Mike Miles: Dueling viewpoints

So, who is the new head at Houston ISD and former leader of Dallas ISD? Someone who takes "my way or the highway" to an extreme? Someone who says his bottom line is kids and reading and nothing had better stand in his way or he can't do his job? Someone well meaning in that way, but at the same time, can't manage people or who is determined to break a few eggs just to break eggs?

The Trib disagrees with Jim Schutze's guest column in the Chronic about the Dallas ISD accomplishments of Mike Miles as he starts at Houston ISD. That said, to be fair, Schutze only focused on when Miles was there; it's not his fault that money for teachers for aggressive reading immersion programs was cut after he left. The Trib also links to a Snooze article but not to anything that Schutze wrote at the Dallas Observer. Nor does it mention the column by four former HISD board trustees sidelined by the new Texas Education Agency board of managers, the four jointly urging Houston parents and the general community to give Miles a chance. Bryan Flores comes off to me as doing little more than a hatchet job. He's young, going by his Trib profile, so maybe it was just bad rather than deliberate. Or maybe it was just deliberate.

The Monthly weighs in with how people in HISD have called Miles, a biracial Black-Japanese, all but a racist. That said, it also notes, which Schutze didn't, that after he left Dallas, he founded a charter school company. The Monthly notes what neither he nor the Trib notes, namely, that, he's swimming uphill against not just school performance but home life, poverty, etc.

Online news site Houston Landing wonder if Miles' attempts to select the best teachers for the reading immersion work will generate cheating due to the attraction of $20K a year or more in extra pay. And, it cites another sidelined board trustee, Kathy Blueford-Daniels, not one of the four above, expressly wondering about that, as well as how well Miles can fight the family and economic background issues these kids face.

Per Houston Press, Miles has promised bilingual programs won't be eliminated, though the reading immersion is English only.

My thoughts? Being in North Texas, I tracked at least the basics of Miles' career at Dallas ISD, as well as tracking the dueling coverage of it by Schutze and the Dallas Snooze, from my location and media vantage point at the time. Houston's going to be a bigger effort yet, and Miles will — even if he's tempered his management style to some degree — butt heads with activist parent groups and above all with teachers' union leadership. Can, and will, these folks moderate themselves as well?

They'll probably learn they have to. If Miles wants to stay beyond 2026, after all, he'll be retained by a state-appointed board of managers, not an elected school board. In other words, he has a degree of insulation that he didn't in Dallas.

==

Update, July 28: Miles may be Black-Japanese biracial, and may not be a racist, but closing a number of HISD school libraries and turning them into discipline rooms sends a horrible message; Sly Turner is right to talk about "targeted communities." Even without turning them into "discipline rooms," closing libraries even as the Lege pushes book censorship and many wingnut "community" activists are ready to pile on sends the wrong message — especially if you claim to be about boosting reading.

Jim Schutze is back, sort of

Schutze, the cop-loving, union-hating, not-so-liberal curmudgeon of Dallas Observer fame, followed by a cup of coffee at D Mag that lasted less than six months and expired more than six months ago, is now back, in a sense.

Schutze's 1970s book about Dallas civil rights, "The Accommodation," is being reprinted. The book is what really rocketed him to local fame. 

The Monthly reviews the history. Gus Bova has yet more, with more detailed info, at the Observer. (Via Bova, D Mag reports the Monthly trashed the book on first publication; its new review, "shockingly," ignores that.) The new issue has a new forward by Our Man Downtown, John Wiley Price. Bova's account, unlike the Monthly's, includes some of the Price-Schutze tensions. It also notes that some younger Black activists think Jimbo overstated his thesis. Reading Jerry Hawkins' quote on that, though, I think HE oversells HIS thesis that Schutze is overselling his thesis. Doesn't matter if the Black Panthers were in Dallas in the 1960s and 1970s and wouldn't talk to Schutze; Black clergy and businessmen in more activist cities than Dallas wouldn't work with the Panthers, in general.

As for the cop-loving? Sure, he bashed on cops from the early 1950s when writing in the mid-1970s. Easy stuff. But, hey Jim? "Amber Guyger." "Botham Jean."

 

Re Jimbo and JWP, have they fully buried the hatchet? Pretended to? Dallas Inland Port still lurking in the background? 

I mean, contra Hawkins' claims, Our Man Downtown having a thumb in the pie of the Inland Port, or rather, a thumb in the pie of Ross is Junior Boss's Fort Worth Alliance, and so, trying to kill the Dallas Inland Port, proves Jimbo right 119 percent. I've written before about that, about JWP coming off as a shakedown artist and more.

On the third hand, despite the tenor of the book, Schutze in the past decade has come off to me as looking kind of anti-Black.

Texas Progressives watch Trump being RELENTLESS at losing; we also talk tacos, Fair Park

This progressive corner of the Texas Progressives wishes readers safe Thanksgiving travels if they're headed elsewhere, safe dining from COVID as well as bad cooking wherever they're at, and safe discussions if they're sharing the holiday space with wingnuts.

With that, let's dive into this week's roundup. We even talk cooking!

Texas politics

Former city manager of San Antonio Sheryl Sculley pulls back the curtain on just how bad police and fire unions in the Alamo City — and by extension in some ways, the whole state — simply suck. And, to add icing to the cake, re the unions angle? She's the daughter of a labor organizer.

As of last weekend, Kay Granger was the most prominent Texas Republican to tell Trump to move on.

Off the Kuff examined recent Presidential results in the Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth areas.

Raise Your Hand Texas prepares for the next fight over school finance at the Legislature.

Texana

Texas Monthly has a delicious food guide to all things taco! No listing of Thanksgiving-themed tacos or New Mexico "Christmas" themed ones. Sorry, can't give you everything.

The Mexicans are invading! Well, specifically, the crested caracara. One person reported seeing one recently at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, so Texas Monthly's report is confirmed.

DosCentavos writes about one of his favorite performers, Max Baca, of the Grammy winning Los Texmaniacs, who has been in a fight against COVID-19.

Dallas

D Magazine talks with the architect who completed, authentically, the restoration of Fair Park's Hall of State.

