- Abbott Keeps Schools Closed … And Pretty Much Everything Else, Too
- Conservatives ‘Disappointed’ After Abbott’s Reopening Announcement
- Pastor Riggle: Time to Reopen Texas
- It’s time to reopen the economy
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ‘Strike Force to Open Texas’ meeting Monday; state publishes guidelines for reopening retail business – the retail-to-go is stupid and ignores the entire model of retailing. Except for very specific supplies I have no idea what to order until I look at the various items in-store.
- Law puts expansive emergency power in Abbott’s hands, Let’s Not Pretend This Is Constitutional
- Despite Loosened State Rules, Dennis Bonnen Says COVID-19 Precautions Should Continue – he needs to distance himself from Texas
- Local vs. State Control at Issue in Deciding How to Reopen Businesses – all levels seem to be about “control” and coercion as opposed to freedom
- In Restarting the Texas Economy While Promising to Keep COVID-19 at Bay, Greg Abbott Faces a Precarious Balancing Act
- Sen. Bob Hall: Texas Medical Board Now Triaging Patients
- Isaac: Coronavirus budget constraints call for fiscal restraint in the Capitol
- Rep. Lopez: Texans Should Not Expect Property Tax Relief as Response to Pandemic
- Rep. Burrows on lowering your property taxes in 2019 VIDEO
- Federal appeals court allows Texas to again ban most abortions, including by medication
- Miller: Ag funding on the way to help rural hospitals
- Texas Values Testifies At “Virtual” SBOE Meeting To Protect Texas Kids
- Rep. Mary Gonzalez succeeds Rep. Drew Darby on LBB
- Texas, like OPEC, can’t turn back time for oil
- Texas Securities Commission Moves Against Oilman Promising Profits Even at $20/Barrel
- Governor Abbott Appoints Herod To Texas Medical Board
- Abbott Appoints Three To The Finance Commission Of Texas
- Abbott Appointed Smith To Texas State Board Of Public Accountancy
- Governor Abbott Appoints Pattillo To 216th Judicial District Court
- Governor Abbott Statement On San Marcos Police Shooting
- Rep. Steve Toth joins Texas House Freedom Caucus
- Battleground 2020: A Breakdown of Runoff Fundraising Numbers for Key Texas Congressional Races
- TX21: Rep. Chip Roy, Challenger Wendy Davis Clash Over Coronavirus Response
- Texas officials, no excuses. Come up with a plan that preserves health, encourages voting and keeps our elections on schedule – more push to get the Democrat dream of tons of voting by mail.
- Drive-thrus and free pencils: Texas plans for July elections with in-person voting
- Analysis: In an important election year, politics takes a back seat – B.S., the control is all about politics and so is the fight over voting
- MJ Hegar besting Royce West in Democratic Senate race with superior fundraising, infrastructure
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- Coronavirus related
- Let’s Not Pretend This Is Constitutional
- Wuhan virus experience undermines justification of government actions
- COVID-19 mitigation is a weighing of harms
- 2019-2020 Texas Influenza Surveillance Activity Report
- Texas COVID-19 situation report for 4/20/2020 (pdf) – 477 deaths in Q1 plus half of April. Official Texas 2018/19 flu season deaths were 9249 by end of July last year, over 10,000 for the year.
- Texas COVID-19 deaths now 428, only 1,522 in hospital (that was Friday)
- Coronavirus death toll in Texas reaches 495, 1,411 in hospital (down more than 100)– There are over 54,000 staffed hospital beds in Texas. That’s less than 3% of Texas staffed beds. Flu seasons often see higher numbers than this. “Data shared by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson showed of the 1,150 confirmed coronavirus cases in Dallas County, 500 were hospitalized. More than 2,100 patients with the flu have been hospitalized over the same four-week period.”
- 963 new coronavirus cases reported in Texas, 16,455 total.– not much compared to 29,000,000 people. “The number of COVID-19 patients being treated in Texas hospitals dropped by 79 to 1,459, according to the figures reported at midday Thursday by the Texas Department of State Health Services.”
- Overall U.S. death rate is at a multi-year LOW
- Texas governor puts the brakes on non-monetary bond during pandemic
- Non-COVID Patients Need Care, Too
- Rosenthal: Texas is flying blind during the COVID-19 crisis. More testing needed now – a cry to essentially extend the heavy-hand and big spending of gov’t, to keep things going to keep gov’t officials in our business.
- Texas Officials Were Warned Six Years Ago to Prepare for a Pandemic. They Didn’t. – here is the line from the Libs. Actually Texas maintains a full-time state and local public health system just for communicable disease. But, as seems always to be the case the bureaucracy was slow and incompetent.
