Good morning,

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Tuesday, April 14, 2020
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• The latest models show the Chinese coronavirus can now be expected to claim approximately 68,000 lives in the United States. Meanwhile, published reports say between 250,000 and 440,000 Americans die annually from medical errors.
     
• Americans are ready to get back to work and can reliably “manage the risk for themselves, their families, and their neighbors,” writes three national figures – including Empower Texans board chairman Tim Dunn – in an open letter to President Trump published yesterday at TownHall.com.
     
• In the letter, Dr. Darrell Scott, Kareem Lanier, and Dunn write that Americans “don’t let central planners or experts decide for us.” Instead, the American people should be given reliable information so they can get America open again. Brandon Waltens has additional details.
         
• It does not appear Gov. Greg Abbott is going to offer any leadership in getting the Lone Star State moving. His current plan is to wait for word from Washington on when he can act.
      
• In the meantime, Abbott’s inaction has put the majority of Texans in the care of Democrats. Cary Cheshire explains that of the Lone Star State’s 10 biggest cities—which contain roughly one-third of the state’s total population—the majority are run by Democrats. Abbott has allowed those Democrats to run roughshod over the state’s economy.
   
• Grassroots activists are vocalizing their frustration that Abbott’s only real economic plan has been to cut a deal with New York-based Goldman Sachs to offer debt to struggling Texas businesses.
   
• “Small businesses would rather have customers & revenue than more debt. Don’t know why you lead with this rather than a detailed plan & goals for reopening in a safe & responsible manner,” former State Rep. Matt Rinaldi tweeted at Abbott on Monday.
   
• “We expected leadership. [Abbott] teased an announcement about getting TX back to work. Giving out small business loans is not what we wanted or asked for. How can he face the people if that's all he's got given the immense data available supporting opening things back up?” – Julie McCarty
          
• Austin blogger Adam Cahn has picked up on a rising sentiment of barely-contained civil disobedience. Small businesses in Lubbock are preparing to re-open without government permission.
     
• It seems the petty tyrants on city councils around the state have decided to pick winners and losers during the crisis. Winners are big-box chain stores with high-priced lawyers. Losers are locally-owned businesses.
   
• Over Easter weekend, Fort Worth residents were told they were banned from worshipping together “in-person,” but an investigation by Robert Montoya resulted in more questions, a change in the ban’s wording, finger-pointing from the police department and city attorney, and voters wondering what their city council actually supports.
   
• Meanwhile, the U.S. Department  of Justice is not amused by local governments targeting religious services.

• In a commentary on the Patriot Academy website, the organization’s founder Rick Green writes of his disappointment with Gov. Greg Abbott for adopting a "draconian" approach that seeks "to control the 'ingress and egress' of every person within his Kingdom.”
         
• “City, County, and State leaders are drunk with power right now as they do their best imitation of East Berlin in the Cold War.” – Rick Green
      
• Lubbock’s Roger Taylor writes recent months have seen people sound alarm bells over fears of socialism. But, he argues, we have allowed socialism to creep in over many years, and much of it through our public institutions of education.
   
• And Rachel Bovard writes that it is time for Big Tech to untangle itself from the clutches of the Communist China government.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Case Data
Current as of 5:00pm, 4/13/2020

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