And, high rises on Oak Lawn? Pass.

Jim Schutze seems to love him some charter schools and teaching to the test, as well as repeating winger stereotypes about lazy teachers and such.

National

New York AG Letitia James is taking a new look at tax deductions claimed by the Trump Org, including consulting payments to First Grifter Ivanka. The NYT has more.

Raffi Melkonian delivers a play-by-play account of Rudy Giuliani's day in Pennsylvania court.

Global

SocraticGadfly had two pieces related to recent climate change news. First, does a new Norwegian-British study show the James Kunstler alarmist types might be right? Second, it appears we now have the measurement tools to implement a carbon tax PLUS carbon tariff, which must be a part of climate change control.

WRR survived Laura Miller to eye its centennial

Dallas', and Texas', oldest radio station, WRR, is one I listened to regularly when I lived in the Metromess in the 2000-oughts, but now that I'm close enough to get it on a lucky day on car radio, I'm more likely to want a CD.

Per D Magazine, as the station gears up for the approaching centennial, it is a "unicorn." I knew that it was one of the few commercial classical stations, or one of the few non-NPR classical stations, period. The old one in St. Louis, the FM side of the dial of the paired stations at least formerly owned by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is now contemporary Christian; a non-commercial non-NPR station of some sort has filled the void there.

More here from NBC-5, which notes it moved to the FM dial in 1948 and became all-classical in 1964. As the second-oldest federally licensed radio station in the country, one that precedes the FCC, ti's one of the few west of the Mississippi to keep a "W" rather than a "K" call sign.

And, I knew it is the almost the only, if not the only, municipally owned radio station, any format, in the US. That said, that almost wasn't the case 15 or so years ago. As I tweeted to D Mag:

.@DMagazine Nice piece about WRR and the approaching centennial. Now, go through the archives and find a story or 6 about how former D Magazine hotshot columnist Laura Miller damn near killed the station when Dallas mayor. https://t.co/EMIsccWUEo

— I come to Bari Weiss, not to praise her 🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) August 28, 2020

This is true.

As mayor, Laura Miller made noises about selling the station on more than one occasion. Laura Miller the mayor was a bit diff than Laura Miller the D Mag columnist and a LOT different than the Dallas Observer muckraker.

Speaking of, Jim Schutze roasted her (and her "connections") over this. (This was also when Jim Schutze was a real curmudgeon, not one who gave bad cops a pass and other things.) In a second piece, Schutze noted Miller was trying to have her cake and eat it too on the original deal, backing away from half of it. Surprisingly, Schutze didn't note that WRR also broadcast Dallas City Council meetings and the tower swap idea would have meant Dallas south of the Trinity couldn't have heard Laura Miller's mayoral shenanigans in live time.

That said, per a great long piece by Texas Monthly that covers the history of the now-nonexistent AM station as well, the council meetings (a coverage requirement added in 1982) are "ratings suicide."

Now, classical stations may not have huge listenership. On the other hand, they are parties of one in their fields, unlike rock, country, easy listening, rap, etc., where there's half a dozen or more of each in a city the size of Dallas.

And, generalizing but not stereotyping, they have older, wealthier audiences that will spend for certain things, like luxury cars, Persian rugs, etc. And well-off Miller and well-off hubby Steve Wolens should have known this. (Schutze noted the station was in the black.)

And, speaking of demographics? The station's listenership is one-third under 35, Texas Monthly said.

Anyway, the station survived.

But the programming, and even more the announcers, have gone downhill since Scott Cantrell, classical music freelance critic and formerly of the Morning News, decried some issues there, with which I totally agreed, 15 years ago. Still plays "blue haired lady" music even more than the DSO, though I did hear Schnittke on there once relatively recently. (Back in the 2000-oughts, when Sundays were listener requests in the afternoon, I phoned in and got one of his "tamer" pieces played.)

Classical is being hollowed out less by syndication and web broadcasting than other genres of FM radio, but it is being hollowed out somewhat. The station has one less announcer and more canned music than before. What its long-term future holds, I don't know.

Sayonara, Jim Schutze, the Observer says, and me too; fiscally, and otherwise, I agree with the call

I had wondered if this was why I hadn't seen him in two months, and I didn't investigate.

"Curmudgeonly sage" Jim Schutze is a COVID casualty at the Dallas Observer. Not meaning to go all Dan Patrick, but Jim is 74. Schutze seems to have accepted that as a reasonable decision factor, with equinamity, per D Mag. That said, as another blogsite notes, his stances and takes seemed less and less in touch with Observer readership at times recently, starting with and most notably with the Amber Guyger trial. Amen to that. This site also notes that, while Schutze seems to have accepted the decision with equinamity, he also doesn't agree with it.

That said, Schutze had other cop love, too. Eric Celeste at D Mag, also author of its above piece, called him out on a Fort Worth killer cop and his love for him. Per Celeste, it's almost like Schutze either is ignorant of or else doesn't give a damn about the Fourth Amendment. Probably offers more insight into why one older online "cover" photo for his column space had him blasting away with a gun.

Besides, for better or for worse, or, for better AND for worse, Eric now gets to work with him.

And he's already had a personal interaction with a cop to write about. And, as noted in an update, Schutze is again Amber Guyger stanning and also engaging in new Teh Stupidz.

So, let me kick him a bit, with highlights of some of his lowlights.

Schutze, per his love of cops banging in doors and wielding guns, is perhaps, curmudgeonliness aside, a centrist squish on many issues. Three months ago, he was on "no political blame on any side" on COVID.

Confirming that was him being a sucker for Andrew Cuomo weeks earlier.

Before THAT, he thought it was "going too far" to shut down SXSW.

Hmm, seeing a theme here. Schutze is at least a mild version of a COVIDIOT.

Re Celeste's take on his idiocy on both Amber Guyger and the Fort Worth cop, at the end of last year, Schutze both defended what he wrote for the Observer and rejoiced in getting to write greater nuttery at Facebook. I've heard his Facebook page is a pile of steaming crap.

Earlier that year, he had a hard-on for JFK conspiracy theorist Robert Grodin. He has defended Grodin's free speech and assembly rights before, which is fine.

