Good morning,

In today's One Click Survey, we want to know your thoughts on calls for the impeachment of Joe Biden.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, August 7, 2023.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Soros Funds Race-centered Journalism at UT Austin

• The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Media Engagement encourages students to frame their stories in “solidarity” toward marginalized communities. As Valerie Muñoz reports, the center is funded in part by billionaire George Soros.
       
• Under the Solidarity Journalism Initiative, students are taught to avoid using systemically harmful labels, including words like “inmate” or “convict.” Advocates argue that framing journalism through the lens of systemic racial oppression “is not biased—it’s public service.”
     
• Anita Varma, who started the Solidarity Journalism Initiative at UT Austin, said that “solidarity eclipses objectivity as journalism’s dominant ideal.”
      
• A 2022 Gallup poll found 57 percent of Republicans, 41 percent of independent voters, and 10 percent of Democrats had no trust in mass media.

Lawmaker Demands Answers From Texas A&M Over Payout

• Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian is demanding to know why Texas A&M is paying $1 million to DEI proponent Kathleen McElroy after she refused to take a job with the university. Sydnie Henry has the story.

        

• McElroy, whose background includes pushing for the removal of “illegitimate” perspectives in journalism and promoting DEI at UT Austin, rejected A&M’s final job offer for the position of journalism director following a public outcry. University officials first proposed a lucrative job offer that included automatic tenure. But when her academic and public record advocating far-left positions were revealed, the offer was changed and McElroy turned it down.
      

• She is currently a tenured professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
        

• "Like hell my constituents should have to pay a DEI activist professor one million dollars for simply not leaving one government job for another government job," said Harrison. "She’s still tenured at UT Austin and is getting a $1M bonus? I will demand answers from Texas A&M University, my alma mater."

14 Constitutional Amendments on the November Ballot

• This November, Texans will vote on 14 proposed amendments to the state constitution. Erin Anderson details the propositions that voters will either approve or reject on Nov. 7.

     

• Perhaps the most significant is Proposition 4, which implements property tax relief measures passed during the second special session.

         
• The other 13 amendments are described in the article. Each amendment was approved by at least two-thirds of both the state House and Senate during the regular or special sessions of 2023. Texas' constitution can only be amended through the two chambers of the legislature.

Jacksboro ISD Educator Arrested for ‘Improper Relationship’ With Student

• Police have arrested a Texas educator who was fired in April from Jacksboro Independent School District after being accused of having an “improper relationship” with an 18-year-old student.
        
• Elizabeth Bondarets, 29, was terminated after a district administrator received allegations about the educator and an “adult student” and reported the incident to the Jacksboro Police Department.
         
• Police began their investigation in April, but waited seven weeks to notify the public because there was “no longer any threat to any students.”

Fort Worth ISD Won't Remove Lewd Book

• Despite a new law requiring ratings for books set to be implemented next month, Fort Worth Independent School District is refusing to remove a particularly explicit graphic novel from its library shelves. Soli Rice has the details.

      
• A graphic novel (comic book) called "Blankets" has been found in the FWISD libraries. It includes depictions of child nudity, the demonization of Christians, drug use, sex between minors, child rape, vulgar and explicit language, acts of urinating on others, acts of consuming feces, pedophilia, sexual assault and abuse, and more.
         
• FWISD mom and activist Hollie Plemons posted on social media that after she had discovered “Blankets” was available to children, she shared her concerns with FWISD administrators. She was told the book would not be removed.
      
• The FWISD's head librarian, Victor Chapa, did not respond to requests for comment.

Today In History

On Aug. 7, 1782, George Washington created the “Badge for Military Merit,” which was known to be presented to only three soldiers during the War of Independence and fell into disuse. The badge was revived in 1932 as the “Order of the Purple Heart.”

ONE CLICK SURVEY

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is calling for President Joe Biden’s impeachment, prosecution, and imprisonment due to findings in recently released federal documents detailing an alleged scandal between Biden and a Ukrainian businessman.

Do you agree with Sen. Cruz?
   

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!