Now in our 12th year on KPFT!

FYI: WordPress is forcing me to work with a new type of editor, so things will look … different … for a while. I’m hoping I’ll improve with a learning curve. Please bear with me, and let me know of any odd glitches you see that I may not, so I can try to fix them. — Mike

Beginning April 20th, Thinkwing Radio will air on KPFT 90.1-HD2 on Sundays at 1PM, and will re-air on Mondays at 2PM and Wednesdays at 11AM. Thanks for listening!

AUDIO: 

Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig (@ThinkwingRadio) is now on Sundays at 1PM and re-runs Wednesday at 11AM (CT) on KPFT 90.1 FM-HD2, Houston’s Community Media. You can also hear the show:

1. Live online at KPFT.org (from anywhere in the world!)
   
   

   Please take a moment to choose THINKWING RADIO from the drop-down list when you donate.

2. Podcast on your phone’s Podcast App
3. Visiting Archive.KPFT.ORG

1. As I mentioned at the time, there will be some runoff elections resulting from the May 3^rd Early Voting Centers will be open from Tuesday, May 27 through Tuesday, June 3 (Mon-Sat: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sun: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.)
   1. Voting Centers will be open from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Election Day, Saturday, June 7. If you are in line by 7PM on any voting day, you cannot be turned away.
   2. You can visit the “What’s on my Ballot?” page at HarrisVotes-dot-COM and enter your name or address to see all the contests and candidates you are eligible to vote on! I have provided the link this this blog post. (You can bring handwritten notes or printed sample ballots to the voting booth; just be sure to take them with you when you leave.) 
   3. The deadline to apply for a mail ballot is May 27. Click on the link provided in this blog post for the application. Please fill it out, print it, and snail-mail it before the deadline to the address on the form.
   4. For election and ballot information outside Harris County, go to your county’s elections office. I have some of those at the bottom of this show post. Let me know if any need updating.
   5. The following entities have contracted with Harris County to host their contests. Check your sample ballot to see if you fall within the boundaries for any of these entities: City of Pasadena; City of Pasadena Councilmember District A; City of Pasadena Councilmember District B; City of Pasadena Councilmember District G; [and the] San Jacinto Community College District.
   6. For election information anywhere in Texas, you can go to VoteTexas-dot-gov.
2. A farewell note from CEO Peter Bhatia; by Peter Bhatia / Chief executive officer | HOUSTONLANDING.ORG | May 16, 2025 | 11:28 am
   1. To our readers and supporters:
   2. Today, May 15, 2025, Houston Landing says goodbye.
   3. After more than two years of producing independent, nonpartisan, deeply reported journalism, we have ceased operations due to financial challenges. While this outcome is disappointing, I also feel an immense amount of gratitude and pride in what our team built and accomplished.
   4. When Houston Landing launched in February 2023, we set out to make Houston better, one story at a time. Since then, we’ve published thousands of stories that reached millions of readers, spotlighting issues that matter most to Houstonians.
   5. This final chapter has been among our most meaningful. In just the last month, our newsroom was honored with dozens of awards and recognitions — celebrating the courage, integrity and impact of our reporting. These honors affirm what we’ve always known: outstanding journalism can spark change, uncover truth and transform communities.
   6. We are deeply proud of what we built. But more than anything, we’re grateful for your trust, readership and belief in our mission.
   7. Though this is goodbye, we know the work will live on in every journalist who refuses to look away and in every reader who demands better.
   8. With sincere gratitude, Peter Bhatia, CEO, Houston Landing
   9. MIKE: This is a real shame. Houston Landing did do some important reporting that I’ve read on the air on this show.
   10. MIKE: I believe that a non-profit news gathering model may be an important way forward for unbiased community and maybe even national news, but it’s apparent that the non-profit news model of Houston Landing, for whatever reason, did not work. Perhaps there are others that may be tried.