Before that, he was an uncritical Beto-stanner. More than once.

Before that, I called him out on his Guyger bullshit. (I did so in weekly Roundups for months before.)

That said, after accumulating all this, I DID look at his Facebook. And it IS loonier than him at the Observer, or now at D.

Here’s a few examples.

First, he’s even more naïve, or Marianne Williamson New Agey squish or whatever, on Trumpists there:

At some point we need to have a big national truth and reconciliation process about all the people who called it Kung Flu and wouldn’t wear masks.

Yeah, right. Trumpists and related libertarian wingnuts, along with some Greens, whether libertarians Greens or not, on horseshoe theory, are laughing at this. They think they have THE truth (that’s how conspiracy theories work, Jim, in case all your time hanging with Grodin didn’t teach you that) and thus have no need to be reconciled to anybody. Why don’t you just ask Marianne Williamson to beam in some love out of the hot water tap?

Update, Feb. 16, 2025: Schutze's gotten MUCH more sane about Trump 2.0.

And, two weeks earlier, he said this:

The anti-maskers literally hate any call to empathy that would draw them outside the confines of tribe. The Youtube below shows women spitting and coughing on people when asked to wear a mask. COVID is drawing a line in the sand between people who would work to save life and people who would murder life rather than sacrifice tribal indentity.

Jim, doesn’t that confirm that these people don’t want truth and reconciliation?

It's not just loony. As this shows sometimes he has, contra Emerson, inconsistencies that are not only foolish but directly contradictory.

One more to wrap up, because it ties with Jimbo’s being a suck-up to cops:

Matthew Yglesias at VOX has a really interesting piece up on VOX saying the main body of research in recent years shows that increased policing has a positive social effect in poor communities.

Regular readers here have some idea what I think of neoliberal Gnu Media grifter Matty Y (also a signer of the Harper’s letter, blasted by me). Matt’s piece, to which I shall not link, is a neocentrist attack on well-known left-liberal, or leftist, police reform sociologist Alex Vitale. For Schutze to bromance this is pretty sad. It also undercuts his "investigate everything" schtick.

Jim would probably point to things like U. Renee Hall and his take on her. I would point back that that was about a police chief, as chief. And that he was using anonymous as well as on-the-record information from individual cops in his columns about why she was a problem.

Jim would probably then point to his stories about Jim's Car Wash. I would point back that those were stories about policing decisions, and even more, stories about City Hall powers that be driving policing decisions. They weren't about individual cops being bad cops, or how often that happens.

And, what's "funny," or more hypocritical, on Jim's part? One of his first pieces at D Mag is about how old Dallas power is listening to BLM. And, on the matter of bad cops? Jim ISN'T. Another is about black leaders talk about how "white folks don't listen," and the rest of the story is in part about blacks dying at the hands of bad cops. And Jim ISN'T LISTENING.

So, D Mag can have him. Eric Celeste, I hope you spank him again as needed, and better than Robert Wilonsky (which wasn't much) before Wilonsky joined the Snooze. That said, Jim ain't gonna listen. He didn't listen to your cops piece, did he?

The Observer has lost something. But, it's lost less than it would have even two years back, let alone five years back. And, contra two or five years ago, it's also lost somewhat of a burden. Jim's right that he didn't fit with the Observer any more. That's because alt-weeklies are supposed to be alt, to some degree, and he was becoming less and less so.

And, that brings us back up top. For a journo, one self-allegedly outside the box, to really not get the Fourth Amendment, is disheartening.

==

Update, July 31. Schutze is now officially in Donald Trump Gohmert Pyle or similar territory, as in "just when you think he can't do anything stupider ..."

Schutze (nutbar alert!) weighed in on the editorial staff at the Dallas Morning News attempting to unionize. He says he "ratted out" a similar attempt at the Dallas Observer shortly before he was let go.

Really.

Schutze is sympathetic to the Snooze effort precisely and only to the degree it gives him a new tool for kicking the Snooze managment in the nads, and that's it. He also ignores the reasons besides pay and severance that unionization is happening at many media sites, including but not limited to racial and gender equality and justice issues. Once again, Schutze the old white guy who says OTHER old white guys don't listen to minorities ...

ISN'T LISTENING.

Side note to the above. Cops love snitches, but hate rats inside their ranks. And, after they've used snitches, they throw them away like rats. 

Update, Sept. 26: I guess  Schutze didn't have enough Amber Guyger stanning at the  Observer. He's now taken it to D Mag.

Update, April 19, 2021: OTOH, even tho he was interviewed for national morning talk show teevee earlier this year, Schutze hasn't actually written anything for D Mag in almost two months now. He has the title of "special projects editor" or something like that, meaning he's essentially on retainer while having been put out to pasture.

Sad trombone times for DFW and Houston pro sports?

ESPN regularly runs a "misery index" about how much suffering fans of different teams have. Dallas and Houston fans in general aren't the Cleveland Browns, but? Cleveland as a city has won a title in one Big Three sport (sit down, hockey) and gone to the big dance in another more recently than anybody from Dallas, and more recently than anybody not banging a trash can in Houston.

Cort McMurray, in his take on the Astros cheating, says that the problem is not just the cheating itself, but from a Houstonian point of view, washing away the goodwill the Astros built up. (Here's my long take.)

So, maybe there's some reverse schadenfreude among Texas pro sports fans? Certainly seemed that way during the NFC and AFC title games, as I noted on Twitter:

So, a bunch of Texas pro football fans, knowing the Dallas Cowboys haven't been to the Super Bowl in 20 years & might not go 4 another 20, and ditto for the Houston Texans, are out of butt hurt jealousy tweeting "Dallas Texans" & "Houston Oilers"?

Got it.

Go fuck yourself. #GFY

— reallyDonaldTrump 🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) January 19, 2020

Yep, that's about right. Yes, I know some, per Brains, are trying to claim this was just a riff on the roots of the two teams in the 1962 AFL title game. Lemme see, December 1962 was FIFTY-SEVEN years ago. About 2 percent of Twitter users are old enough to have been alive, let alone old enough to remember, the original game. It's butt-hurt jealousy tweeting, no matter how much of the actual history you can present, if you didn't actually experience it.

