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:

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.

Podcast on your phone’s Podcast App

Visiting Archive.KPFT.ORG

I think that possibly the most important story of the week as of Saturday night is the heavily militarized ICE raids in Los Angeles. I’ll be discussing that at length later in the show.

But starting with local news — We had runoff elections on Saturday June 7 that resulted from the May 3^rd

1. You can see the results at HarrisVotes-dot-com or at the link I’m providing in this show post item.
2. If you want to see the percentage turnout of eligible voters in each race, it’s a bit hard to find, so I’m providing a link here in the body of this item.
   1. Jersey Village had a 15% turnout, which should be considered “not bad”, I guess.
   2. Nassau Bay had 13%, and the City of Pasadena had 11%.
   3. For an off-off-year runoff, I guess that’s not horrible overall, but folks … Let’s try to do better.
3. Houston Democratic group drops support for Mayor Whitmire; By Faith Bugenhagen, Trending News Reporter | CHRON.COM | June 4, 2025. TAGS: Mayor John Whitmire, Harris County Democratic Party, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw,
   1. Amid growing disapproval of Mayor John Whitmire’s leadership by members of his own party, the Oak Forest Area Democrats voted this week to revoke their 2023 endorsement of Whitmire and bar him from the endorsement process in 2027.
   2. Bill Brooker, the group’s secretary, told Chron the “final straw” was Whitmire attending a recent fundraiser for Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw. 
   3. [Brooker said,] “That’s not bipartisanship. Raising money for the other party goes beyond that.”
   4. Chron reached out to the mayor’s office for comment but did not receive a response by the time of this publication.
   5. Brooker initially proposed the resolution, which passed on a 22-3 vote during Monday’s meeting. The measure also condemned Whitmire’s appointment of Jay Zeidman to serve as the board chairman of the Houston First Corporation, the city’s premier destination development organization. 
   6. Notably, Zeidman fundraised for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023, served as an aide to former President George W. Bush, and was the former national chair of Maverick PAC, which supported House and Senate candidates who would “build a pragmatic, conservative future for America.”
   7. Notable alumni of Maverick PAC—launched nationwide in 2009 under the direction of Zeidman and George P. Bush—include DeSantis, S. Senator Ted Cruz, former Congressman Will Hurd and U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzalez and Wesley Hunt.
   8. [MIKE: That’s almost a “Most Wanted” list of poster boys for voting out of office. Continuing …]
   9. Brooker said that there have been numerous complaints about various issues involving Whitmire’s mayoral administration and Democratic values. Although he focused the resolution on two items only, it highlighted Whitmire’s other actions that were “opposing/unsupportive” of the Democratic Party.
   10. [Oak Forest Area Democrats group secretary Bill Brooker said,] “I think Kim Ogg and Mayor Whitmire have this same political plan to try and get 20 percent of the Democrats and all of the Republicans. It seems like that is where the mayor is going politically. I don’t think anybody sees this as a secret. I don’t see him standing up to [Gov.] Abbott. I don’t see him standing up to [President] Trump. We’ve just given up.”
   11. The initial version of the resolution included language to censure Whitmire; however, a member of the organization requested that this part of the measure be removed. Brooker said if needed in the future, the organization would consider moving forward with the censure.
   12. As outlined in the approved resolution, Whitmire will be barred from receiving the organization’s 2027 mayoral endorsement if he chooses to run for reelection. The group co-endorsed Whitmire and late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee during the 2023 mayoral election cycle, following a split tie among members for the endorsement between the two candidates.
   13. Members of the group would have to vote to rescind Whitmire’s ban on endorsement participation to reverse the resolution’s actions.
   14. Brooker noted that the group has reached out to Whitmire’s administration, which was unresponsive to the organization.
   15. [Brooker added that,] “Mayor Whitmire has not been very good with communicating with the Democrats in general. Maybe this can be a wake-up call for him if he really wants to have the support of the Democratic Party. Attendance is part of your grade. You don’t show up, you don’t get a good grade.”
   16. This is not the first time a Democratic group has made a statement against Whitmire’s growing track record. Last month, members of the Harris County Democratic Party signed a resolution to formally admonish the mayor ahead of the Crenshaw fundraising event.
   17. Roughly 30 precinct and congressional chairs with the party signed the resolution, which accused Whitmire of undermining the “values and mission of the Democratic Party.” The resolution would need to be brought forth to the party’s resolution committee before it is presented to the party as a whole for a final vote. 
   18. In response to the proposed formal admonishment, a spokesperson with his office told Chron that Whitmire has consistently stated that he will work with anyone in the best interest of the city of Houston to get things done.
   19. [The spokesperson said in a statement to Chron,] “He is proud of his record in the Texas Legislature, where he built relationships and earned a reputation for working across the aisle to benefit Houstonians. Nothing has changed. He maintains the same work ethic as the mayor of Houston.”
   20. MIKE: I discussed a couple of related Chron stories on my April 27^th show when their “admonishment” of Whitmire was initiated.
   21. MIKE: In the story I read from the April 22^nd article, “[The spokesperson said in a statement to Chron,] ‘He is proud of his record in the Texas Legislature, where he built relationships and earned a reputation for working across the aisle to benefit Houstonians. Nothing has changed. He maintains the same work ethic as the mayor of Houston.’”
   22. MIKE: I have to laugh because that’s the exact same language used in this week’s Chron story. Can’t the Whitmire people even change up the language a bit? That strikes me as sheer PR laziness, recycling a quote like that almost 2 months later.
   23. MIKE: In any case, I still stand by my prior comments from April 22^nd and other shows. I’ve always viewed Whitmire as a conservative Democrat, which is fine. There’s room in the Democratic party for like-minded folk similar to Whitmire, especially in Texas where it’s almost required.
   24. MIKE: I’ve said many times that I wish Whitmire had run for Governor of Texas. I think he was enough of a Democrat to get relatively enthusiastic support from Democratic voters, and conservative enough to peel away many Republican and swing voters. And Whitmire certainly had enough money in his campaign accounts to make a serious run for governor.
