Progress Texas Podcasts

The staff needs a weekend bad after a week that has seen Jimmy Kimmel shown the door and massive attacks on free speech on college campuses and elsewhere as MAGA exploits the Charlie Kirk assassination to its fullest advantage. Progressive America awaits what's next from Trump, as action against "Antifa" appears primed to be an excuse to target anyone they choose. Freaky times indeed - and we're g...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Donald Trump has declared war on "Antifa", which isn't an actual organization - so what does his declaration actually mean? https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-targets-antifa-movement-terrorist-organization-2025-09-18/ The push by the press to unseal the Ken Paxton divorce records has grown to include a broad array of news media outlets: h...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's show by ABC for criticizing MAGA for politically exploiting the murder of Charlie Kirk proves Kimmel's own point: https://www.vox.com/politics/461887/jimmy-kimmel-suspension-air-abc-charlie-kirk-nexstar ...That same outrage machine is ramping up a targeting of transgender Americans - Amarillo Congressman Ronny...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Attorney General Ken Paxton's lawsuit against Beto O'Rourke and Powered By People, accusing them of bribery and other campaign finance violations, appears to be near defeat in court: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/17/ken-paxton-beto-orourke-texas-democrats-quorum-break-15th-court/?_bhlid=a0e58d7d33f7fdf5a4ed837802f072ff1560ec84 Andrew W...

Great fun to gather with a big crowd of friends, both old and new, at Hopsquad Brewing Company in North Austin, within eyeshot of Austin FC's home stadium, for a conversation with goalkeeper and celebrated progressive activist Brad Stuver! Thanks to Landon Cotham of the Moontower Soccer podcast for co-hosting. Learn more about the Brad And Ashley Stuver Foundation at https://www.bastuverfoundation...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Trump administration, using the Charlie Kirk killing as a reason, is pledging a widespread crackdown on progressive organizations, activist groups and media outlets - much like ours: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/us/politics/jd-vance-charlie-kirk-show.html ...A Texas Tech student's arrest and expulsion over her mocking of a Kirk vigi...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Comments from Donald Trump on American political violence echo his "stand back and stand by" comments just prior to the January 6 insurrection: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-response-charlie-kirk-melissa-hortman-shootings-rcna230825 ...Trump also claims that investigations of key progressive figures are already underway: h...

Proud to welcome Travis Central Appraisal District Board Member Sheghao "Daniel" Wang to join our weekly offloading session - one that's a particularly heavy lift this week upon the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. The time is NOW to address the issue of political violence, and get back to being Americans again. Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how yo...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A suspect has reportedly been apprehended in the shooting death of Charlie Kirk: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09/12/us/charlie-kirk-news-suspect Texas DPS has quietly been very actively assisting ICE in detaining suspected undocumented immigrants, focusing much of their work in Democratically-run large cities: ⁠https://www.texastribune.o...

The murder of political activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah was an act of domestic terrorism that tears at the very fabric of our country, and threatens to escalate what is already a highly troublesome degree of political polarity. It should be, and has been, condemned by voices across the political spectrum - but it is also likely to be used as a catalyst or excuse for more politica...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas U.S. Congressman and House Rules Committee member Chip Roy, a leading Republican candidate for Texas Attorney General in 2026, voted yesterday to prevent a measure that would force the unveiling of files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking ring from being put to a vote by the full house: https://newrepublic.com/post/200213/li...

Looked to us like a crowd of a bit over 1,000 under a hot Round Rock sun - with about 12 hours notice - about three hours ago at publishing time for Austin State Rep. James Talarico's official kickoff event for his run for the U.S. Senate! Great energy and a great time - looking like an interesting primary season shaping up for Texas Democrats! Enjoy. Thanks for listening! Our monthly donors form...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Austin State Rep. James Talarico makes it official: he's running for the U.S. Senate: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/state/article/james-talarico-us-senate-campaign-21036632.php Governor Abbott announces an executive order establishing the sales restrictions on THC products that the legislature failed to pass after multiple tr...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Austin State Rep. James Talarico - surprising nobody - is set to launch a run for the U.S. Senate tomorrow: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/texas-rep-james-talarico-will-announce-bid-for-u-s-senate-seat-next-week/ ...Talarico enjoys considerable momentum going in, both from a recent Joe Rogan interview and his own social media savvy: https://w...

The Democratic side of the race for U.S. Senate is heating up in Texas - but the very first Democrat to announce for the race was former U.S. Air Force Colonel and NASA astronaut Terry Virts. As election season begins to get real, Progress Texas is seeking to bring you extended conversations with as many of the most promising candidates as possible - really enjoyed this talk with Colonel Virts. Le...

If you're one of the millions of Americans who celebrated the amazing breakthrough of vaccines as a way out of the dark days of the COVID pandemic just a few short years ago, you've probably been dismayed at the antics of RFK Jr. undermining the continuation of that medical miracle, the undermining of vaccinations among school kids in Texas and elsewhere, and the celebration of ivermectin among Te...

As young progressives across the country continue to gain inspiration from the likes of Zohran Mamdani in New York, even here in Texas we're seeing fresh faces pop up in interesting places: in the cases of Ric Galvan in San Antonio and John P. Bowers III in Rowlett, the freshest faces on both of those Texas City Councils! We caught up with both of them to get an inside view of how things are g...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Texas Republican Party has filed a lawsuit seeking to close its primary election to registered Republicans - in a state that does not have a system for party registration: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/04/texas-gop-republican-party-closed-primary-elections/ The appointment of State Senator Brandon Creighton as chancellor at Texas T...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As was rumored, the second special session was brought to a close early last night as a huge wave of GOP priorities made the desk of Governor Greg Abbott, but other items fell short: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/04/texas-legislature-adjourns-special-session-sine-die/ On flood relief, bills on infrastructure and camp safety passed, but...

Governor Greg Abbott denies allegations from Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzger that Texas National Guard troops are part of a Donald Trump-threatened military deployment to Chicago: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/national-guard-chicago-abbott-21027479.php ...Pritzger warns us not to allow the militarization of American cities to become normalized: https://www.advocate.com/vo...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Yesterday, September 1, saw over 800 new laws hit the books in Texas: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/new-texas-laws-sept-1/3911795/ One new law we do like hits the books today: the expansion of Texas' medical marijuana allowances: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/texas-officials-publish-rules-to-expand-medical-marijuana-access-wi...

Proud to welcome our good friend Jorjo Vasquez to the weekly venting roundtable - Jorjo is Communications Director for San Antonio State Senator Roland Gutierrez and is central to the fiery progressive messages that office is known for. Our weekly session comes as ivermectin is made widely available as new restrictions are placed on COVID vaccines, the decades-simmering anti-trans bathroom bill fi...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A flurry of new GOP-pushed legislation towards the close of the second special session includes the anti-trans bathroom bill that Republicans have fetishized over for a decade: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/transgender-bathroom-bill-21019516.php ...And a new vigilante bill allowing Texans to sue anybody who manufactu...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: HB 25 - a bill allowing ivermectin to be bought at Texas pharmacies without prescriptions - has blazed through the second special session and is headed for Governor Greg Abbott's desk: https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/ivermectin-bill-clears-texas-house-angry-pushback-21016700.php ...The Texas Medical Association testified...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The NAACP follows LULAC, filing the second lawsuit against the new Texas congressional map ordered by Donald Trump that carves out five new likely Republican seats at the expense of Texas voters of color: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/26/naacp-sues-texas-congressional-maps-black-political-power ...Trump's plummeting approval in...