   11. MIKE: In a previous story from Houston Landing, they mentioned that they were in talks with the Texas Tribune to possibly establish the news offices of Houston Landing as a regional bureau of the Tribune, but I’ve heard nothing further on that possibility. Perhaps time will tell.
3. Fort Bend County could create council to explore behavioral health of incarcerated individuals; By Aubrey Vogel | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 12:14 PM May 16, 2025 CDT/Updated 12:14 PM May 16, 2025 CDT. TAGS: Fort Bend County (TX), Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, Incarcerated Individuals, Behavioral Health Services,
   1. Fort Bend County officials are looking to create a council focused on improving behavioral health in the county jail.
   2. … [Connie Almeida, director of behavioral health services for Fort Bend County said that] The Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Coordinating Council would work to extend crisis services to incarcerated individuals to further divert them from returning to the county’s jail and justice system.
   3. [According to Almeida,] The task force will explore ways to provide diversion programs for those suffering mental health crises, and reintegrate individuals who are released from the county jails.
   4. [Almeida said,] “It’s really important that you get everyone in the same room talking about [behavioral health]. Understanding the system, from before the arrest to the release, is really critical.”
   5. The county has partnered with Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, a nonprofit, to create the council, Almeida said.
   6. Tim Bray, vice president for justice and health policy at the nonprofit, said the council will work to: Improve collaboration between stakeholders; Address gaps in service and infrastructure; Develop innovation solutions aimed at improving the justice system for people with behavioral health needs; [and] Ensure public safety while promoting policy and access to care.
   7. … Bray said the council could include representatives from: All levels of the court system; The sheriff’s office and/or constable’s office; Commissioner’s court; The district attorney’s office, including a public defender and probation officer; Behavioral health services; The county attorney’s office; Texana, the county’s nonprofit partner for mental health; [and] The county auditor’s office.
   8. [Bray said that] Behavioral health councils have been successful in several other Texas counties including Dallas, Travis, Harris and El Paso.
   9. … An exact timeline for creating the council hasn’t been established, Almeida said.
   10. MIKE: It’s excellent that Fort Bend County is considering this. Anything that helps inmates not only adjust successfully to their time in jail, but more importantly to help them to avoid returning to jail, is good for society.
   11. MIKE: Even more importantly, on a human level, it’s wonderful if it helps former jail inmates go on to happier and more successful lives.
   12. MIKE: I know that the usual phrase is “more productive lives in society”, but I think that “happy and more successful” says it better, and also encompasses the usual phrase.
4. What happens next after West U’s $15M facilities plan bond failed at the ballot; By Melissa Enaje | COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM | 3:25 PM May 15, 2025 CDT/Updated 9:36 AM May 16, 2025 CDT. TAGS: May 3 Elections, West U, West University Place Proposition D,
   1. Harris County election data showed the majority of West University Place voters, 52% at 1,849 votes, did not support the $15 million bond Proposition D during the May 3 election, which called for funding the construction of a new community center, senior center, library and green space in the city.
   2. Regardless of the results of the bond, city officials told Community Impact that no further action has been taken for phases 3 and 4 of the Facilities Master Plan, which include City Hall and public safety building renovations, respectively.
   3. After the new council-elect begin their term June 1, ​​​​​​city officials said the incoming council will first be briefed on various matters to get up-to-speed before possibly taking up discussions regarding the Facilities Master Plan.
   4. … Proposition D did not pass by a difference of 165 votes, according to Harris County elections data. [Out of the 3,533 votes, Prop D failed with 52.34%.]
   5. … Robin Burks is serving her two-year term on the West U senior services board and said she was in favor of funding a new library and community center. Burks said she spent years with her board members learning how to make the community center a more welcoming space.
   6. [Burks] said the current facilities are outdated, and there is minimal space for senior service staff to work.