   25. MIKE: I’ve also questioned why he decided to use those conservative Democratic credentials to run for Mayor of Houston instead. I just can’t visualize what that calculation was.
   26. MIKE: In any case, Whitmire has gotten more conservative with age, and what Houston now has is a Republican Mayor in Democrat’s clothing, so to speak. This is not unlike the situation that Dallas has found itself in when their current mayor ran as a long-time Democrat, won the election, and then quickly flipped parties and became a Republican. It was like a bait-and-switch, which the government has made illegal in business advertising.
   27. MIKE: So, here’s a little Latin paraphrase I made up in April that fits both situations: “Caveat suffragatores!” which is Latin for “Let the voters beware!”
   28. Let’s be smarter next time.
4. As temperatures rise, so do our AC bills in Houston: Ways to save on your energy bill; By Brittany Begley, Meteorologis Reporter, & Brittany Taylor, Senior Digital Content Producer | CLICK2HOUSTON.COM | Published: May 19, 2025 at 11:44 AM/Updated: May 20, 2025 at 6:35 AM. Tags: Weather, Houston, News, Local, Money, Air Conditioning
   1. As temperatures rise, so do our AC bills. What are some low-cost ways to save on your energy bill?
   2. As we know, many families are trying to find ways to save money and budget, which includes their electricity bill.
   3. So how do we prepare for the heat and save a little money too?!
   4. Two traditional tips:
   5. Thermostat: Adjust your thermostat if you dare — every degree above 75°F saves 3–5% on cooling costs.
   6. Adjust your blinds: Adjusting your blinds during the hottest part of the day can reduce heat gain through your windows by 20–45%, depending on the quality of your blinds.
   7. But what are some unique ways to cool your house that you might not have thought about?
   8. Hack your fridge efficiency: Place a jug of water in empty fridge spaces to reduce the compressor’s workload. A fuller fridge stays colder, which saves energy.
   9. No-power hours: Pick 1–2 hours daily—early morning is usually the coolest—turn off your AC, eat a breakfast that doesn’t require the stove, turn off lights, and use battery-operated lights and fans.
   10. Use your laundry efficiently: Skip the dryer and let your clothes air dry. This not only cuts energy costs but also reduces heat in your home, saving you anywhere from $9–$20 on your energy bill.
   11. MIKE: For starters, always remember that the three largest consumers of energy in your home are — according to Google AI — air conditioning and heating at 40-52%, your water heater at 12-14%, and your washer and dryer at about 13%. Just those three things consume almost ¾ of your energy.
   12. MIKE: Other large consumers are your refrigerator at 4%, and your oven at about 3-4%. Everything else individually is pretty much nibbling at the edges.
   13. MIKE: Some of these tips are standard stuff, as the story mentions. For me, most of the time, I’m good with a household temperature of 77^oF as long as I have a ceiling fan running, and as long as I’m not exerting myself in a way that’s raising my body’s need to shed heat. Then I tend to lower it to 75^oF until I’ve cooled down.
   14. MIKE: When I go to sleep, I turn the thermostat down to 74^oF, so I may not be the best example, but I also sort of average out across most days.
   15. MIKE: “No-power hours” can be problematic unless the house temperature doesn’t go up much in that time. But if the house is staying cool enough, then the thermostat won’t turn on the AC much anyway.
   16. MIKE: If the house temp goes up during those hours, then you’re not really saving anything. You will ultimately have to remove the same amount of heat from the house, but the AC will have to work harder to reestablish equilibrium.
   17. MIKE: During the time the AC is off, it’s not only the air that warms up. Everything the air touches also gets warmer, such as the walls, floors, furniture, etc. Interior humidity will also go up, and the AC will have to work to remove all that embedded heat and moisture.
   18. MIKE: The only time it pays to turn up the cooling setting is if you are going to leave the house for an extended time, like work or travel. Even then, it’s a good idea not to set the thermostat higher than about 80^o Higher than that and it will increase humidity in the house, which is not good for the contents. It will also take quite a long time for the place to cool back down.
   19. MIKE: On the other hand, putting bottles of water or juice in the fridge to save energy by taking up extra space is an excellent idea.
   20. MIKE: Every time you open your refrigerator, the cold air literally falls out. When you close the door, the fridge has to cool that air all over again. This wastes energy.
   21. MIKE: Using bottled water to take up otherwise empty space “stores” the cold. This leaves less air space in the fridge to drop out, and food and liquids are much better at staying cold when you open the refrigerator door. Thus, the fridge cools down faster.
   22. MIKE: An additional benefit to this practice is that you not only save energy by reducing the need for cooling in the refrigerator because the less your fridge has to work at cooling your food, the less waste heat it diffuses into your house. That waste heat then that has to be removed by your air conditioning, so this simple hack (I hate that word) saves energy two ways.
   23. MIKE: Another way to save on AC that isn’t mentioned in the article is to swap out any incandescent light bulbs for fluorescent or LED lights. Incandescent bulbs throw off an enormous amount of heat. If you doubt me, try touching one that’s been on for a few minutes. But actually no, don’t do that. Just take my word for it.
   24. MIKE: The less waste heat thrown off by light bulbs or other inefficient consumers of electricity has to be removed from your house by the air conditioning. Cooler lighting saves energy two ways, and is also just more comfortable.
   25. MIKE: On the issue of blinds, yes. They can be helpful by blocking direct sunlight into the house, but if you have venetian-style blinds, which includes miniblinds, microblinds, and some types of shades, you also have to consider issues of privacy.
   26. MIKE: The direction you turn blinds to block sun is fine on the first floor. You can look down and out, but no one can look down and in.
   27. MIKE: Above the first floor, it’s just the reverse. Blocking the sun means that people can look up and in just as you can look down and out.
   28. MIKE: I formulated a simple rule to remember this for shades or curtains: What you can see out during the day is what people can see in at night. Try it for yourself and see if I’m right.
