Good morning, 

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Brandon Waltens 

Wednesday, July 8, 2020
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• Coronavirus recoveries are soaring in Texas, but you wouldn't know it from looking at the liberal mainstream news. Robert Montoya writes that data from Texas’ urban counties show that recoveries far outweigh deaths from the Chinese coronavirus.
   
• In Tarrant County, for example, deaths have been trending down for weeks. 
   

• High recoveries and low deaths are being mirrored in other counties across the state as of Monday afternoon:

  • Bexar County reported totals of 5,766 recoveries and 130 deaths.
  • Collin County reported 2,682 recoveries and 46 deaths.
  • Denton County reported 1,231 recoveries and 37 deaths.
  • Harris County reported 12,063 recoveries and 400 deaths.
  • Travis County reported 8,460 recoveries and 137 deaths.
     
• Despite these incredibly encouraging numbers, as of last Friday, Texas is under a statewide mask mandate, and talk of a second shutdown continues to escalate.

• Yet another major event has been canceled amid fears of the Chinese coronavirus, as organizers of the State Fair of Texas announced on Tuesday that the event would not be taking place in 2020.

• The State Fair of Texas, which has taken place annually since 1886, has attracted families across Texas to Fair Park in Dallas for its festivities, rides, events, and, of course, its ever-evolving plethora of fried treats.

• But the uncertainty of the future trajectory of the coronavirus, as well as related government-mandated shutdowns, has turned out the lights on the event this year.

• With the 2020 fair canceled, the next opportunity for visitors to grab a Fletcher’s Corny Dog and wave to Big Tex will be on September 24, 2021.

• Within days of the surprise news that the Ector County Republican Party passed a censure resolution against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Harrison County joined in, unanimously passing a resolution that also cites abuses of executive authority as the cause of the censure.
   
• "[H]arrison County hereby censures Governor Greg Abbott for violating three (3) or more of the core principles of the Republican Party Platform, we request the censure be considered and sustained by the delegates of the 2020 Republican Party State Convention.”
   
• Matt Stringer reports that, according to a source within the Ector County Republican Party, a number of other counties have reached out, revealing they intend to move forward with censure resolutions of their own and are working together to coordinate the language.

• Former Physician to the President Ronny Jackson has secured a major fundraising lead over his opponent, former lobbyist Josh Winegarner, in the Republican primary runoff to replace U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R–Clarendon). Thomas Warren has the details. 
   
• According to new finance reports filed last week, Jackson reported raising $492,346.81 since April in his race for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 13th Congressional District, with just over $207,000 cash on hand. Meanwhile, Winegarner reported raising $290,116.62 since April, with his campaign also trailing Jackson’s campaign in terms of cash on hand, with $170,142 in the bank.
   
• Early voting in the primary runoff elections continues through July 10, with Election Day on July 14.

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