(And, at least Dallas fans weren't tweeting "Dallas Texans" during the Super Bowl, at least not enough to hit trending on Twitter. But they WERE obnoxiously Tweeting after the game, with stupid tenuous pseudo-connections like the Cowboys going to SB V after the Chiefs won SB 4. I said the Las Vegas Raiders with Tom Brady had a better chance next year.)

But, let's look at the butt-hurtedness level of Texas sports fans.

After all, before that, the Stros only got to the World Series once, despite Albert Pujols' best efforts to block even that:



I never get tired of playing that, not just because I'm a Cards and a Phat Albert fan.

But, the crush-crunch-crouch of Brad Lidge, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte kind o numbed out in the Astros dugout, at the 20 second mark, and the combo of deadpan and WTF on the face of Nolan Ryan at 25 seconds all make it worthwhile.

Before that, of course, the last time the Stros were close to winning it all, not counting the year before in 2004, or even getting close to the point of being able to win it all, was the 1986 when Ryan was No. 2 on the mound to Mike Scott. (Interestingly, 2005 skipper Phil Garner was Scrap Iron playing on the 86 team, too.)

OK, so the Stros have hurt, and the idea that they would lose their one winning team due to a stripped title is a fear indeed.

Football?

The old Oilers of Dan Pastorini and Earl Campbell were good in the late 70s, but the Terry Bradshaw Steelers twice blocked them in the playoffs.

Basketball?

The Rockets had their schadenfreude of The Beard and CP3 blowing a shot to take down Splash Bros Steph and Clay. Other than that, it's been a LONG time — 25 years now — since Hakeem the Dream, Clyde the Glide, Mad Max, second-year Sam Cassell (not yet with big balls) and coach Rudy T. actually lifted the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Now, to Big D.

The Boys haven't won it all since Barry Switzer coached Jimmy Johnson's accumulation of talent, namely Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, the Moose, Michael Irwin, Jay Novacek, Prime Time/Neon Deion, Charles Haley and more, to a title that proved Jerry Jones kind of right on the coaching side, while the aftermath undercut him on his "socks and jocks" GM side. That's been almost 25 years — just one shy. And, speaking of Sam Cassell's big balls? It was Jimmy Johnson that pulled the trigger to trade Herschel Walker.

Hoops?

While the Mavericks have an untainted more recent title than anybody else, and while Luka and the Unicorn, and supplemental cast, offer hope for the future, Mark Cuban has an abysmal record of landing A-list free agents, and this was true even before Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, blast connecting to the past J.J. Barea, and team led them to the 2011 title.

Baseball?

The Nolan Ryan who was nonplussed by Albert Pujols in 2005 with the Astros was even more so in 2011 with David Freese ripping World Series victory from the Rangers' grasp (aided by Nelson Cruz showing why DH is a better spot for him than right field).

And let's watch both the triple and the home run, OK, Nolan and Rangers fans?



Since shortly after that time, of course, the Rangers haven't generally even been close to winning it all, though they have been in postseason as recently as 2016.

The fourth, tag-along sport? It's been 20 years and counting since the Stars won the Stanley Cup. Well, you're ahead of Houston, which hasn't had major league hockey since the WHA days 40-plus years ago and doesn't currently even have a minor league team.

Texas Progressives tackle cheating, missing ballots and the high cost of Texas living (no really)

This outpost of Texas Progressives reminds an in-state wingnut climate denialists that weather isn't climate, that any cold blasts you feel are normal, and that none of the above refutes the fact that we had the hottest decade on global record, with eight of the 10 hottest years on record, and that last year was the second hottest year on global record. (Even nutters at the Daily Mail admit it!)

Texas sports

SocraticGadfly did a non-political double dip on Texas sports, first talking about the glories of Luka Doncic, then noting why he, along with a majority of other non-Houstonians, thinks the cheating Astros got off light.

And, while we're here, from Twitter:

So, a bunch of Texas pro football fans, knowing the Dallas Cowboys haven't been to the Super Bowl in 20 years & might not go 4 another 20, and ditto for the Houston Texans, are out of butt hurt jealousy tweeting "Dallas Texans" & "Houston Oilers"?

Got it.

Go fuck yourself. #GFY

— reallyDonaldTrump 🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) January 19, 2020

Yep, that's about right. (Yes, I know some, per Brains, are trying to claim this was just a riff on the roots of the two teams in the 1962 AFL title game. Lemme see, December 1962 was FIFTY-SEVEN years ago. About 2 percent of Twitter users are old enough to have been alive, let alone old enough to remember, the original game. It's butt-hurt jealousy tweeting, no matter how much of the actual history you can present, if you didn't actually experience it.)

Cort McMurray gets to the heart of the Astros' cheating scandal.


Texas politics

C.D. Hooks talks about "schadengreg" on his refugee rejection, which has since been blocked by a federal court.

Texana

Not quite Duke of Duval County George Parr and Landslide Lyndon, but a ballot box that went missing after a November bond vote in Midland ISD finally resurfaced and has now (finally???) flipped the bond vote to "no." And, really? Midland ISD said it needed not one but TWO new high schools? Why?

Trump's lies about wanting to do something about gun control are more fully exposed now that he is allowing 3D printable gun blueprints back online.

The Observer, after a series of stories on rural hospital closures and other country health problems, asked for reader stories. They got plenty. The solution, as I've said before? A British-style National Health System.

Blacks got less favorable coverage than women from Texas newspapers over protests.


Dallas

D Magazine notes that, while Dallas County DA John Creuzot appears committed to bail reform, the reality on the ground is a hot mess. The piece is a good read about Creuzot's efforts, his department's work on the Amber Guyger case and more. Will OK Jim Schuetze be kind enough to reference that Guyger part?

And, interesting indeed, on the civil justice side. Judge Tonya Barker wants to ramp up instructing civil juries, as part of their deliberation instructions, to work to avoid implicit bias.