   29. MIKE: Hmmm. Maybe KPRC should have had me write this story.
5. In state news — School vouchers, THC ban, property tax cuts: Here’s what Texas lawmakers did in the 2025 regular session; By Texas Tribune Staff | TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG | June 2, 2025/Updated: 5 PM Central. TAGS: Criminal justice, Demographics, Economy, Health care, Higher education, Immigration, Politics, Public education, State government, 89th Legislative Session,
   1. Texas lawmakers gaveled out of their 140-day legislative session on Monday after passing a raft of conservative policies, from private school vouchers to tighter bail laws, that furthered the state’s march to the right.
   2. The Legislature wrapped up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, when Democratic walkouts, a last-minute impeachment and unfinished priorities prompted overtime rounds of lawmaking.
   3. This time, Gov. Greg Abbott checked off every item on his main to-do list. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful hardline GOP Senate leader, accomplished the vast majority of his own priorities, working in concert with first-term House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, to send a laundry list of conservative bills to Abbott’s desk.
   4. The GOP-controlled Legislature’s productive session left Democrats feeling dour with only scattered wins. They were able to block a handful of Republican priorities and they pushed several major bipartisan measures — from funding for public schools to water infrastructure — that made it across the finish line.
   5. As lawmakers prepare to depart Austin, … — Jasper Scherer
   6. Here are the policy areas that dominated lawmakers’ attention:
   7. School vouchers and public education funding — Texas GOP lawmakers exit the 2025 legislative session having taken care of their top two education priorities: private school vouchers and funding for public schools.
   8. Senate Bill 2, the voucher bill, will allow families to use $1 billion in taxpayer funds to pay for their children’s private school tuition and home-school expenses. House Bill 2, the school finance package, will send a roughly $8.5 billion boost to public schools to fund employee salaries, operational expenses, educator preparation, special education, campus safety and early childhood learning.
   9. Passage of both bills marks a 180-degree turn from the 2023 session, when vouchers failed to move forward and billions for public schools were withheld as a consequence, with Abbott saying he would only approve school funding once lawmakers passed vouchers.
   10. SB 2’s voucher program will launch at the beginning of the 2026-27 school year, with state officials expected to begin building the structure in coming months. HB 2 will soon allow Texas public schools to begin addressing some long-standing challenges, though advocates warn the money will likely not stave off budget deficits and campus closures. — Jaden Edison
   11. MIKE: More money for public education in Texas is good and extremely overdue thanks to the Republicans holding it hostage to vouchers, which will mostly help he affluent and rich. It will also likely send money to Texas religious schools in some form or fashion. I expect legal challenges.
   12. THC and medical marijuana — In a major win for Patrick, lawmakers approved a ban on products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, fulfilling the lieutenant governor’s priority of eradicating Texas’ booming hemp industry.
   13. [Under Senate Bill 3] sent to the governor last week, hemp retailers and recreational users would be allowed to sell and consume only the non-intoxicating, non-psychoactive cannabinoids known as CBD and CBG. The potential ban on THC, the psychoactive element in marijuana, comes six years after lawmakers inadvertently touched off a boom in hemp-based products when they authorized the sale of consumable hemp in a move aimed at boosting Texas agriculture.
   14. The measure has met bipartisan resistance from veterans and activists in both parties, who say an all-out ban is a heavy-handed way of cracking down on the more than 8,000 loosely regulated retailers selling THC-laced edibles, drinks, vapes and flower buds across Texas.
   15. Hemp industry leaders and advocates have flooded Abbott with calls to veto the bill; the governor has stayed neutral on the issue this session and declined to say whether he plans to use his veto pen or let the bill become law.
   16. Proponents have sold the ban in part by touting the Legislature’s planned expansion of its limited medical marijuana program. Separate legislation sent to Abbott’s desk would significantly expand the list of qualifying conditions and allow for more licensed medical marijuana dispensers. — Jasper Scherer
   17. MIKE: As I understand it, Abbott can take the coward’s way out by neither signing nor vetoing the bill, passive-aggressively allowing it to become law.
   18. Stricter bail laws — The Legislature adopted a sweeping package ushering in a crackdown on the state’s bail laws, a longtime priority of Abbott. Senate Joint Resolution 5 will appear on November’s ballot, asking voters to amend the state Constitution to require judges to deny bail, in certain cases, for the most violent offenses.
   19. The Texas Constitution currently grants almost everyone who is arrested the right to be released on bail, except for those charged with capital murder or accused of certain repeat felonies or bail violations. According to the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court, bail cannot be excessive, and pretrial detention largely should not be considered the default, as criminal defendants are legally presumed innocent.
   20. Proponents argued that stricter bail laws were necessary to protect the public from crime committed by dangerous defendants out on bail.
   21. The Legislature also passed Senate Bill 9, which limits who is eligible for a cashless bond. But two more stringent proposals — which would’ve automatically denied bail to all unauthorized migrants accused of certain crimes and to some people previously accused of certain felonies — died in the House. — Kayla Guo
   22. MIKE: Going forward, I will probably be recommending voting against any amendments to the Texas Constitution that could more properly have been accomplished by simple legislation. I’ll have to see how this gets framed as a proposition.
   23. The state lottery and gambling — Texans will no longer be able to buy their lottery tickets online or through apps known as couriers, cutting down one of the only legal forms of online gambling in the state. The Legislature’s session-long scrutiny of the Texas Lottery Commission culminated in Senate Bill 3070, a sweeping overhaul of the game and the abolition of the commission as lottery oversight moves to a new agency.
   24. The banning of couriers was a bellwether for the Legislature’s appetite for gambling this session; not a single bill expanding casinos or sports betting in any form was heard in either chamber. A March letter signed by a dozen Republican lawmakers killed any hope for constitutional amendments on gambling making it out of the House — a hurdle one such proposal barely jumped in 2023.
   25. The lottery itself is ending the session on unstable footing, as SB 3070 will require a review by the state’s Sunset Advisory Commission in 2029 that may put a permanent end to the games. — Ayden Runnels
   26. MIKE: In a word, “Good”.
   27. Water infrastructure — Lawmakers reached a deal on investing billions of dollars to stave off a looming water crisis. Senate Bill 7 and House Resolution 7 dedicate $1 billion a year for the next 20 years, beginning in 2027. The money will be split evenly between fixing the state’s fragile water infrastructure and projects to create new water supply. This includes desalination, repairing old water infrastructure, conservation and flood mitigation projects.
