Daily Dispatch 2/21/25: Texas Has Been Hiding Massive Jump In Pregnancy Complications Since Abortion Ban, and More

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

A ProPublica analysis reveals that unnecessary cases of sepsis resulting from second-trimester failed pregnancies has jumped 50% since Texas largely banned abortion procedures: https://www.propublica.org/article/texas-abortion-ban-sepsis-maternal-mortality-analysis

...Congratulations to reproductive rights activist and advocate Amanda Zurawski, who has been named one of Time Magazine's Women Of The Year for 2025: https://time.com/7216391/amanda-zurawski-texas-reproductive-rights/

As Senate Republicans begin standing up to Donald Trump's lies about Ukraine, John Cornyn remains timid and hesitant, and Ted Cruz remains oblivious: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-ukraine-zelensky-john-cornyn-thune-b2701516.html

Hundreds of firings of IRS employees in Austin are likely to result from the ongoing DOGE onslaught against federal agencies: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-rep-doggett-confirms-austin-irs-workers-among-those-let-go-in-layoffs/

State House Republicans have dropped their public school plan, complete with a private school voucher scam, that Rep. James Talarico calls "inadequate" and "insufficient": https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-house-school-vouchers/

...While more Texas ISD's are adopting the religion-infused Bluebonnet Learning curriculum approved by SBOE last fall: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/texas-school-districts-embrace-sunday-school-20175361.php

...One of those is Conroe ISD, who have also lately slashed a popular and successful dual-language learning program: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/conroe-isd-dual-language-20173087.php

TCEQ has unanimously denied requests to stop SpaceX from dumping toxic wastewater into Boca Chica wetlands: https://www.sacurrent.com/news/state-regulators-approve-elon-musks-spacex-to-release-wastewater-into-south-texas-wetlands-36790995

...See a terrific short documentary on the impact that SpaceX has had on the South Texas communities it has invaded: https://youtu.be/5cZEZoa8rW0?si=tWPShQSD7a_XZAuk

The Texas power grid has held through this cold snap, despite hitting 80,000 megawatts of demand for the first time in winter, sustained largely by battery storage of energy from sustainable sources: https://x.com/douglewinenergy/status/1892568345381388645?t=MzMJrglEsS9EAMafw40LRQ&s=03

...While Houston's Centerpoint Energy, notorious for their flat-footed response to Hurricane Beryl last summer, cleared $1 billion in profit, even as they failed the Houston community: https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2025/02/20/514385/centerpoint-profited-over-1-billion-in-2024-despite-hurricane-beryl-outages/

We celebrate Black History Month throughout February! See a great essay on this year's celebration, happening amidst so much turmoil, and a listing of related events happening across Texas:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/black-history-month-2025-celebrating-texas-culture⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

...Check out a terrific essay for Black History Month by Progress Texas Institute Board Chair Louis Bedford:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org/blog/trickle-down-diversity-doesn%E2%80%99t-work⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The merch to match your progressive values awaits at our web store! Goodies at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://store.progresstexas.org/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

We're loving the troll-free environment at BlueSky! Follow us there at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://bsky.app/profile/progresstexas.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Thanks for listening! Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://progresstexas.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.