Plus: illegal voting, feral hogs, obstructionist Washington Democrats and more
Editor's note: Mike Ward, who appeared on this podcast, was a reporter for the Houston Chronicle whose reporting was called into question in August, 2018. Although the podcasts were primarily analysis of current events, in the interest of disclosure, we thought it wise to include this information.
The Houston Chronicle retracted eight reports and issued corrections in multiple others, saying they were based on fabricated information, after an outside investigation revealed 44 percent of people quoted in Ward’s stories did not appear to exist. Ward resigned earlier this year while the investigation was underway.
As U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz touts the Republican-pushed tax cuts recently approved in Washington, he predicts that Texans will see more in their paychecks by next month. A prophecy, he calls it, that will refute the claims of Democrats who opposed the cuts.
With the spring primary elections in Texas just weeks away, fireworks are already underway in several races, mostly among Republicans, as Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and GOP challenger Trey Blocker have words and as Land Commissioner George P. Bush pushes back from criticism by challenger Jerry Patterson over the Alamo and Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts.
Several House and Senate contests are already shaping up to be political firefights, as Gov. Greg Abbott gets involved in several legislative races -- a rarity for a Texas governor. Add to the entertainment the feral hogs that are running wild and the longstanding fight over illegal voting, and you have a full slate of entertainment for Texans.
As they say in Texas, politics is seldom boring, always entertaining.
With Mike Ward, the Houston Chronicle's Austin Bureau chief, and Scott Braddock, editor of the Quorum Report, it's Texas' leading online podcast about Lone Star politics -- now coming to you in collaboration with Texas Public Radio.