   28. Texas voters will have the chance to vote on the proposed dedicated funding this November.
   29. There were water-related bills that had support, but failed to make it across the finish line. This includes House Bill 1400, which would have established a fund for groundwater research, science and innovation. This fund would have been used to improve groundwater models used for water planning, among other research to improve groundwater conditions in Texas. — Jayme Lozano Carver
   30. MIKE: Overall, I think this will be a good thing. Again, we’ll how the proposition is framed.
   31. Religion in schools — Two bills passed this session give religion — specifically, Christianity — a more prominent role in Texas public schools, barring potential legal challenges.
   32. Senate Bill 10 requires that every public school classroom display the Ten Commandments in a visible place. The posters must be 16 by 20 inches, and can’t include any other text. The bill builds on a 2021 law that requires “In God We Trust” signs to be displayed, though those were only required to be displayed if donated by a private group. A similar law to the Ten Commandments bill was ruled unconstitutional in Louisiana, and freedom of religion and civil rights groups in Texas said they plan to sue as soon as the governor signs it.
   33. Senate Bill 11 requires school boards to vote on whether to have a period for staff and students to pray or study a religious text — and to allow students that time in the school day either way. Opponents raised concerns before the bill’s passage that this could lead to teachers or staff members attempting to indoctrinate students. — Sameea Kamal
   34. MIKE: This is more of the creeping totalitarianism that was pioneered in states like Texas, and which has now found itself heavily embedded in the federal government. These changes to our country’s institutions will be hard to repeal, but we must fight to do so.
   35. Laws targeting transgender Texans — Texas now strictly defines man and woman based on reproductive organs. The full implications of this bill remain to be seen, but trans people fear it means the state won’t recognize amended drivers’ licenses and birth certificates. It may also be used to limit what bathrooms someone can use, the prisons or shelters they’re put into and the discrimination protections they can call upon.
   36. The Legislature will also require health insurance companies that cover gender-affirming care to pay for detransitioning; [it also] mandates someone’s birth sex be noted on their medical records; and says it can’t be considered child abuse for parents to not affirm their child’s gender identity.
   37. The “bathroom bill,” requiring people in government buildings to use the bathroom that matches the sex they were assigned at birth, did not pass, despite widespread support from both chambers. — Eleanor Klibanoff
   38. MIKE: Again, intruding into the lives of people who harm no one else because of government’s religious preferences is part of what a totalitarian regime does.
   39. Abortion— After at least three women died as a result of being denied medically necessary abortions, lawmakers approved a narrow clarification of the state’s near-total abortion ban. The new law does not expand abortion access, but aims to empower doctors to perform life-saving abortions, even if death is not imminent. It also requires doctors and lawyers to take continuing education classes on the nuances of the law.
   40. Lawmakers also banned cities from paying for out-of-state abortion travel, although a more significant anti-abortion bill, cracking down on pills, failed to make it out of a House committee. — Eleanor Klibanoff
   41. MIKE: Again, totalitarians legislate a person’s biological freedom, or lack thereof.
   42. Vaccines — A raft of vaccine hesitancy bills that put greater restrictions on vaccine use while giving parents and individuals more leeway in filing conscientious exemptions so they or their children can opt out of immunization requirements were filed, but only a handful made it across the finish line.
   43. Chief among them was House Bill 1586, which will allow parents to print out copies of the state’s conscientious exemption form instead of waiting weeks for one to be sent by the Texas Department of State Health Services. Critics argued that making exemptions easier will cause more childhood viruses to spread like the current West Texas measles outbreak.
   44. Other vaccine-related bills that passed included HB 4076, which bars discrimination on an organ transplant list based on a patient’s vaccination status, and HB 4535, which requires health care providers administering the COVID-19 vaccine to obtain informed consent from patients, notify them in writing of benefits and risks and inform them how to report complications to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. — Terri Langford
   45. MIKE: These bills should all be lumped under the heading of “Let’s Make Measles Great Again.”
   46. Property tax cuts — State lawmakers greenlit a fresh round of property tax cuts for Texas homeowners and businesses that voters must sign off on at the November ballot box. If passed, Texans who own their homes would get a bigger break on the taxes they pay to school districts via a boost in the state’s homestead exemption to $140,000 from $100,000. Homeowners 65 or older or those with disabilities would see an even bigger bump.
   47. Business owners stand to see breaks on the property taxes they pay on their inventory. Lawmakers exempted up to $125,000 of businesses’ inventory from being taxed by school districts, cities, counties and other taxing entities. Voters in November will decide whether that takes effect.
   48. In all, Texas plans to spend $51 billion on property tax cuts — a whopping figure state budget watchers and some lawmakers worry is unsustainable. — Joshua Fechter
   49. MIKE: I’m going to have mixed feelings on these ballot propositions. We’ll see when the time comes what I recommend.
   50. Housing — Lawmakers enacted a spate of bills intended to tackle the state’s high home prices and rents, mainly by allowing more homes to be built. Among the most prominent were bills to allow smaller homes on smaller lots as well as apartments and mixed-use developments in more places, such as along retail and commercial corridors, in the state’s largest cities. They also approved a bill to make it harder for residents to stop new homes from being built.
   51. Other measures to make it easier to build additional dwelling units in the backyards of single-family homes and allow houses of worship to build homes on their land died. — Joshua Fechter
   52. MIKE: I’ll note to no one’s surprise that massive and indiscriminate deportations of legal and illegal immigrants will do just the opposite of this bill, because it takes skilled people to build housing. Trump and Republicans are creating a labor shortage that will slow construction and increase costs.
   53. DEI in K-12 schools — Texas lawmakers wanted to give parents more say over what children are taught and which activities they join. A key part of this push is Senate Bill 12, which will ban diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices in K-12 schools. The ban prohibits school districts from considering race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation in hiring and training. Lawmakers say DEI programs promote ideology over quality education. Parents can file complaints if they believe a school violates the ban, which can be escalated to the Texas Education commissioner.
