How sweet it is: The Onion is vowing to re-create Alex Jones’ Infowars as a parody of itself, beginning in January. The satirical publication won the bid to purchase Infowars last week after it was put on the auction block to pay down the $1.4 billion that Jones owes the families of children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre. A Houston bankruptcy judge halted the sale hours after the auction concluded but The Onion’s attorneys believe it will ultimately be approved.
What Is Science Anyway: Public health advocates are preparing for an assault on the science of vaccines, now that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, has been picked to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Panelists at a recent symposium by the Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences said it will be necessary to protect evidence-based health policies. A presentation by Michael Emerson focused on Evangelical Christians, who are dubious of vaccines, and made three suggestions: to not ridicule these communities, to try to understand their root concerns, and to make appeals to them based on “biblical values” (which apparently don’t have to do with murdering firstborn males or animal sacrifices?).
Just Shocked, We Tell You: Speaking of cabinet picks, lots of lobbyists, editorialists, and politicians are expressing shock at the incompetence and wackiness of Trump’s nominations. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who also said she was surprised when Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, says she is “shocked” at the Matt Gaetz A.G. nomination. In response to Pete Hegseth’s nomination as secretary of defense, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska told NBC, “I’m just surprised.” This week, David Graham at the Atlantic asks: When are Americans, especially powerful ones, going to start taking Trump at his word?
Bail Hearings Go Public: In a victory for the Caldwell/Hays Examiner, Mano Amiga, and the Texas Tribune, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that Caldwell County must make its bail hearings public. The groups had brought suit against the county for excluding the press and public from bail hearings, arguing that the exclusion violated free speech and due process rights. “This decision is a victory for transparency, accountability, and freedom of the press,” Sam Benavides of the Caldwell/Hays Examiner said.
Music Grants, Reexamined: The city’s Music Commission is establishing a working group to examine the scoring process for the $4.5 million in grants it distributed to artists and promoters this year. More than 1,200 applied for the grants under a new scoring rubric, which resulted in some longtime awardees receiving zilch. Meanwhile, the value of the grants also rose to $15,000 and $30,000, lowering the number of those receiving money.
Electric Buses on Pause: Remember the 46 awesome new electric buses the city’s transit authority, CapMetro, purchased last year? They’ll all be sitting in garages for the foreseeable future as CapMetro pauses its ambitious plan to electrify its fleet. The city’s transportation provider is one of many across the country that has been affected by the bankruptcy of electric bus provider Proterra.
She Did Not Kill Her Daughter: Melissa Lucio did not murder her daughter Mariah in 2007, Cameron County District Judge Arturo Nelson ruled in a recently released decision. “[Lucio] is innocent,” wrote Nelson, who oversaw the murder trial which ended with Lucio’s sentence of death. “She did not kill her daughter.” Nelson recommends that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which is considering Lucio’s case, overturn her conviction. Lucio came within two days of being executed in 2022, before judges decided to reexamine her case.
Death Penalty Avoided, For Now: In a similar case, last month, as Texas prepared to execute Roberson for the death of his daughter in 2002, the House’s Criminal Jurisprudence Committee subpoenaed him to testify on his case, believing him to be innocent. The testimony didn’t ultimately happen but Roberson’s execution was halted. Now the leaders of the House committee that saved the life of Robert Roberson are framing a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling as a victory. The Supreme Court ruled last week that the House may not again delay his execution but that it may hear his testimony. Reps. Joe Moody and Jeff Leach said they’ll seek it.
Well, Yikes: A new analysis from The Texas Tribune is looking at why Democrats’ election year messaging on Texas abortion ban failed to resonate with voters. The upshot? According to the Tribune, though a majority of voters disagree with Texas’ abortion ban, men and women said their most important issue was the economy. Only 10% of women cited abortion as their biggest concern. Texas women split evenly for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
Deportation Camp In Texas: The Texas General Land Office has offered Donald Trump a 1,400-acre Starr County ranch as a site to build detention centers for the mass deportations of undocumented immigrants Trump has promised, the Texas Tribune reported Wednesday. The state recently bought the land with plans to build more border wall on it. Now, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says Texas is prepared to support “coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history.”
Abortion Pills, Get ’Em While You Can: After Trump’s election, some are stocking up on abortion pills, Texas Public Radio reports. The founder of one Massachusetts telehealth provider that sends abortion pills in the mail said they normally receive between 130 and 140 intake forms, but the day after the election, there were more than 1,000.
Drama at CommUnityCare: On Tuesday, management at Central Health, the local hospital district, announced the dismissal of CommUnityCare’s CEO Jaeson Fournier, the Statesman reported. Fournier had led the federally qualified health center for seven years, and the new interim CEO sent a message to staff saying, “TheCommUnityCareBoard, who is responsible for the oversight of our CEO, does not approve of this action. Weremaindeeply frustrated by the events of the last few months including today’s decision.”
Spending on Security: About three dozen officials, including Travis County judges, will receive $500,000 in a pool to spend on home security after approval from the Travis County Commissioners Court, the Statesman reported. Earlier this year, D.A. José Garza privately sought money for security measures, and commissioners approved $115,000.
Quote of the Week
“This is a battle that is just beginning.”
– Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth
This article appears in November 22 • 2024.