   7. [Said Burks,] “It was going to be an opportunity to really address a lot of the shortfalls of the current community building and to be able to make it a much more welcoming space, ADA compliant, and easier for people with mobility issues to navigate,” Burks said.
   8. Despite the bond not passing, Burks said she hopes for future collaboration with the City Council-elect to address the need for more modern, accessible community spaces that benefit all age groups.
   9. [Burks said,] “We want nice buildings for people that everybody can enjoy, you know, for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren for many years to come.”
   10. … Steve Damiani has lived in West U for 21 years and previously submitted his nomination for City Council before dropping out of the race, according to city officials. He was part of a group opposed to Proposition D and cited what he said were past investments the city took to upkeep the buildings. He said he didn’t see the necessity of City Council choosing to simultaneously demolish all the buildings at once.
   11. [Damiani said,] “I told council I wouldn’t mind a newer library. I just don’t want all these buildings done brand new at the same time. I didn’t want the library moved a block away in the middle of water tanks and parking lots.”
   12. With Proposition D failing, Damiani said he is open to the possibility of updating buildings at a slower pace.
   13. [Damiani said,] “There was some reason that they wanted to do all of this at once, and it was totally not necessary to do it all at once. If you wanted to replace buildings, you could go one by one.” …
   14. MIKE: I don’t live in West U, and I’m only familiar with Prop D from this story. In fact, from the story at least, I agree with both Burks and Damiani. I think Burks’ desire to see the facilities upgraded is laudable and even necessary, but Damiani’s step-by-step approach makes more sense to me.
   15. MIKE: I’ll also note that the turnout for the elections in West University Place was a hair above 30%. That’s not my ideal, but it’s really impressive for an off-off-year election. My congratulations to the citizens of West U.
   16. MIKE: If anyone in West U wants to comment on this story, I’d be interested in hearing from you. You can comment at this show’s blog post, the show page on Facebook, or by emailing me at thinkwingradio-at-msn-dot-com.
5. 3-1-1: The purpose, process, and progress of Houston’s first source for city services; By STEPHANIE SHIRLEY | THELEADERNEWS.COM | May 13, 2025/Updated May 13, 2025. TAGS: 311, Houston TX, City Services, Non-Emergency Issues,
   1. For [Houston neighborhoods], the weather events of the last two years have increased the dependence on, and demand for, 3-1-1 to serve as the primary source in navigating a multitude of city departments. This division is the most frequently utilized, but also the [least] understood.
   2. The 3-1-1 telephone number provides a central hub for local residents to access a variety of city services, ask questions, or lodge complaints. It is intended to address routine inquiries and non-urgent concerns, and [to] divert non-emergency issues and requests away from 9-1-1. …
   3. As is the case with most municipal intermediaries, its success is contingent on the public’s understanding of how it works and what its goals are.
   4. Houston’s Administration of Regulatory Affairs (ARA) has many divisions within its scope, including 3-1-1, water customer service, BARC, parking, permitting, and many others.
   5. In response to significant public misinformation and miscommunication surrounding 3-1-1, ARA Chief of Staff Billy Rudolph arranged a meeting with Deputy Director Charles Jackson to discuss impending changes being implemented … .
   6. Jackson oversees ARA Operations, which includes 3-1-1, water customer service, and asset disposition. …
   7. … When asked about the public’s understanding of 3-1-1 and its limitations, Jackson responded, “I think there are significant misconceptions about Houston 3-1-1 and our role in the service request process. That role is to manage initial customer contact with the public. Houstonians have access to multiple channels to communicate with 3-1-1. The majority of our service requests, about 72 percent, come via phone. People still prefer to call, and live agents are available 24/7.
   8. [MIKE: I’ll note here that the availability of 24/7 live service at 3-1-1 is probably not widely known. I suspect that most Houstonians just assume that the latest they can reach a live operator is probably 5 or 6 PM. Continuing with the story …]
   9. About 21 percent [of 3-1-1 contacts] are from our online portal and/or our 3-1-1 mobile app. Another 5-6 percent prefer email.  
