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☆ Ted Cruz's publisher shaved off his mullet on the cover of his new book about 'cultural Marxism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ted Cruz's infamous mullet was edited out of a photo on the cover of his new book by the publisher. The Texas Republican announced last week that he's writing his third book, titled "Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America." A person familiar with the matter told Insider that the decision to edit Cruz's mullet out of the picture was made by his publisher, the conservative outfit Regnery Publishing, and not the senator himself. "Is the routine touching up of a photo for a book cover considered newsworthy?" Cruz later began sporting a mullet fade as the Senate began debating impeachment charges against former President Donald Trump for incitement of an insurrection, prompting the Houston Chronicle to ask "What the hell is going on with Ted Cruz's hair?"

☆ Manchin accuses the Biden administration of appeasing 'radical activists' on climate and pledges to block Interior Department nominee
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he will block one of President Biden's nominees and potentially others. Manchin says he'll judge nominees on whether they're "political partisans first or Americans first." He's taking issue with the administration's framing of a law he supported as an effort to address climate change. Manchin, of West Virginia, wrote in an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle, noting that energy leaders are gathered in the city for an annual conference. Biden has touted the bill's $370 billion devoted to tackling climate change as the most significant investment the US has made to fight climate change.

☆ Inflation is so bad people are buying pigs and chickens to save on groceries — and even holding off on getting tattoos
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some are buying pigs for meat, and others are looking into raising chickens for cheap eggs. In Houston, people are buying and even renting chickens for their fresh eggs, according to the Houston Chronicle. The possibility of a downturn, coupled with still-high inflation, is also prompting some Americans to shake up their hairstyles. Inflation expectations fell again, although consumers don't seem to be quite sold on avoiding a recession — two-thirds still think a downturn is coming. Are you buying chickens or pigs or doing something else creative to bring down your bills?

Bills to block the app on state devices in California, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont have also been proposed. University of IdahoSchool’s policy: TikTok must be removed from university equipment "regardless of funding source," according to the school's help page. South Dakota University SystemSchool’s policy: The South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs six universities including Black Hills State University, University of South Dakota, Northern State University, Dakota State University, South Dakota State University and South Dakota Mines, told employees they could not use, download or access TikTok on university devices. University of Texas — AustinSchool’s policy: On Dec. 16, university officials announced that TikTok would be banned on state-issued devices. Texas Tech UniversitySchool’s policy: University employees are prohibited from using TikTok on school-issued devices and official university TikTok accounts must be deactivated.

The proposals have alarmed voting rights activists and state Democrats, who tried and failed last year to block a GOP-backed overhaul of election laws — a priority of Gov. The 62 voting rights-related bills Texas lawmakers have already prefiled represent nearly all prefiled voting rights legislation across the country, according to a review of prefiled bills by Voting Rights Lab and NBC News. An election police forceRepublican-authored Texas bills, such as HB 549 and SB 220, propose creating a system of state “election marshals,” who would investigate allegations of violations of election and voting laws, and file criminal charges when warranted. Harsher penaltiesLegislation such as HB 39, HB 52, HB 222, HB 397 and SB 166 aims to raise the penalty for election and voting rights crimes to a felony from a misdemeanor. “All my bill does is restore the felony punishment for illegal voting,” Texas Rep. David Spiller, the author of HB 52, said in an interview.

☆ Fact Check-Image of Texas college football banner altered to add anti-Biden slogan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An image of a banner at a college football game in Texas was digitally altered to feature a slogan critical of U.S. President Joe Biden. The altered image made it appear as if a banner at the game read: “Fuck Joe Biden.”Examples of the image can be viewed (here) and (here). The text printed across the banner read: “HOME OF THE 12TH MAN” (here). Per Newsweek, the anti-Biden language imposed on the altered photograph was chanted by fans at the game (here). The original photograph was captured during a college football game where the Texas A&M Aggies played the Kent State Golden Flashes, and the original banner read: “HOME OF THE 12TH MAN.”This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team.

☆ Many security lapses led to escape of Texas inmate accused of killing 5 while on the run, reports find
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice, or TDCJ, conducted an internal review of the escape and also hired an outside firm to do an independent review. Texas Department of Criminal JusticeAdditionally, two officers had falsified search logs indicating Lopez’s cell had been searched when it had not. Attorneys for the Collins family have notified the Texas agency that they plan to file a lawsuit against it over the deaths. CGL also made several recommendations, including suggesting TDCJ reconfigure transport buses to improve security and develop strategies to reduce its staff vacancies. In the month before Lopez’s escape, 43% of correctional officer jobs at the Hughes Unit were vacant.

