Well, today, the first legitimate blue norther (not to be confused with Blue October) of Fall 2018 has arrived, complete with rain and brisk winds, dropping the temperature rapidly and drastically. It blew through the Dallas-Fort Worth MetroMess last night, where the US Women's National Team defeated Jamaica 6-0 and qualified for next year's Women's World Cup. The USWNT takes on already-qualified Canada for the CONCACAF Championship Wednesday night, while Jamaica battles Panama for ticket to the WWC (loser faces Argentina in a two-legged playoff for a World Cup berth).
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Let's get this over with, eh? The following bloggage is brought to you by the Texas Progressive Alliance. TPA: Power to the People...and Stuff Like That.
The McAllen Monitor caught up with Beto O'Rourke as he made his latest swing through the RGV, this trip with Rep. Joe Kennedy III, which prompted a predictably shitty joke from Ted Cruz.
PDiddie at Brains and Eggs had some unsolicited advice for O'Rourke on how he should be counter-punching the Zodiac Killer.
The San Antonio Express News joined the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News in endorsing Kim Olson for Agriculture Commissioner over the incumbent, Sid Miller. (PDiddie sez: "This is a low bar, considering Miller is hot garbage as both elected official and human being." dbc has seen little evidence to suggest otherwise.)
Progrexas links to Ross Ramsey at the TexTrib for his ten hottest state races.
After the clusterf in Waller County last week regarding voter registrations and an arrest of Mike Siegel's campaign employee for complaining about it, everything turned out well in the end.
Great way to end the week: with a victory for voting rights at Prairie View A&M University.
— Mike Siegel for Congress (TX-10) (@SiegelForTexas) October 13, 2018
We will continue to fight for the interests of every member of the Texas 10th Congressional District. Everyone deserves true representation! #TX10 #Maddowhttps://t.co/CnGDJexNdZ
NYT's Upshot poll is back in the field surveying TX-23 (Will Hurd vs. Gina Ortiz Jones) and the early results are predicting a walk-off for the Republican incumbent.
After a two-week hiatus, Off the Kuff comes back to the Wrangle with a pair of interviews: Attorney General candidate Justin Nelson and Harris County Judge candidate Lina Hidalgo.
SocraticGadfly was at an education-related campaign forum for a group of statewide and Northeast Texas regional candidates and offers a few takes.
Jim Schutze at the Dallas Observer sees that with Dwain Caraway off to prison, the Dallas City Council is once again up for sale to the highest bidder.
Texas Vox blogged about the shocking news from the International Panel on Climate Change. The Texas Tribune's collaboration with ProPublica, the Center for Public Integrity, and others was a long and disturbing read about the Permian Basin's contributions to the problem. And the Houston Chronicle's piece about surging wind power generation forcing coal plants in Texas to close is a bright spot among the dark clouds.
Grits for Breakfast collated criminal justice developments for the week and led with the story from Huntsville about a prison guard who murdered a handcuffed inmate. The correctional officer has been charged only with aggravated assault to this point.
The (guard) had been ordered by a supervisor to stay away from the inmate after a confrontation earlier in the day, but he allegedly violated orders, took the inmate into an empty shower area, and beat him to death.
David Collins wrote about Facebook and Twitter's censoring of progressive and anti-war websites.
Harry Hamid blogged about what he did on his summer vacation.
The San Antonio Current saluted Texas sorta-legend Joe Bob Briggs.
Finally, the TPA wishes Texas Leftist all the best as it transitions from blogging to podcasting.