We continue through August hosting Chris' new podcast for Progress Texas! The Progress Texas Podcasts feed will be its permanent home, so if you're enjoying, take a moment and subscribe there.

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

Texas journalists seeking access to an encrypted e-mail account owned by Attorney General Ken Paxton are denied by his office, claiming "attorney-client privilege": ⁠https://twitter.com/lmcgaughy/status/1694031900988317710?t=w1jWJMjxUIoAEmVUHthoQA&s=03⁠

A federal judge in Austin rejects Governor Abbott's claims of an "invasion" at the border with Mexico: ⁠https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/08/22/federal-judge-rejects-texas-migrant-invasion-defense-in-doj-lawsuit-over-border-buoys/⁠

...While the Texas Supreme Court rules that a state law abolishing Harris County's elections administrator will be allowed to take effect on Sept. 1: ⁠https://abc13.com/senate-bill-1750-harris-county-politics-houston-elections-area-politicians/13685768/⁠

Prager U CEO and wackjob Texas State Board of Education member announce that Texas has approved the use of right-wing propaganda in Texas public school classrooms: ⁠https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/prageru-among-educational-lesson-plans-allowed-in-texas-schools-under-new-law/⁠

...While TEA and SBOE scratch heads in confusion, claiming no such approval has been granted: ⁠https://abc13.com/prageru-kids-slavery-video-educational-videos-for-controversial-material-texas-education/13687315/⁠⁠ A Lewisville ISD backtracks on policy after harshly punishing an 8th grader for talking to friends about fears of a shooting threat: ⁠https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2023/08/10/student-discipline-oversight-bolstered-in-lewisville-isd-after-teens-punishment/⁠

...While Houston ISD's new state-appointed superintendent backtracks on cutting recess for elementary school kids: ⁠https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/hisd-s-mike-miles-increases-recess-nes-schools-18310918.php⁠

The Texas power grid gets a mixed report card from a state watchdog: ⁠https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/infrastructure/ercot/2023/08/18/459988/texas-power-grid-has-held-up-well-for-summer-but-still-inefficient-energy-experts-say/⁠

And, an important read on Texas' new "Death Star" law, set to take effect next Friday, and what it means for our city governments: ⁠https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/08/greg-abbott-texas-attacks-austin-with-death-star.html⁠

Thanks for listening, and for supporting Progress Texas! Join the fun at ⁠https://progresstexas.org/⁠.