July 24, 2015

Judge hits Austin city council candidate Laura Pressley and attorney with $100,000 sanctions

Laura Pressley tells the Austin Monitor that she is disappointed but not discouraged by $100,000 in sanctions imposed on her and her attorney. The unsuccessful city council candidate added that the ruling awarding nearly $100,000 in damages to her former District 4 Council opponent–and current Council Member–Greg Casar will not end her drive to challenge the results of the election she lost to Casar in December.

On Thursday, District Judge Dan Mills issued a final ruling granting Casar’s request for financial sanctions against Pressley and her attorney, David Rogers. Both Pressley and Rogers knew or should have known that their litigation was without merit, wrote Mills in his decision. Pressley was hit with $40,000 in sanctions, while Rogers was ordered to pay $50,000. The two were also ordered to pay more than $7,000 in out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Casar’s legal team.

Mills dismissed Pressley’s lawsuit challenging the results of the election in May. In June, Mills indicated that he would award sanctions to Casar.

Pressley told the Monitor that while she disagreed with the sanctions, she said the judge did not sanction her in response to some of what she considers the most important questions she is raising about the election. Specifically, she said her complaint that Travis County did not produce legally-required ballot images and did not keep a backup “results tape.”

Read more: http://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2015/07/judge-hits-laura-pressley-and-attorney-with-100000-sanctions-in-election-lawsuit/

July 24, 2015

In Stunning Attack, Cruz Accuses Leader McConnell of Lying

In a stunning, public attack on his own party leader, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz accused Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of lying, and said he was no better than his Democratic predecessor and couldn't be trusted.

Cruz, a Texan who is running for president but ranks low in early polling, delivered the broadside in a speech on the Senate floor Friday, an extraordinary departure from the norms of Senate behavior that demand courtesy and respect.

"Not only what he told every Republican senator, but what he told the press over and over and over again, was a simple lie," Cruz said.

At issue were assurances Cruz claimed McConnell, R-Ky., had given that there was no deal to allow a vote to renew the federal Export-Import Bank — a little-known federal agency that has become a rallying cry for conservatives. Cruz rose to deliver his remarks moments after McConnell had lined up a vote on the Export-Import Bank for coming days.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/cruz-mcconnell-lied-im-bank-trusted-32663137

July 24, 2015

Z’Tejas restaurant chain files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy

Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill has filed for bankruptcy protection, according to federal court documents.

Founded in Austin in 1989, Z’Tejas has three Austin locations, although its corporate headquarters are now in Scottsdale, Ariz. Z’Tejas has a total of nine restaurants, including five locations in Arizona and one in Costa Mesa, Calif., according to the company’s website.

All three Z’Tejas restaurants in Austin were open and operating as usual Friday. The restaurants are at 10525 W. Parmer Lane in Avery Ranch, 9400-A Arboretum Blvd. in the Arboretum area and 1110 W. Sixth St. near downtown Austin.

Members of the Z’Tejas corporate management team weren’t immediately available for comment.

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/business/ztejas-restaurant-chain-files-for-chapter-11-bankr/nm6NX/?ecmp=statesman_social_twitter_2014_sfp#f5314e80.3581740.735803

July 24, 2015

Goldman Sachs Subsidiary Ted Cruz Trying to Kill Consumer Financial Protections

How does Ted Cruz celebrate the fifth anniversary of Wall Street reform and the fourth birthday of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau?

By introducing a bill to abolish these populist pro-consumer reforms.

It’s no surprise that the Senator who has raked in over $82,000 in donations from Goldman Sachs employees and the company PAC should be beating the drum against Wall Street Reform.

But it certainly goes against his remarks on the campaign trail, where he pretends to beat the populist drum, decrying crony capitalism, claiming the Republicans aren’t merely the lapdogs of the mega-rich, and even trying to co-opt the Occupy Wall Street movement.

Read more: http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/30670/goldman-sachs-ted-cruz-cfpb

July 24, 2015

Corpus Christi under boil water notice due to E. Coli

CORPUS CHRISTI - The Corpus Christi water boil advisory will continue until further notice.

Two water samples in Flour Bluff tested positive for E. Coli Thursday prompting a citywide water boil advisory, and additional samples taken in the same area resulted in more positive readings Friday. No other samples across the city have tested positive for the bacteria.

Residents and businesses are advised to boil water at least two minutes before considering it safe for consumption by humans or pets. Hand washing and bathing is ok, so long as the water is not ingested.

