Headlines / Quote of the Week
Fri., July 28, 2023
Feds Sue Abbott
The Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint against Gov. Greg Abbott for his refusal to remove floating barriers in the Rio Grande meant to deter immigration, arguing the barriers constitute a humanitarian threat that has already damaged U.S. foreign relations with Mexico.
Profs on the Chopping Block
A respected opioid expert and Texas A&M professor Joy Alonzo was placed on administrative leave after "disparaging" Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during a lecture, The Texas Tribune reported Tuesday. This news comes after A&M's president resigned last week amid outrage over UT Journalism professor Kathleen McElroy's hiring process being botched, wherein admins were skeptical of her work with diversity initiatives.
Doubling Campus Police
House Bill 3, which requires school districts to have at least one armed officer at each of their schools, will force Austin ISD to effectively double the number of school resource officers (i.e., campus police). According to KUT's Becky Fogel, the district is contemplating the addition of 70 SROs and the staff and equipment necessary to support them. The cost, not yet calculated, will deepen the budget deficit the district is facing.
Infrastructure, the Most Prolific Serial Killer
An update to plans for the ongoing Rainey Street Trailhead project includes steps to improve lighting and pedestrian safety following two recent drownings in Lady Bird Lake. Plans from the Parks and Rec Department and the Trail Conservancy will lead traffic away from the water.
Modest Money for Musicians
Musicians playing city-sponsored gigs will receive higher pay after Council approved new rates, including $200 per player for bands of six or fewer.
Battling Hate Crime
In response to hate crime incidents across Austin, the city has announced the We All Belong Anti-Hate Initiative to streamline the process of reporting hate crimes, the Austin Monitor reported.
Runaway Tree
After being presumed extinct for a decade, the Quercus tardifolia oak tree turned up in Big Bend National Park last year, KUT reported. There aren't plans to repopulate the tree in Big Bend, but scientists at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens will plant a few.
Preventing Voter Fraud Prevention
Texas will withdraw from the Electronic Registration Information Center, a national voter fraud prevention organization that helps states maintain accurate voter rolls, KUT reported. Though Texas is required by law to participate in a multistate database like ERIC, no viable alternatives exist at this time.
Casar Thirst Strikes
Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and civil rights leader Dolores Huerta led an all-day thirst strike on the U.S. Capitol steps – with no food, water, or breaks – to draw attention to the need for federal labor protections in light of Texas' cruel HB 2127 that will preempt local rest break ordinances. Monday, Casar and 110 members of Congress sent a letter requesting the Biden administration implement an Occupational Safety and Health Administration workplace heat standard.
"I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade [UFO] crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access."
– UFO whistleblower David Grusch at a U.S. House panel hearing July 26
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