Headlines / Quote of the Week
Fri., May 31, 2024
FBI On Paxton: Texas A.G. Ken Paxton beat an impeachment and was acquitted of related charges last year, but he might still face federal charges, the Texas Newsroom reports. Federal agents were still actively investigating Paxton after the acquittal. Among Paxton’s suspected crimes in federal grand jury documents were bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy.
GOP Party Problems: In one of his last speeches as chair of the Republican Party of Texas, Matt Rinaldi declared victory. Most predecessors focused on traditional party duties like courting donors, while Rinaldi used the position to purge moderate Republicans, The Texas Tribune reports. But the party has some problems: Last year, the Texas GOP’s fundraising dropped to the lowest level since 2017, and right now the party only has five employees.
Bombing Rafah: In Rafah, where tents of displaced Gazans stretch for 10 miles, an Israeli airstrike killed dozens of civilians this week. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mistake.” The White House suggested this attack didn’t cross Biden’s red line, with a spokesperson saying, “The Israelis are going to investigate it. We’re going to be taking great interest in what they find ... and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Water, Water Everywhere: One in six Texans – more than 5 million total – live or work in an area susceptible to flooding, according to a draft of the state’s first-ever flood plan. The public can make comments on the draft during a May 30 meeting in Austin and have until June 17 to submit comments online.
Leaky Pipes Silver Lining: The city estimates leaky pipes drip roughly 21 gallons per person per day in Austin. But KUT reports the leaks seem to be drought-proofing some trees, according to a team of UT researchers who compared trees close to leaky city infrastructure to trees farther away.
911, Please Hold: A special report found that during busy times, half of Austin 911 calls aren’t answered fast enough, KUT reported. The National Emergency Number Association says the vast majority of 911 calls should be answered in 15 seconds or less. Generally, 80% of Austin 911 calls are answered this quickly, but it drops to 50% during busy times.
Ascension Cyberattack: A cyberattack on Ascension hospitals nationwide means nurses and doctors are using paper and hand-delivering documents between departments, KUT reports. An Austin nurse says “it’s like we went back 20 years, but not even with the tools we had then.” Some phone functions have also been offline, and patients can’t access their virtual documents at “MyChart.”
Overdose Death Surge: At the end of April, nine Austinites died in the span of 27 hours. The Travis County Medical Examiner’s report, released yesterday, bears out that this is not a fluke but part of a concerning trend: Travis County has a higher rate of overdose deaths than every other urban Texas county. Read more online.
More Park Maintenance: While Austin’s parkland acreage grows, maintenance staffing hasn’t kept pace, a city report found, and the Austin Monitor reported. PARD is asking for a roughly 75% increase in maintenance staff to keep parks spick and span.
Movie Rental with City Money: An audit of Transportation and Public Works Department superintendent Michael Collier found fraudulent behavior using a city credit card, the Austin Monitor reports. The problem: a $5.99 rental of a John Wick movie starring Keanu Reeves. Collier no longer has access to the credit card, and said “I take full responsibility for the $5.99 that was repaid and understand the seriousness of the situation.”
That Checks Out: The city has improved its processes for criminal background checks for certain positions, but a report from the city auditor’s office found problems in the process that could lead to “legal, financial, and reputational risk for the City,” the Austin Monitor reported. Background checks cost the city $62,300 in Fiscal Year 2022-23, and the Human Resources Department now plans to outsource parts of the process.
Dade Phelan Prevails: Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan had a close call, but ultimately won the runoff which pitted him against the well-funded and Trump-endorsed David Covey, The Texas Tribune reports. Though Phelan has helped pass some of the most extreme right-wing legislation in recent American history, Covey represented an ultraconservative flank of the Texas GOP that painted Phelan as a liberal. Phelan was up by only a few hundred votes when Covey conceded (though he could have demanded a recount). Had Phelan lost, he would have become the first House speaker to lose a primary in 52 years.
Quote of the Week
“This was a terrible, awful knock-down, drag-out. You can now open your mailboxes again. You can watch the 6 o’clock news. It’s over.”
– Dade Phelan, in his victory speech at JW’s Patio in Beaumont after winning the runoff
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