Some thoughts on a thoughtful piece by @ericblanc.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/laborpol...

If Not AOC, Then Who?

We need a Plan B for 2028. Here's mine: run a worker for president

open.substack.com

I'm in Slate today with the tale of how a couple of invasive mosquito species have conquered the U.S., and what that means for our future (spoiler: it's not great!) Please read and share.

They’re the Most Annoying Creatures on the Planet. You Don’t Know What They’re Going to Unleash on America.

They can do a lot more than ruin your summer day.

slate.com

As my husband said, "putting the White in White Oak."

Jenny Staff Johnson@htownjenny.bsky.social · 17h ago

Special to Houston live music fans: White Oak music call is hosting an event for Ken Paxton tomorrow, in case you wanna let them know how you feel about that. 

This is fucking gross. White Oak Music Hall should know better, but this is also the venue that charges ten bucks for a goddamn Lone Star.

Jenny Staff Johnson@htownjenny.bsky.social · 17h ago

Special to Houston live music fans: White Oak music call is hosting an event for Ken Paxton tomorrow, in case you wanna let them know how you feel about that. 

We've spent so much effort, for so long, to get this. And they lit so much money on fire. Imagine how much community organizing $60 million could have gotten in Michigan. But organized community wasn't the goal.

April Glick Pulito@aprilglick.bsky.social · 19h ago

El-Sayed numbers truly INSANE this is a movement

For the longest time, I had planned my funeral so that an empty, open casket would rest on the bier for the viewing. Looping endlessly at the wake would be that skeletal thousand-minute drums-and-bassline opening to "Bela Lugosi's Dead" and then when it came time to actually perform the service...

Katie Thornton visits the 110th annual World Esperanto Congress, in a delightful dispatch that considers why this niche language has enjoyed such longevity, despite failing to become the universal means of communication its inventor envisioned.

Love Language, by Katie Thornton

The undying dream of Esperanto

harpers.org

July 2026 was the most successful month the River Oaks Theatre has experienced since reopening in October 2024. That's impressive in its own right, but July 2026 was a 40 percent growth over the July 2019 box office for the River Oaks Theatre.

Did you know many flight attendants aren’t paid during boarding and deplaning? That’s one big reason almost 4,500 flight attendants at Canada’s WestJet walked off the job Sunday as management refused to negotiate fair pay for their work. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/02/w...

Canada’s WestJet Cancels Trips Amid Strike By Flight Attendants

Labor talks resumed on Sunday between the airline and union representing 4,400 flight attendants, who want improved wages and compensation for unpaid work.

nytimes.com

The Wikimedia Foundation hasn’t just refused to recognize their workers’ unions; they’ve also hired one of the most notorious union-busting firms out there. medium.com/regarding-wi... #1u #unions #TechUnions

The Wikimedia Foundation Hired the Union Busters Its Own Encyclopedia Warned About

A federal docket shows the Foundation retained Littler Mendelson, the firm Starbucks used against its baristas, to face its employees’…

medium.com

If you're looking for paid, unionized campaign work in the Houston area this election season, Movement Workers United (IUPAT Local 2030) is having a membership drive this Wednesday. 10 AM at the IUPAT hall, 6:30 PM at the IATSE hall. RSVP at tinyurl.com/MWU-August!

They're probably hoping you won't hear about this. But tomorrow in TX, Tarrant County officials meet to vote on a GOP plan to cut almost HALF of Election Day voting locations, plus 8 early voting locations, some of them on campuses. Not hard to guess why. fortworthreport.org/2026/07/30/t...

Tarrant County considers cutting 140 Election Day polling sites for November

County commissioners vote Aug. 4 on proposed reductions to the number of early voting and day-of sites for the midterms.

fortworthreport.org

I love Talarico and hope he wins. But he’s already raised $70M On the flipside, control of critical state legislatures will come down to seats where candidates raise 0.1% of that. I’ve researched the highest leverage swing district candidates you should donate to secure.actblue.com/donate/donat...

Donate to the candidates on the front lines of the fight against MAGA gerrymandering

These are anti-MAGA state candidates in *extremely* close races

secure.actblue.com

This Day in Labor History: August 2, 1917. The Green Corn Rebellion breaks out in Oklahoma against American participation in World War I. Let's talk about rural socialist farmers rising up against a war they believed only helped the capitalists. Literally impossible to imagine this today!