Bizzy week for problems in Dallas. Due to environmental concerns and other things, the Byron Nelson is leaving Trinity Forest. The course's co-owner, who got a sweetheart deal from the city to build the course, admitted it wasn't the ideal spot. Nelson ticket sales confirmed that. Of further concern is that, although the city incentives required 25 percent of rounds to be offered to the public, ie, nonmembers, that wasn't actually happening.

The Dallas Observer also notes that the city just took it in the shorts on a First Amendment case re the city's panhandling ordinance.


The Metromess and Helltown ain't cheap

When transportation sprawl, and housing and other costs relative to pay are all factored in, both Dallas and Houston are LESS affordable than New York City. For whatever reason, even though the Metromess and Houston are almost dead even on these costs, Texas Monthly writes its story on the issue only about Houston. (Unless it does the rewrite I suggested.) Related? Contra former Houston mayor Annise Parker's past bragging about how Helltown would eventually pass Chicago? The Windy City is cheaper, per the first link. And that ignores the humidity, skeeters and flooding of Houston, along with the climate change that will exacerbate all. Do we file this under "Rick Perry's Texas Miracle" or "Greg Abbott's Texas Miracle"?

The Dallas Observer DID pick up on the Dallas angle.


Houston

Off the Kuff interviewed three Democratic candidates in HD138: Akilah Bacy, Josh Wallenstein, and Jenifer Pool.

John Coby wraps up the 2019 city of Houston finance reports.

National

Brains offers a wrap on the latest Dem Debate, especially its "she said, he said."

Therese Odell revisits Impeachment Corner.

Miscellaneous

The Great God Pan Is Dead revises its Best Comics of the Decade list.

The Lunch Tray looks at a new effort to eliminate "lunch shaming".

Texas progressives watch "As the Trump World Turns" and much other political programming too

"As the Trump World Turns" continues it daily soap opera installments. The live feed is from Washington, D.C., but the script was written in Kyiv.

So, with that, we give The Donald the Ukrainian language version of what I, as a joke, have, and have had since the 2016 election, as my pinned Tweet in Russian:

Зробіть Америку знову великою, товариш Трамп!

With that, let's dive in!


Texas politics

Off the Kuff did a series on who's lining up to file for office in greater Houston (reminder, not statewide) for Congress, for statewide positions, and for SBOE, Senate, and the Lege.

Texas Monthly talks about what the coke-possession arrest of Rep. Poncho Nevárez says about the whole, or much of, the Lege. (Oh, good riddance to another ConservaDem in a safe seat. Can Gilberto Hinojosa get somebody better?)

The Texas Signal reminds us that redistricting technology does not have to be used for evil.

Texana

Private wall builders who made news this summer in New Mexico claim to have started prep work for a similar project near Mission.

Supported by everybody from Ted Cruz to Kim Kardashian, Rodney Reed gets a stay of execution.

The TSTA Blog explores the myth of the Texas Lottery.


Houston and environs

The Observer has the details behind a suit against the state and the feds by low-income, largely minority Harvey survivors over alleged disparities in recovery assistance. Part of the problem is that homeowners get direct cash help; renters don't.

The amount of cheating apparently engaged in by the Houston Astros continues to expand.


Dallas

Jim Schutze previews the latest Dallas City Council-connected corruption trial.


National

SocraticGadfly looks at the growing number of "Nones" and ponders the possible First Amendment implications, along with offering his own hopes.

Brains continues his prez 2020 series by lamenting that Julián Castro is likely not to make the next Dem debate.

G. Elliott Morris finds the key data that capture the cultural currents that made Obama supporters flip to Donald Trump. It's kind of interesting. And kind of makes sense, especially with hindsight, as many things do.

Paradise in Hell is trying to learn the lessons of the Trump regime.

Juanita recalls the good times with Rick Perry.

Stephen Young notes the local connection to Trump minion Mina Chang.

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.

Texas progressives talk Dem Debate 2, climate, Bonnen, more

The Texas Progressives condemn racism in all of its forms, while also condemning Trump Train riders who try to pull the "No true Scotsman" philosophical argument about alleged mass murderer Patrick Crusius. With that sad news, followed 24 hours later by a second mass shooting (while also noting overall gun violence rates seem to be declining in America) we give you this week's Roundup.

Debates/Tulsi Twerking

Mondoweiss notes that Israel and Palestine wasn't on the second set of debates, meaning Tulsi dodged explaining away her vote FOR AIPAC and AGAINST BDS. Unfortunately, one of its contributors drinks a full glass of the Tulsi Kool-Aid.

SocraticGadfly writes about all that this week when he calls out the cult of the #TulsiTwerkers. Let's make that hashtag trend, folks.

Brains has a semi hard-on or something for Tulsi after the debate.

The Assad bullshit is exactly that, and so is the ad hominem of her upbringing by religious homophobes.

The Assad angle from DNC regulars might be bullshit. The nuanced take that Assad ain't an angel of light isn't. Because he ain't. And, with her, it ain't just Assad. It's Sisi and others she has met with.

And, speaking of religious homophobes? First, given that Hawaiian LGBTQ groups still don't fully trust her (I wouldn't either, dude), it's not an ad hominem to bring it up.

Otherwise, you're going to ignore her Hindutva Hindu fascism? Her Islamophobia? And her vote just a week ago?

Tulsi Gabbard -- the focus of Bernie-ish hate from the establishment -- will be, I sincerely hope, Secretary of Defense in a Sanders Administration

NOOOOOOO! Three years ago, when we both talked about how Bernie was weak on foreign policy and such, I thought you were insightful on national politics, and not just because we agreed. You pointed out the occasional thing I hadn't thought of.

I still thought that two years ago, pretty much. But, even before you first came on strong for Gabbard, and not just because of our final social media dust-up, I was questioning bits of your political insight, and more than bits of non-political thoughts.

David Bruce Collins scattershoots what he saw from Twitter takes on the debates, along with melting Greenland and other issues. He, like Brains, likes Tulsi.

In the bigger picture, while not every stereotype about the MSM is true, refusal to ask Israel/Palestine questions just after the HRes 246 vote shows many of the stereotypes ARE true.

I had three ways of playing this section.

