- Sales Tax Holidays for Water-Efficient and ENERGY STAR Products Set for May 23-25
- Grassroots Virtual Townhall: Spending Cuts
- Tensions Rise as Texas Governor Readies to Lift More Rules – tyrants and the ignorant are stamping their feet in a pique.
- Editorial: Abbott has operated in a manner that is appropriate for Texas
- Analysis: The path to emergency powers in Texas might run through the courts
- Texas Supreme Court ends eviction, debt protections enacted for pandemic
- Texas regulators drop cases against salons, barbershops that defied coronavirus closure order
- Court Awards Millions for Texans in Medicaid Fraud Lawsuit
- Texas Pharmacy Board Backs Down on Coronavirus Medicine Restrictions
- Pharmacy Board Loosens Restrictions on Hydroxychloroquine Prescriptions, Reversing Course
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: It’s time to play sports again with fans in the stands
- Abbott Prepares State Resources As Severe Weather Threatens Parts Of Texas
- Governor Abbott, HHSC Announce $3 Million For Family And Domestic Violence Prevention Services
- Comptroller’s Associate Deputy for Tax Wins Prestigious Award for Leadership and Service
- P. Bush to GOP: Alamo Cenotaph Needs to Be Moved to Keep It From ‘Falling Apart’ – it can be repaired in situ. Moving it increases chance of serious damage.
- Texas Supreme Court backs man who spent 2 years in prison under invalidated law
- SCOTX Returns “Fuzzy Animal” to 2nd COA
- AG Paxton Asks Texas Supreme Court to Stay Order Expanding Mail-In Voting
- Bexar County leaders move to expand access to mail-in ballots due to coronavirus fears, more
- TX13: Runoff Review: Winegarner and Jackson Face Off to Succeed Thornberry
- TX13: Obama’s former aides angry, hurt over Ronny Jackson’s embrace of Trump’s conspiracy theories – another positive for Jackson!
- TX13: Winegarner Announces Endorsements for Primary Runoff Election
- The Back Mic: Special Election Field Finalized, Pro-Choice Group Issues Endorsements, Abbott Releases Coronavirus Response Ad
- With campaigns constrained for now by a pandemic, the sleeper of a Democratic Texas US Senate runoff may lead to a red hot race this fall
- Questions Arise Over Special Development Deal for Democrat Senate Candidate’s Son
- ——————————————–
- Coronavirus related
- Let’s Not Pretend This Is Constitutional
- Texas cities, counties abused their emergency power with COVID-19 restrictions, task force says
- Tensions Rise as Texas Governor Readies to Lift More Rules – tyrants and the ignorant are stamping their feet in a pique.
- Map of Texas COVID-19 Test Collection Sites
- Flatten the bell curve? We don’t even know if the plotted curve was accurate.
- Texas COVID-19 situation report for 5/15/2020 (pdf) – 1216 deaths in Q1 plus half of Q2. Official Texas 2018/19 flu season P&I deaths were 9249 by end of July last year, over 10,000 for the year.
- Texas sees highest single-day hike in coronavirus deaths, cases – yes but these deaths are mostly from those who entered care weeks ago. Cases doesn’t matter much, just hospitalization. – See: Another Headline about ‘More New Virus Cases!’ That Ignores the Increasing Number of Tests
- Are daily local COVID-19 case number proclamations useful?
- There Is No Evidence Lockdowns Saved Lives. It Is Indisputable They Caused Great Harm
- Eschenback: The #COVID19 Emergency Is Over!
- Can we trust COVID modeling? The evidence from Sweden suggests not.
- Antibody studies of Spain and France show just five percent of population has been infected – “Given how dangerous COVID-19 appears to be, there’s a benefit to it not being as easily transmitted as modelers expected.”
- Podcast: Pratt on Texas Interview with Dr. Stephen Balch AUDIO
- Health officials wasted time on the speculative, didn’t harden the known
- Texas Democratic Party director, Manny Garcia, says Texas should still be shut down! – the Dem line: In ‘re-opening’ Texas, it’s clear the donors are in charge – Leftists universally resent work and productivity
- Lock down failure
- Dr. John Lee: Ten reasons to end the lockdown now
- This is not a natural disaster, but a manmade one – beware the contextual numbers, those numbers will trigger those cowering under their beds.