   54. In addition, schools will be banned from authorizing or sponsoring student clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill also requires parents to give consent for their children to participate in extracurricular clubs.
   55. Critics say the law could negatively impact LGBTQ+ students and encourage self-censorship among teachers. Lawmakers proposed amendments, allowing educators to opt out of teaching what goes against their personal beliefs and ensuring students still learn the “uncomfortable truths” of U.S. history, but they failed. — Sofia Sorochinskaia
   56. MIKE: Only arch-conservatives can consider equity and inclusion to be bad things. Diversity kind of comes with equity and inclusion, and Republicans only want their own kind included with their own versions of “equal”..
   57. Higher education oversight — Alarmed by last year’s “disruptive” and “hate-filled” pro-Palestinian demonstrations, conservative lawmakers pushed to exert greater control over public higher education. They passed Senate Bill 37, giving political appointees — not subject-matter experts — the authority to review and reject courses and the hiring of a provost or the chief academic officer. That bill creates an office to investigate complaints against universities and recommend funding cuts.
   58. Lawmakers also rolled back campus free speech protections with Senate Bill 2972, which gives politically appointed university regents the power to designate protest locations and prohibits students from erecting encampments, wearing disguises or protesting noisily in certain situations. A proposal to eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students advanced out of a committee for the first time in a decade but stalled before a full vote. — Jessica Priest
   59. MIKE: Free speech means allowing speech that some people don’t like. I believe that free speech is sometimes pushed beyond reasonable bounds, but limiting speech becomes a slippery slope.
6. In my opinion, this next story is in some ways a more important story than it even appears. I’ll discuss my thoughts in more detail after I read it — Trump deploys 2,000 National Guard members after LA immigration protests; By Nadine El-Bawab and Jack Moore | ABCNEWS.GO.COM | June 7, 2025, 9:41 PM. TAGS: Trump administration, California National Guard, Federal immigration agents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Los Angeles, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, United States Customs & Border Patrol (CBP).
   1. Federal immigration agents raided seven businesses across the city as immigration advocates say at least 45 people were arrested in Friday’s raids.
   2. The Trump administration is deploying the California National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement operations that have resulted in some clashes between demonstrators and authorities, the White House said in a statement.
   3. President Donald Trump signed a memorandum “deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness” in California as demonstrations opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations continue in the state, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Saturday evening.
   4. [Leavitt said,] “In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.”
   5. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that the Defense Department is “mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. And, if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert.”
   6. Earlier Saturday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the federal government was moving to “take over the California National Guard,” calling the move “purposefully inflammatory” and saying it will “only escalate tensions.”
   7. Newsom said local California authorities don’t need the help.
   8. [Newsom said in a post on X,] “LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need.”
   9. The protest Saturday was centered in the city of Paramount in Los Angeles County, following reports of an immigration raid occurring at that location. However, Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons later said during a news conference that agents were staging, not conducting a raid.
   10. Those protests followed demonstrations Friday in the city limits of LA itself that came in the wake of immigration enforcement operations across the city. [The ACLU said that] Federal agents raided multiple workplaces in the fashion district and other areas, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, leading to hundreds of people, including children, being detained by ICE agents at the Edward Roybal Federal Building in downtown LA …
   11. Large crowds then gathered near the federal building Friday afternoon and evening, leading to some clashes with authorities.
   12. The situation on Saturday took place on Alondra Boulevard, just east of the 710 Freeway, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC. At one point, a car was set on fire in Compton, according to the station.
   13. Videos of the protests on Saturday showed Border Patrol agents posted up with many protesters across the street, yelling at them. Footage appears to show some smoke projectiles being deployed as well.
   14. In a statement on social media, United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said several arrests had been made Saturday for alleged assaults on federal agents.
   15. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said authorities were seeking to identify people who threw rocks at law enforcement vehicles.
   16. S. Attorney Bill Essayli said federal law enforcement operations would proceed as planned in Los Angeles County this weekend.
   17. [Essayli said,] “I urge the public to refrain from interfering with these lawful actions. Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution.”
   18. The LA County Sheriff’s Department said its personnel responded to Paramount Boulevard Saturday, where a large crowd was blocking the street.
   19. [The sheriff’s department said in a statement Saturday,] “As deputies arrived, it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest. The Sheriff’s Department was not involved in any federal law enforcement operations or actions and responded solely for traffic and crowd control management.”
   20. The sheriff’s department said it does not participate in any civil immigration enforcement activities or mass deportation sweeps.
   21. [The sheriff’s department continued by saying,] “We remind the public to exercise their right to protest peacefully, with respect for the safety of all community members. Our primary responsibility is to ensure public safety for all individuals present — both demonstrators, residents, and bystanders — by addressing potential safety concerns while supporting the safe and lawful expression of First Amendment rights.”
   22. … The response to the two days protests has local and federal officials pointing fingers.
   23. In a statement Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons faulted local officials, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, and police for their response to the situation on Friday evening.
   24. [Lyons said,] “What took place in Los Angeles yesterday was appalling. As rioters attacked federal ICE and law enforcement officers on the LA streets, Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement.”
   25. Lyons’ statement went on to say: “Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building. It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times. The brave men and women of ICE were in Los Angeles arresting criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers and those with a history of assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery, and smuggling.
   26. The LAPD issued a statement later on Saturday denying the ICE director’s claims, saying its response was delayed, in part, because federal authorities had deployed chemical irritants into the crowd of protesters.
   27. [The statement said,] “Contrary to the claim that LAPD delayed its response for over two hours, our personnel mobilized and acted as swiftly as conditions safely allowed. Our response time was impacted by significant traffic congestion, the presence of demonstrators, and, notably, by the fact that federal agents had deployed irritants into the crowd prior to LAPD’s arrival. This created a hazardous environment for responding officers. Within 55 minutes of receiving the call, we began to disperse the hostile and riotous crowd.”
   28. Large crowds first began gathering near the federal detention center in Downtown LA Friday afternoon, protesting the immigration raids and leading to some reported clashes with authorities. Some protesters could be seen throwing objects at vehicles, and others tried to block vans from leaving on Friday, KABC reported.
