MRT: Hurricane Hanna Batters S. TX; Trump to Visit W. TX Wed; Wave of Evictions Ahead?; USAA, H-E-B Praised for Customer Experience; RIP David Bridges
Here's What You Need to Know in Texas Today.
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BY: @MattMackowiak
MONDAY – 07/27/20
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TOP NEWS
"South Texas drenched by cyclone amid surge in virus cases,"AP's John L. Mone and Nomaan Merchant -- "A day after roaring ashore as a hurricane, Hanna lashed the Texas Gulf Coast on Sunday with high winds and drenching rains that destroyed boats, flooded streets and knocked out power across a region already reeling from a surge in coronavirus cases.
Downgraded to a tropical depression, Hanna passed over the U.S.-Mexico border with winds near 50 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. It unloaded more than 12 inches of rain on parts of South Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Border communities whose health care systems were already strained by COVID-19 cases — with some patients being airlifted to larger cities — found themselves under siege from the first hurricane of the 2020 Atlantic season. There were no immediate reports of any deaths on either side of the border.
Dr. Ivan Melendez, the health authority in Hidalgo County, Texas, was treating a patient overnight at a hospital when he and a nurse noticed water streaming down a wall and pooling on the floor. The water was flowing through a vent in the room, which had been retrofitted with a fan to create negative pressure and prevent the virus spreading through the hospital.
After driving home in the storm in the middle of the night, Melendez was trapped Sunday morning in his home by downed trees and had no electricity. He used the phone to discuss whether to put a 58-year-old woman on a ventilator, a decision he felt uncomfortable making without seeing the patient in person.
“You look at the people’s eyes,” he said. “You’ll know if they’re in despair.”
Another doctor decided to place the woman on the ventilator, he said later.
Henry Van De Putte, CEO of the Red Cross’ Texas Gulf Coast chapter, said the organization would open more shelters with reduced capacity to ensure social distancing. Volunteers and people seeking refuge will undergo temperature checks, and a medical professional will be assigned to each location, he said.
A community building known as the “Dome” in Mercedes, Texas, was set aside for evacuees who had tested positive for COVID-19 or were exposed to the virus. Across the region, shelters were also opened in hotels, schools and gyms.
Van De Putte emphasized that people should not delay seeking help because of the virus.
“Yes, coronavirus provides risk, but so does floodwater, so does not having electricity, so does not having required medications,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can do possible to make it a safe environment.”" AP
"Texas virus cases surpass 381,000, 153 new deaths reported," via AP-- "The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Texas surpassed 381,000 people on Sunday as the state reported 153 new deaths.
State health officials said at least 381,656 people have tested positive for the virus, an increase of 5,810 confirmed cases since Saturday. The state said 147,511 cases are active, meaning they don’t include people who have died or recovered.
The true number of cases in Texas is likely higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected and not feel sick.
The number of fatalities in the state from COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, rose to 5,038.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover." AP
"Trump to discuss energy, tour oil rig, raise money in Texas," AP's Darlene Superville -- "President Donald Trump will shift his focus to American energy dominance during a stop in Texas later this week that will include his first visit to an oil rig.
During the stop Wednesday at Double Eagle Energy in the west Texas city of Midland, Trump will discuss how the U.S. is achieving energy dominance by cutting regulations, simplifying permitting and encouraging private investment in energy infrastructure, the White House said.
Trump will also tour an oil rig in Midland, the city where former President George W. Bush was raised and where he met his wife, Laura, who was born there.
While in Texas, Trump will raise money for the Republican Party and his reelection campaign at a fundraising luncheon with supporters in nearby Odessa.
It will be Trump’s 16th visit as president to Texas, the White House said. He won the state in 2016 by 9 percentage points over Democrat Hillary Clinton, and Democrats are hoping for a more competitive race this year against Biden — if not an outright Biden win." AP
"North Texas could see ‘tidal wave’ of evictions as moratoriums start to run out," The Dallas Morning News' Dom DiFurio and Adriana Morga Oregel -- "Unemployed and underemployed Dallas-Fort Worth residents aren’t just coping with a public health and economic crisis but also could soon face a “tidal wave” of evictions with little recourse, according to legal experts across Texas who are sounding an alarm.