- Hundreds of retired Texas nurses, doctors ask to return to work – why? They are not needed as hospitals are dealing with surplus staff.
- Dallas County Updates Face Mask Order, Eliminating Penalty for Noncompliance – as reported here last Friday.
- Protesters mass in Austin to call for lifting of restrictions
- Protesters march on Texas Capitol demanding the state ‘open now’
- A Few Hundred Protest COVID-19 Orders at Texas Capitol, more
- Protest presents opportunity to talk to people in person
- Caravan of honking cars replaces traditional protest in San Antonio amid coronavirus crisis
- Protests across the nation gain steam as Americans wonder when stay-at-home orders will lift
- What Is the Limit of American Patience? – mine has already been passed
- Social distancing 40% less prevalent in Trump country, Rice University study shows – good
- At Bexar County jail, inmates complain of superficial cleanings, scarce soap and flimsy masks amid COVID outbreak – you know it is B.S. with “flimsy” masks
- ‘We’re destitute,’ unemployed Central Texas waitress says – Gov. Abbott and local mayors and county judges did this.
- Texas Parks Set to Reopen, but Complications Are Presenting
- Texas state parks reopen for day use
- Lubbock city “reopen” task force met in secret, media not allowed today. More at 5:06pm on Pratt on Texas. Appears to have less than 30% membership of closed business people.
- Majority of Lubbock COVID-19 deaths related to nursing homes
- 9 coronavirus clusters found in 8 Austin care centers, Salvation Army
- Circus Performers Stranded in Texas Amid Virus Outbreak – politicians?
- San Angelo eases restriction on customer limit for grocery, building supply stores
- Abilene can’t police those quarantined, but most appear to be complying
- Human remains found in Hockley Co. cannot be transferred, identified due to COVID-19
- Dallas Residents Ready to Get Back to Work; Jenkins Says Wait
- ‘I don’t think I’m a hero,’ local woman on the front lines in NYC says – well, first the word is heroine and second, you are commendable but right, it’s not heroism.
- Thousands Line Up for Donated Food in Houston – thanks gov’t
- Texas Engineers Work In Labs, Living Rooms To Invent Ventilator Shortage Solutions – there is not ventilator shortage!
- Texas Restaurant Group Takes Reopening Plan To Task Force
- Is this rural community really Texas’ sickest county? – no. Just makes the case I made 5 weeks ago about proper numbers
- Canada had its worst mass shooting ever over the weekend – when you can’t defend yourself in your home in which you are a prisoner.
- Before and after: Satellite images show coronavirus impact around the globe
- Laredo pair allegedly violated coronavirus stay-at-home order with beauty businesses – should have used the time to work on their own “beauty” if you ask me!
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- Federal/DC related to Texas
- Senator Ted Cruz: The best way to protect America’s energy producers is to re-open the economy
- Sen. Cruz Issues Statement in Support of Governor Abbott’s Request for Relief for Refinery Workers
- ‘They’re Killing Us,’ Texas Residents Say of Trump Rollbacks – ridiculous
- Census paper mailers delayed due to social distancing
- Rep. Nunes wants to know what information CIA gave FBI in 2016
- Newly declassified evidence casts doubt on Obama intel assessment about Russia’s election intentions
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- Presidential race / national politics
- Poll shows Trump trailing Biden by 9%, but post-coronavirus response will likely decide election
- #MeToo Activists Justify Maintaining Support for Biden
- Laredo Rep. Henry Cuellar endorses Democrat Joe Biden for president
- Miami Herald Columnist: Packed Beaches Will ‘Work Nicely to Thin The Ranks’ Of Trump And DeSantis Supporters – how the Left sees everything.
- A Pattern of Deceit at the World Health Organization
- Could anti-lockdown protests be new Tea Party movement?
