Daniel Melder

A damn near socialist very skeptical of all religions. A T1D and CPhT with a bad diet and a biting sense of humor. Happily partnered with @elquirkyguy.

[George Wallace @MrGeorgeWallace]

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Drag queens ain't done shit to you

[Daniel Melder @DAMelder]

In other words: we only thought you would arrest everybody else’s immigrant labor.

[Texas Cattle Feeders Association @txcattlefeeders]

A joint statement from Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Kansas Livestock Association and Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association regarding the ongoing ICE operations in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas:

“The Kansas Livestock Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Texas Cattle Feeders Association are closely monitoring reported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity affecting agricultural communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas.

Our organizations respect the responsibility of federal agencies to enforce the law. At the same time, cattle producers, feedyards, dairies, livestock markets, processors, and other rural businesses depend on a stable workforce to care for animals, protect food safety, and keep the supply chains operating. Sudden workforce disruptions can create immediate animal-welfare, operational, and economic consequences that extend well beyond an individual business. These ICE operations are having a massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table and keep the cattle supply chain moving. Additionally, these types of disruptions will lead to higher beef prices for consumers.

Reported impacts to our organizations throughout the past few days have been:
- Thousands of fed cattle slated for shipping to processors now delayed, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue and additional costs.
- Workforce disruptions at numerous supply chain chokepoints such as feedyards, dairies, processors, feed and grain companies, transportation hubs, and community services.

These disruptions come at a time of enhanced focus and pressure on the cattle and beef supply chain. They are a costly and unnecessary impact to cattle producers already suffering from unwelcome political interference to both the markets as well as the physical supply chain. Frustratingly, the harm these actions cause to cattle producers last for days and weeks after such operations conclude.

We urge federal officials to conduct enforcement actions in a lawful, orderly, and transparent manner; respect due process; and communicate clearly with affected employers and communities.”

[Daniel Melder @DAMelder]

Religious nutjobs who are the Republican base will be in no way offended by this.

[Shannon Watts @shannonrwatts]

NEWLY UNCOVERED AUDIO: Texas GOP US Senate candidate Ken Paxton calls the Uvalde shooting a "plan" by "God" and says "life is short” about children murdered in an elementary school.

This man is vile.

[Troy Mooney @TroyMooney]

Unfunded or underfunded mandates hit local government just like schools. Folks that are critical of what they think is “non essential” spending are often surprised to find it is required by a State legislative action.

[Natalia Contreras @NataliaECG]

Texas Association of County Election Officials just said they expect the large urban counties to be hit the hardest by this. They’re looking at “tens of thousands” applications that election officials will have to work through to get caught up. #txlege

[Benjamin Flores @Flores4LandCom]

Texas ranks 7th in the nation for high property taxes, yet 47th in public school funding.

Texans are paying some of the highest property taxes in the country. Our public schools should have the resources to match.

[Dr. Allison Campolo @AllisonCampolo]

This. Is. Awful.

We have long advocated for people only registering directly through your local elections office but this is still absolutely egregious. It will be truly be nearly impossible for these counties to process this many voter registrations in two weeks. And the fun doesn't stop there:

During the primary we had people who registered to vote THREE MONTHS before the election - through a voter deputy registrar - and still weren't on the voter rolls by March because the Secretary of State itself couldn't handle its literal job to process the registrations.

This is outrageous.

Also as any county chair and elections administrator in the state knows, NO ONE is feeling better about the people who build & maintain TEAM running this show. That software which runs our state elections is an absolute dumpster fire and I'm furious that we are relying on this software group to manage this crisis.

Please, please vote out everyone who manages this state so we can fix literally everything.

https://t.co/zWAK7CNSuC

[David Sirota @davidsirota]

Since both political parties and the donor class decided today is Paramount Oligarch Day, it seems like a good moment to post this before it is erased from the world by the media overlords.

This scene was supposed to be a cautionary tale. It became America's dominant ideology.

[ProPublica @propublica]

Sen. Susan Collins helped steer millions in federal defense contracts to Navatek, whose CEO illegally funneled thousands of dollars to her campaign.

The FBI sought to launch a probe and was eyeing Collins and other lawmakers.

Then Trump gutted the unit in charge. THREAD 🧵

[Jacob Long @jacobwlong87]

America got to see the real @GregAbbott_TX on full display on @60Minutes last night.

Taking $20 million from data center special interests, announcing Texas as the new AI epicenter last year, then quickly backpedaling after it’s no longer politically convenient.

Watch 🔊

[Molly Redden @mtredden]

Exclusive: In late 2024, FBI agents were looking at Sen. Susan Collins’ role in a massive illegal bribery scheme alleged by a former federal contractor. Then Trump gutted the FBI and DOJ, leaving no one to carry on the investigation – it’s dead. 🧵

[Brett Meiselas @BMeiselas]

In 2024, Republicans warned that if I voted for Kamala Harris, I wouldn’t be able to get a hamburger.

Well, I voted for Kamala Harris. Two years later, it turns out they were right.

[Daniel Melder @DAMelder]

Racist morons are going to ruin another good thing.

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

Critics have launched a boycott campaign against US cheese giant Tillamook over its new halal labelling. Some have accused the company of making "al-Qaeda cheese" in a viral tirade of abuse against the Oregon dairy co-operative.

[Shea Jordan Smith @sheajordansmith]

Greg Abbott didn’t just suddenly discover the importance of Medicaid, rural hospitals, emergency rooms, or access to healthcare.

He realized he and his party have shit the bed in Texas, and with November staring them in the face, letting hospitals across this state lose $27 MILLION A DAY in Medicaid funding was never going to go over well with Texans.

[Daniel Melder @DAMelder]

@KenPaxtonTX sure seems to like pedophiles.

[Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 @joncoopertweets]

🚨BREAKING: New reporting says Ken Paxton maintained political ties to Paul Pressler and two key associates even after sexual-abuse allegations against Pressler became public. Paxton kept taking their money, using their endorsements, and standing by them.
https://t.co/dahp4zmu9Y

[Taniel @Taniel]

The GOP tried to win Texas by "attacking" Talarico as vegan (which he is not)...

... while telling voters worried of inflation to eat veggie burgers

[Daniel Melder @DAMelder]

Look, y’all, it’s hard for a poor ol’ AG to maintain fifteen houses on a six-figure salary.

Texas AG Ken Paxton owes overdue property taxes in Hawaii https://t.co/d9EhcwcUd9

[Daniel Melder @DAMelder]

@CNN She should visit this engineering marvel in my hometown of Lampasas, Texas.

[scary lawyerguy @scarylawyerguy]

Every shitty thing happening in the economy right now is due entirely to decisions Trump is making. All of it.

[Keith Edwards @keithedwards]

Brandon Gill stands with child predators @realBrandonGill