Progress Texas Podcasts

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Officers under the orders of Attorney General Ken Paxton's office aggressively raided the homes of Democratic House candidate Cecilia Castellano and several other Latino politicos in south Texas, including an 87-year-old retired teacher: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/24/ken-paxton-vote-harvesting-raid-lulac-cecilia-castellano/...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: On the fourth and final night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Texas remained in key representation - from The Chicks, to Uvalde mom Kimberly Rubio, to Dallas Congressman Colin Allred: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/08/22/dnc-gives-colin-allred-a-national-stage-to-make-his-case-against-ted-cruz/ ...Progress Texas...

With another backstage update from Chicago, as the 2024 Democratic National Convention moves into its climactic fourth day, Progress Texas Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone brings us a view from behind the scenes with two of our favorite Texas progressive players: we welcome back our long-time bud Kendall Scudder, among other important roles Vice Chair for Finance of the Texas Democratic Party. And, f...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Prominent Texans during the third day ofthe Democratic National Convention included El Paso U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, influencers Carlos Espina and Olivia Julianna, and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar: ⁠https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/dnc-bexar-county-sheriff-salazar-19716505.php⁠ Could DNC buzz put Harris/W...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Abortion rights and reproductive freedom are a central theme for Texans in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention: ⁠https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/08/20/dnc-live-updates-coverage/abortion-front-and-center-texas-delegation-00175254⁠ ...Key issue figures including Kate Cox and Amanda Zurawski have been prominently featur...

Progress Texas Advocacy Manager Reagan Stone has been rubbin' elbows with a TON of our nation's top progressive leaders since he arrived in Chicago on Sunday, and so has Progress Texas board member and Fort Worth-based attorney Jason Smith! Reagan and Jason sit down to share what they've seen and heard so far, and to describe the scene - it sounds like a LOT of terrific fun! More updat...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Last night's opening night of the Democratic National Convention was full of highlights, including Texas abortion rights activist Amanda Zurawski: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/08/19/us/dnc-harris-trump-election ...Harris County Lina Hidalgo sang the praises of both President Biden and Vice President Harris: https://www.houstonchr...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas is sending the third-largest delegation in the country to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, which starts today: https://www.nbcdfw.com/decision-2024/texas-democrats-at-2024-dnc-process-the-biden-to-harris-transition/3624046/ ...Kate Cox will be at the DNC at the invitation of the Harris campaign: https://www.reuters.com...

We've been honored to host and meet a great and growing group of Texas progressive activists, officeholders and advocates in our ongoing series on reproductive freedom and the fight to regain our abortion rights in the Lone Star State. For this fifth talk in the series, we welcome three Texas women who have all taken on potentially the greatest political challenge in our state: running as Demo...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A Houston-based right-wing group has been bombarding election officials in Texas with thousands of objections to voter rolls: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/16/voter-registration-challenges-texas/ ...The Texas Tribune has posted a great guide on the obstacles and opportunies that Texans with disabilities need to be aware of for Nove...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A Texas-based, reliably-conservative activist Federal judge (and Federalist Society member) has blocked future protections for LGBTQ+ school kids under Title IX: https://www.lonestarlive.com/news/2024/08/texas-based-judge-expands-ban-on-title-ix-gender-sexuality-protections.html Ken Paxton threatens legal action against the City of Dallas...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: In a narrow vote, a committee of the Harris County Democratic Party picked former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner as their nominee to replace the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee in the U.S. House: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/13/turner-jackson-lee-november-ballot-houston/ Harris County DA Kim Ogg's "big announcement&...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Two Texas women have filed suit against two Texas hospitals, which they say denied needed emergency care for ectopic pregnancies: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/12/texas-abortion-law-ectopic-pregnancies/ Primary-defeated and outgoing Harris County DA Kim Ogg is set to announce corruption charges in relation to the November 2022 elec...

The high-tech world is frequently (and rightfully) seen as antithetical to democracy - but it doesn't have to be that way. We're proud to welcome Jeremy Smith, an Army veteran and Austin-based information technology innovator who has led the way on a growing array of digital platforms and products that are designed to increase and enhance our connection to the democratic process - NOT to i...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Over the weekend, new details about the 2022 Robb Elementary mass shooting were revealed as the City of Uvalde released its records on the incident: https://www.propublica.org/article/uvalde-city-officials-release-school-shooting-records ...Meanwhile the demolition of the old church building in Sutherland Springs where our state's mos...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: We were proud to be included in yesterday's celebration of the Texas Rangers' 2023 World Series victory with President Joe Biden at the White House: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40784277/biden-hosts-world-series-champion-rangers-white-house Governor Abbott has signed an executive order demanding information on undocumented...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas Trump types are throwing everything they can at Tim Walz - is any of it sticking? https://www.chron.com/politics/article/tim-walz-texas-communist-19625695.php ...Our Jackie Rogers compares Walz to his VP opponent, the eminently gross J.D. Vance: https://progresstexas.org/blog/everything-you-need-know-about-vp-candidates-tim-walz-and...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas progressive politicos are jazzed about the pick of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as Vice President Kamala Harris' pick as her running mate: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-democrats-praise-harris-walz-presidential-ticket/ ...Governor Abbott is somewhat less enthusiastic: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-governm...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: About 12 percent of Texas voters - over two million of us - are on an official "voter suspense list" due to uncertainty that our addresses match our voter registration: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/elections/2024/08/05/texas-voter-suspense-list-tops-21-million-heres-what-to-do-if-youre-on-it/ A Texas Ranger targeted for termi...

Everyone is focused on the Presidential race, for obvious reasons - and most Texans who take an even slightly broader view of the election might get as far as unseating Ted Cruz. There's a LOT more at play and at stake this November, and our ideological foes in the Republican Party are certainly engaged at the school board level - where control over the funding, educational policies and curric...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas representatives of the Trump party have led the way in a misguided assault on Algerian Olympic boxer Imane Khelif, whom they have incorrectly characterized as transgender, and thus an example of "keeping men out of women's sports": https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-texas-imane-khelif-1...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A three-year investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice reveals endemic and pervasive abuse against kids in the Texas juvenile justice system: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/texas-youth-lockups-beset-abuse-mistreatment-children-justice-112492737 A committee of UT Austin professors has determined that the university's leaders...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Vice President Harris continues spending precious campaign time in Texas - she will speak at U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's funeral today: https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/harris-eulogize-longtime-us-rep-sheila-jackson-lee-112465451 ...Harris responds from Texas to Donald Trump's ridiculous attacks on her racial heritage: https...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas progressives should continue to heed warnings issued by both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris from Texas stages lately about Project 2025, despite Donald Trump's distancing and the Heritage Foundation's claims that they're winding it down: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/30/project-202...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: At yesterday's ceremony at the LBJ Library in Austin, President Biden called for sweeping reforms designed to reign in a rogue conservative U.S. Supreme Court: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/us/politics/biden-supreme-court-austin-texas.html ...Several Democrats - but no Republicans - met Biden on the ABIA tarmac yesterday: https:/...