Hey everyone, I have some news: I'm creating a new project today called @thewatchdog.ca The Watchdog's editorial mission is to protect the public and defend democracy through original public interest watchdog journalism. Sign up here as it gets ready to launch: www.thewatchdog.ca/p/sign-up

Sign Up For The Watchdog

The Watchdog protects the public and defends democracy through original public interest watchdog journalism.

thewatchdog.ca

#WestJetworkers are now on strike. As it challenges unpaid work, while defying both the employer and the #Carney government, their struggle is of crucial importance. Solidarity and respect to these workers.

This Day in Labor History: August 1, 1917. Hired thugs in Butte, Montana lynched the IWW organizer Frank Little. Let's talk about this incredibly brave and committed organizer, murdered for his talk of radical organization of miners, who, as a matter of fact, weren't' even interested in it.

Weekly Notes are Out! #htx pay attention! City Meeting are Important! This week Houston City Council approved more Flock Contracts to spy on you as a citizen! HPD is still working with ICE directly and thr Mayor is lying about it. Many Council members called him out! Support Emily Takes Notes!

Emily Takes Notes@embaleez.bsky.social · 6d ago

Here are my notes for this week. CM Salinas called out Mayor Whitmire on spreading incorrect ICE information. Much dismay over court ruling Houston's MWBE program unconstitutional. And more! emilytakesnotes.com/2026/07/30/j...

🚨 WE HAVE A DEAL! After three years, in a major step forward for our members, we have ratified our first contract with @propublica.org’s management. We deeply appreciate everyone who supported us along the way. Here are some of our big wins👇

I have more training in Anglo Saxon epic poetry but I'll pass on the epic-poem aphorism of Professor Geoffrey "Rick" Russom which has served me well as a newswriter over the years: "You don't play games with narrative when your audience is drunk and armed."

Welcome to the free state of Texas where starting today almost all THC products are illegal

US Wikimedia Foundation workers join the union drive! @wikiworkersunited.org will file for a NLRB election after the Wikimedia foundation declined to voluntarily recognize them. www.theverge.com/news/972182/...

The union drive at the Wikimedia Foundation is expanding

US-based employees say they will file for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.

theverge.com

I've been reading Shift Work for about four and a half years. It's a damn shame to see it go; I don't know where I'll get the lowdown on Canadian labo(u)r now.

Emma Arkell@emmaarkell.bsky.social · 6d ago

My last article as the labour reporter at @pressprogress.ca is about.... media layoffs! Earlier this month, Rogers closed six stations and laid off 230 radio workers across the country. In Vancouver, the layoffs hit a newsroom that had struggled for years to unionize.

And it's become the theatre I always wanted it to be.

Jenny Staff Johnson@htownjenny.bsky.social · 6d ago

Lots of things have gotten worse, yeah, but we did get our movie theater back.

Texas hasn't had a Democratic governor since the great Ann Richards (whom I worked for in 1990/1991)! If you care about Texas, please consider donating to @ginafortexas.bsky.social. You could be part of the greatest moment in Texas political history in a generation. ginafortexas.com

Gina Hinojosa for Texas Governor | Official Campaign Website

Gina Hinojosa has spent her life advocating for Texas families and kids. From advocating for workers, challenging the status quo, to taking on corrupt politicians – Gina has always put Texas families ...

ginafortexas.com

Smart people: You should sign up to be a local election worker this year

Know a few people this could impact. This is fucked up. Fuck ICE.

Alex Ip 葉清霖@alexip718.com · 7d ago

INBOX: There are reports circulating that multiple Hong Kong residents legally in the United States on Deferred Enforced Departure status have been detained by ICE agents while boarding domestic flights www.uscis.gov/humanitarian...

Extreme Houston heat nearly triggers a new record for single-day emergency room visits www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...

Extreme Houston heat sends 95 people to the ER, nearly topping a 5-year record

Last Wednesday, in spite of Houston’s efforts to keep residents cool during an extreme heat advisory, the city neared its recent record of heat-related emergency visits.

houstonchronicle.com

[0011112] Monster Slayer "horrified by watching <monster> die"

In the weeks after the fatal shooting in Houston’s predominantly Hispanic east side, local authorities have struggled to stake their claim on an investigation into a killing within the most populous Texas city’s limits.

Houston Is Testing Whether Trump’s ICE Is Above Texas Law

After the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, local authorities have struggled to stake their claim on an investigation into a killing within the most populous Texas city’s limits.

texasobserver.org