Daily Dispatch 2/26/25: Amidst Texas Measles Outbreak, Anti-Vax Movement Is Unmoved, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:Anti-vax "experts" are blaming the Texas measles outbreak on the measles outbreak itself - and are theorizing that the outbreak was engineered as an attack on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/texas-measles-outbreak-anti-vaccine-advocates-blame-shot-rcna193478...The case count is now up to 128, with cases popping up 250 miles from the Gaines County epicenter: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/18/texas-measles-outbreak-climbs/...The Republican mayor of Brownfield, Texas - in Terry County which has seen 21 measles cases so far - bravely attests that he believes in vaccines: https://apnews.com/article/measles-texas-new-mexico-mmr-outbreak-vaccines-408371700e3ab548777bf0354e586549...The Texas measles outbreak is rightly seen as the first major public health response failure of the second Trump administration: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/texas-measles-outbreak-vaccine-trump-100-newsletter-rcna193543Massive federal budget cuts proposed by Congressional Republicans will likely impact Medicaid - which would certainly impact thousands of Texas children: https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2025/02/26/texas-children-will-be-in-danger-with-medicaid-proposed-cuts/...Even as things are now, Texas is dead last in the U.S. for health care coverage for kids: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/26/texas-children-chip-medicaid-uninsured/Governor Abbott issues full-throated condemnation of a proposed Muslim residential development in northeast Texas: https://www.audacy.com/krld/news/local/planned-muslim-community-near-dallasGovernor Abbott apparently has no plans to ramp down the billions it's spending on Operation Lone Star, even as federal border enforcement ramps up: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/greg-abbott-border-spending-trump-20187542.phpCivil rights groups are demanding that the Fort Worth Police Department return photos by a world-renowned artist that it confiscated from an exhibit at the Modern Art Museum: https://www.chron.com/culture/arts/article/museum-fort-worth-mann-photos-20181456.phpSan Angelo Rep. August Pfluger has been fundraising on the idea that Donald Trump should serve a third term as President: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/25/pfluger-texas-fundraising-trump-third-term/We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.