Progress Texas Podcasts

Time to vote, y'all! Early voting in the 2026 primary runoff is underway as of today (Monday 5/18), and the board at Progress Texas has picked Democrat Kevin Burge as one of our endorsees in this crucial midterm election. We welcome Kevin back for a runoff update - you can also hear our earlier conversation, which presents a deeper dive on his extensive background in government, the military a...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Early voting in the 2026 primary runoffs has begun, continuing through Friday, and culminating in Election Day on Tuesday May 26th. Progress Texas has made several endorsements in the runoff: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-endorsements-may-primary-runoffs Governor Abbott's push for the Texas Supreme Court to remove Hous...

Among the important statewide races still in primary runoff mode is the contest for the Democratic nomination to replace the highly toxic and ethically bankrupt Ken Paxton. Of the two candidates remaining - Dallas State Senator Nathan Johnson and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski - only Jaworski has successfully undergone the process of becoming a Progress Texas Certified Progressive. We've been...

Through sheer determination, Ken Paxton and the state of Texas overcame a federal court stay of execution and put to death Edward Busby in Huntsville last night - a man that multiple experts agreed was intellectually disabled. Both the Trump SCOTUS and Texas' Republican leadership, in their zeal to achieve our 600th state-sanctioned killing in the modern era, demonstrate the callous indifferen...

This week's roundtable discussion was recorded prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's last minute clearing of the execution of Edward Busby, at a moment when we were hopeful that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals staying of his execution, based on finding that he is intellectually disabled, would be honored. Sadly, it was not. Capital punishment is a stain upon civilization, and we explain that...

Despite orders from the federal 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to suspend the scheduled execution of Edward Busby, state officials are still trying to kill him today: https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/after-having-his-execution-halted-edward-busby-awaits-supreme-court-ruling/ Governor Abbott is attempting a novel legal maneuver claiming that State Rep. Gene Wu's leadership of last summer'...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: President Barack Obama joined Democratic nominees James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa yesterday at The Taco Joint in East Austin to fire up progressive voters in Texas: https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/article/barack-obama-austin-james-talarico-tacos-22255610.php ...Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders has been added to the speakers at t...

Our board has chosen to endorse former Houston City Council Member and longtime healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Letitia Plummer in her run for Harris County Judge. Dr. Plummer comes from a long line of Houston area civic leaders, and the Progress Texas board believes she is the right choice for the Democratic nomination for this key position of leadership in Texas' most-populous county. Check out...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Pending a SCOTUS call on intellectual eligibility for execution, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has stayed the Thursday execution of Edward Busby of Tarrant County: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/11/texas-execution-edward-busby-appeal/ With the runoff election coming up next week, Senator John Corynyn and Attorney General Ken...

The numbers remain in the favor of Democrats to regain control of the U.S. House, despite interference by the Virginia Supreme Court: https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5872121-democrats-house-control-midterms-trump-iran/ A new University of Houston study shows the dissatisfaction with Trump and Republican governing that's likely to be the real factor this fall - in particular rega...

The Progress Texas board has endorsed Congresswoman Julie Johnson in her runoff race for the Democratic nomination for CD 33 due to her dedication to the issues that matter most to us: protecting and building upon Social Security and Medicare, raising the minimum wage while lowering health care costs, beating back the MAGA assault on reproductive freedom, putting a general check on Donald Trump an...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: State Rep. Mihela Plesa outlines the advantages that Texas is missing out on due to partisan gerrymandering - and how the Callais decision will make things worse: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/article/texas-doesn-t-many-real-elections-anymore-22247593.php ...The same is happening next door in Louisiana: https://www.current...

