Law student. Former journalist. Mizzou Mafia 🐯 + Minnesotan.
Austin, TX
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After four years covering #txlege for the @ExpressNews & @HoustonChron, I'm going to be leaving Austin (and journalism!) to go to law school. My last day will be Friday, June 6.
Please excuse my earnestness, but a few stray thoughts/thank yous:
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Big turnout in East Austin for Beto O’Rourke’s rally for reproductive rights.
He finished his speech with a plea for the crowd to volunteer, knock doors and get involved.
He lost in ‘18 by 216k votes, he said, and that could be made up with full turnout in Travis County alone.
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NEWS: @jamestalarico is eyeing a U.S. Senate run.
“The legislative session just ended, and I am having conversations about how I can best serve, and that does include the Senate race,” he said.
houstonchronicle.com/politic… #txlege
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New w/ @benwermund:
In what legal experts say is a conflict of interest that would never be acceptable in normal judicial proceedings, Ken Paxton, owes Lt. Gov. Patrick, who will serve as his “judge,” $125,000 in outstanding campaign loans.
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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Buffalo shooter was motivated at least in part by a radicalized belief that Dems are attempting to “replace” the electorate through immigration.
That viewpoint has been promoted by Texas Lt. Gov Dan Patrick:
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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This community note is crazy and perfectly exemplifies how Twitter has been ruined as a medium to share sober, legitimate news.
This promotes political speculation from the fanboys of a Youtuber as if it's fact in response to an article from a newspaper with a 150 yr history.
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NEWS: Vice President Kamala Harris will be coming to Houston on Thursday and speaking at the American Federation of Teachers national convention at 10am, per source.
Last might she eclipsed the majority mark in support from DNC delegates, making her the presumptive Dem nominee.
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a) the article doesn't call him anti-semitic.
b) he posted a public video using a Nazi song, joking about killing Jews and then holding a Nazi gun and goose-stepping.
If that "draws suspicions" of anti-semitism, how on earth is that the legacy media's fault?
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A teacher who called her colleagues family, a 10-year-old who wanted to be a marine biologist, a little girl who loved the show “Criminal Minds,” a boy who brewed coffee for his grandfather every morning: portraits of those slain this week in Uvalde.
uvaldeleadernews.com/article…
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Absolutely not. In the video, he uses a Nazi war song and is shown goose-stepping, going on to preempt criticism by saying only idiots would be offended by it.
You can’t court controversy and then be surprised by it when it arrives. The article is fair and factual.
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I’m at Rep. Elise Stefanik’s campaign rally this afternoon near Saratoga. The line for Trump signs is 4-5x longer than those for any other booth. Lots of enthusiasm here for the president
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New: Despite a common refrain from Gov. Greg Abbott that he’s pumped historic levels of funding into public schools, a newly published TEA report shows per-student funding has decreased since he took office, when adjusted for inflation. #txlege
expressnews.com/politics/art…
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Female aide said Cuomo aggressively groped her at the governor's mansion, in an escalation of the mounting accounts of sexual misconduct by the governor.
timesunion.com/news/article/…
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The article summarizes the content of the video, including herrera’s defense, as well as criticism of it. The headline is a description of the factual content of that video, which is publicly available.
Attempting to paint this as a politically motivated attack is absurd.
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My biggest takeaway from the eclipse is how nice it is to go for a little walk in the middle of the day and see a bunch of people out and about. Maybe we should do this all the time, even without celestial events?
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New: 3 Republican former members of the Texas Supreme Court endorsed Susan Hays to be the state's next commissioner of agriculture, choosing her over the incumbent, Sid Miller, who is running for his third term in the office.