“We’re about to fall off a cliff here,” said Mark Melton, a lawyer at Holland & Knight in Dallas.
Roughly 40% of North Texans pay monthly rent to a landlord or property management company in order to keep a roof over their heads — a routine process that’s grown increasingly difficult for people caught up in the pandemic’s economic fallout.
And 1 in 4 renters consider themselves “housing insecure,” one of a handful of measures the U.S. Census Bureau is tracking through weekly surveys. That’s roughly 1.8 million North Texans who aren’t confident they can afford their rent.
Evictions were halted on March 27 when President Donald Trump signed the $2.2 trillion CARES Act into law. The act imposed a 120-day moratorium on evictions from properties with federally backed mortgages. That ban ends Saturday.
The Texas Supreme Court issued its own statewide eviction moratorium, but that one was lifted on May 19. A Dallas County moratorium runs until Aug. 5." Dallas Morning News
"Survey: USAA, H-E-B named top 2 companies with the best customer experience," The San Antonio Express-News' Priscilla Aguirre -- "USAA and H-E-B are first and second, respectively, in a recent report ranking U.S. companies based on customer service.
The companies that have been able to conduct business with their customers during the coronavirus pandemic fared better, according to the report that was released Monday by KPMG, a global network of professional firms.
The survey focused on how well companies navigated the challenges of a pandemic and how they performed in terms of customer experience, using six pillars – integrity, empathy, resolution, expectations, personalized experience and time and effort — to determine the ranking.
USAA jumped three spots from a year ago for the top ranking while H-E-B remained at No. 2.
USAA, a San Antonio-based financial services company, has been in the top five of the report for five consecutive years and scored high among respondents in empathy and integrity in the 2020 report." San Antonio Express-News
"Longtime Texas Appeals Court justice killed in car wreck," viaAP-- "A longtime Texas Appeals Court justice was killed in a car crash Saturday night after his vehicle and another were struck by an intoxicated driver, authorities said.
Justice David L. Bridges died at the scene of the crash on Interstate 30 in Royse City after his vehicle and another were struck by another car traveling the wrong way, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Police said the driver of the vehicle traveling the wrong way, 32-year-old Megan Smith of Royse City, was intoxicated and was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. She was later booked into the Hunt County jail on an intoxication manslaughter charge. No bail amount was listed for her in online jail records Sunday afternoon.
Bridges, 65, was elected to the 5th District Court of Appeals in 1996. The Dallas County Republican Party said Sunday it was “heartbroken” by Bridges’ death. The district serves Collin, Dallas, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties.
“His life was an example that we should all strive to follow,” County GOP Chairman Rodney Anderson said in a statement." AP
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
"Harris County orders schools closed until Sept. 8,"The Texas Tribune's Stacy Fernandez -- "Texas' most populous county ordered Friday that all public and nonreligious private schools stay closed and provide online learning until after Labor Day due to concern over the continued spread of the new coronavirus.
A joint public health order from Harris County and city of Houston health officials states schools must remain closed until at least Sept. 8. But the order could be extended beyond that date, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said.
"We are all desperate to move on from this crisis and get life back to normal. September 8 is still likely too soon, but the truth is, the fastest way we can all work together to bring this virus under control, the sooner we will be in a position to reopen again for the long term,” Hidalgo said in a written statement.
Hidalgo said reopening schools now would be "self-defeating" as the numbers of people infected with and hospitalized with the virus continue to reach record highs in parts of the state.
“We cannot talk about sending our children, teachers, and staff back to school when the virus is spreading uncontrollably in our community,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner in a written statement. “We are at a critical moment in the fight against COVID-19, and we must take a step back and work to lower the positivity rate and hospitalizations."
