Good morning,

Yesterday, we asked readers about Texas A&M's new "Social Justice Leadership" program. Below, you'll find out what folks had to say about it.

This is the Texas Minute for Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

One Week From Today

• Red Power, the new documentary from Texas Scorecard, will be available on August 27.

Congressman Demands Google Answer for Search Engine Manipulation

• A Texan in Congress wants Google CEO Sundar Pichai to explain how the Kamala Harris campaign was able to use Google search ads to manipulate news headlines. Debra McClure has the story.
       
• U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) has sent a letter to Google demanding answers. Reportedly, Google has allowed the Kamala Harris campaign to buy ads that “mislead readers by linking to news stories with altered headlines that appear favorable to the vice president.”
       
• Without consent from the companies involved, Gooden said the “strategy” creates the impression that particular media outlets endorse Harris.
       
• Gooden is describing the activity as "another disturbing example" of the search giant engaging in a "deliberate attempt to mislead voters."
       
• "Google has a disturbing track record of implicit bias and election interference that overwhelmingly benefits one political party." – Lance Gooden

Austin Will Use Tax Dollars to Pay for Out-of-State Abortions

• As part of the city's new budget, the Austin City Council is forcing local taxpayers to shoulder the costs of terminating pregnancies. Will Biagini reports the city's budget puts a half-million dollars into pro-abortion organizations that fund travel expenses for women getting abortions.
      
• Texas Right to Life's John Seago said that the pro-life movement will not turn a blind eye to the city’s decision to join the “criminal enterprise” of organizations targeting Texas children.
       
• The budget passed with a 10-1 vote; conservative councilmember Mackenzie Kelly was the lone dissenter.

Parents Sue Dallas ISD for Targeting Students 

• Parents of two children in Dallas Independent School District are suing the district after they claim their children were targeted by the former superintendent’s unlawful mask mandate during the COVID school years. Emily Medeiros has the background.
       
• In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott relaxed COVID mask mandates throughout the state. However, the superintendent of Dallas ISD at the time—Michael Hinojosa—announced he would continue to impose a mask mandate on students in the district. 
       
• For medical reasons and with documentation from their doctors, two students refused to follow the DISD mandate.
       
• The parents of the students have alleged that the district retaliated against their children in a "three-month campaign of abuse and neglect."
      
• "My children paid the price for Superintendent Hinojosa’s political attack on Governor Abbott disguised as a concern for safety. I can assure you Hinojosa did not keep my kids safe. His actions were cruel and abusive." – DISD parent Lauren Davis
       
• Among other things, DISD allegedly forced the children to sit in unventilated, plexiglass cages and released their confidential school and private health information. DISD did not respond to requests for comment.

Small Town Sues Voter Over Recall Petition

• Pilot Point resident Kelley Burgess is being sued by the city after she launched a recall petition to remove a city council member.
       
• In the recall, Burgess asserts that the incumbent councilmember, Elizabeth Jones, behaved unethically by accepting payment from the city for the use of her venue. 
      
• The city is now suing to stop the recall election, claiming Burgess did not collect enough signatures.
      
• “I got the required signatures. The city secretary verified the signatures. It was accepted by the city council,” Burgess told The Dallas Express.

Quote-Unquote

"Investing in communism never pays."

– Dallas businessman Kyle Bass​

Y'All Answered

This fall, Texas A&M is offering a certification in “Social Justice Leadership” focused on DEI principles and woke ideology. Yesterday, we asked if this made readers more or less likely to encourage young people in their families to attend Texas A&M.

In response, 97.2 percent of readers said it made them "less likely" to recommend the university, while 2.8 percent said they would be "more likely."

Here's a small sampling of the responses we received from folks after they took the survey...

• “Not only would I be less likely to recommend A&M, but I am ashamed to admit that I have two degrees from there. And I am sure my uncle and father, who taught there for 30 years, would not believe what has happened to this once fine university.” – Kay Dillingham
       

• “Surely the Aggies know that the eyes of Texas are upon them, they cannot get away with this.” – Tim Rhodes
       

• “My alma mater continues to disappoint on many of these issues. We need to work to get back to being the most conservative university in the state and country!” – Jane Anne Sellars
      

• “We'll finally have qualified workers for the ‘Social Justice’ factory down the street...” – Chris Breaux
       

• “Aggies create bonds; social justice creates division. It's that simple. Bottom line: ‘Social Justice Leadership’ has no place at Texas A&M University other than to showcase it as how NOT to act in society.” – John “Cotton” Clark
       

• “Give them an inch and they’ll take your university.” – Shelby Trial
       

• “What an outrageous waste of tax dollars or any dollars! This must stop.” – Jan Shedd
      

• “As an Aggie former student, I am appalled and disgusted at the depths to which once-great Texas A&M University has sunk. As an institution, it certainly no longer measures up to the core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity, and selfless service that are highlighted on the TAMU Purpose & Values web page. Texas A&M used to work to develop leaders with character and honor. No more, it seems.” – Dave Anthony
       

• “It’s long past time for conservative people to stop giving their money to entities who do not represent their values.” – Glenda Piacenti
       

• “A&M has gone from a conservative university to a socialist indoctrination center along with the likes of all the Ivy League schools.” – Garry Ludwig 
      

• “As a Texas A&M former student, I am thoroughly disgusted at the direction the university has taken. Now they're just like all the other woke universities.” – Cindy Armstrong
      

• “It’s very sad to see such a great university go down this liberal socialist path. I blame the Regents and [TAMU President Mark] Welch for letting this happen. The adults could stop it.” – Mike Hess
      

• “Of all the kool-aid-drinking, cult-like behavior I’m willing to overlook amongst Aggies, this crosses the line. Let’s stick with A&M’s unique brand of obnoxious and not add woke to the reasons to abhor them.” – Elissa Harrell
      

• “The last thing Texas needs is more kids with a certification in ‘Social Justice Leadership.’” – Thomas Camardo
     

• “As a family of Aggies and extended family, we are highly disappointed with A&M’s direction in this area and thought we’d never be saying such a thing. ... We have several grandchildren that we will caution in their decision-making.” – Caren Foster

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