- People Power vs. Police Power
- Even after deaths and positive tests, Texas City doctor declares victory with Trump-touted drug
- Dr. Fauci’s Song and Dance
- Fauci warns of ‘suffering and death’ if US reopens too soon
- What a Prolonged Shutdown Will Cost in Human Life
- Could having a cold protect against COVID?
- Do real men not wear masks? – no but educated men do not. See this.
- Neurosurgeon Says Face Masks Pose Serious Risk to Healthy People
- Georgetown plans to open some facilities and parks Friday – parks should never have been closed!
- Texas medical mask maker: ‘I’ve been ignored for so long’
- Texas business reopens in defiance of shut down with armed security
- NIH director: Large-scale vaccine testing expected by July
- Plans to reopen Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame during COVID-19 causing concern – why? If you don’t want to go stay home.
- Texas Bar and Nighclub Association releases proposed guidelines for reopening
- A cop invokes the Constitution to urge #coronavirus resistance
- ‘Operation Haircut’ to Be Held on Michigan Capitol Lawn to Protest Whitmer ‘Nonessential’ Decree
- Michigan Judge Sides with Barber, Rejects Whitmer Demand to Close Shop
- Democrat Governor of Wisconsin Refuses to Reopen State Before May 26
- Whitmer: We’re not going to be filling stadiums in the fall
- Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: It’s time to play sports again with fans in the stands
- Year-round school in Texas next year to deal with COVID-19? We say yes
- Dear coronavirus: Don’t mess with Texas barbecue
- How a Dallas salon owner changed Texas’ reopening debate
- Texas regulators drop cases against salons, barbershops that defied coronavirus closure order
- CA Senator to Unemployed Freelancers Begging to Work: You’re Upset Because We Took Away Your “Lollipops” – this IS how the Left sees actual work.
- Bette Midler pats little people on the head while lecturing them on ‘senseless things’ they’ll no longer get to do after ‘COVID shift’
- Do We Really Value Life or Just Live in Fear for Our Own?
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- Federal/DC related to Texas
- China threatens to sanction Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw, other GOP lawmakers, over coronavirus criticism – I’m sure he’s very worried!
- Senate Passes FISA Reauthorization Bill, Cornyn and Cruz Divided on Privacy Concerns
- Rep. Chip Roy Announces Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act with Bipartisan Support
- Social Justice Requirements Could Politicize Investments in CARES Act
- Hmmm: House Dems bailing from Pelosi’s $3T “Heroes Act”?
- Pelosi’s vote on massive $3 trillion HEROES Act puts centrists, other House Democrats in tight spot
- McCarthy: ‘The founders would be ashamed’ of Pelosi’s handling of $3 trillion stimulus bill
- Sens. Cruz, Blackburn, Colleagues Urge Leadership to Provide Regulatory Relief for Businesses
- Sen. Cruz, Colleagues Urge Secretary of State and Treasury Secretary to Protect American Businesses and Assess Ivanishvili’s Ties to Russia and Iran
- Energy Secretary: Federal aid not for ‘highly leveraged’ oil companies
- Sidney Powell to Obama: Your Failure to Find Precedent for Flynn Dismissal
- Michael Flynn Lawyer Sidney Powell ‘Mystified’ By Judge Sullivan’s Partisan Actions, Lays Out Next Steps
- John Brennan Suppressed Intel Saying Russia Wanted Hillary Clinton to Win
- No, Obamagate Is Not a Trump Diversion
- CNN omits evidence in Flynn unmasking investigation
- Proposed Rule Would Ease Firearm Restrictions at Parks Managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- ———————————————
- Presidential race / national politics
- Bumbling Biden Breaks Down, Gets Virus Job Loss and Deaths Incredibly Wrong
- Biden says he doesn’t remember Tara Reade, people who believe her probably shouldn’t vote for him
- Biden Gives Disastrous, Incoherent Answer to Latest Tara Reade Questions
- Biden: I wouldn’t vote for me if I believed Tara Reade
- Biden pledges not to pardon Trump if he is elected
- Times when Biden seemed to struggle with words during roundtable VIDEO
- The ACLU Burns Down Its Own Principles
- Jeb Bush and the Governors’ Hour
- “Facebook Sucks”: Elon Musk’s Feud With Facebook Gets a Little Nastier
- ————————————
- Border / immigration
- Two Criminal Alien Sex Offenders Busted After Crossing Border into Texas
- Trump administration waives environmental safeguards to fast-track 69 miles of border fence construction