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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New, w/ @jaspscherer:
Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority voucher proposal is poised to fail after more than a dozen republicans signed onto an amendment to block it on Friday: #txlege
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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New: An army of online bots attacked Rep. Dustin Burrows as he campaigned in to become the next speaker of the Texas House last year, offering a new view of the race where Burrows had been cast as an establishment figure rejected by the grassroots:
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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The majority leader — speaking in Albany — cut his event short at the time when he would normally answer questions, sped through the kitchen to a back door and left, undoubtedly avoiding questions of the ongoing nursing home alleged coverup
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From @caylajharris: Alex Birnel, a San Antonio-area political organizer, bumped into @RepLloydDoggett at a going away party in Austin.
Here's how their conversation helped lead to the departure of Joe Biden from the presidential ticket:
expressnews.com/politics/art…
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Beto at one point said there will be no permanent victories, that even if he wins, the fight will go on forever and it’ll be uncomfortable. Progress is not inevitable, he said, and we see regression from progress with Roe v Wade and voting rights rollbacks.
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A few weeks ago, Gov. Abbott wrote said "school choice doesn't take a penny from public schools."
But the nonpartisan LBB projects the following reductions to school funding for both versions of the bill:
2028: $257,546,337
2029: $522,404,297
2030: $805,532,528
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NEW: The Bexar County Texas House Dems all just endorsed @kristianfortx, saying their delegation wouldn't normally endorse against a colleague but the situation calls for it. #txlege
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Head cider maker at Angry Orchard, speaking at Cuomo's event, just mentioned that the farm is 60 acres. They're also outdoors in a parking lot
I would have thought that would be enough space to accommodate members of the media, but the governor and his staff must feel otherwise
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Rep. Ken King, questioning three anti-voucher witnesses from school groups:
"Are you ready to tell the governor you can’t buy us off, we’re against vouchers forever, always, no matter how much money you give us to make it look better?"
A: "Yes sir," "Yes sir" and "Yes sir."
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Crowd chanting “F— Greg Abbott” and “lock him up” about Ken Paxton. The candidates weren’t participating in that, but interesting to see that taste from a Dem crowd for a more vitriolic brand of politics.
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Tomorrow is my last day with @timesunion. It's been a bizarre, exceptional year covering New York politics and government. Thank you all for following along on here w/ my stories and my many unrelated bad tweets! (1/3)
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He also preached about the importance to “take political power,” which to me was an interesting way of re-stating the necessity of voting.
I know many on the left, particularly young people, are frustrated by Dems in DC calling for people to simply vote to realize progress.
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Any Klobuchar dropping an understated “well that was great” after all that was peak Midwestern mom energy
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Texas school districts surprised by new $300 million special ed hit, with schools already facing a deficit of over $2B.
This just makes the hole even deeper, essentially,” said Amanda Brownson, w/ the Texas Association of School Business Officials. expressnews.com/politics/art…
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New: Ted Cruz is a scheduled speaker at the NRA conference in Houston this afternoon, one day after refusing to discuss proposed gun control measures with the media, calling such matters “politics.”
(NRA is also a big $ donor for Cruz)
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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New, from @benwermund: Rep. Dade Phelan, the former House speaker, said he planned to vote "no" on the school voucher bill currently under debate
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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Abbott in 2022 before Melissa Lucio's planned execution:
“It is my understanding that the (Board) has not provided a decision to me yet.With that being the case, as the law requires,the governor must await for a decision from the Board.. I’ll make a decision once it comes to me"
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I was sitting outside a coffee shop earlier and a woman stopped next to the door with a covered stroller and said to me “I’m going in, can you keep an eye on her? If she jumps out, just grab her and put her back in.”
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I wish “who tf allowed this crazy woman in moody to film a campaign video?” was SEO-friendly because this quote in full should be the headline.
I put in an open records request to UT to see if this was an authorized use of state property.
Emails show it was not.
According to the docs I received, the conversation started internally when a student(name redacted) emailed UT Athletics to ask the following:
ALT Email where a student asks UT how Valentina Gomez got onto the floor of the Moody Center
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It’s a sharp departure from Obama-era “change you can believe in” and “the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward Justice.”
Then again, a lot has changed in the world since then.