   29. Shortly after 7 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department declared an unlawful assembly, warning protesters they risked being arrested if they remained in the area. LAPD officers were seen lining the streets near the federal building, KABC reported.
   30. The LAPD said in a social media post late Friday that officers had reported a “small group of violent individuals” were throwing large pieces of concrete.
   31. [The LAPD said in the post,] “Once again, an UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared. You must leave the area. The use of less lethal munitions has been authorized by the Incident Commander.”
   32. [Los Angeles Mayor Bass] has condemned the ICE operations in her city.
   33. [The mayor said,]”As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My Office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this.”
   34. Bass told ABC Los Angeles station KABC that neither she nor the Los Angeles Police Department were aware that the ICE raids were going to happen.
   35. On Saturday, protests in the city of LA itself, remained peaceful and ended without incident, the LAPD said in a statement.
   36. In a statement posted to social media later Saturday, Bass said many in the city are feeling fear following the immigration enforcement operations, but she also decried violence.
   37. [The statement said,] “Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning. We’ve been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C., and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward. Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
   38. MIKE: In some circumstances, federalizing a state’s National Guard can be justifiable. President Eisenhower did it for 16 days in 1957 to abide by the Supreme Court’s Brown vs. Board of Education ruling when the Arkansas state government, represented by then-Governor Orval Faubus, refused to abide by the ruling.
   39. MIKE: Eisenhower took that step after due deliberation.
   40. MIKE: There have been other instances in US history of the Federal government calling out National Guard troops, but such actions were often problematic, sometimes led to violence that might otherwise not have occurred, and have also caused unnecessary deaths.
   41. MIKE: When I first saw in the news that Trump had federalized the California National Guard to “pacify” Los Angeles following the ICE raids, my initial reaction was how quickly Trump acted, in vivid contrast to his inaction on January 6, 2021 when his followers were attempting to overthrow the 2020 election, which — while often not termed this way — was actually an attempt to overthrow the US government., In other words, it was an attempted coup, which is what our NATO allies immediately called it.
   42. MIKE: And note how quickly Trump called out the National Guard in LA as opposed to how long it took on January 6, 2021.
   43. MIKE: In my opinion, this is Trump’s work around of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 which “limits the federal government’s ability to use military personnel to enforce domestic policies.”
   44. MIKE: Trump made it plain during his first term that he wanted to effectively occupy and militarize cities that were predominantly run by Democrats. The Posse Comitatus Act prevented him from doing so, but by now federalizing the California National Guard to quell disturbances that Trump’s regime provoked by ICE raids, he has created his pretext for action.
   45. MIKE: The LA ICE raids were ridiculously provocative and over-militarized. People that were allegedly ICE agents — and I use the term allegedly because so many wore masks and were in irregular outfits that were not regulation uniforms, nor did they have visible ID aside from vests — were in what amounted to full military gear that military veterans have compared to what they wore in war zones like Afghanistan.
   46. MIKE: In addition, they were accompanied by armored personnel carriers and other military vehicles.
   47. MIKE: The way this was conducted was nothing less than a federal invasion of a US city. I’m gifting the link to a NY Times article that is embedded in the body of this show post. That means you can read it with no paywall for a limited time. If you do nothing else, please watch the short video at the top of it. It’s absolutely appalling. phttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/06/us/los-angeles-immigration-raid.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NU8.c-X6.4G6ekDKzg_AO&smid=url-share
   48. MIKE: And now, Trump is calling in 2000 fully equipped California National Guard troops that may well look and feel like an army of occupation.
   49. MIKE: Make no mistake. This is all part of Trump’s fascist plan to start occupying Democrat-run US cities. The Republican Party is more than complicit in this. They have become a fascist party as they stand by and explicitly or implicitly endorse Trump’s actions.
   50. MIKE: If enough Republicans recognize their patriotic duty and start voting with the Democrats — or better still, switch parties so that both chambers of Congress switch party control to the Democrats — this horror of creeping totalitarianism can be stopped.
   51. MIKE: Note that I’m using the word “Totalitarianism” rather than “authoritarianism”. There is a difference, and totalitarianism is worse.
   52. MIKE: Wikipedia defines it thusly: “Totalitarianism is a political system and a form of government that prohibits opposition from political parties, disregards and outlaws the political claims of individual and group opposition to the state, and completely controls the public sphere and the private sphere of society. In the field of political science, totalitarianism is the extreme form of authoritarianism, wherein all socio-political power is held by a dictator. This figure controls the national politics and peoples of the nation with continual propaganda campaigns that are broadcast by state-controlled and state-aligned private mass communications media.^[2]”
   53. MIKE: This is the direction that Trump, his Republican Party, and his extremist collaborators are rapidly taking the United States. And note my advisėd use of the word “collaborators” in its derogatory political sense. It should be increasingly obvious to anyone that has eyes and brains and any knowledge of 20^th century history that we are indeed facing a fascist putsch in the United States.
   54. MIKE: January 6^th, 2021 was equivalent to a combination of Hitler’s 1923 beer Hall Putsch and the Nazis’ burning of the Reichstag. In 1930s Germany, the former ultimately set the groundwork for the latter.
   55. MIKE: In the US on January 6^th, this attempted putsch apparently failed, but it has set a stage for an even more determined effort by rightwing extremists in the Republican Party and elsewhere to find methods that are apparently legal, or apparently illegal but which take time to adjudicate as such, and blatantly illegal methods which, once executed, do permanent damage to the this nation’s institutions regardless of any eventual court ruling.
   56. MIKE: I know that all of this sounds hyperbolic, but I don’t consider myself a person prone to unnecessary hyperbole. Rather, I think that we are living through a time of ominous foreshadowing.
   57. MIKE: I’m going to go out on a limb here and even suggest that we are witnessing a political Pearl Harbor. It’s a sneak attack on our country, our institutions, and our very way of life. Veterans of World War 2, and the nations that lived through its violence in a way that Americans can’t begin to understand, recognize it all too well.
   58. MIKE: Americans must take note. Republicans who honestly believe themselves to be freedom-loving patriots should be especially concerned.