   10. [Jackson continued,] “… agents take the calls and if service is required, requests are created. Then, they are electronically routed to the correct department. We don’t send them there or choose where they go. All of that is predetermined based on the service type requested. The receiving department, from that point, owns the request.”
   11. Jackson elaborated on the infamous ‘case closure’ issue, a major source of public contention and misunderstanding … when a case was referred to the appropriate city department, and an automatic closure notice was generated by the system. All that meant was that 3-1-1’s piece of the process was complete.
   12. However, the wording confusingly … led residents to assume the case had been closed or resolved. When it clearly wasn’t, customers became infuriated.
   13. [Jackson said,] “We are working to change the messaging to more accurately reflect the process channel. Now, when a case is created, it will clearly state the department that will be servicing the request. This is important, so that customers know 3-1-1 is not the entity servicing it. We don’t pick up trash. We don’t fill potholes. We don’t fix water leaks. Yet, people say, ‘Wait a minute. I saw the service truck and it has a 3-1-1 sticker on it.’ Every city vehicle has a 3-1-1 logo, because we want to remind everyone to call 3-1-1 to initiate all city service requests. My agents work in contact centers, providing information and facilitating solutions. That’s what we do.”      
   14. Jackson continued, “My agents create the service requests. We’re never the ones closing them, although present auto-generated closing communications lead customers to think we are.”
   15. [Jackson] said his team also has the ability to ‘escalate’ cases that are not being addressed in a timely manner or that have been addressed, but not to the customer’s satisfaction.
   16. “It’s important for the community to understand this. We are here to facilitate the transfer of customer concerns to the appropriate servicing department; we cannot compel them to act. … That’s why we’ve always encouraged customers to continue to report. If it becomes apparent that a case is not being addressed, management can communicate with department heads to expedite solutions.”
   17. [Jackson said,] … “A lot of people think of 3-1-1 as the complaint center for the city, but I think of it as the solution center. … 3-1-1 handles over 200 service request types being channeled to departments, all using very different systems. …”
   18. Jackson explained that 3-1-1 agents undergo extensive multi-system training — up to 10 weeks total — so callers get “one-and-done” solutions. While District C generates the city’s highest volume of requests, Jackson praised District C City Council Member Abbie Kamin for her hands-on support, [saying,] “Abbie Kamin has been incredibly supportive, year in and year out. … Few people realize that she is actually the only council member who has attended 3-1-1 training; at least during my tenure. She showed up with her staff and participated. Really amazing!”
   19. [I want to emphasize this next part of the story, because it emphasizes just how important 3-1-1 service can be, and how dedicated the people working at 3-1-1 are.]
   20. While discussing his team Jackson smiled and asked, “Can I brag for just a second? I think this is important because I don’t know that the public realizes this about 3-1-1. We’re a 24/7 shop. Even during Hurricane Beryl, I had six people stationed at this contact center, and they were available throughout that entire storm. I had people positioned at their homes and other areas, but when the power went down, this building stayed running; we have a backup generator. Agents were available to handle those calls, even in the middle of a hurricane. During freezes, like Winter Storm Yuri, all power was lost. That was a nightmare for the City of Houston and a very stressful time for all of us. I had agents who had no power in their own homes, but they sat in their cars to charge their laptops. They were using hotspots to take calls, just so that they could help other people. That’s the level of compassion these agents have; they are certainly not in it for the money. They are doing it out of a genuine love for helping people. That love involves 1.1 million incoming calls per year.”
   21. … Shifting from people back to progress [Jackson] said, “It was obvious that the existing system was in need of updating to make reporting more effective and effortless.” He provided an example that far too many Houstonians have experienced.
