@TexasObserver #RankedChoiceVoting in #Texas would 'dethrone' #BananaRepublicans. But the #TXleg will never allow it.
#PrimaryFromTheCenter #StrategicVoting would have the same effect - if people in Texas are smart enough to figure this out.
#Resist intelligently.
From Justin Miller in our magazine: The age of Republican domination in #Texas has largely been marked by remarkable entrenchment in the statewide power structure interrupted by occasional bursts of incestuous conflict. Can anything dethrone them? https://www.texasobserver.org/its-a-long-way-to-the-top-if-you-wanna-oust-the-pols/
“We oppose this execution as we do every execution. Capital punishment is an act of state sanctioned violence that violates the sacred dignity of every human life.”
Texas is scheduled to execute Moises Mendoza today. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-death-row-moises-mendoza/
#Earthquake (#sismo) M2.5 strikes 14 mi NW of #Kermit (#Texas) 12 min ago. More info: https://m.emsc.eu/?id=1798636
“All I remember is my eyes started burning. And then after that, I remember the cop kicking me in my face. She had me by my hair. She kneed me.”
New: @josephinelee reveals how the destruction of the Department of #Education is hampering the search for justice in this case of police brutality in school ... https://www.texasobserver.org/beaumont-pepper-spray-school-department-education/
…Over the past decade, #Texas has administered 5.6 million doses of the #MMR #vaccine through the program…. #NewMexico has received nearly 364k doses of the MMR vaccine over the same time period…
TX ofcls said on Tues that the state’s #measles #outbreak had grown to 624 cases, including 64 who were #hospitalized. 2 unvaccinated #children with no underlying #health conditions have died in the state, including an 8-year-old girl…
Dr. Sugerman, a snr scientist leading #CDC’s #measles response, highlighted #COVID-19 #funding cuts before a fed advisory panel: “We are scraping to find the resources & personnel needed to provide support to #Texas, & other jurisdictions.”
#Health Secy #RFKJr has overseen the huge reductions in force & budget after casting doubt on #vaccines for decades. In the current measles #outbreak, he is promoting unproven treatments while giving a tepid endorsement of the measles, #mumps & #rubella vax.
#Earthquake (#sismo) M2.3 strikes 15 mi SW of #Coyanosa (#Texas) 13 min ago. More info: https://m.emsc.eu/?id=1798335
Everything is fine: "The spread of measles in the Southwest now constitutes the largest single outbreak since the United States declared the disease eliminated in 2000, federal scientists told state officials in a meeting on Monday."
#PublicHealth #vaccines #science #health #pathology #virology #Texas
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/health/measles-southwest-outbreak.html
I had always wondered why there were streets in my county in Central Texas named Bois d'arc, and never knew where the name originated. I'm now learning that Bois d'arc is apparently the French name for the trees that grow what I know to be called "horse apples". Apparently the trees are actually called Osage orange trees, or the hedge apple tree (maclura pomifera).
@GottaLaff
MEANWHILE, the number of #Measles cases in #Texas has surpassed 600.
This goes SO far beyond incompetency.
After blowing taking #Covid seriously, resulting in 405K dead Americans in just 11 months, any SANE human being would take the next disease outbreak(s) seriously to redeem themselves.
INSTEAD, THEY ARE DOUBLING DOWN. 
#WhoopingCough #BirdFlu
Texas political leaders are indifferent, if not hostile, to climate change mitigation
Each year, Texas residents, industries and transportation emit more than 800 million tons of greenhouse gases with an impact on climate change that is comparable to Germany, which has a population 2.5 times larger.
#BirdFlu Has Now Been Discovered In Several Species Of #Texas Wild Mammals
by Renee Raven
Published: April 21, 2025
"#AvianFlu, a.k.a. Bird Flu or HPAI, has recently been discovered in several species of wild mammals, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (#TPWD).
Which Texas Animals Are Infected With Bird Flu?
"This highly contagious pathogen has been found in several mammalian species, including #foxes, #raccoons, striped #skunks, and #DomesticCats.
Where Has Bird Flu Been Found In Mammals In Texas?
"#DeafSmith, #Hansford, #Lubbock, #Ochiltree, #Parmer, and #Randall Counties all had mammals test positive for bird flu. This will likely spread to other counties.
What Impacts Will Bird Flu In Mammals Have?
"Needless to say, this could cause a devastating impact on both wild and domesticated animals and birds, including pets and backyard chicken coops.
How Are Mammals Becoming Infected With Bird Flu In Texas?
"The wild mammals are primarily becoming infected through eating the corpses of birds that died from the flu (so outdoor #cats are at a high risk), however, mammal-to-mammal spread is possible."
Read More: Bird Flu Has Spread To Texas Wild Mammals- What You Need To Know | https://kfmx.com/bird-flu-wild-mammals-texas/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
The May/June 2025 issue of Texas Observer magazine will be out starting May 1, featuring stories from Candice Bernd, Michelle Pitcher, Brant Deboer and more.
Become a member to support our work, and get the best of our reporting in our magazine.
The Texas Senate has advanced a bill to study the costs to the state of undocumented immigration. Republicans blocked any consideration in the proposed study of the economic benefits such immigrants contribute to the state.
New from Michelle Pitcher: 41-year old Moises Mendoza has spent half his life on death row. Texas plans to execute him on Wednesday, April 23. https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-death-row-moises-mendoza/
In our magazine: Americans own nearly 400 million #guns. Five of them were recently lying on my parents’ living room floor in Dallas.
https://www.texasobserver.org/son-of-a-gun-legacy-unwanted-firearms/
Our top story: The morning of the Texas House vote on school #vouchers Wednesday included, among other last-minute maneuvering, a phone call from President Donald #Trump.
https://www.texasobserver.org/abbott-trump-house-vouchers-pass/
