October 6, 2014

HEB Recalls Ground Beef After Customers Complain of Metal & Illness

Over 90,000 pounds of HEB ground beef products have been recalled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture after four consumers complained of metal in their ground beef, which was shipped from Sam Kane Beef Processing in Corpus Christi.

The USDA cautions consumers against four batches of ground beef:

Three-pound packages of “HEB Ground Chuck" with the location identification number 337.
Five-pound packages of “HEB Ground Beef” with 73 to 29 percent lean-to-fat ratio and the identification number 337 and a production date of Sept. 15, 2014 and a use by date of Oct. 5, 2014.
10-pound packages of “HEB Ground Beef” with 73 to 29 percent lean-to-fat ratio and the identification number 337 and a production date of Sept. 18, 2014 and a use by date of Oct. 8, 2014.
10-pound packages of pre-formed patties with the identification number 337 and a production date of Sept. 9, 2014 and a use by date of Sept. 29, 2014.

Read more: http://kut.org/post/heb-recalls-ground-beef-after-customers-complain-metal-illness

October 6, 2014

Davis stump speech: Education, education, education

HOUSTON — Wendy Davis focused overwhelmingly on education on the stump Sunday with Asian-American donors and supporters here as her gubernatorial campaign entered its final month.

More than half of the words uttered by Davis in her 15 minutes of remarks at a Vietnamese restaurant explained how she protested previous cuts to public education and how her platform differs from that of Greg Abbott, her Republican opponent who leads in the polls. Davis spent just a few minutes addressing other policy goals that have defined her campaign, such as wanting to expand Medicaid, equalize pay between genders and raise minimum wage.

“If we expect that we’re going to get something different out of Greg Abbott than we’ve seen out of the last 20 years of Republican administration that has shown a continued devaluation of our public education system, we’re fooling ourselves,” Davis said.

Davis has similarly chosen education as her signature issue on the airwaves, releasing an education-themed television spot Tuesday. Education may be an issue that can mobilize suburban women, a key demographic who could tip the scales if the election tightens. It is also an issue that tends to resonate with the Asian voters that Davis spoke to here Sunday.

Read more: http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2014/10/davis-stump-speech-education-education-education/

[font color=green]I hope that the Houston Chronicle isn't using that headline to dismissively portray Wendy Davis as Jan Brady saying, "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha."[/font]

October 6, 2014

Paxton (R) dismisses securities fine, focuses on campaign for Texas attorney general

Republican attorney general candidate Ken Paxton says he’s moved past his legal troubles and is focused on beating his Democratic opponent and continuing Texas’ fight against federal encroachment.

-snip-

In May, the Texas State Securities Board said Paxton violated state law by soliciting clients, for pay, for a company that dispenses investment advice even though he had not registered with the board. He was fined $1,000. It can be a crime, but Paxton describes it as an administrative error.

“We resolved the issue in the spring,” Paxton said in Allen. “They have been saying that (indictment was possible) ever since. I continue to work on my campaign. That’s something we took care of in the spring.”

But Paxton’s Democratic rival, Houston attorney Sam Houston, said the Republican is unfit for office, a mantra that Paxton’s GOP primary opponents also tried to trumpet. He and others say it’s possible that Paxton will face criminal charges.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20141005-paxton-dismisses-securities-fine-focuses-on-campaign-for-texas-attorney-general.ece

[font color=green]Felony federal securities fraud IOKIYAR.[/font]

October 6, 2014

Empower Texans tax documents don't match activities

SAN ANTONIO — Empower Texans, an organization at the center of the state's far-right conservative movement, told the IRS it spent nothing on political activity in 2012, while reporting $350,000 in campaign expenditures to state authorities, documents show.

The group, which says it supports fiscal responsibility and greater transparency in government, is best known for funding challengers against Republicans it believes are too moderate.

Empower Texans President Michael Quinn Sullivan has been a longtime antagonist of House Speaker Rep. Joe Straus, a San Antonio Republican.

The discovery of the contradictions between the group's 2012 tax return and the reports it filed with the Texas Ethics Commission comes as it backs yet another challenge to Straus' speakership.

Read more: http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Empower-Texans-tax-documents-don-t-match-5801529.php?cmpid=twitter-premium&t=464588a52f412fd9db

[font color=green]Potentially a criminal problem...[/font]

October 5, 2014

Help, I'm addicted to playing Minesweeper!

It's a weekend and I can't think of anything better to do. Suggestions anybody?

October 5, 2014

Wacko nut job Larry Klayman files deport Obama petition

A petition filed by attorney Larry Klayman calls for immediate deportation proceedings against President Obama on grounds that he is an illegal alien.

