January 6, 2014

Watch Dude Perfect Hit a 500-Foot Trick Shot from Reunion Tower

Dude Perfect, for those who are still unaware, is a quintet of A&M grads who found YouTube stardom after posting a clip of themselves hitting absurdly difficult basketball shots in a Texas backyard. Their few dozen encores have followed a similar pattern: make an elaborately conceived trick shot, celebrate it with an equally elaborate series of chest bumps and high-fives.

A couple of weeks back, they took their talents to Reunion Tower. They released the video of the shot -- 561 feet from the observation deck to a basketball hoop below -- this week. It should spoil nothing to say that it's a swish.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/01/watch_dude_perfect_hit_a_500-f.php

Cross-posted in Sports Group.

January 6, 2014

Watch Dude Perfect Hit a 500-Foot Trick Shot from Reunion Tower

Dude Perfect, for those who are still unaware, is a quintet of A&M grads who found YouTube stardom after posting a clip of themselves hitting absurdly difficult basketball shots in a Texas backyard. Their few dozen encores have followed a similar pattern: make an elaborately conceived trick shot, celebrate it with an equally elaborate series of chest bumps and high-fives.

A couple of weeks back, they took their talents to Reunion Tower. They released the video of the shot -- 561 feet from the observation deck to a basketball hoop below -- this week. It should spoil nothing to say that it's a swish.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2014/01/watch_dude_perfect_hit_a_500-f.php

Cross-posted in Texas Group.

January 6, 2014

Appeals court taking up Texas law that's shuttered abortion clinics

AUSTIN — A new Texas law that has led to the closure of more than one-third of abortion clinics around the state faces its next legal challenge Monday.

A conservative three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans is set to hear a case brought by Planned Parenthood and other abortion rights advocates. But those advocates face a daunting hurdle before the appellate panel, where two of the judges already have issued a preliminary finding in favor of the state.

Whatever the outcome, those on all sides believe the U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately decide the case. Texas stands as the most prominent example of Republican-controlled states enacting strict, novel rules that abortion providers say are designed to drive them out of business. GOP lawmakers have said their goal is to protect the health of women seeking the procedure and to reduce the number of abortions.

At issue are two provisions that took effect in the fall. The first requires that all doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals.

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20140105-appeals-court-taking-up-texas-law-that-s-shuttered-abortion-clinics.ece .

January 6, 2014

State Board of Education Candidate Dave Mundy (R) Thinks You're Wrong and Doesn't Want Your Vote

Last week, I blogged on Burnt Orange Report about conservative activist Dave Mundy, a Republican candidate for the Texas State Board of Education who is openly calling for secession from the United States. In my posting, it was observed that Mr. Mundy responded to The Texas Freedom Network's original reporting by posting comments on their article's webpage. Burnt Orange Report invited Mr. Mundy to continue his thoughts on secession and how ever else he wanted to present himself on our webpage or our Facebook page.

Sure enough, instead of campaigning, building a coalition, and asking for votes, Mr. Mundy was found on Burnt Orange Report's Facebook page, calling our readers names instead of respectfully asking Texans for their votes.

When I asked Mr. Mundy to comment, I was hoping he would explain why he thought secession was good for Texas or why he is the best candidate to represent the third district on the State Board of Education. Instead, we, myself and you, our readers, were called bullies.

Our article was also sourced by the Facebook page of the Texas Nationalist Movement. They followed in Mr. Mundy's footsteps by saying Mr. Mundy's comments are driving us crazy. We at Burnt Orange Report are in fact crazy happy with the traffic the Texas Nationalist Movement has steered to our website last week, and we thank them for that.

More at http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/14607/state-board-of-education-candidate-dave-mundy-r-thinks-youre-wrong-and-doesnt-want-your-vote .

January 5, 2014

Suit Accuses Texas Police Chief of Harassing Man During Affair with His Wife

A Texas police chief is being sued in federal court for allegedly harassing the husband of a woman with whom he purportedly fathered a son.

Kyle City Police Chief Jeff Barnett allegedly "abused his authority and connections in January 2012 by having Dr. Glen Hurlston arrested for domestic violence soon after Barnett left his position as police chief in the North Texas town of Princeton," according to the lawsuit filed December 27 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas.

Barnett has been Kyle Police Chief since May, 2011. Prior to that, he served as chief of police for the City of Princeton, Texas, since 2005.

In the suit, Hurlston, who is chief of anesthesia at Byrd Regional Hospital of Leesville, La., alleged that Barnett ordered his officers to conduct a "campaign of harassment" against him, which included an arrest in January 2012. The suit notes that a Jan. 1, 2012 domestic battery abuse arrest pressed by the chief against the doctor was reduced to a misdemeanor, to which he plead no contest.

More at http://news.yahoo.com/suit-accuses-texas-police-chief-harassing-man-during-145503317--abc-news-topstories.html .

January 5, 2014

Bisexual Atheist Lege candidate calls on Flower Mound mayor to retract ‘Year of the Bible’ proclamat

#t=47

Last month I told you about Daniel Moran, a 20-year-old bisexual atheist who’s running for Texas Legislature in 2014, and vying to become the nation’s first genderqueer elected official.

Moran is also a lifelong resident of the Denton County town of Flower Mound, where Mayor Tom Hayden recently made news by issuing a proclamation designating 2014 as the “Year of the Bible.”