   22. “Under the existing process, when you submit a pothole service request, you receive a confirmation. This triggers a referral to City Works to engage Public Works to inspect it and assign a crew. But, when they get to the site, they might determine it’s not just a pothole, but a larger street repair. So it’s sent back to City Works and reclassified. Meanwhile, this triggers the original case to close and another to be opened with another case number to keep track of. And let’s say the street repair guys go out there, start digging and realize there’s water underneath that’s causing the problem, and now we need pipe or water leak repair. Now they have to put the original issue on hold and create yet another case. Meanwhile, you received a ‘case closed’ early on and aren’t able to keep track of all those details and new case numbers, and now you’re furious. This is something important we are changing; the customer will only get one master service request in the future, which means only one case number to track.” …
   23. [Jackson explains,] “No matter how many times it gets reclassified or how many related cases it generates, they will all be ‘children’ of the parent case. This way, related cases will be worked before closing out the parent.  All the while, you’ll be getting updates about changes. Once all the child cases are worked and closed, we will close the parent case.”
   24. The change is one of many intended to improve customer interface and is expected in the very near future, with training already underway. There are other ongoing positive developments.
   25. 3-1-1 already has a substantial informational database, but is also hoping to add an online AI Chatbot for Houstonians preferring to get their information online, rather than communicating via email or phone. This has an anticipated launch date of [sometime in] 2026. …
   26. MIKE: Rather than looking at 3-1-1 as a regular city department, it might be useful to think of 3-1-1 as a non-emergency emergency department.
   27. MIKE: 9-1-1 is for immediate help from police, fire, or ambulance services.
   28. MIKE: But some problems that require immediate reporting don’t fall into the category of genuine, life-altering emergencies. Just two examples might be a water problem or a road hazard.
   29. MIKE: That’s where 3-1-1 becomes your non-emergency emergency hotline. It’s staffed with live people 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
   30. MIKE: You can also download the Houston 3-1-1 app from your phone store. I have occasionally found it useful if an actual phone call is needlessly time consuming.
6. Family of Houston-area woman detained by ICE call for her to be released; By Victor Jacobo | KHOU.COM | Published: 5:55 PM CDT May 16, 2025/Updated: 6:22 PM CDT May 16, 2025. TAGS: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Margarita Avila, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable, Harris County District Attorney’s Office,
   1. The family of a woman detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement are calling for her release after an assault charge against her was dropped.
   2. Margarita Avila got into an altercation with a USPS worker in March while on her job as a landscaper. Afterwards, she was arrested by Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.
   3. Avila was then moved to ICE detention for violating her immigration status. She was later charged with assault.
   4. This week, that charge was dismissed by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office due to a lack of evidence.
   5. In a news conference at the offices of the immigrant rights advocacy group I.E.L. [which loosely translated stands for “Immigrant Families and Students in the Fight”, and which I’ve linked to], Avila’s family said because the charge was dropped, she should be released from ICE custody.
   6. [Lizbeth Avila, Margarita’s daughter, said,] “We feel she’s been treated very unfairly where she’s being held, the treatment that they receive is not humane. And nobody deserves to be treated the way that these people in the detention center have been treated and us as a community, we need to raise our voices and we need to demand change.”
   7. Avila called in to the news conference from the detention center and said in Spanish that the conditions at the facility were poor and she is innocent and should be released.
   8. [MIKE: I wish that someone at the news conference had elaborated on the conditions at the detention facility that they felt were poor. I think that would have been useful information. But continuing with the story …]
   9. Avila’s family said the 50-year-old grandmother is originally from Belize and has been in the U.S. for more than two decades. They added that she has been working on her asylum case for more than a decade as well as a petition from her son, who is a U.S. citizen.
   10. ICE sent KHOU 11 a statement saying that according to their records, Avila had entered the country illegally at least three times and failed to appear to court dates.
   11. [An ICE spokesperson said in the statement,] “[Avila] will remain in ICE custody pending her removal from the U.S. She has a documented history of absconding from her immigration proceedings and has repeatedly undermined U.S. immigration laws. … The dismissal of criminal charges against Avila Mis [sic] in Harris County does not prevent ICE from continuing to detain her.”