☆ How concerned should you be about Covid-19 ‘Scrabble' variants? Here's what we know so far
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Though BA.5 still accounts for most U.S. Covid-19 cases, percentages are rising for the other omicron variants circulating throughout the country, per the CDC. "The ones that are particularly concerning are BQ.1 and another related one called BQ.1.1. Internationally, another concerning variant, XBB, which first emerged in Singapore and hasn't been detected in the U.S., is being closely watched worldwide as it spreads quickly in other countries. The new variants were coined the "Scrabble" variants by Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Hospital, during an interview with the Houston Chronicle. The nickname refers to the letters that are used to define the variants like B, X and Q, which would rack up many points in a game of Scrabble.

Organizers with Stop TxDOT I-45 said expanding in the area would hurt the predominantly Black and Latino communities along the stretch. Kendra London joined Stop TxDOT I-45 three years ago when she learned of the state’s plans to expand the highway. Stop TxDOT I-45 and Allendale Strong are two of more than 70 groups across the country that comprise the Freeway Fighters Network, a coalition of groups advocating for the dismantling of harmful highways and urging city leaders not to expand highways or build new ones. “We hadn’t actually stopped building new highways that still harm communities, predominantly communities of color. “We should be thinking about long-term repair,” Hood said, highlighting the Black communities affected by the highway.

DALLAS — Well before jumping into the Texas attorney general's race, Democrat Rochelle Garza beat back a Trump administration attempt to stop a detained immigrant teenager from getting an abortion. Bob Daemmrich / Zuma via Alamy fileGarza has already made history by being the first Latina nominee for Texas attorney general. I’m a mother and I’m here to beat criminally indicted Ken Paxton,” Garza told supporters gathered at a Chocolate Secrets in Dallas. Polls have shown Garza within 2 to 7 percentage points of Paxton with all Texas voters. Tony Gutierrez / AP filePaxton was recently in the headlines again for fleeing his home to avoid being served a subpoena to testify in a lawsuit challenging Texas’ abortion ban.

☆ Fact Check-Image purporting to show Houston Chronicle headline on Beto O’Rourke calling for fight with Abbott is fabricated
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The screenshot appears to show a tweet sent at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2022 with text that reads: “Beto O’Rourke: “if you don’t want to debate me then fight me. A Twitter advanced search similarly did not reveal the supposed post (archive.ph/wip/kYSqb). A screenshot showing a tweet allegedly published by The Houston Chronicle saying Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke challenged Republican state Governor, Greg Abbott to a fight is fabricated. A Twitter advanced search similarly did not reveal the supposed post (archive.ph/wip/kYSqb). A screenshot showing a tweet allegedly published by The Houston Chronicle saying Texas Democrat Beto O’Rourke challenged Republican state Governor, Greg Abbott to a fight is fabricated.

Now, in response to the 1619 Project and its examination of slavery, Texas leaders have created an alternative project that highlights their state’s contributions. Greg Abbott approved a 15-page draft of a document titled the Texas 1836 Project, which is named for the year that Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project, said the Texas project was a tactic to limit the discussion of slavery. In addition to approving the Texas 1836 Project, in June 2021 Abbott signed a critical race theory bill limiting the teaching of race relations in schools. She said the Texas project was a tactic to limit the discussion of slavery, not to limit discussion of critical race theory.

☆ The 10 most iconic protest photos of all time
▼ + stars: | 2020-06-08 | by ( Talia Lakritz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

This photo of Rosa Parks sitting in the front of a bus was actually taken after the Supreme Court disbanded Montgomery's segregated bus system, but it remains a classic symbol. Underwood Archives/Getty ImagesThe white man sitting behind Parks is Nicholas C. Chriss, a journalist who was covering the civil rights movement for United Press International. "But to this day no one has ever made clear that it was a reporter, I, covering this event and sitting behind Mrs. Parks, not some sullen white segregationist! She seemed to want to savor the event alone."

Persons: Rosa, Parks, Nicholas C, Chriss Organizations: Rosa Parks, Supreme, Underwood Archives, United Press, Houston Chronicle, New York Times

☆ A 46-bedroom Texas mansion that nobody wanted, sat abandoned for nearly 20 years, and nearly got bought 20 times finally has tenants
▼ + stars: | 2015-06-24 | by ( Dennis Green | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A 60,000-square-foot mansion near Houston, Texas, has sat vacant for more than 20 years. Owner Jim Youngblood tried to sell the vacant home more than 20 times, but every deal fell through. Construction stopped about 80% through when the couple decided the house was too big, according to the current owner of the property, Jim Youngblood. Jim Youngblood, the owner of the Manvel mansion. Jim YoungbloodYoungblood, a partner at a local leasing and property management company, bought the abandoned mansion for $525,000 in 2007.

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