Daily Dispatch 4/29/24: Toxic Produced Water To Be Dumped In Texas Rivers, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Austin Rep. Gina Hinojosa on WFAA's Inside Texas Politics: ⁠https://youtu.be/S471DfitaQk?si=70WK-VmY5gW4Ccen⁠ The state is now issuing permits for oil producers to dump millions of gallons of toxic "produced water" into Texas rivers and streams: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/29/texas-treated-produced-water-disposal-discharge-rivers/ ...New satellite studies show the ground itself in the Permian Basin sinking and rising with oil extraction and wastewater injection: https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/in-americas-biggest-oil-field-the-ground-is-swelling-and-buckling-9d66eb42 ...And ERCOT renews its argument against renewable energy: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/article/ercot-grid-failure-renewable-19416583.php A federal judge has once again rejected the claim of Texas that our immigration situation at the border constitutes an "invasion": https://reason.com/volokh/2024/04/28/federal-court-again-rules-against-texas-claim-that-illegal-migration-qualifies-as-invasion/ Texas DPS is considering a criminal investigation of that news cameraman they arrested during last week's police crackdown on protestors at UT Austin: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/ut-austin-arrest-fox-7-photojournalist/ A letter to the editor of the Houston Chronicle reminds those thinking of sitting out the November election in protest over Gaza of the dire potential results: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/gaza-palestine-protest-university-students-ut-19422782.php West Texas oil billionaire and Christian Nationalist activist Tim Dunn argues that he shouldn't be considered a Christian Nationalist: https://midlandtimes.com/stories/658009552-opinion-the-christian-nationalist-label-will-not-stick Hard-right Republican lawmakers are putting forth a 12-point plan to neutralize Democratic influence in the House and consolidate control for themselves: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/contract-with-texas-house-republicans/ Early voting in the May 4 municipal elections ends tomorrow! https://progresstexas.org/blog/why-you-should-care-about-may-appraisal-district-elections ...And it will soon be time to vote in the May 28 primary runoffs! https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/26/texas-voting-2024-runoff-elections/ Progress Texas invites progressive candidates to share their views with us - which we'll then share with our statewide audience - via our Certified Progressive questionnaire: https://progresstexas.org/blog/progress-texas-certified-progressives-2024-progressive-values-questionnaire Instagram users: be sure to enable political content on that platform, which has begun opting users out: https://x.com/ProgressTX/status/1771276124498100667?s=20 Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work this election year at https://progresstexas.org/.