THU brief 3.10.22
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Today’s Stories
TRANSGENDER LUNACY is in retreat.
That’s the only conclusion one can draw from recent reports in the (friendly) New York Times and Texas Tribune. The Times’ report is especially noteworthy.
Apparently, there was a behind-the-scenes pressure campaign from the Governor’s office that led to the shutdown of the taxpayer-subsidized GENEICS program at UT-Southwestern. It’s reported the Governor put his foot down in November.
Good.
What’s mystifying, however, is why this took place behind the scenes.
While discontent on this subject has been brewing for a while, it's only exploded in the past six months. In that vein, Abbott’s timing makes sense. But why not say so?
Instead, Abbott allowed himself to take flack for months.
Meanwhile, Dave Carney (Abbott’s consultant) tells the Tribune that banning this practice is popular. Duh. While Carney’s remark was in the context of a general election, it’s even more true in a primary.
However we got here, it’s a good result. Along with “Snippy Stephanie’s” (Klick) primary, the political dynamics are changing.
Maintain pressure. (AC)
TEXAS A&M has moved to sever ties with Russia.
This follows a Biden administration order restricting information and technology transfers to the former Communist country as it holds its line in the sand vis-a-vis Ukraine, NATO, and the West.
Chancellor Sharp's move is being made while calls for expelling all Russians in higher education have ramped up. All of this is squarely in the fog of war, but it wasn’t long ago that America identified and arrested a Chinese spy at A&M.
While the stated aim of China is to take over the world and remake it in its image, Russia’s posture and proclamations are isolationist. China’s economic entanglements across the globe (comparatively to Russia) speak to this.
To the extent it is acting on Russia, the U.S. ought to move on to the actual threat to its long-term safety, China.
ROUND ROCK ISD continues being a dumpster fire.
Yesterday the school board, which has been mired in controversy for the past year, met in a closed-door executive session to discuss a settlement that’s been characterized as hush money.
This is a great example of the coverup being worse than the crime, which happens more often than Texans would like to admit. This is true at all levels of government, up to and possibly including the current hapless handling and clearly lying about the Ukrainian conflict.
EVELYN BROOKS defeated Sue Melton-Malone in the District 14 SBOE contest last week. This and the other SBOE races may be one of the more interesting races overshadowed by gubernatorial politics.
Brooks, an educator from Frisco, has been a vocal proponent of parental choice in education, is opposed to the hyper-sexualization of children, and made the rejection of critical race theory a tenant of her campaign.
For those who didn’t get Brook’s campaign mailer (featuring a Right to Life endorsement), the hyphen in her opponent’s name may have served as a tell.
CHIP ROY says what we’re all thinking.
The whole thing is worth three minutes. (AC)
Hit the links
Texas flagged 27,000 mail ballots for rejection in primary
Allen West’s wife fined for campaign finance violations
Calls to End Vaccine Mandates Continue in Texas
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