The founder of Judicial Watch who now heads Freedom Watch, conservative activist Klayman submitted the 20-page petition to officials with Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Over the course of the Obama presidency, a conspiracy-minded and much scorned cohort collectively known as “birthers” have challenged Obama’s eligibility to serve as president under the natural born citizen requirement of Article II, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution. No legal contests have made any headway in court, however.

In his petition, Klayman argues among other things that the Obama birth certificate from Honolulu, Hawaii, released in April 2011 is fake. He also raises questions about the name change from Barry Soetoro and the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the president’s Social Security number.

Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1519298/deport-obama-petition-urges-presidents-removal-from-the-united-states/#V0IEQbvcjWUtegFY.99

October 5, 2014

Texas Muslim Group’s Adopt-A-Highway Sign Vandalized

Round Rock, Texas -- This week, a Texas Muslim group’s “Adopt-A-Highway” sign was vandalized in Round Rock, just north of Austin. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of Austin cleans litter from the highway every three months. Last weekend, someone spray-painted over the words “Ahmadiyya Muslim”, leaving only the word “Community.” Below, they left a handwritten note reading “A Christian Community USA.”

The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, though the Williamson County Police have decided to leave the graffiti in place for now.

Members of the Ahamadiyya Muslim Community suspect that the vandalism was done by someone who is “misinformed” about Islam. As the community’s general secretary Yasir Mirza told KUT, “A lot of bad things are happening in the world that are done in the name of Islam by Al Qaeda or ISIS. In fact, those groups have distorted the real message of Islam, and we are trying to show the true teachings of Islam. We do these community service things to try to prove the point that we are not like that.” Some of the group’s community service efforts include “feeding homeless people, visiting residents at nursing homes and organizing blood drives.”

Sadly, this hasn’t been the first time the Ahamadiyya Muslim Community has faced discrimination from the community. Their request to march in the 2013 Round Rock Fourth of July parade was initially denied due to “safety” concerns from organizers. Eventually, representatives from the two groups met and reconciled, and the Muslim community was allowed to march in the parade, and even organized a blood drive and school supply campaign.

Read more: http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/19557/texas-muslim-groups-highway-sign-vandalized

October 5, 2014

McKinney High School names lesbian student homecoming queen

McKinney High School senior April Swartz-Larson

McKinney, Texas -- April Swartz-Larson knew she might win when she heard loud cheering from fellow students as McKinney High School’s homecoming queen nominees were announced Friday night at Ron Poe Stadium.

“My heart was racing,” she said. “That moment still doesn't seem real to me.”

Last week, April learned she was likely the first lesbian student to be nominated for the honor in school history. On Friday, April’s classmates named her homecoming queen.

April, a 17-year old senior, said she was surprised when she heard students talking about nominating her. She said she doesn’t remember any another openly gay student being nominated for the homecoming court before.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/mckinney/headlines/20141004-mckinney-high-school-names-lesbian-student-homecoming-queen.ece

[font color=green]McKinney is located in conservative Collin county just north of Dallas.[/font]

Cross-posted in the LGBT Group.

October 5, 2014

McKinney High School names lesbian student homecoming queen

McKinney High School senior April Swartz-Larson

McKinney, Texas -- April Swartz-Larson knew she might win when she heard loud cheering from fellow students as McKinney High School’s homecoming queen nominees were announced Friday night at Ron Poe Stadium.

“My heart was racing,” she said. “That moment still doesn't seem real to me.”

Last week, April learned she was likely the first lesbian student to be nominated for the honor in school history. On Friday, April’s classmates named her homecoming queen.

April, a 17-year old senior, said she was surprised when she heard students talking about nominating her. She said she doesn’t remember any another openly gay student being nominated for the homecoming court before.

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/mckinney/headlines/20141004-mckinney-high-school-names-lesbian-student-homecoming-queen.ece

[font color=green]McKinney is located in conservative Collin county just north of Dallas.[/font]

Cross-posted in the Texas Group.

October 4, 2014

Ebola patient in critical condition says Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas

The condition of the first Ebola case in the United States was downgraded to critical Saturday by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

The patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, had been listed in serious condition in recent days. He was diagnosed with the deadly virus Tuesday.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment that kills the Ebola virus, only supportive care that addresses certain symptoms, such as dehydration, diarrhea or vomiting.

Federal, state and local health officials have declined all week to comment on any treatments Duncan was receiving. Several experimental therapies have been used successfully on selected Ebola patients, including U.S. medical volunteers who became infected while working in West African countries. They returned to the U.S. for care.

Read more: http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2014/10/ebola-patient-in-critical-condition-says-texas-health.html/