One is to have ignored Brains, still a TPA member though not a weekly contributor, for a full year. (I still look at his blog to see if something is worth posting). Ditto on ignoring DBC, who is not a member, but whom Brains hunted up when he WAS an active member himself more regularly than he does now. (I've posted David in roundups 2x as much in the last six months as Brains.)

The second was to post everything except my blog post in a separate post and link to it. I debated, but decided I wanted the focus here. I thought surely David, at least, would think twice after Gabbard's pro-AIPAC vote, but I guess not.

So, this is option three for now. Option 3A includes seeing what either of them says down the road, including how Brains frames my submission for this week, then doing a follow-up with THAT in a separate post.

 Dos Centavos is ready for the Democratic Presidential field to be winnowed down.


Bonnen and Mucus

House Dems want Mucus Sullivan to release the recording of his talk with Speaker Dennis Bonnen. OTOH, the Snooze reports that many Republicans fear the tape's release would lead to mutual destruction within the GOP.

And now Bonnen has blinked.

And, it turns out he was throwing both Dems and some fellow Republicans under the bus.

As per others, I'm puzzled as to why he met Mucus in the first place on such a situation, and why he didn't assume in advance Mucus was taping him.

The House General Investigating Committee is going to take a look at the mess. Will it subpoeana Mucus about the tape, if he hasn't released the full thing to the public? (Remember, he's sponsored James O'Keefe type stuff in the past.)

And, Aug. 9, Dallas-area state Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, reportedly named on the tape, sued Sullivan individually and an "unknown named political committee," (presumably Empower Texas?), to get it released.

As for the result? He WILL face a Speakership challenge, assuming of course that Dems don't capture a House majority. (If that happens, he'll never be Speaker again.) He'll survive, by reaching across the aisle, but the price of survival will be higher.

As for the issue in parentheses? The bigger picture issue is how does this affect the Texas GOP brand in the state House? And, how much worse might Mucus make that if he decides to try to primary some urban-area moderate-conservative for Texas Republican House members?

As for House wingnuts, not to mention their Senate counterparts, thinking Bonnen is too Dem-cozy? Well, two of the 16 state Senate committees have Democritter chairs. True, Whitmire and Lucio are ConservaDems, but still. But, the big deal is that Bonnen, like Straus, reflects a traditional, as in pre-Danny Goeb as Lite Guv, degree of bipartisanship in House committee operations; the Trib has more.

Texana

Kenny Marchant, who moved from Dallas County Commissioners Court hack to Congressional hack, has followed Mike Conaway, Pete Olsen and Will Hurd and is the fourth GOP Congresscritter not to run for re-election. Shifting Texas demographics plus the Trump boar anchor explain all but Conaway. In Marchant's case, the demographics is part of why he bailed on his commissioner's seat, too. That said, the first Rethug rushing to try to replace him is far worse.

Off the Kuff reacted to Rep. Will Hurd's announcement that he was stepping down from Congress.

Hurd decided to go out on the high note of a nice Republican lie, or turd (it rhymes!), claiming he wanted to make the GOP more diverse by stepping down. Yeah, the only black Rethug in the House leaving it does that how? (Would-be answer that Hurd won't mention: By becoming a lobbyist.)

Looks like DPS ain't fully listening to Gov. Strangeabbott's pleas for a continued hard line on marijuana.

Grits for Breakfast finds the irony in the arrest of DPS' former chief of intelligence.

Plaintiffs settled their bail lawsuit with Harris County. The Texas Observer looks at what it might mean beyond the county's limits. Grits also weighs in.

Texas counties buying new voting machines aren't necessarily buying more secure ones.

The TSTA Blog stands up for the idea of a state income tax.


Dallas

Jim Schutze talks about why businesses don't move south of the Trinity.

Schutze also asks why does the Snooze allow so much crime outside its windows?

Stephen Young notes how the Snooze slouches further toward Gomorrah.


Houston

The city GLBT Caucus decided to endorse Sly Turner for re-election as mayor, but not after a fair amount of contentiousness.

Nonsequiteuse is treasure hunting in the Houston campaign finance reports.


National

Paradise in Hell wrote what is now a museum piece about the DNI Director that wasn't.

TX Progressives kick Gohmert Pyle, Kenny Boy Paxton and Former Fetus Forever Fuckwad Stickland, the Hispanic wave is coming and more in the Roundup

The Texas Progressive Alliance does not want to be lied into any more wars as it brings you this week's roundup, chock full of news about liars of various stripes, and one of them busting out the top headline of the top section of this week's TPA roundup.

The Lege and Abbott

 Former Fetus and Forever Fuckwad Jonathan Stickland is leaving the Lege.

#txlege Former Fetus and Forever Fuckwad Jonathan Stickland is LEAVING US? He can't do that. I haven't kicked ?? in the nads enough. Otherwise, "thank doorknob," .@repstickland https://t.co/eZl6rvjage

— reallyDonaldTrump  🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) June 25, 2019

Texas Monthly did its Ten Best and Ten Worst legislators thing again. Stickland was so bad, he didn't even make the Bottom 10 and instead got a special "Cockroach" award.

#TextsFromSatan:
"I was just joking about not running for re-election."
Sincerely,
Jonathan Stickland
Former Fetus and Forever Fuckwad

— reallyDonaldTrump  🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) June 25, 2019

Let's hope that NEVER pops up on my cell phone.

Isn't it time to kill Chapter 313 and other tax breaks? The Texas Observer makes the case.

Dallas

Jim Schutze officially lets Eric Johnson know he's being watched for incivility, sneakiness and other things. (Read through for the "asshole" comment from one of his pre-runoff foes; also note his standing for House Speaker for the current Lege and how unlikely that was.)

Racism rears its ugly head among Dallas police officers.


Texana

The Texas Monthly has a new owner, Houston billionaire Randa Duncan Williams, who is promising to "invigorate" the mag. I didn't know it needed "invigorating." Per Chris Tomlinson, let's hope this isn't screwed up.

Off the Kuff laments the sweetheart deal Ken Paxton keeps getting from the criminal justice system.

Hispanics are about to pass Anglos as Texas' largest ethnic group. Other than their abysmal turnout at the polls, here's other big reasons why Texas Democrats shouldn't read too much into this (although they will); some of that is in more depth here. The religion angle is larger than just abortion, mentioned at the first link there, though.