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The Texas attorney general, who is serving while under indictment and owes millions in settlement $ to a group of whistleblower former staffers, says the House speaker should resign bc of a video of him speaking with slurred speech during a late night session
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If I go to a Schumer event in the future with an off-subject question, you can be sure I’m going to ask it the first chance I get.
Just bc you’re an elected official (especially bc you’re an elected official) doesn’t mean you get to choose what questions you get asked.
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I know we're all focused on other things at the moment (ie Paxton), but this is also important:
Independent bookstores warning that a bill designed to rid school libraries of sexual content will have devastating consequences to their businesses.
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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Feeling extremely honored tonight to share the Missouri Press Association award for best coverage of government with the great and powerful @J_Hancock for our coverage of the Title IX bills in #moleg last spring.
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It was written by a news reporter, not an opinion journalist, who is simply doing her job — and doing it well, I would add. A congressional candidate is not a "political rival" of a reporter. That's ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous.
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Next week I'll be heading down to Austin, TX, where I'm joining the Hearst bureau there to cover the state for the @HoustonChron and @ExpressNews. I am very excited and I start in a couple weeks! 🤠🤠🤠
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Houston Public Media should be embarrassed. Journalism is supposed to bring light to new information. They got caught up in outside BS and failed to do that — ironically exactly what they unfairly accused their own reporter of doing.
On May 3, @HoustonPubMedia planned to release a major four-part podcast about the state takeover of the Houston Independent School District. The series never aired. Through a series of Public Information Act requests, @Forrest4Trees and I found out why. texasmonthly.com/news-politi…
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“Part of this is that I’m not part of the political club," said the three-term governor, who is the son of a three-term governor and was previously married to a member of the Kennedy family.
timesunion.com/news/article/…
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Kamala Harris opens her speech in Houston to the @AFTunion national convention by emphasizing the value of having a good understanding of history, and teaching history properly to kids.
Or, in other words, a reminder that "You exist in the context of all in which you live"
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"A strategic move to depict a political rival as anti-Semitic."
He described a popular Nazi submachine gun as "the original Ghetto blaster."
That is a fact.
jewishinsider.com/2024/04/br…
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I just spoke with @MillerForTexas who said he was about 30 feet from Donald Trump when the shots went off.
The gunshots weren't very loud, Miller said, possibly a 22, so the crowd initially looked around for firecrackers or balloons. When the shots kept coming, people ducked.
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I just left one of those voicemails so meandering and painful it felt like my soul exited my body and floated somewhere over my head, watching helplessly as I um'd-and-ah'd around what I wanted to say
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A policy that @NYGovCuomo has been pushing for in his COVID briefings
Biden says everyone flying into the US will now need to test before they get on the plane and quarantine when they get to America.
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New: Ag Commissioner Sid Miller rehired his friend and aide Todd Smith at the Texas Department of Agriculture shortly after Smith pleaded guilty to commercial bribery charges for fraudulently soliciting tens of thousands from farmers seeking hemp licenses.
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Internal executive chamber personnel records obtained by the @timesunion show that Boylan, herself, was accused of bullying, harassing behavior while she worked for Cuomo, which led to her resignation. Story update TK
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This, but also in broad daylight, surrounded by people videotaping, while on the clock, holding a television camera and wearing a shirt that identifies his employer??
Without getting into the alleged details of the incident, why would a local TV news cameraman assault an officer? Like, what would the motive be?
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NEW: H-E-Bc chairman Charles Butt has spent hundreds of millions boosting Texas public schools. He’s opposed vouchers for decades.
So why did he back out of the fight when it reached its do-or-die moment?
expressnews.com/politics/art…
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Today is my first day reporting on TX politics/government from Austin for the @HoustonChron and @ExpressNews!
If you're in that space, you can reach me at Edward.mckinley(at)chron.com with thoughts, story ideas or just to say hi. Excited to be here!