   12. MIKE: Unfortunately, I no longer believe any official statements from anyone in, or subject to, our executive branch of government.
   13. MIKE: And if you don’t quite understand that last sentence, know that it was quoted in the story as having been part of the official response from ICE.
   14. MIKE: It’s just more proof that the people in charge of the various parts of the executive branch of the federal government are not only cruel and barely competent (if that). They are often only semi-literate.
   15. MIKE: I wish I could fall back on the old expression that, “This too shall pass,” but I fear that may be wildly optimistic.
7. In another example of Republican high-handedness and disregard for the will of the voters, there’s this from NBC News and the AP — Months after Missouri voters restored abortion rights, lawmakers put ban back on the ballot; By The Associated Press | NBCNEWS.COM | May 14, 2025, 9:06 PM CDT / Source: The Associated Press.
   1. Six months after Missouri voters approved an abortion-rights amendment, Republican state lawmakers on Wednesday approved a new referendum that would seek the amendment’s repeal and instead ban most abortions with exceptions for rape and incest.
   2. The newly proposed constitutional amendment would go back to voters in November 2026; or sooner, if Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe calls a special election before then.
   3. Republican senators used a series of rare procedural moves to cut off discussion by opposing Democrats before passing the proposed abortion-rights revision by a 21-11 vote. The measure passed the Republican-led Houselast month.
   4. Immediately after the vote, protesters erupted with chants of “Stop the ban!” and were ushered out of the Senate chamber.
   5. The Senate then blocked further Democratic debate, and gave final approval to a separate measure repealing provisions of a voter-approved law guaranteeing paid sick leave for workers and cost-of-living increases to the minimum wage. That measure does not go back to the ballot. It will instead become law when signed by Kehoe, who has expressed his support for it.
   6. After taking the sweeping votes, the Senate effectively ended its annual legislative session — two days ahead of a constitutional deadline to wrap up work.
   7. Democrats were outraged by the legislative actions and vowed to retaliate by slowing down any Senate work next year.
   8. [Democratic state Sen. Brian Williams said during debate,] “Our rights are under attack.” He accused Republicans of “trying to overturn the will of the voters.”
   9. Republicans contend they are simply giving voters a second chance on abortion — and are confident they will change their minds because of the new rape and incest exceptions.
   10. [Republican state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman said while explaining her efforts to repeal the abortion-rights amendment,] “Abortion is the greatest tragedy in the world right now.” If someone’s fine with “taking the life of an innocent, then probably you can justify whatever you want.”
   11. Some GOP lawmakers said they needed to repeal the paid sick leave requirement, which kicked in May 1, because it’s adding costs that threaten the financial viability of small businesses. Republicans had been negotiating with Democrats over an alternative to exempt only the smallest businesses before scrapping that and opting for the full repeal.
   12. Missouri lawmakers have a history of altering voter-approved policies. They previously tried to block fundingfor a voter-approved Medicaid expansion, and wrote changes to voter-approved measures regulating dog breeders and legislative redistricting.
   13. Missouri’s abortion policies have swung dramatically in recent years.
   14. When the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wadein 2022, it triggered a Missouri law to take effect banning most abortions. But abortion-rights activists gathered initiative petition signatures to reverse that.
   15. Last November, Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion until fetal viability, generally considered sometime past 21 weeks of pregnancy. The amendment also allows later abortions to protect the life or health of pregnant women and creates a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom” that includes birth control, prenatal and postpartum care and “respectful birthing conditions.”
   16. A limited number of surgical abortions have since occurred in Missouri, but medication abortions remain on holdwhile Planned Parenthood wrangles with the state over abortion regulations.
   17. The new measure seeks to repeal the abortion-rights amendment and instead allow abortions only for a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, or in cases of rape or incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.