Moran has posted a 4-minute video response on YouTube — titled “An Open Letter to Tom Hayden” — in which he calls on the mayor to retract the proclamation and instead make 2014 a “year of diversity.”

“I really am just disappointed in your decision to use your public office in this way,” Moran says in the video. “Your proclamation essentially told everyone in Flower Mound who is a Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Jew, atheist, or even fellow Christians who interpret scripture differently than you, that they are no longer welcome in this town. You told the nation that Flower Mound is a town that does not accept diversity. You told them we are a town of and for only Christians. You told them we are a town of intolerance and division. You told them that we are a town that ignores the Constitution and the actual values that we were founded upon. You told me that I do not belong in the town I grew up in.”

Source: http://www.lonestarq.com/bisexual-atheist-flower-mound-resident-calls-mayor-retract-year-bible-proclamation-make-2014-year-diversity/

Cross-posted in LGBT Group.

January 5, 2014

Bisexual Atheist Lege candidate calls on Flower Mound mayor to retract ‘Year of the Bible’ proclamat

#t=47

Last month I told you about Daniel Moran, a 20-year-old bisexual atheist who’s running for Texas Legislature in 2014, and vying to become the nation’s first genderqueer elected official.

Moran is also a lifelong resident of the Denton County town of Flower Mound, where Mayor Tom Hayden recently made news by issuing a proclamation designating 2014 as the “Year of the Bible.”

Moran has posted a 4-minute video response on YouTube — titled “An Open Letter to Tom Hayden” — in which he calls on the mayor to retract the proclamation and instead make 2014 a “year of diversity.”

“I really am just disappointed in your decision to use your public office in this way,” Moran says in the video. “Your proclamation essentially told everyone in Flower Mound who is a Muslim, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Jew, atheist, or even fellow Christians who interpret scripture differently than you, that they are no longer welcome in this town. You told the nation that Flower Mound is a town that does not accept diversity. You told them we are a town of and for only Christians. You told them we are a town of intolerance and division. You told them that we are a town that ignores the Constitution and the actual values that we were founded upon. You told me that I do not belong in the town I grew up in.”

Source: http://www.lonestarq.com/bisexual-atheist-flower-mound-resident-calls-mayor-retract-year-bible-proclamation-make-2014-year-diversity/

Cross-posted in Texas Group.

January 5, 2014

Texas business groups ally to counter tea party influence in GOP primaries

AUSTIN — Some of Texas’ biggest business trade groups are moving to counter tea party and anti-government forces that have dominated recent Republican primaries.

The Texas Future Business Alliance — a mix of 10 major business groups, including the chemical industry, bankers, builders and contractors — is sending out mailers and providing other support on behalf of GOP candidates who have supported water infrastructure development, highway construction and education spending.

Many of the incumbents have been pilloried as big government spenders and liberals by fiscal hawk groups.

The movement mirrors the schism happening nationally between hard right and establishment Republicans. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently pledged $50 million to back pro-business Republicans in U.S. Senate primaries and fight tea party insurgents. Republican leaders, such as House Speaker John Boehner, have castigated hard right groups, accusing them of wanting contributions more than solutions.

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140104-texas-business-groups-ally-to-counter-tea-party-influence-in-gop-primaries.ece .

Cross-posted in the Politics 2014 forum.

January 5, 2014

Texas business groups ally to counter tea party influence in GOP primaries

AUSTIN — Some of Texas’ biggest business trade groups are moving to counter tea party and anti-government forces that have dominated recent Republican primaries.

The Texas Future Business Alliance — a mix of 10 major business groups, including the chemical industry, bankers, builders and contractors — is sending out mailers and providing other support on behalf of GOP candidates who have supported water infrastructure development, highway construction and education spending.

Many of the incumbents have been pilloried as big government spenders and liberals by fiscal hawk groups.

The movement mirrors the schism happening nationally between hard right and establishment Republicans. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently pledged $50 million to back pro-business Republicans in U.S. Senate primaries and fight tea party insurgents. Republican leaders, such as House Speaker John Boehner, have castigated hard right groups, accusing them of wanting contributions more than solutions.

More at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20140104-texas-business-groups-ally-to-counter-tea-party-influence-in-gop-primaries.ece .

Cross-posted in the Texas Group.

January 4, 2014

San Antonio, Dallas abortion clinics gain admitting privileges

AUSTIN — Two more Texas abortion clinics have been granted hospital admitting privileges, bringing the facilities in line with a new law that has forced clinics around the state to stop offering the procedure.

Whole Women’s Health in San Antonio and the Abortion Advantage clinic in Dallas recently acquired the credentials, according to a court document filed Friday.

The two clinics were part of more than a dozen facilities around the state that either curtailed or stopped offering abortions altogether because they did not have doctors with admitting privileges, as required under a new restriction that went into effect after an Oct. 31 court ruling.

Since the court ruling, the Whole Women’s Health clinic in San Antonio has been offering abortions on a limited scale, flying in an out-of-state doctor with admitting privileges several times a month. The clinic will resume offering the procedure on a full-time basis next week, a spokeswoman said.

More at http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2014/01/san-antonio-dallas-abortion-clinics-gain-admitting-privileges/?cmpid=rrpolitics .