July 24, 2014

Univ. of Texas suspends two players charged with sexual assault

University of Texas football players Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander were charged with sexual assault, a second-degree felony, on Thursday for an incident in the early morning of June 21, the American-Statesman has learned.

Sanders is also facing an additional charge of improper photography.

It’s unclear when both Sanders and Meander will be arrested, but bail has been set at $75,000 for both players. Sanders has an additional $20,000 bail for the improper photography charge.

“It’s a shame that a mere allegation can effect a young man’s life to the extent this will,” said Austin attorney Brian Roark, who represents Sanders. “He is innocent though and eventually, that will be proven.”

More at http://www.statesman.com/weblogs/bevo-beat/2014/jul/24/two-texas-players-charged-sexual-assault/ .

[font color=green]The article is graphic about the description of the alleged sexual assault.[/font]

July 24, 2014

Texas governor's startup fund is not all it seems

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Rick Perry has distributed $205 million in taxpayer money to scores of technology startups using a pet program designed to bring high-paying jobs and innovation to the nation's second most-populous state.

But a closer look at the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, one of Perry's signature initiatives in his 14 years as governor, reveals that some of the businesses that received money are not all they seem. One actually operates in California. Some have stagnated trying to find more capital. Others have listed out-of-state employees and short-term hires as being among the jobs they created.

A few have forfeited their right to do business in Texas by not filing tax reports.

An Associated Press review of the program found that some of the same companies credited with creating a share of the program's 1,600 new jobs have actually stalled and in some cases blamed Perry's office for their struggles.

More at http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Texas-governor-s-startup-fund-is-not-all-it-seems-5643053.php .

July 24, 2014

July 24th is National Tequila Day so here are the cat pictures!

July 24 is National Tequila Day (not “to-kill-a”) which means that it’s time for LOLCats to party. The cats are going to gather tonight at the speakeasy, so remember to grab a bottle (or two) of Gato Wabo, Jose Cuervcat or Catrón and that the password is “meow”.

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July 24, 2014

Jefferson Co. DA expects Beaumont ISD indictments next week

Jefferson County District Attorney Cory Crenshaw told members of Beaumont's Rotary Club this afternoon that he expects indictments involving fraud at Beaumont ISD to be handed down next week.

Crenshaw started a Beaumont ISD hotline earlier this year for people to report any crimes they observed happening in the district.

The district attorney said two grand juries have been investigating evidence, including a special grand jury impaneled by Judge John Stevens in May to focus solely on the school district. The special grand jury will serve through November, three months longer than a regular grand jury.

Crenshaw would not specify which grand jury would pass down indictments next week or the nature of the indictments. He did say that believed fraud at BISD goes back at least seven years based on his office's investigation.

More at http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Jefferson-Co-DA-expects-BISD-indictments-next-5641557.php .

July 24, 2014

Rep. Louie Gohmert: Israel’s invasion of Gaza means ‘it is time to bomb Iran’

Just one day after international watchdogs said Iran was complying with demands to scale back its nuclear program, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) called for the country to be bombed because of the conflict in Gaza.

“Mr. Speaker, in Israel right now, there is a battle for peace,” he said Tuesday on the House floor. “They are being embattled by a group who teach their children, in the educational materials we help pay for, to hate Jews, to hate Israelis. They teach the people to hate Israelis as well. They name streets and holidays after people who kill innocent people.”

“It is time to cut off every dime of American money going to anyone who has any kind of relationship with Hamas or those killing in the Middle East, and especially in Israel,” the congressman continued.

“It is time to bomb Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Gohmert concluded. “It is time for the United States, if we are not going to stop Iran’s nukes, then let Israel do it. A friend will not put another friend in this kind of jeopardy.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/23/rep-louie-gohmert-israels-invasion-of-gaza-means-it-is-time-to-bomb-iran/

July 23, 2014

Imagine how this headline would be viewed if it was for a city in Colorado?

[font size=5]Weedeater theft stumps Lubbock police[/font]



http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2014-07-23/weedeater-theft-stumps-lubbock-police#.U9BKzLFCz2Q

July 23, 2014

Texas Education Commissioner Wants to Push New Teacher Evaluation Rollout Back Another Year

Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams wants an additional year to study a new state teacher evaluation system. The additional period would delay the official roll out for two years.

Commissioner Williams wrote a letter to federal education officials Wednesday, where he also requested the federal government extend a waiver from No Child Left Behind requirements.

In a statement, Williams said:

The pilot evaluation program will still start this school year, but the TEA will now have an additional year to evaluate the new system. When state education officials accepted a waiver from the No Child Left Behind requirements last September, it was required to develop a new teacher evaluation system that focused on student achievement. If not, the state risked losing billions in federal funding.

Now, officials say the timeline was too tight. Halfway through the pilot program, the 2015 legislative session begins and teacher evaluations are expected to be a hot- button issue. The new evaluation system has caused controversy because 20 percent ties teacher evaluations to student performance – including standardized tests. The other 80 percent is based on classroom observation, feedback and self-assessments. It’s the first time the state has changed teacher evaluations in 17 years.

More at http://kut.org/post/texas-wants-push-new-teacher-evaluation-rolllout-back-another-year .

[font color=green]In other words, we know that we failed but we don't want to lose the federal money. Since Rick Perry thinks that the Department of Education should be abolished, I wonder if he will step up to the plate and say "no" to taking the federal funds also?[/font]

July 23, 2014

Houston bans smoking in city parks

Houston city parks soon will be smoke-free and a ban already in place at libraries will be expanded to include all outdoor library property, staff announced at a city meeting Wednesday.

Both department heads said the move is driven by public health and environmental concerns.

The parks policy marks the most dramatic shift: There currently is no smoking ban at city parks. That is in contrast to 36 other Texas cities and seven of the country's largest cities that already have bans in place.

Smoking currently is banned inside library buildings and within 25 feet of the entrance. Library Director Rhea Lawson made it clear at a Febuary quality of life meeting that she would like to broaden regulations to include library property, such as parking lots and plazas. At Wednesday's meeting, she said the time had come to put those rules into effect

More at http://www.chron.com/news/politics/houston/article/Houston-library-and-parks-to-announce-new-5641342.php?cmpid=rrhoustontx .

July 23, 2014

UPDATE: Real estate heir Durst accused of urinating on candy at CVS, turns himself in

Update: KHOU and KPRC reported on Wednesday that troubled real estate heir Robert Durst has turned himself in on the criminal mischief charge.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Durst-accused-of-urinating-on-drugstore-candy-5637119.php

Related thread:
Real estate heir charged for urinating on candy
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107819691

July 23, 2014

Texas abortion rate declines in wake of new law

A new study by Texas researchers and national reproductive health experts found a significant decline in the number of abortions in Texas in the months after new abortion restrictions led to the closing of nearly half the state’s abortion clinics.

The Texas Policy Evaluation Project found the abortion rate in Texas dropped 13 percent, or by 9,200, over the past year. That rate is faster than the national decline and is correlated, researchers say, to portions of the controversial House Bill 2, a law enacted in November that placed new restrictions on medical or pill-induced abortions, required abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals and banned most procedures after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The study found Texas lost about 46 percent of its abortion facilities, down from 41 facilities to 22, from April 2013 to April 2014 . That leaves large areas of the state without clinics, raising the number of women of reproductive age who live more than 200 miles from a clinic from 10,000 to 290,000.

As a result, women are flocking to larger cities such as Austin or Houston, which saw an increase in abortions during the same period.

There is a lot more commentary on the story so please continue reading at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/study-texas-abortion-rate-declines-in-wake-of-cont/ngmHx/ .