   18. It also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, [and] hormone treatments and puberty blockers for minors, which already are barred under state law.
   19. [Said Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri,] Polling indicates “that most voters are opposed to most abortions in Missouri but do want to allow for abortions with limited exceptions.”
   20. The ballot title that voters will see doesn’t explicitly mention repealing Amendment 3. Instead, it says the new measure would “ensure women’s safety during abortions, ensure parental consent for minors” and “allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest.” It also states that it will “protect children from gender transition,” among other provisions.
   21. Democratic state Sen. Tracy McCreery called the measure “an attempt to mislead and lie to the voters,” echoing similar accusations that Republicans had made against the original Amendment 3.
   22. An abortion-rights coalition that includes Planned Parenthood affiliates, the American Civil Liberties Union, and others planned a rally Thursday at the Missouri Capitol and vowed a vigorous campaign against the measure.
   23. [Said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes,] “Abortion rights won in this state six months ago, and mark my words: Missourians will protect reproductive freedom again.”
   24. MIKE: One of the first things I thought to check after reading this story was the degree to which Missouri State House and Senate districts might be gerrymandered heavily in Republicans’ favor to give them big legislative majorities.
   25. MIKE: It seems that on Feb 14, 2024, the Supreme Court of Missouri affirmed the circuit court’s judgment in a 5-2 decision that the senate redistricting map did not violate the state constitution’s requirements for redistricting by splitting Buchanan County and Hazelwood into four separate senate districts.
   26. MIKE: In response to what might be a follow-up question, according to Google AI, Missouri Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the governor, with the assistance of a judicial nominating commission. They then must stand for retention in a non-partisan election.
   27. MIKE: My conclusions from the story and from the research I did can be summed up as follows:
   28. MIKE: 1- Yes, the Missouri’s Republican legislature is incredibly high-handed in its treatment of the voters’ decisions, and in their parliamentary treatment of their Democratic colleagues.
   29. MIKE: 2- Some of us might just chalk this up to the typical dirty politics played by whichever party is in control.
   30. MIKE: 3- The Missouri Supreme Court may be stacked with Rightwing justices by the governor, but their so-called “non-partisan” retention elections probably don’t help voters to properly discern the partisan leanings of their Supreme Court candidates. I’ve stated many times in this show that I am vehemently opposed to non-partisan elections, since party affiliation is one of the few ways that a candidate’s real political affinities might be inferred.
   31. MIKE: 4- It’s possible that the Missouri electorate is sufficiently conservative that Republicans might be a majority in most cases, but their majorities might not be as large without some gerrymandering shenanigans.
   32. MIKE: In any case, we’ll see what the future holds when it arrives.
8. Some of you may recall that a while back, WordPress forced me to use their editing templates in a new way, and that I was not happy about that. It’s forcing me to learn some new things about a software I really dislike.
   1. MIKE: Well, now, for the first time, I may have found an advantage to it in terms of what I can do in my blog postings. I’ll go into that a bit at the end.
   2. On May 17, 2025, David Heath (david.heath.writer) said on Threads: “I asked ChatGPT to analyze Donald Trump’s tirade against Bruce Springsteen for emotional maturity. Its analysis is worth reading.”
   3. MIKE: Now, I don’t use ChatGPT and I don’t have access to it, so I’m simply reading what David Heath says he found.
   4. MIKE: First, I’ll force myself to read Trump’s disgusting post, and then I’ll read ChatGPT’s “opinion”.
   5.  MIKE: You may recall that a while back, WordPress forced me to use their editing templates in a new way, and that I was not happy about that. Well, now, for the first time, I may have found an advantage to it in terms of my blog postings.
   6. On May 17, 2025, David Heath (david.heath.writer) said on on Threads: “I asked ChatGPT to analyze Donald Trump’s tirade against Bruce Springsteen for emotional maturity. Its analysis is worth reading.”
   7.