- April Sees Lowest Southern Border Apprehensions in Three Years
- Up to 2.4M Texas immigrants left out of coronavirus stimulus payments
- U.S. Attorney’s Aide in San Antonio Accused of Leaking Information to Mexican Cartel
- ——————————————–
- Business
- Texas was the top destination for corporate moves in 2019
- Baker Hughes Oil & Gas Rotary Rig Count Summary
- U.S. oil rig count plunges for 10th straight week
- Situation ‘not nearly as dire’ for U.S. oil prices, experts say
- Pandemic punches 1.7-billion-barrel hole in global oil demand
- Crude awakening: Oil patch lawsuits shift into high gear
- Fire shuts down units at Kinder Morgan’s Elba Island LNG
- Global energy convention in Houston postponed
- Exxon’s $77M SDTX Environmental Trial Goes Virtual
- Texas LNG receives TCEQ permit for export terminal
- Closed Texas coal plant is restarting
- Coal hit hard as cheaper wind, natural gas-fueled power grows
- Texans use less electricity in May
- Austin startup Homeward raises $105M in equity and debt round
- Austin startup Altr raises $15 million for growth
- J.C. Penney plans to file for bankruptcy protection, sources say
- J.C. Penney files for bankruptcy, plans to close some stores
- American temporarily flying shortest U.S. route of 29 miles
- Real Estate Report: Fewer Homes Listed, Sales Slowing
- As cattle backlog, quality improves
- Numerous media outlets lay off, furlough hundreds of staff as economic shutdowns drag on
- Unconfirmed Report: Austin a finalist for Tesla gigafactory site
- ——————————————–
- Crime & general news of Texas
- Man now locked up for Lubbock’s most recent murder was arrested several years ago — for murder
- Records: Heroin Buy Prompted Triple Killing Spree in Houston
- Odessa Fire Rescue investigating fire at Ashford Square Apartments
- Howard County Sheriff’s Office recovers substantial stolen property from residence
- Ector Co. man charged with sexually assaulting stepdaughter
- WFPD: Man pulled pocket knife, punched and threatened to kill officers
- Unidentified driver leads Plainview PD to Olton during early morning pursuit
- Vandals cause estimated $10,000 damage to Abernathy cemetery
- Lubbock Police provide update on overnight crash, saying it happened after police chase
- Man sentenced to 5 years for scheme – victims included LCSO retiree and former DPS Trooper
- Man accused of kidnapping 14-year-old Van Zandt Co. girl in custody of FBI
- Lubbock man accused of sexually abusing two girls indicted
- Police officer, troopers dodge out of control 18-wheeler in I-35 near Belton VIDEO
- Dallas Investment Adviser Fined $10,000 for Charging Performance Fees
- Police investigating man’s shooting death in NE Houston
- LCRA reformer in 1980s, led water authority after scandal, dies
- ———————————————
- Local government
- Bexar County leaders move to expand access to mail-in ballots due to coronavirus fears, more
- Small Protests at San Antonio Council Meeting Prompt Ejections
- San Antonio City Council Rejects ‘Right to Cure’ Eviction Delay Measure
- Dallas city manager says more tough decisions ahead after furloughs
- Development Corporation of Abilene submits budget, purchase request
- City of Abilene resumes operation, workers to return following COVID-19 shutdown
- Taylor Co. Expo Center grounds working on phase three renovations
- Abilene Animal Shelter may be managed by outside no kill animal group for one year
- City of Abilene’s budget takes $3.1 million hit because of COVID-19, with more to come – suck it up and cut spending as taxpayers were hit much harder
- Harris Co. Commissioner Adrian Garcia’s proposed tax relief is bad public policy
- Houston ISD board approves first step toward ‘innovation’ status, potential earlier school start date
- Fewer Riders And Cleaner Buses: A Look At How DART Has Changed During COVID-19
- San Marcos Sneaks in LGBT Policy During COVID-19
- ———————————————
- Colleges & universities
- St. Edward’s University Cuts 10% of Employees After Coronavirus Budget Hits
- Another scientist arrested for failing to disclose ties to China
- Odessa College Testing Center achieves national status
- Midwestern State University Closer to Joining Texas Tech System
- Rice-Spearman announced as sole finalist, candidate for TTUHSC president
- Tech president discusses the possibility of what will happen this fall VIDEO
- When It Comes To Reopening UT In The Fall, ‘Hope’ Is The Operative Word – wimpish non-Texans
Pratt’s post for 5/15/2020
May 15, 2020 by Leave a Comment
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