   59. MIKE: And men and women in our various military branches should start seriously studying their Department of Defense Law of War Manual (Updated July 2023).
   60. MIKE: On page 282 of the manual, section 5.10.2.4 Duty Not to Comply With Clearly Illegal Orders and the Principle of Proportionality, it says this: “In the context of the principle of distinction, it would often be clear whether a given situation implicates the duty not to comply with clearly illegal orders to commit law of war violations – such as the duty of a subordinate to refrain from complying with an order to attack the civilian population. However, the nuances involved in applying the principle of proportionality could make it more difficult to know whether an order given is clearly illegal.”
   61. MIKE: This document is 1,254 pages, so I can’t say what the contradictions to this rule are. However, the implications are clear: US military personnel have a duty to disobey orders that unnecessarily and illegally put civilians at risk.
   62. MIKE: These rules apply to ALL United States military and paramilitary personnel, including the National Guard and any and all military assets under command of the US Commander-In-Chief.
   63. MIKE: My great fear is that military conditioning is so powerful that military personnel put obedience before all else, even when educated in a right and responsibility to refuse to follow illegal orders.
   64. MIKE: Do these rules also apply to ICE and the CBP? According to Google AI, when using the search term, “Do military laws of war apply to ICE and the CBP”, Google says:
   65. “In general, the military laws of war (specifically International Humanitarian Law or IHL) do not directly apply to the daily operations of ICE and CBP in the United States, as these agencies are civilian law enforcement bodies, not armed forces engaged in a declared armed conflict. However, it’s important to consider:
   66. [Regarding] Law Enforcement in Armed Conflicts: Even during armed conflicts, IHL contains specific provisions regarding the use of force by law enforcement officials, primarily based on the rules governing law enforcement rather than the rules governing hostilities.
   67. [Regarding] ICE’s Role in Investigating War Crimes: While not combatants themselves, ICE is involved in investigating and prosecuting individuals who have committed war crimes. They enforce laws related to war crimes under U.S. Code Title 18 Chapter 118 Section 2441.
   68. [Regarding] International Human Rights Law: Law enforcement agencies like ICE and CBP are expected to comply with international human rights law (IHRL) in their operations, which applies both in peacetime and during armed conflicts.
   69. [Regarding] Use of Force: Both international human rights law and domestic law govern the use of force by law enforcement officials, including ICE and CBP.”
   70. MIKE: So what does all this mean in practice? What are the implications and applications of all this to American Law? And how do these rules and laws impact the actions (or lack thereof) not only of National Guard Troops, but of non-military Federal law enforcement personnel of the CBP, ICE, and other civilian law enforcement agencies?
   71. MIKE: What I believe it means is that individuals who feel immunity for their actions while under apparent color of authority are not protected against civil and criminal penalties at some future time.
   72. MIKE: In other words, all law enforcement individuals under any authority should become viscerally familiar with the lessons of the Nuremburg Trials that boil down to this: “I was just following orders” is no defense.
7. Canada won’t become the 51st US state – but could it join the EU?; By Ashifa Kassam | THEGUARDIAN.COM | Sun 8 Jun 2025 @ 00.00 EDT. TAGS: Canada, European Union, Mark Carney, Donald Trump, US foreign policy, Nato, Germany,
8. Joachim Streit has never stepped foot in Canada. But that hasn’t stopped the German politician from launching a tenacious, one-man campaign that he readily describes as “aspirational”: to have the North American country join the EU.
9. [Said Streit, who last year was elected as a member of the European parliament,] “We have to strengthen the European Union. And I think Canada – as its prime minister says – is the most European country outside of Europe.”
10. Streit had long imagined Canada as a sort of paradise, home to dense forests that course with wide, rushing rivers. But after Donald Trump returned to power, launching much of the world into a trade war and turning his back on America’s traditional allies, Streit began to cast the northern country in a new light.
11. What he saw was a relatively unexplored relationship, one that could prove mutually beneficial as the world grapples with rapidly reshaping global dynamics. [Said Streit,] “Canadians have seen their trust in the US undermined, just as we have in Europe, following President Trump’s actions. We need to strengthen the ties that bind us to our friends.”
12. While he admitted that the possibility of Canada as a full member of the EU “may be aspirational for now”, he wondered if it was an idea whose time had come.
13. [Said Streit,] “Canada would be a strong member. If Canada would be a member of the EU, it would rank 4th in terms of GDP. It’s part of Nato. And 58% of (working-age) Canadians have college degrees.”
14. Canada also has vast energy reserves – an asset that could prove useful to the bloc, which is still struggling to wean itself off Russian gas, he added.
15. Since launching his campaign last month, Streit has become the most visible proponent of an unlikely proposition that has been gaining traction since Trump began floating the idea of Canada as the 51st state.
16. In late January, a former foreign minister of Germany, Sigmar Gabriel, called for Canada to be invited into the EU. [He told Germany’s Pioneer Media,] “They are more European than some European member states anyway.”
17. Media outlets on both sides of the Atlantic have delved into the idea, while a February poll of 1,500 Canadians found 44% of them believed Canada should look into joining the EU.
18. In March, however, a European spokesperson appeared to pour cold water on the suggestion, citing an article in the EU treaty that specifies only European states can apply to join the EU.
19. Streit brushed off the technicality, pointing to France’s overseas territories, [saying,] “Those are also not in Europe, but those islands belong to the European Union.”Cyprus, considered EU territory but located geographically in west Asia, was another example.
20. And if one wanted to get technical, Canada was – albeit in a minuscule way – connected geographically to Europe, he said. “Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, shares a border with Canada,” [Streit said,] pointing to the divide that runs through the uninhabited half-mile square Hans Island.
21. In April, Streit submitted a written question to the European parliament, asking whether the treaty article stipulating that states must be European could be interpreted in a way that could allow for Canadian membership or, barring that, if it could be legally revised. He has yet to receive a response.
22. Undaunted, he sent a letter to two EU commissioners calling for a sort of political Erasmus to be launched between the bloc and Canada. What he envisions is a professional exchange programme that would allow EU officials to better grasp the nuances of Canadian federalism and Canadians to get a sense of the workings of European institutions.