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New, on why vouchers are such a tough sell in rural Texas:
What ‘Friday Night Lights’ shows about one rural Republican’s resistance to private school vouchers #txlege
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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David Maxwell, former Texas Ranger, testifies that he told Paxton "Nate Paul was a criminal. He was running a Ponzi scheme that would rival Billie Sol Estes and that if he didnt get away from this individual and stop doing what he’s doing, he was going to get himself indicted.”
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Me: “Are you with the media?”
A guy standing next to me at the courthouse: “No, I’m with the FBI.”
Me: “Oh. Cool.”
Perhaps a new personal low for social interactions
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Attorney Tony Buzbee cited "No coincidences in Austin" as an "old saying" when he introduced it, but there's no record of it in historical archives.
Buzbee's response?
“All I can say now is it should have been and you’re welcome."
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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I work with the author of this article and know firsthand how much effort and care she puts into being fair and accurate in her reporting. These attacks are exactly the opposite, and your line of argument here is frankly absurd and Orwellian.
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New: San Antonio expected to be the center of state House campaign efforts for Texas Dems this year. #txlege
“The Texas House Democratic Caucus ground zero is San Antonio. No doubt about it, full stop,” @TMFtx said in an interview over the weekend.
expressnews.com/politics/art…
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It is my 25th birthday, and I started my second quarter century on earth this morning with a cripplingly painful back spasm. Nice little window into what I have to look forward to 💕
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I was walking to this coffee shop just now and passed a long SXSW line next to a movie theater. Out of curiosity, I asked some guy in line, "Hey, what's the event y'all are waiting for?"
"Oh, it's South by Southwest," he responded.
Thanks man, got it!
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“Do you want to pet her?” She says, pulling back the cover of the stroller, at which point I finally realize it’s a small dog in the stroller, not a human baby.
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We’re unionizing! 🌶
Today, I’m joining my colleagues in calling for voluntary recognition for our union @satxnewsguild.
Our journalists are ready to fight for the future of our paper and secure a seat at the decision-making table. #VivaSANewsGuild
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Judge Janis Jack, who oversees the decadelong lawsuit against TX for unsafe foster care conditions, is hosting an emergency hearing right now for 7 kids sexually trafficked out a Bastrop facility for former sex trafficking victims.
Here's the complaint:
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NEW: Newly released campaign finance records show that despite pre-primary claims from first-time candidate Caroline Fairly that her wealthy donor father was not funding her campaign, he actually provided two-thirds of her financing. #txlege
expressnews.com/politics/art…
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I wasn’t listening to the briefing today, but I made the mistake of assuming that a member of congress would not put out a statement responding to something that wasn’t actually said. My bad y’all
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Piggybacking on this: Important to remember that later-counted votes wouldn’t be “flipping” election results.
There are no final results until all legitimate votes are counted.
The pressure to shut down the PA vote count is going to be insane.
Even if the 538 forecast for PA proves accurate (Biden +5), given partisan disparities in mail-in voting, Trump could hold a 16 POINT lead by the end of Tue night.
fivethirtyeight.com/features…
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Kudos to the Statesman journalists who watched and edited the original footage into the shorter video in this article. The edited version is unbelievably upsetting and I can’t imagine how traumatizing it must have been to watch and listen to the raw footage over and over.
Video footage from inside Robb elementary obtained by Statesman showing law enforcement's hour-plus delay in responding.
They edited out the sound of children screaming.
statesman.com/story/news/202… via @statesman
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I reached out to a woman on FB to ask if she'd be interested in talking with me for a story.
"First off, how do I know you're legit?" she said.
Damn, you got me. I'm masquerading as a newspaper reporter to trick middle aged women in rural Texas to talk to me on the phone. NVM
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Hey guys, I’ve been traveling today and haven’t checked the news. Anything important happening in New York today??
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There's been much reporting about TX public schools struggling to comply with a new requirement for an armed guard on each campus to stop school shootings.
Under a newly filed bill from Rep. Ryan Guillen, schools could instead use drones armed with pepper spray.
