We continue hosting Chris' new podcast for Progress Texas for the rest of August - beyond that, the Progress Texas Podcasts feed will be its permanent home. Please go there and subscribe!

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A Trump-appointed judge in Victoria will hear arguments over the Biden administration's humanitarian parole program, starting today: ⁠https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/biden-immigration-policy-giving-temporary-legal-status-thousands-faces-rcna101383⁠

Whistleblowers at Texas Health and Human Services allege errors and bad management have led to thousands of pregnant Texans and children losing Medicaid health coverage: ⁠https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/help-us-state-employees-blow-whistle-on-errors-they-say-are-kicking-thousands-off-medicaid/⁠

Prager U's backfiring announcement of Texas approval develops - they now say their nonsensical garbage is an "option" for Texas schools: ⁠https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texas-schools-prageru-18325731.php⁠

...While San Antonio ISD becomes the latest district to claim exemption from the new SRO law, citing funding and staffing limitations: ⁠https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/san-antonio-isd-exemption-texas-law-18324841.php⁠

...And a new school chaplain law is pooh-poohed by...wait for it...a group of chaplains: ⁠https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/08/23/texas-school-chaplains-letter/⁠

...And a throwback to the pandemic as an entire Texas school district shuts down over COVID cases: ⁠https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/23/school-district-in-south-texas-temporarily-closes-due-to-uptick-in-covid-19-cases/⁠

Good environmental news as battery storage is credited for keeping the Texas power grid stable this summer: ⁠https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2023/08/22/batteries-keep-texas-grid-humming-in-heat-waves-00112136⁠

...But bad environmental news as a hotly-contested lignite coal mining operation's expansion plans are approved by state regulators: ⁠https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082023/texas-mine-expansion-water-worries/⁠

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