23. “It would serve as both a symbolic and practical step toward deeper integration,” [Streit] said, one that could build on existing ties such as the EU-Canada trade deal and Canada’s participation in the EU’s flagship science research programme, Horizon.
24. Since launching the campaign, he’s been in constant contact with Canadians; meeting twice with one of Canada’s high-ranking envoys to the EU and meeting with a Brussels-based association that promotes Canada-EU trade.
25. As news spreads of his efforts, his office has received a handful of emails of support. Some have offered up their own thoughts on how to skirt around Canada’s geographic location; one recent email laid out what the writer described as a “killer argument”, pointing out that as part of the Commonwealth Canada was tied to the UK and, by extension, Europe.
26. Streit took it one step further. “And who is the head of Canada?” he asked, pointing to King Charles. “And he’s a European.”
27. Streit said he was well aware that, for all his efforts, the idea may prove to be impossible. Even so, he hoped that the moment could be seized on to at least hammer out the kind of deep ties the bloc has with countries such as Norway or Switzerland.
28. “Sometimes in history, the windows of opportunity open and close again,” he said. “And sometimes, the windows of opportunity are open only for a brief moment.”
29. MIKE: Wouldn’t it be deliciously ironic if Trump’s strongarm attempts to annex Canada drove it into the arms of the European Union instead?
30. MIKE: If Canada showed sufficient interest in joining the EU, and if the EU had sufficient will to make accommodations for Canada to join, it could hurt the US very badly.
31. MIKE: I’m not saying that Canada or the EU would no longer be friends and allies, but Trump has certainly stuck a shiv into that relationship for now, and wounds like that can take a long time to heal.
32. MIKE: I think that Trump and the Republican Party have been laboring under a powerful misapprehensions about the sources of American power.
33. MIKE: Our current — or might I say expiring — centrality in the world order is a mixture of World War 2 legacy, our economic power (which is also partly due to World War 2 legacy), and our alliances which — you guessed it — are partly due to World War 2 legacy.
34. MIKE: Nothing about our power and primacy are God-given. Ask any empire that is now in the dustbin of history. For that matter, ask the Brits and the French for more recent examples.
35. MIKE: When the history of the United States is written in a couple of hundred years, whatever the long-term outcome, Trump and the Republican Party will be equated to Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

That’s all we have time for today. You’ve been listening to Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig from KPFT Houston 90.1-HD2, Galveston 89.5-HD2, and Huntsville 91.9-HD2. We are Houston’s Community Media. I hope you’ve enjoyed the show and found it interesting, and I look forward to sharing this time with you again next week. Y’all take care!

___________________________________________________________

1. Make sure you are registered to vote! VoteTexas.GOV – Texas Voter Information
   1. It’s time to snail-mail (no emails or faxes) in your application for mail-ballots, IF you qualify TEXAS SoS VOTE-BY-MAIL BALLOT APPLICATION (ALL TEXAS COUNTIES) HarrisVotes.com­ – Countywide Voting Centers, (Election Information Line (713) 755-6965), Harris County Clerk
   2. Obtain a Voter Registration Application (HarrisVotes.com)
   3. Harris County “Vote-By-Mail’ Application for 2023
      1. Austin County Elections
      2. Brazoria County (TX) Clerk Election Information
      3. Chambers County (TX) Elections
      4. Colorado County (TX) Elections
      5. Fort Bend County takes you to the proper link
      6. GalvestonVotes.org (Galveston County, TX)
      7. Harris County ((HarrisVotes.com)
      8. LibertyElections (Liberty County, TX)
      9. Montgomery County (TX) Elections
      10. Walker County Elections
      11. Waller County (TX) Elections
      12. Wharton County Elections
   4. For personalized, nonpartisan voter guides and information, Consider visiting Vote.ORG.   Ballotpedia.com and Texas League of Women Voters are also good places to get election info.
   5. If you are denied your right to vote any place at any time at any polling place for any reason, ask for (or demand) a provisional ballot rather than lose your vote.
   6. HarrisVotes.com – Countywide Voting Centers, HARRIS COUNTY – IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR VOTING: Do not possess and cannot reasonably obtain one of these IDs?
      1. Fill out a declaration at the polls describing a reasonable impediment to obtaining it, and show a copy or original of one of the following supporting forms of ID:
      2. A government document that shows your name and an address, including your voter registration certificate
      3. Current utility bill
      4. Bank statement
      5. Government check
      6. Paycheck
      7. A certified domestic (from a U.S. state or territory) birth certificate or (b) a document confirming birth admissible in a court of law which establishes your identity (which may include a foreign birth document)
      8. You may vote early by-mail if:You are registered to vote and meet one of the following criteria:
         1. Away from the county of residence on Election Day and during the early voting period;
         2. Sick or disabled;
         3. 65 years of age or older on Election Day; or
         4. Confined in jail, but eligible to vote.
         5. Make sure you are registered:
         6. Ann Harris Bennett, Tax Assessor-Collector & Voter Registrar
         7. CHECK REGISTRATION STATUS HERE
         8. CLICK How to register to vote in Texas
         9. Outside Texas, try Vote.org.
2. BE REGISTERED TO VOTE, and if eligible, REMEMBER TO FILL OUT AND MAIL NEW MAIL-IN BALLOT APPLICATIONS FOR 2023.
   1. Obtain a Voter Registration Application (HarrisVotes.com)
   2. Just be registered and apply for your mail-in ballot if you may qualify.
   3. You can track your Mail Ballot Activity from our website with direct link provided here https://www.harrisvotes.com/Tracking

_______________________________________________________

Remember!  When you donate to KPFT, your dollars pay for:

• Transmitter and equipment costs
• Programs like Thinkwing Radio, Politics Done Right, and other locally-generated political talk shows
• KPFT’s online streaming
• Maintaining a wide variety of music programs

Each time you turn on the radio, you can hear your dollars at work! Make your contribution to this station right now. Just call 713 526 5738. That’s 713-526-5738. Or give online at KPFT.org!