Trouble Overseas: It appears Europe will be on the hook for keeping Russia in check when Trump takes office. Trump has indicated he wants the U.S. to abandon Ukraine ASAP, and JD Vance has outlined a “peace” deal that would benefit Russia. This week, The Atlantic pointed out that European countries haven’t scaled up their own military resources to defend against Russia. The Atlantic concludes: “Trump’s return means that things previously inconceivable must be faced. And in Ukraine, a new Europe can be born.”
Pelosi Says She’s Not Pollyannaish, But: Nancy Pelosi is back in office, and in a New York Times interview this week, she repeatedly rejected the idea that the red wave indicates failures in the Democratic Party’s platform or image. “And that’s why we are a close call in the House right now in a year where the map is bright red across the board,” she said, before the House was called for Republicans. Interviewer Lulu Garcia-Navarro asked if Pelosi has reevaluated whether she actually understands this country. “No, I do. … I think that we make a very big mistake if we underestimate the greatness of the American people.” Garcia-Navarro pointed out that in other countries under populist leaders, the opposition “gets distilled into just being against the populist leader.” Did Pelosi worry about the Democrats becoming simply anti-Trump? Pelosi said no.
Texas Dems Chair Steps Down: Meanwhile, Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa announced his resignation Friday after an election cycle that saw what he called “devastating defeats” for the party in Texas. “In the days and weeks to come, it is imperative that our Democratic leaders across the country reevaluate what is best for our party and embrace the next generation of leaders to take us through the next four years of Trump and win back seats up and down the ballot,” he said.
Border Counties Going Red: Among Democrats’ defeats in Texas, border counties flipped red. Four years ago, Joe Biden carried the four-county region of the Rio Grande Valley by 15 points total. Two years ago, they voted for the progressive Beto O’Rourke for governor in double-digit margins. This election, they went for Trump. The Texas Observer suggested this week that future elections will reveal if this phenomenon is unique to Trump, or if the counties are generally right-leaning now.
Attacking Trans Kids Helped GOP: Political scientists and advocates, liberal and conservative alike, say that the Texas GOP’s focus on trans kids playing sports fired up Republican voters this cycle. “We pivoted to the sports issue,” said Terry Schilling, president of the right-wing American Principles Project, which spent $18 million on anti-trans ads this year. “It’s been wildly successful.”
Who Will Be Speaker?: With the membership of the Texas House decided, the speaker of the House is still undecided. Since he oversaw the impeachment of A.G. Ken Paxton, incumbent Speaker Dade Phelan has been the target of House Republicans who say he’s too liberal, The Texas Tribune reports. State Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield, is vying for the job, but Phelan insists he has the votes.
Hate on Campus: Less than 12 hours after Trump was declared the election winner, a pair of self-proclaimed Christians from a group called Official Street Preachers visited Texas State University to display homophobic and misogynistic signs reading “Sodomy Is Worthy of Death,” and “Women Are Property.” President Kelly Damphousse condemned their actions, saying, “That kind of hate is not welcome here.”
Oh Boy, It’s Starting Again: Texas lawmakers filed more than 1,400 bills on Tuesday, the first day of open filing for the upcoming legislative session. According to the Statesman, some of these include: HB 274, which would make Austin subject to the direct oversight of the state; HB 160, which would require Texas universities notify police if they learn that an enrolled student is not in the country legally; and HBs 257 and 395, which would add additional exceptions to the state’s abortion ban for rape, incest, fatal fetal diagnoses, and danger to a woman’s health.
Important Court Even Redder: How could the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals move any further to the right? Last week’s election proved it was possible, as all three of the far-right candidates supported by Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated already-extremely-conservative sitting judges. The court routinely denies new trials for Texas death row inmates.
Sink Slop For Sale: Infowars is finally being auctioned off. The online broadcasters of wild conspiracy theories, formerly owned by head lunatic Alex Jones, went up for sale on Wednesday. According to CNN, it has received a seven-figure offer from an unknown bidder.
100 Suits Down, How Many to Go?: It’s a happy day for Attorney General Ken Paxton, if he’s capable of feeling joy. The lawyer with the dead shark eyes filed his 100th lawsuit against the Biden administration on Monday, The Dallas Morning News reports. He’s challenging a rule from the Federal Communications Commission which caps the price of phone and video calls for incarcerated people, which are already quite expensive. What will Paxton do when Biden is gone?
Really Good Eats: In a very slim glimmer of hope in this week full of bad news state- and nationwide, seven Austin restaurants earned their first Michelin stars this week, including la Barbecue, Barley Swine, Craft Omakase, and Olamaie. Two more won Michelin green stars, awarded for sustainable practices: Dai Due and Emmer & Rye. Another 12 Austin spots won the Bib Gourmand, an award for affordability. Read more online.
Sears to Health Center Glow Up: In more good news, KUT reports the old Hancock Center Sears building is undergoing a transformation. By 2027, Travis County’s local public health district, Central Health, plans to turn the space into a medical complex to treat low-income county residents. It’ll include primary care, specialty care, imaging, and pharmacy services.
Suit Over G File Dropped: Equity Action, the criminal justice nonprofit that wrote the Austin Police Oversight Act, has dropped its suit against the city over the new police contract. The suit focused on the language in the contract around APD’s “G file,” the secret personnel records that include internal misconduct investigation materials. In a filing this week, EA said since Council and the police union both approved the contract, the language is final and the challenge is moot, KUT reports.
Quote of the Week
“It is imperative that our Democratic leaders across the country reevaluate what is best for our party and embrace the next generation of leaders.”
– Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, in announcing that he’s stepping down
This article appears in November 15 • 2024.