Mike Simon

Husband. Dadx2. 1 Lab. | Occasional Consultant | Former musician | Prefer outdoors | Scotch | Coffee | Introvert | I don’t tweet much.

[Joe Walsh @WalshFreedom]

ARMED TROOPS AT AN ACTIVE BALLOT DROP BOX. WHO ORDERED THIS?

Federal law prohibits troops at election sites, including ballot boxes. Voter intimidation there is illegal. The presence of armed federal guards is intimidation. Under 18 U.S.C. § 592, whoever ordered this faces up to FIVE YEARS IN PRISON and disqualification from federal office upon conviction.

Know your rights: https://t.co/du9bv2TwAq. Help keep PAXIS free: https://t.co/Hi5Yo2MuXu. Record safely. Demand accountability.

[Don Winslow @donwinslow]

I love that some people thought this AI.
This isn't AI. This is the 1980s.

This is the official music video for the movie Jewel of the Nile (The sequel to Romancing The Stone) on a new channel called MTV

This was a #1 hit and helped promote the movie

[Jared Shult @jared_shult]

Talarico’s media team is having so much fun right now 😂😂

[derek guy @dieworkwear]

Neiman Marcus closed its downtown Dallas flagship yesterday. The store played a notable role in the history of desegregation in Dallas during the 1960s.

Previously, Black shoppers across the US could enter department stores, but they weren't allowed to try on clothes before purchasing without adhering to certain conditions. For instance, they had to try on clothes over their clothes, put on protective covers when trying on hats, or weren't allowed to make returns once they purchased clothes and brought them home. These policies stemmed from the racist fear that white customers would refuse merchandise previously worn by Black shoppers.

The downtown Neiman Marcus flagship was one of the first major Dallas businesses that broke with these practices. In 1961, the company desegregated its Zodiac Room, a swanky restaurant frequented by Dallas elites. Neiman Marcus later welcomed Black shoppers without restrictions. These victories were achieved through the efforts of Civil Rights activists, along with support from Neiman Marcus president Stanley Marcus, who was an early advocate for desegregation in Dallas. The Neiman Marcus store manager purportedly warned Marcus that he would ruin his business — and indeed, some shoppers closed their accounts — but he stuck with his decision.

At the time of the flagship's closure, the Main Street store had been open for 112 years.

[Natalia Contreras @NataliaECG]

👀 NEW: Records show DPS knew of problems with its web portal for voter registration as early as March. The agency at the time said the issue was resolved but problems persisted. #txlege

https://t.co/PqC4Yjaq3T

[Headquarters @HQNewsNow]

Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton reportedly took over 275 lavish trips outside of Texas while he was Attorney General.

These trips cost Texas taxpayers at least $1,900,000 in total.

[Sara McGee for Texas HD 132 @SaraForTexLege]

Did you know that the ONLY budget item that Greg Abbott chose to use his line item veto on was the provision that would’ve extended the reduced lunch program through the summer months for children receiving SNAP benefits?

He used his golden swipe of the pen to starve children.

[Tom Nichols @RadioFreeTom]

Not that anything matters anymore, but no other FBI director (not even Hoover) would publicly dishonor the office with a smarmy attempt to end-run both tradition and the Hatch Act with this kind of weaselly "I can't tell you who to vote for, but..."

[Alan MacLeod @AlanRMacLeod]

This is not a heartwarming story. It is actually a glimpse into a modern dystopia.

[ProPublica @propublica]

New: ProPublica’s Jake Pearson lost $10,000 mimicking the betting patterns of a problem gambler on DraftKings to test the company’s “responsible gaming” safeguards. One week in, he was invited to become a VIP — and faced little pushback as he spiraled. https://t.co/yugaVwIgAI

[Adam Schwager @schwagerTV]

The Harris County Tax Office says @TxDPS dumped 108,000 backlogged voter registration records on them. After removing duplicates, they have 75,000 records to process.

Early voting starts in 24 days.

[Adam Mockler @adammocklerr]

The people screaming “voter fraud” are the people doing the fraud?? I'm shocked.

[Jim Boyle @JimGBoyle]

Latest smear on Talarico. The ad is from a Elon Musk funded PAC which claims that Talarico supports taxpayer supported sex change surgeries for minors. The ad cites Fox News in March of this year as the basis for the claim. Two red flags: 1. The ad is from Elon Musk and 2. The claim was made on Fox News. The claim is false. Talarico has always opposed sex change surgeries on minors.

[Tayhlor Coleman @tayhlorcoleman]

As a deputy voter registrar, if I don’t turn in voter registration forms I collect from Texans within 5 calendar days I could be subject to a state jail felony, which would strip me of my right to vote.

Obscene that Greg Abbot’s administration is allowed to get away with this.

[Sarah Matthews @SarahAMatthews1]

Nothing says “America First” like mocking a former American president in front of a communist dictator.

Trump may think he’s humiliating Biden, but all he’s doing is humiliating the United States.

[Texas Tribune @TexasTribune]

Top Texas Republicans knew Bo French’s history of racist comments. They supported him anyway. https://t.co/0b0MyCKbCO

[Don Winslow @donwinslow]

Very important story from @jimsciutto.

[Kalan Hooks @KalanHookstv]

The autopsy of Nolan Wells reveals that no water was found in the lungs, throat or stomach

[ACLU of Texas @ACLUTx]

BREAKING: Crystal Mason, a Black mother of three who faced five years in prison for submitting a provisional ballot, no longer faces prison time.

A Texas court has rejected Tarrant County’s request to review her case — meaning Ms. Mason should now be free for good.

[Natalia Contreras @NataliaECG]

Update! @GregAbbott_TX didn’t respond and referred me to DPS and SOS. DPS told me the issue is “resolved” but didn’t answer my question about what caused the issue or how many records were affected. Collin Co alone got 40K records: 🔗👇🏽#txlege