The Valley has lost its NPR station.

Trump has cancelled (for now) ICE raids planned for Houston and elsewhere. I think a friend of mine is at least halfway onto something — his original Twitter blabbering about this was before his Orlando reveal; nothing but red meat being thrown out. That said, it's also another example of Trump as weathervane, or, in the face of publicly expressed opposition by mayors, the bully getting punched in the face and backing down.

Jef Rouner stays on top of the Communism situation in The Woodlands.

Betsy Gelb thinks we should all chill out about Whataburger.

Texas Leftist debuts posting a transcript of his Ingressive Voices podcast.

National

Socratic Gadfly uses the Assange arrest to remind readers that much of the general public, much of the mainstream media and even much of the court system ignores that there are FIVE freedoms protected by the First Amendment.

Could anybody be more Gohmert Pyle in the House's hearing on reparations than Louie Gohmert himself? It's not even close.

In his weekly candidates' update, Brains says Warren is no Bernie Sanders. In an earlier, now-gone version, he said that while Bernie doesn't sound semi-desperate, some of his bros sure do.

Evgeny Morozov does a thorough takedown on why Facebook has shoved forward its Libra crypocurrency.

Paradise in Hell returns from hiatus and channels Donald Trump.

Juanita is all about the Falwell pool boy story.

Royce West ain't running against John Cornyn nemmind, he must have found Pullman baggage handlers

A week ago, it was reported that Royce West continues to "do his due diligence" about running in the Dem primary to face John Cornyn.

Reality? Royce is taking about as long to shit or get off the pot on this decision as Joaquin Castro, and having lived in his state senate district most the previous decade, I say he'll probably get off the pot.

Update, July 10: The fact that Gromer Jeffers is breathlessly announcing today that Royce will have some announcement on July 22 (scribblings uncritically passed on by Kuff) only increases my guess that he is either
A. Not running
B. Will suck in the race if he does run.

July 21: OK, so he is running. I'll make sure that his baggage gets better known. And, with pleasure.

First, he likes his little south Dallas barony that being a part time legiscritter allows.

Second, he took a pass at challenging Cornyn on a previous cycle. He also took a pass on running for Dallas County DA in the year that Craig Watkins won. This is probably in part related to No. 1, and in part related to other things. Related to that? He and former Houston black state senate peer Rodney Ellis both have taken powders in the past on other statewide runs. Royce has done this enough, though, unlike Joaquin, with less public deliberation, that he's kind of the Hamlet of south Dallas politics.

And point the third?

He's got too much of a black eye potential from old Dallas Inland Port shenanigans, as both I and Jim Schutze know. He also was MIA on some south Dallas development issues next to his beloved UNT-Dallas. And, the inland port issues would raise his connections with John Wiley Price. Read everything with my Royce West tag for more.

This all said, back to Royce's baggage, individualized..

Yeah, most of it is more than a decade old. But, you know Cornyn would bring it up in the general election, along with West's apparent continuing ties to John Wylie Price. That's why he took a pass in 2014. And, if he does run in 2020, it will be on a gamble that his baggage is enough further away that he can avoid it.

But can he? After all, JWP went on federal trial just over two years ago. He beat the rap, tis true, but prosecutorial ineptitude was one factor. And even fellow Dems like former Dallas County Judge Jim Foster say that Price and West are "joined at the hip." That Snooze piece (you didn't deal with it, Gromer) mentioned other past conflicts of interest that Royce has had. Shit, the toothless Texas Ethics Commission fined him in 2010. And I haven't even mention West's ties to convicted Dallas County constable Derick Evans, who also had other ethics issues beyond what got him convicted.

He's got other baggage that's not even tied to JWP or Evans.

Like grifting off his legal contracts with Dallas ISD, then trying to get the Lege to allow said contracts, in the future, to be hidden from the public. Go here for more.

And, if a Sema Hernandez is a good-government progressive, or if GOP-lite ethics cop Chris Bell jumps in, there's a chance it becomes an issue already in the primary.

A House race in a safe district avoids all of that. If PB&J steps aside before Royce gets close to aging out himself.

And, to a lesser degree, ties to Our Man Downtown is why Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins won't run.

As for how well Royce would do in a primary? Contra a commenter at Kuff's site talking about him "holding his own" in the Valley, there is no "holding his own" there. With Sema Hernandez in the race plus Adrian Ocegueda as a definite vanidad candidate, West — and others who aren't Hispanic — are fighting over a fairy small bag of bones, and West isn't well known in the Valley.

Plus, there's already an African-American candidate in the race. And, while Michael Cooper may be relatively unknown, he's already run a state race, losing the 2018 primary for Lite Guv.

That said, other than possibly Cooper, none of the candidates float my boat and Royce wouldn't either. Sema sold her "progressive" soul for a mess of Beto endorsement pottage. M.J. Hegar? Too ConservaDem, starting with the military.

Two other questions.

One, if he loses, does this make Stephen Young of the Dallas Observer right that new mayor Eric Johnson is first in line to replace Eddie Bernice Johnson?

Young thinks Eric Johnson is next in line for that seat, but I disagreed a month ago. If she refuses to retire, in 2022 or later, he may be next in line, but not right now.

Second, does some up-and-comer finally primary him in 2022?

If I'm right about him not running for the nomination to try to defeat Big John, and also right that he, not Eric Johnson, is currently first in line for Eddie Bernice's seat, how long does he hold the No. 1 ticket there?

Through 2024 is my answer.

Back to the current race.

As for how well Royce would do in a primary? Contra a commenter at Kuff's site talking about him "holding his own" in the Valley, there is no "holding his own" there. With Sema Hernandez in the race plus Adrian Ocegueda as a definite vanidad candidate, West — and others who aren't Hispanic — are fighting over a fairy small bag of bones, and West isn't well known in the Valley.

Plus, there's already an African-American candidate in the race. And, while Michael Cooper may be relatively unknown, he's already run a state race, losing the 2018 primary for Lite Guv.

