Trump’s Birthday Looms: Let’s talk about what exactly protesters are going to be demonstrating in opposition to this weekend. It’s a parade and full day of celebration of the U.S. Army, which just happens to fall on Trump’s birthday. There will be an enlistment and reenlistment ceremony presided over by Trump, a fitness competition, equipment displays and military demonstrations, a parade through Washington, D.C., and fireworks. At one point, U.S. Army Golden Knights will parachute down and offer Trump an American flag.
Propaganda Proliferating: With such obvious propaganda proliferating, meanwhile, The Associated Press is still trying to regain access to the White House. Remember how it was banned for refusing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America? The sycophants who now report from inside the White House include the reporter who asked the press secretary this spring what Trump’s secret is to looking so good. She began, we kid you not, “President Trump looks healthier than ever before. I’m sure everybody in this room could agree.” Well, on Friday, a federal appeals court handed AP News what they described as “an incremental loss.” An AP spokesman said they are “disappointed” and “reviewing our options.”
Sending In the Troops: But back to the protests, America is still reeling from the deployment of National Guard and then U.S. Marines in Los Angeles. By federalizing California National Guard members last weekend, Trump took away Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authority over his own Guard. The Atlantic pointed out that the Pentagon appears not to have even thought through sleeping arrangements for its troops (who are on the floor in cramped quarters), let alone determined the rules of engagement on the streets. The author argues the deployment will be useless at best and counterproductive otherwise. “But Trump’s motive is transparent – and he will surely engineer an occasion to keep escalating his power plays, until they seem normal.”
Flight Delays: In a very different situation that involves the federal government messing things up at the local level, the air traffic controller shortage at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport means more delayed flights, KUT reports. Twice in May alone, airports elsewhere had to hold planes on the ground to prevent overwhelm here. Meanwhile, controllers are dealing with mandatory overtime, six-day workweeks and managing more flights on less sleep, KUT reports. The airport’s CEO wrote to the Federal Aviation Administration last November, saying staffing levels were “dire” and “directly impacting airport safety and operations.”
Confederate Names Back: Donald Trump announced Tuesday that his administration is restoring the Confederate names of several U.S. Army bases that were changed in 2023. That includes former Fort Hood, renamed Fort Cavazos. It would be illegal under federal law to rename a military base after Confederate John Bell Hood, but Trump’s admin found World War I Col. Robert B. Hood would do the trick. The re-renamings are all this way, Texas Public Radio reports.
Gerrymandered to Bits: Trump’s political advisers had a bright idea that Texas Republican Congress members are now considering, according to reporting by The Texas Tribune and nonprofit news org Votebeat. How about the state Legislature take the unusual step of redrawing district lines to shore up the GOP’s advantage in the U.S. House? Gov. Greg Abbott would have to call a special session of the Legislature to redraw the maps, but it would give Republicans a better chance to flip Democrats’ seats Republican, two GOP congressional aides told the reporters.
Trump Approval Down: With all of this going on, it’s somehow still surprising that Trump’s approval rating has dipped below 40%. According to a new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday, he’s also losing support on issues that were crucial to his campaign. 53% of the voters polled did not support the so-called big beautiful bill, and on Medicaid funding only 10% said they think federal funding should decrease. But Democrats aren’t doing so hot either, with only 20% of those polled approving of the way Democrats in Congress are doing their jobs.
Child Care Relief: Some good news. Phew. Child care is super expensive (in fact, more than in-state tuition in Travis County) but the Legislature actually passed several bills to make accessing child care easier this session, the Austin Monitor reports. They include a couple of bills to streamline siloed state operations, a bill to make it easier for people to open home-based child care providers, and the biggest win is $100 million in the budget for child care scholarships.
GOP Support a Psychedelic Drug: Curiously, while Texas sets to crack down on cannabis use, Abbott is prepped to sign a bill that would invest $50 million in research into another psychedelic plant (this one an ancient African shrub) called ibogaine. The clinical trials would study ibogaine as a treatment for addiction and brain trauma, The Texas Tribune reports. Rick Perry has advocated for ibogaine access, and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has publicly thrown his support toward ibogaine while dissing THC.
50 Years of Sustainable Planning: Since 1975, the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems has acted as a leader in green design. As one of the first design-build studios in the country, the Center is now celebrating its 50th anniversary. Founders Pliny Fisk III and Daria Bolton Fisk envisioned the Center as a hub for sustainable practices and design choices in building and architecture. To date, they’ve completed dozens of projects in and outside Austin. Current co-directors Fisk and Gail Vittori open the Center to visitors once each month to educate folks on their current design innovations.
Sue You Too: A nonprofit is challenging Texas’ end to in-state tuition for students without legal documentation. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund filed a motion Wednesday. “What happened last week – the invalidation of longstanding state law in the course of one afternoon – was an abuse of our judicial system,” said nonprofit president Thomas Saenz, the Statesman reports.
Supporting Migrants: A bill that requires county sheriffs to cooperate with ICE currently awaits Abbott’s signature, but Hays County officials passed a resolution this week urging police to “humanely” treat undocumented immigrants. Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said the measures guarantee governmental oversight and protect due process, the Statesman reports. Becerra said, in bringing the resolution forward, he was responding to very real fear in his community. He said at Lowe’s he found “a ghost town” where he used to see many immigrants willing to work.
Quote of the Week
“I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week. They went too far.”
– Elon Musk
This article appears in June 13 • 2025.