Today's "funeral" protest at Texas Tech - mourning the demise of that institution's academic reputation at the hands of Chancellor Brandon Creighton - is only the latest chapter in the continuing story of the dismantling of Texas' statewide reputation for our public universities. This election year gives us a chance to begin to undo the damage, but it could take a generation...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As a protest against the conservative undermining of academic integrity at Texas Tech under new Chancellor Brandon Creighton happens today, officials there are accused of asking faculty to downplay the limitations that have been placed on research: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/06/texas-tech-university-graduate-research-limit-warni...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Tomorrow marks an overdue significant student and alumni pushback against the ultra-conservative transformation of Texas Tech under Chancellor Brandon Creighton: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/texas-tech-academic-freedom-funeral-22242520.php ...More about the "funeral" at Tech tomorrow: htt...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Rule that lets Texans obtain out-of-state abortion pills can continue for now, Supreme Court says. ⁠ Texas Tribune: ⁠   https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/01/texas-abortion-mifepristone-federal-ruling-mail-drug/ Texas shops can still sell smokeable hemp THC for now, judge rules. ⁠ Texas Tribune: ⁠ https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/08...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Republican Brett Ligon, former Montgomery County DA, wins special election for open Texas Senate seat. ⁠Texas Tribune⁠ : https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/02/texas-senate-district-4-special-election/ A Funeral for Texas Tech. ⁠ SEAT⁠ : https://www.studentsengaged.org/impact/funeral-texas-tech How the Voting Rights Act reshaped Texas’ elect...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: May Day Strong Lone Star Labor: Mourn the dead. Fight like hell for the living.  ⁠Texas AFL-CIO: ⁠  https://texasaflcio.org/news/lone-star-labor-mourn-dead-fight-hell-living What is May Day? Where San Antonio protests are planned. ⁠ MySA: ⁠ https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/may-day-protests-san-antonio-22234392.php James Bro...

On April 29, on a party line vote, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Louisiana v. Callais, to strip one of the most consequential protections against discrimination in our elections—Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling enables years of racial inequality to come, further eroding fair representation and the equal rights of Black and brown voters in the South. To hear more about the case and h...

Monday is Star Wars Day - May the Fourth be with you! Both Communications Director Chris Mosser and Digital Associate Haley Smith are lifelong Star Wars fanatics, and are not about to allow an opportunity to talk Star Wars AND politics go by - and in fact, for those interested in both, the parallels between the galaxy far far away and the history and current political moment right here on Earth ar...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: SCOTUS Decision Overturns Decades of Voting Rights Protections Supreme Court Callais Decision Overturns Decades of Voting Rights Protections. Progress Texas: https://progresstexas.org/blog/statement-supreme-court-callais-decision-overturns-decades-voting-rights-protections  U.S. Supreme Court weakens key pillar of Voting Rights Act, openi...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Two “T”s impacting Texas: Talarico and Trump Talarico leads both Cornyn, Paxton in new poll of Texas’ U.S. Senate race. ⁠Texas Tribune:⁠ https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/28/texas-us-senate-poll-talarico-cornyn-paxton-2026-midterms/ "Editing my words': Talarico's Austin pastor says Cornyn is misrepresenting his sermon....

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As expected, Supreme Court officially greenlights Texas’ gerrymandered congressional map for midterms. ⁠Democracy Docket: ⁠ https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/as-expected-supreme-court-officially-greenlights-texas-gerrymandered-congressional-map/ Dallas could host a GOP midterm twist as Trump tries a Texas power play. ⁠Dallas Mor...

Our board has chosen to endorse Austin State Rep. Vikki Goodwin in her run for Texas Lieutenant Governor for many reasons - her years-long commitment to public education, her dedication to reproductive justice, and perhaps most importantly, her near-decade of front-seat experience with the Texas Legislature, which will be important as she takes historic steps to rehabilitate the most powerful offi...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: AP News: DC gala shooting suspect aired grievances against Trump in writings to family Dallas Morning News: I was at the table when chaos broke out at White House Correspondents’ Dinner Texas Tribune: Austin, Dallas revise police policy allowing more ICE cooperation after Abbott funding cut threat Texas Tribune: Texas police can arrest pe...