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And now it's official: The Texas House rejected a school voucher proposal on Friday, dealing an emphatic blow to Gov. Greg Abbott’s top priority after months of negotiations and political threats from the third-term Republican. #txlege
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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Watching Top Chef and saying out loud at my television “how the hell do you undercook the veal that bad?” While I’m eating a bowl of Kraft Mac and cheese with some mixed vegetables dumped in
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The judge criticizes the state for spending big $$ on the border or other priorities when there's an ongoing crisis for the kids in the care of the state.
Texas has turned down $40m+ in federal funds for foster care to avoid having to comply with federal regs, Jack says
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re: school vouchers & #txlege
“With all the national momentum, I think a lot of people are looking toward Texas as the next step,” said @DeAngelisCorey. “It’s going to be all eyes on Texas coming up this session. And people are going to be watching.”
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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Attorney General Ken Paxton is immediately suspended from office after the House voted 121-23 to impeach him.
A 2/3 vote will be required for removal after a Senate trial.
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Setting aside the fact that my personal opinions are not expressed in news stories, interesting this press release attacking me and my story says: “made financially prudent decisions to ensure the operations of the church.”
Sure sounds like an acknowledgement of the strategy!!
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Texas Railroad Commissioner pans science textbooks for pushing a “woke” and “radical environmental agenda” on climate change.
Academics had previously applauded the books for accurately describing the science of global warming. expressnews.com/politics/art…
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My hot take about Super Bowl half time shows is that they’re supposed to be fun spectacles and if we all put our theater critic hats on it sucks the joy out of it
I like this music. I like flashing lights. I like the dancing and chaos. Works for me!
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S/o to my amazing sister @magalicious45 who (along w her classmates) cooked an AMAZING five-course dinner for her final for culinary school!
Her chef has taught a previous Top Chef winner, and he leaned over to say “your sister is amazing. She’s going places.”
I agree!
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New: The Republican-led State Board of Education preliminarily rejected several new science textbooks on Tuesday over their presentation of climate change and evolution, a sign the books may be watered down before a final vote later this week.
expressnews.com/politics/art…
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w/ @Dexinvestigates: Separation of church & state has become a legal technicality easily sidestepped in Tx — especially for public charter schools.
For some it's a bus ride, a walk across the street or the school bell. At Yellowstone, it's a staircase.
houstonchronicle.com/politic…
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I’m at a bar in New York City and there’s a guy here by himself visibly sweating and watching a livestream of a horse race on his phone. Happy first day of legal sports betting!
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Clear your schedules for next Thursday night folks. I’m helping panel the #NY19 Congressional debate — moderated by @DanClarkReports.
nynow.wmht.org/blogs/politic…
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My editor: We're cutting your story down about the New York Senate holding a few procedural votes and giving a few speeches
Me: Why? Was there something else that happened today that was more newsworthy?
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Release of Texas A-F school ratings blocked temporarily by state district court.
Lawsuit is over TEA raising the standards for certain grades, which would result in lower ratings for many schools. #txlege
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There is no planned increase to the basic allotment, the per-student building block by which school districts are funded.
That's the most straightforward way to inject $ into the public education system and give employees raises.
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Cut short the part when he would answer **off-subject questions, to be clear. He took only questions on-subject first (as normal), and reporters had the courtesy to wait with other questions, then he skipped out
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I’m at the State Board of Education today for what will likely be a long day of discussion over how social studies will be taught to K-12 students for the next decade.
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We're approaching hour 4 of today's House Public Education Committee hearing on the massive ESA bill, and we have yet to begin public testimony.
There are two fully packed rooms of people here who came from around the state to share their thoughts.
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I’m covering the Texas Senate’s higher ed subcommittee’s hearing today, focusing on the state’s anti-DEI law, combating antisemitism & campus free speech.
The hearing comes just weeks after more than 100 were arrested at UT Austin during pro-palestine protests. Agenda attached.
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I'm at the #txlege House Criminal Justice Reform committee hearing to discuss the Melissa Lucio case, who was convicted of killing her daughter in 2008 but maintains her innocence. Her execution is scheduled for April 27.
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