Assistant City Manager Gustavo Gonzalez told the Caller-Times earlier Friday city officials have not identified the source of the bacteria.

http://www.caller.com/news/local-news/city-to-announce-water-test-results

July 24, 2015

Follow The Leader: Drones Learn To Behave In Swarms

The Naval Posgraduate School's Timothy Chung stands with the unmanned aerial vehicles his team attempted to swarm in May, 2015. That day they were able to launch 20 into a swarm. After a second attempt in July, they got 30.
Krista Almanzan KAZU

At a restricted airfield at a quiet National Guard base in central California, researchers from the Naval Postgraduate School have loaded a drone they call a flying wing onto what looks like a giant sling shot.

The drone soars up into the air and settles into a racetrack pattern. It's up so high it's hard to see, but the sound is inescapable — like a buzzing bee. With the launch of several more, the buzz grows louder as they all settle into that racetrack pattern.

The aim is to get 24 drones into a swarm and have it behave like one.

"In our context, swarming means a large collection of aerial robots working together to do something meaningful or interesting," says Timothy Chung, who is heading up this project for the Naval Postgraduate School. "The one behavior that we're testing out today is a leader follower behavior where the aircraft talks amongst themselves."

Read more: http://kut.org/post/follow-leader-drones-learn-behave-swarms

July 24, 2015

Appeals Court Rejects One Count in Perry Indictment

A state appeals court on Friday threw out one of two counts in the indictment against former Gov. Rick Perry, handing his lawyers their first major breakthrough in the nearly yearlong case.

The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin specifically found a problem with a count alleging that Perry coerced a public servant when he threatened to veto state funding for a unit of the Travis County district attorney's office. The court left intact the indictment's other count, which accuses Perry of abusing his power.

Perry's legal team, led by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, moved quickly to capitalize on the ruling, arguing it was proof the overall case against Perry, now a presidential candidate, is unraveling.

"One down, one to go," Buzbee told reporters Friday afternoon outside the Harris County civil courthouse. "The court today threw out what we believe to be the greater of the two charges — that coercion charge."

Read more: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/24/appeals-court-rejects-one-count-perry-indictment/

Cross-posted in the Texas Group.

July 24, 2015

Appeals Court Rejects One Count in Perry Indictment

A state appeals court on Friday threw out one of two counts in the indictment against former Gov. Rick Perry, handing his lawyers their first major breakthrough in the nearly yearlong case.

The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin specifically found a problem with a count alleging that Perry coerced a public servant when he threatened to veto state funding for a unit of the Travis County district attorney's office. The court left intact the indictment's other count, which accuses Perry of abusing his power.

Perry's legal team, led by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, moved quickly to capitalize on the ruling, arguing it was proof the overall case against Perry, now a presidential candidate, is unraveling.

"One down, one to go," Buzbee told reporters Friday afternoon outside the Harris County civil courthouse. "The court today threw out what we believe to be the greater of the two charges — that coercion charge."

Read more: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/07/24/appeals-court-rejects-one-count-perry-indictment/

Cross-posted in the General Discussion forum.

July 24, 2015

Texas Musicians Museum opens in Irving

Tom Kreason, the executive director and curator of the Texas Musicians Museum, was giving a walk-through preview of the museum when his cellphone rang. He picked up, telling a caller named Charles that he’d have to call back.

“That was Bob Wills’ grandson,” Kreason said. “Charles and his family and his brother have their grandfather’s fiddle from 1939, which we’ll be putting on display.”

At the time Kreason said this, it was Wednesday morning, three days before the museum’s official opening in its new location in downtown Irving. Some memorabilia was hanging or behind cases, but much of it still lay on the floor or in small piles. Gold records from numerous Texas musicians leaned against one wall; a John Denver stand-up poster was lying flat, the former Fort Worth resident’s head poking out from underneath some other artifacts; a huge Barry White jacket was still on a hanger.

But Kreason said it would all be up in time for a private party on Thursday night, and definitely in time for the museum’s opening day on Saturday. A question naturally arose: Why Irving, and not, say, Dallas or Austin? There was more than one answer, and the replies were both simple and complicated.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/entertainment/arts-culture/article28515289.html#storylink=cpy

The museum is having an opening day party of Saturday, July 25th with all day tickets priced at $45. The museum is located at 222 East Irving Boulevard. Information: www.TexasMusiciansMuseum.com. Phone: 972-865-9579. Details of the regularly scheduled hours are at the link.

An additional article from the Dallas Observer is at http://www.dallasobserver.com/music/the-new-texas-musicians-museum-finds-home-for-rare-memorabilia-in-irving-7428447 .

July 24, 2015

Texas Gov. Abbott calls ruling dumping Houston equal rights ordinance "appropriate."

From Twitter:

Greg Abbott ?@GregAbbott_TX 15m15 minutes ago

Freedom of religious liberty & expression upheld in Texas. The people - not cities - get to decide. #tcot #txlege

More about the Texas Supreme Court Ruling at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/107827385