Daily Dispatch 2/7/24: Texas GOP U.S. Reps Fail To Impeach Mayorkas, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Despite the full support of Texas Representatives, the Republican majority in the U.S. House falls short of impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/mayorkas-impeachment-vote-fail/ ...Partly thanks to a heroic vote by Texas Rep. Al Green, who had escaped his hospital bed to cast a decisive vote establishing a 215-215 tie: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/06/us/politics/al-green-mayorkas-impeachment.html ...While Republicans flail over the border, dangerous elements are heeding their calls for violence: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/where-things-stand/texas-gopers-border-cosplay-becomes-target-for-violent-extremists-and-grifters ...And that "God's Army" thing turned out little more than a lame Trump merch market: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2024/02/05/take-back-border-convoy-texas-republican-immigration-invasion-act/72451333007/ ...Still, Texas Republicans are fully bought in on Trump's con job: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/texas-republicans-donald-trump-endorse/ ...A new state law increasing minimum prison sentences for human trafficking is unlikely to make a difference: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/06/texas-human-smuggling-law-minimum-sentence/ Two Texas companies are found at the root of AI-constructed robocalls featuring a cloned Joe Biden voice: https://www.axios.com/2024/02/07/new-hampshire-fake-robocall-ai-biden-voice-texas Actual charges related to law enforcement failures in Uvalde appear unlikely: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/07/uvalde-shooting-grand-jury/ Two studies cited by an Amarillo judge in his attacks on the abortion drug mifepristone have been found unsound and pulled by their publisher: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-publisher-retracts-studies-cited-by-texas-judge-suspending-abortion-pills-2024-02-06/ That disgusting produced water spill in Crane County has been plugged after a month-long, over-two-million-dollar effort: https://www.marfapublicradio.org/environment/2024-02-05/state-spends-millions-to-plug-massive-well-leak-in-the-oil-fields-of-crane-county A great three-part documentary series on Black non-profit leaders in Texas to check out for Black History Month: https://www.nbcdfw.com/discover-black-heritage/for-oak-cliff-founder-featured-in-documentary-series-highlighting-black-ceos-in-dallas/3453820/#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17072784338930&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcdfw.com%2Fdiscover-black-heritage%2Ffor-oak-cliff-founder-featured-in-documentary-series-highlighting-black-ceos-in-dallas%2F3453820%2F Thanks for listening! Progress Texas is seeking to add 29 new recurring donors during our February membership drive - we'd appreciate the support: https://progresstexas.org/donate