That said, other than possibly Cooper, none of the candidates float my boat and Royce wouldn't either. Sema sold her "progressive" soul for a mess of Beto endorsement pottage. M.J. Hegar? Too ConservaDem, starting with the military.

TX Progressives wrangle the Lege's nuttery and more

Stupidity abounds on the political landscape in the Pointy Abandoned Object State™ this week, from the Texas Legislature through the city of Dallas and on to that city's daily ink-waster, the Dallas Morning Snooze.

Dive in as the Texas Progressives tackle that and more.

Buckle your seat belt, because this version of the roundup has lost of high-octane snark.

The Lege

It's "hell week" in Austin, when bill authors scramble to avoid poison pill amendments, calendar back-burner placement and other problems and try to cross the finish line, then hope Gov. Strangeabbott puts his scrawl on their pet legislation.

Yesterday was the last day for Senate bills to get first consideration in the House. Today is the last day for that if they're on the consent calendar — which always can be torpedoed, and was in the previous Lege by Former Fetus and Forever Fuckwad Jonathan Stickland. Friday is the last day for the House to accept negotiations or changes on its bills as suggested by the Senate; Saturday is the last day to vote on such bills.

As of Monday, here's a big picture look on various bills from the Trib. Following is a pullout on some specific bills.

Off the Kuff analyzes the relentless Republican attack on local control this session.

Stephen Young reported on the Lege’s progress in a “born alive” bill and the pandering behind it. 

Sophie Novack at the Texas Observer reports on SB 22, the “anti-Planned Parenthood” bill. 

Also at the Texas Observer, Megan Kimble details how Kelly Hancock is leading the charge to let apartment owners jack up the late fees they can charge. 

Another wingers’ pet project, a campus free speech bill, has passed both houses. It ignores the reality that, in high-profile cases elsewhere, off-campus agitators, often themselves conservatives, caused the problems, and that speeches organized by campus-based political groups have high security costs said groups dump back on the university. It also ignores that wingers' support for free speech is just as selective as that of many of the librulz they condemn.

The Texas bullet train dodged a legal bullet about its ability to use eminent domain but it still retains a stupid route, as I have said before. Whether Brains is right that it’s too late for that to be addresses or not, along with other issues, remains to be seen. Kuff, like Brains, likes the bullet train. Whether it actually gets built and then, whether as a privately financed line, it asks for state help because of its stupid route and stupid stops, also remains to be seen. (After all, stupid routing ideas are part of what derailed California's bullet train, at least for now.) And, before the end of this year, I'll surely have more on this issue. Nuff ced for now. No ... not enough ... there's several people that agree with me on ever-growing comments on Kuff's link that Texas Central was, has been and is selling a pig in a poke. A lot of libertarian-type wingers at groups who know how to crunch numbers, like Reason, are also saying that ride counts are not just inflated but WILDLY inflated. (That said, contra the wingers, airports are subsidized in various ways, too.)

The "save Chick-fil-A" bill has risen from the dead.

For the second straight Lege, a "disobedient presidential electors" bill has failed.

SB 9, Hughes' vote suppression bill, is dead.

Rachel Pearson flaunts her sorcery in the face of Forever Fuckup's antivaxxerism.

HB 2504, which would make it much easier for third parties to have statewide ballot access, was very alive and well and has now passed all three Senate readings and heads to Abbott's desk. Progress Texas showed it is part of the duopoly by not even listing it under good bills in its late-session bill watch blog (NOT linking) which got a smackdown on Twitter from me:

@WesleyStory0 If HB 2504 to ease third party ballot access ain't on your list of "good bills" in the #txlege you and .@progresstx are watching (and I saw it ain't), then you're not really so progressive, are you? I "understand"; you're part of the #duopoly. But I don't "accept."

— reallyDonaldTrump  🚩🌻 (@AFCC_Esq) May 20, 2019

And that's that for what's happening in Austin.

All things Dallas area

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, the “Tropical Trump,” showed up in Dallas and got protested. 

Stephen Young also calls out the abysmal editorial page of the dying Dallas Snooze for its blank-check support of Trump’s nutteries. 

Jim Schutze notes how all the people that allegedly “matter” in Dallas, the “endorserati,” are lining up behind Eric Johnson in the mayoral runoff, just like they did for the Trinity toll road. He also talks about the runoff debate between Johnson and Scott Griggs. 

Schutze also kicks former Observer peer Robert Wilonsky, now at the Snooze, in the nads, for buying the official city of Dallas party line for the umpteenth time. (Lawrence Wright, in his latest book, "God Save Texas," seems to actually like Wilonsky.)

Yours truly notes that activist investors in Belo / The Snooze rightfully are huffy when it overestimates the value of its own property by $5 million and takes a bath in its sale.

RIP to I.M. Pei, designer of the interesting-looking Dallas City Hall and the beautiful Morton Meyerson Symphony Center. Pei has five buildings overall in Dallas. Read about the Meyerson's history here. As a one-time DSO season ticket holder, the place is beautiful and still has fantastic acoustics.

Fort Worth is following Dallas' footsteps in a homeless crackdown.


Texana

Lisa Gray says people should avoid bad tacos. I'd expand that to avoiding bad Tex-Mex, which, as a person who grew up in New Mexico, includes most of it.

Speaking of overrated Texas food, Whataburger is looking for a minority investor to help facilitate an expansion. (Contra Texas Monthly, In-N-Out is better than What? A Burger?, as I spelled it on Twitter.) What would be a GREAT train wreck and probably applauded by many wingnut Texans? Chick-fil-A doing a takeover behind the scenes as that minority investor.

Beyond Bones wants to tell you about Megalosaurus.

National and more

Scoffing at, yes, SCOFFING AT Donut Twitter and #TheResistance, Socratic Gadfly, with help from political scientist and author Corey Robin, explains that Trump is not a fascist but rather a schematically predictable variety of president.

David Bruce Collins writes about sociopathy in various ranks of politics.

Juanita has thoughts about Gene Simmons and his kind-of presser for DoD.

Slate argues that Alabama and Missouri have gutted the plans of The Umpire and his Roberts Supreme Court to quietly kill Roe at the edges.

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