- Federal Judge Says Kansas Gov. Singled Out Churches
- Embattled California mayor who compared Trump supporters to KKK dies in plane crash
- Move to take Winter Olympics away from China gathers momentum in conservative circles
- Cuomo says the federal government should offer hazard pay for frontline workers
- ‘How the Media Completely Blew the Trump Ventilator Story’
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- Border / immigration
- CBP Policy Changes at Border Crossings Endanger Officers, Public During Coronavirus Pandemic, Says Union
- Restrictions on non-essential border travel extended 30 days
- Illegal Alien Rescued from Rio Grande, Returned to Mexico Under Coronavirus Protocol
- Firearm Parts, Ammo, Fake Grenade Seized at Texas Border Crossing
- Recently Deported Coronavirus Patient Escapes Mexican Border City Hospital
- Mexican Gulf Cartel Faction Leader Dies in Shootout near Border Years After Faking His Own Death
- Trump must ease restrictions on visas for foreign-born health care workers – more using a “crisis”
- AMLO says Trump pledges 1000 ventilators to Mexico, yet Mexicans are not social distancing
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- Business
- U.S. oil price collapses to near zero as storage fills up, more
- Oil plunges below $5 as storage sites fill
- Texas oil at $2 a barrel raises specter of negative prices
- Drilling Down: Drilling permits fall by a third as oil slides below $20
- Gasoline prices just keep falling as crude begins free-fall
- Oil field services workers laid off at two operations in San Antonio area
- Halliburton posts $1 billion first-quarter loss
- Official: What’s happening now is extremely bullish for oil further out
- Unemployed? Don’t use 3rd parties to sign up for electricity help
- Airlines Need to Buy Fire Protection to Fly Cargo Instead of Passengers
- These companies have furloughed or laid off Houston and Texas workers due to the coronavirus
- AbiMar Foods Outbreak: 10% of workforce positive for COVID-19, all 500-600 employees tested, AbiMar Foods plans phased reopening
- Man Loses Consciousness at LBK X-fab Lab, Sues for Negligence
- Alcohol sales down 94 percent in Harris County
- Texas ranks in the middle in best states for working from home
- Dozens of Austin Store Closings No Longer Look Temporary
- How Texas beef producers are finding new ways to face industry challenges VIDEO
- Neiman Marcus’ missed April interest payment could accelerate a forced bankruptcy filing
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- Crime & general news of Texas
- San Marcos police officer killed, two wounded after responding to domestic disturbance call, Chief: Man ambushed 3 Texas officers in his home, killing 1
- Mexia teen dies after SUV veers off road, hits tree
- Man, 50, found in Waco neighborhood with multiple gunshot wounds
- Evacuation Lifted After Gas Leak Spurs Fire in Grand Prairie VIDEO
- Police: Man Who Hijacked Texas Bus Was Sought in Slaying
- Homicide investigation underway in Archer County
- Knox Co. residents mourn Munday 5th-grader who died Friday in ATV accident
- Electra police: Shots fired at car with 2-year-old inside
- ank battery fire still burning between Midland and Odessa
- Multiple home burglars steal safe containing firearms, Native American artifacts, and jewelry in Stephens County
- Crooks steal $40K from Texas bank ATM; only took two minutes, say deputies
- Plainview PD: Person ejected from vehicle in rollover Saturday suspected of driving drunk
- Justices on 7th Court of Appeals revoke Dr. Thomas Dixon’s $2 million bond
- Court of appeals reverses Harris County bond order in domestic violence case
- Harris Co. Sheriff: Motorcyclist dies in crash during apparent street race
- Man found shot dead on Buffalo Speedway
- Arson detectives investigating fire in southeast Houston warehouse
- One killed after shooting outside Greenspoint car wash
- Man who hijacked bus in North Texas was wanted in Brazoria County assault case
- Man found shot dead in quiet south Houston neighborhood
- Williamson County Sees Spike in Opioid Overdoses
- Copperas Cove man held after weapon pointed at Killeen officers
- Missing San Antonio woman found dead in her home
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- Local government
- Push for expanded public transit in San Antonio hits another potential roadblock: COVID-19 – a sliver lining?
- Lubbock city “reopen” task force met in secret, media not allowed today. More at 5:06pm on Pratt on Texas. Appears to have less than 30% membership of closed business people.
- Listener: “Next Month Massengale” addresses Lubbock’s economic task force
- Wichita Falls mayor starts task force to plan for reopening of economy – names not listed for this group in the story. Is it secret too?
- Wichita Falls Listener: Local, other governments our biggest roadblock to recovery
- San Angelo eases restriction on customer limit for grocery, building supply stores
- Abilene’s EDC creates economic relief fund to provide support for companies
- City manager: Abilene can’t police those quarantined, but most appear to be complying
- City of Bowie accepts 2018-19 audit; receives BEDC update
- Rep. Walle appointed Harris County Recovery Czar by County Judge Hidalgo
- Port Aransas Bans Fishing in Public Areas
- Fort Bend County Commissioners Court on Tuesday to consider asking state for property tax relief
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- Colleges & universities
- Texas Comptroller’s Office Features Interactive Video Series to Inspire Kids to Think About College
- MSU Texas online education degree garners national recognition
- HPU’s Welker named Educator of the Year by state forensics association
- ACU SOAR program, Katie Kirby fund helping students in need during COVID-19 crisis
- Wayland will take the CLT college entrance exam for fall 2020
- TTU: Leftist Hispanic/Latinx Research & Creativity Symposium Moves Online
- College Entrance Exam Innovator Still Testing Under Coronavirus Restrictions
Pratt’s post for 4/20/2020
April 20, 2020 by Leave a Comment
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