Last week the Texas Education Agency confirmed schools can remain closed for longer than three weeks and continue getting funding from the state as long as they offer remote instruction to all students and have a mandate from their local public health officials." Texas Tribune
"Austin police identify protester shot, killed by driver," via AP-- "Police have identified an armed protester who was shot and killed by a person who had driven into a crowd at a demonstration against police violence in the Texas capital.
Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Garrett Foster, 28, was shot and killed Saturday night as demonstrators marched through downtown Austin.
Manley said officers heard “two separate volleys of gunfire” and made their way to the crowd where they found Foster suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Foster was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Manley said a vehicle turned onto the block where protesters stood and honked its horn. Police declined to say why the driver was there at that time or whether his intent was nefarious.
Witness Michael Capochiano told The Austin American-Statesman that the car sped through the protesters before it apparently hit an orange barrier and stopped.
In video that was streamed live on Facebook, a car can be heard honking before several shots ring out and protesters start screaming and scattering. Police can then be seen tending to someone lying in the street.
Manley said the driver and several witnesses told police Foster approached the driver side window of the vehicle and pointed an assault rifle at the driver.
The driver said they shot Foster and drove off, police said.
Manley said the driver called 911 and reported the incident. That person was taken into custody but later released. The driver’s name wasn’t immediately released.
The second round of shots was fired by protesters who witnessed the shooting, Manley said. The shooter fired at the car while it drove away. That person was also taken into custody but later released, Manley said.
In an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Sheila Foster said Garrett was her son and he had been a regular at the protests with his fiancée.
“They’ve been participating in these protests almost every day for the past 50 days,” she said.
Sheila Foster said she was told her son was pushing his fiancee, who uses a wheelchair, through an intersection when the suspect was driving “erratically” through the crowd. She said she was told the driver shot her son three times.
The shooting happened during a night of protests and unrest in several U.S. cities." AP
2020
"His approval faltering, Republicans in battleground Houston districts start to distance from Trump,"The Houston Chronicle's Jasper Scherer -- "During Troy Nehls’ recent bid for the Republican nomination in one of Texas’ battleground congressional districts, the Fort Bend County sheriff prominently displayed his support for President Trump across his campaign website.
“In Congress, I will stand with President Trump to defeat the socialist Democrats, build the wall, drain the swamp, and deliver on pro-economy and pro-America policies,” Nehls said under the top section of his issues page, titled “Standing with President Trump.”
Within two days of Nehls’ lopsided runoff victory, that section had been removed, along with a paragraph from Nehls’ bio page that stated he “supports President Trump” and wants to “deliver President Trump’s agenda.” Fresh language now focuses on his record as sheriff during Hurricane Harvey and managing the agency’s budget.
Nehls’ abrupt shift in tone captures the challenge facing Republican candidates in suburban battleground districts up and down the ballot, including Nehls’ district and two neighboring ones, where polling suggests Trump’s coronavirus response has alienated voters and, for now, created strong headwinds for his party’s congressional hopefuls." Houston Chronicle
REMAINDERS
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Astros' Verlander out at least two weeks with forearm strain" AP
HOUSTON ASTROS: "Lewis has 2 RBIs in 8th to lead Mariners over Astros 7-6" AP
TEXAS RANGERS: "Story hits 2 HRs after Kluber exit, Rockies top Rangers 5-2" AP
'MACK ON POLITICS' PODCAST
LATEST "MACK ON POLITICS" PODCAST: John Solomon is our returning guest for the 197th episode.
John is the co-author of the new book, “Fallout: Nuclear Bribes, Russian Spies, and the Washington Lies that Enriched the Clinton and Biden Dynasties”.
In this conversation, we explore the purpose of the book, what the central revelation is, how Uranium sales and Ukraine fit in, what he’s learned about the Steele Dossier, what his reporting has found about Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos and Carter Page, what he expected from the Durham Report, what questions he still has about the false Russian collusion story, how he answers his critics, and why he started his own news site.
Available on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher and on the web at http://www.MackOnPoliticsPodcast.com.
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