the Respect For Marriage Act.

The Dallas Observer notes the Metroplex's connection to the rise of soccer in the US.

The Current ridicules the legal arguments against President Biden's student debt relief order.

Amber Briggle reminds us how much the families of transgender children have suffered at the hands of the state in Texas.