"For all the talk of “gun rights” and “standing your ground,” the instruction manual for this society is quite clear: it is only for those who tow the ruling class line and who aren’t pushing to attack this shit-show we call capitalism and white supremacy. The pardoning of Daniel Perry is a warning: that the State is willing to sanction and support extreme violence and outright murder against those it deems as political enemies."
The titular character of Daniel Chacon's new short story collection, The Last Philosopher in Texas: Fictions and Superstitions, came to him as he was walking his dog in Pecos, the windblown West #Texas town where his father once lived. https://www.texasobserver.org/the-chicano-time-traveler/
⚠️ Confirmed: A significant decline in internet connectivity has been registered in parts of #Texas with high impact to Houston; the losses in service are attributed to power cuts and damaged infrastructure amid storm surges, flood and heavy rainfall 🔌📉 #TXwx
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott granted a full pardon to Daniel Perry, a man convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester in downtown Austin in 2020, after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously recommended the move. Perry claimed during the trial that he shot Garrett Foster, who was carrying an AK-47 rifle, in self-defense. Prosecutors argued Perry was seeking out the confrontation. Read more from USA Today.
“The #Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles on Thursday recommended a full pardon for a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice” https://apnews.com/article/4b1d0c54b0de451642bcf1e8cd75a7e5
Courtney Gore, the co-host of a right-wing online talk show, won a seat on a Texas school board on the basis that she would undo leftist indoctrination and get rid of educational materials with inappropriate messages about sexuality and race. Then she took office and actually read the curriculum, finding that the subject matter simply taught children “how to be a good friend, a good human.” The Texas Tribune talked to her about why she ran for office, what she thinks is behind the push to take over school boards, and the backlash she's faced since speaking out against the ultra-right element of the Republican party.
A barge crashed into a bridge in Galveston, Texas, causing an oil spill and partially collapsing the only road to a small island where a university is located. The city of Galveston says there were no injuries, but one person on the barge fell into the water and was quickly rescued. The incident comes weeks after a cargo ship crashed into a column supporting the Francis Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the bridge and killing six construction workers. The Associated Press has more.
“What I saw was students linking arms, hugging each other while being brutalized by the police. I think the only violence we saw that day was from the police.”
Barge hits a bridge in Galveston, Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
“A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, #Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.”
Calling all Austinites! Check out these local Flipboard Magazines for the latest news and cultural happenings in Austin, TX.
Austin Happiness: All the good stuff. @austin-happiness-VictorMoruzzi
Axios Austin: Here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard. @axios-local-austin-AxiosNews
Eater Austin: The go-to resource for food, drink, and restaurant obsessives in Austin. @eater-austin-Eater
Explore Austin: This is what you should be doing in Austin right now. @explore-austin-thrillist
She Campaigned for a #Texas School Board Seat as a #GOP Hard-Liner. Now She’s Rejecting Her Party’s Extremism.
Courtney Gore, a Granbury ISD school board member, has disavowed the far-right platform she campaigned on after finding no evidence that #students were being indoctrinated by the district’s curriculum. Her defiance has brought her backlash.
Migrants and asylum seekers reach through a border wall for clothing handed out by volunteers as they wait between two border walls to apply for asylum in San Diego. Hundreds of people remain waiting between the two walls, many for days
Nine of 10 wrongful death lawsuits stemming from the Astroworld disaster have been settled on the eve of the trial. Families were seeking to hold accountable rapper Travis Scott and companies with roles at the festival, including Live Nation and Apple. One case is still pending: That of the youngest victim, nine-year-old Ezra Blount. Here's more from Houston Landing
Did you know it was none other than Texas Observer matriarch Molly Ivins, one of his most piercing critics, who gifted Rick Perry with his enduring nicknames—“Governor Goodhair” and “The Coiffure”?