BEST CONJUNTO COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND AT HARLINCHON

WHERE'S A RICHARD NIXON WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

 

WAR...WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING...

 

IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE, LIVING LIFE IN PEACE...

Marco Rubio three days ago: “Imagine if Iran funded the well-being of its people, rather than its military.” 

Trump: “We can’t fund daycare or Medicaid, Medicare and all those individual things 

The US military budget is larger than the military spending of the next nine largest countries combined. Trump wants it to be even bigger — a record $1.5 trillion. Meanwhile, he's asking for massive cuts to social and domestic programs. The priorities are clear. 

STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH: THE GOP STOPS HERE...

 

CARVED FROM MARBLE, A STUDY IN MOTHERLY LOVE...AND GRIEF

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

At just 24 years old in the late 1400s, Michelangelo created one of the most technically flawless marble sculptures ever made. The Pietà depicts the moment after the crucifixion, with Mary gently holding the lifeless body of Jesus across her lap.

Mary appears strikingly youthful, serene rather than overcome with grief—a deliberate choice. Michelangelo aimed to convey purity and timelessness, elevating the scene beyond ordinary human sorrow.

Carved from a single block of Carrara marble, the sculpture is polished to an almost lifelike softness, giving the stone a sense of living flesh. At the time, many found it hard to believe such perfection could come from someone so young.

The doubt lingered long enough that Michelangelo returned one night to carve his name across Mary’s sash—the only work he ever signed.

Its proportions are also intentionally altered. Mary is sculpted larger than Jesus, her scale concealed beneath flowing drapery so she can support his body while still appearing natural to the viewer.

REAL SOLDIERS – UNLIKE HEGSETH – DON'T DIE, THEY'RE PUSHED AWAY

General Randy George getting pushed out by Pete Hegseth in the middle of a war is exactly what happens when politics are allowed to matter more than experience, stability, and the lives of the people actually fighting.

Randy George is a career infantryman who enlisted in 1982, fought his way into West Point, bled in combat, and spent decades leading soldiers from platoon level all the way up to the entire U.S. Army.

Hegseth’s move isn’t just a personnel decision, it’s a message: fall in line with the personality cult or your record, your expertise, and your duty to speak hard truths won’t protect you.

Doing that in peacetime would be reckless; doing it in wartime, rips out continuity, disrupts planning, and tells every officer down the chain that loyalty to Trump matters more than competence and candor.

THE FIGHT NEVER ENDS TO SAVE OUR RGV

Hi Folks who love the RGV,

Just when you think you can rest, there is more! And we do this to put our “gotita de agua” and together we can make a difference!

Take Action: Rio Grande LNG Expansion!

If you missed the recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) public scoping sessions in Port Isabel, there’s still time to make your voice heard and submit a comment!

What’s Happening?

FERC is reviewing NextDecade’s request to add a 6th liquefied natural gas (LNG) train to its Rio Grande facility along Highway 48. The request to increase capacity at the industrial site, prior to any of the other 5 trains being constructed and operating, cannot be properly assessed. At the very least, a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) should be written to take into account the cumulative effects from all current and planned developments.

A natural gas train isn’t a vehicle—it’s a major industrial processing unit. Adding one is like adding an entire new production line, with real impacts on the surrounding environment and community.

As part of the environmental review process, FERC evaluates how a project could impact the environment and considers public concerns before making a decision. This early input phase is called “scoping.”

Why This Matters

Approving a 6th train before any of the first 5 trains are even built and operating is premature and risky.

Without real-world data on the impacts of the initial trains, there is no responsible way to assess the true effects on:

*Public health
*Environmental quality
*Community safety
*Local economy

At a minimum, a new, comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is needed to evaluate the cumulative impacts of all current and proposed developments in the region.

Deadline to Comment

April 8, 2026

 4:00 p.m. CDT

Urge FERC to deny this request until the public has full transparency on the impacts of the first five trains.

How to Submit a CommentSubmit your comment here:
Public Scoping Session for the Rio Grande Expansion Project (PF26-3-000)
Here is How to Submit a Comment
View documents and community comments:
Visit FERC eLibrary and enter docket PF26-3-000

Suggested Talking Points

Need some talking points for comments? Here are some suggestions. Feel free to add your own:

1. Declining Air Quality

Air quality in the Laguna Madre area has already suffered. For 72% of the days in 2022, the Air Quality Index daily values (from the monitor at Isla Blanca on SPI) showed GOOD air quality. In 2025, the number of GOOD air quality days dropped to 35%. This is unacceptable, especially when you consider the emissions from the actual liquefaction process to turn the fracked gas (being delivered by pipeline) into a liquid state. Cumulative impacts to air quality from the other industries planned for development in the Port of Brownsville must also be considered in a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

2. Increasing Industrial Pressure

Multiple large-scale developments are planned for the Port of Brownsville, including: Saronic Technologies - Shipbuilding for autonomous surface vessels for the U.S. Navy
America First - A proposed crude oil refinery
Expanded SpaceX operations nearby with the acquisition of 712 acres of wildlife refuge land

These large projects will stress the availability of natural resources such as water, energy supply, and ship channel access. At the same time, SpaceX has approval for 25 annual launches and landings, and has expanded its footprint tremendously in the area not far from the Port, including a recent request for 712 acres of USFWS Refuge land surrounding their testing site. A new EIS is required to reassess these cumulative impacts.

3. Lack of Emergency Planning

With the addition of these projects, a more robust emergency response plan is also required. Note that an emergency response plan has yet to be shared with the public by NextDecade after almost 10 years of asking.

4. Ongoing Legal Challenges

An appeal was filed on 8/29/25 against the FERC Order on Remand by Vecinos para el Bienestar de la Comunidad Costera, the City of Port Isabel, South Texas Environmental Justice Network, and Sierra Club. They point out that FERC didn’t adequately address the carbon capture project and the effects of air pollution on nearby communities. Any consideration of Train 6 by FERC should be paused until the appeal is settled.

Your Voice Matters

Public input plays a critical role in holding decision-makers accountable. Taking a few minutes to submit a comment can help ensure that community health, safety, and environmental protections are not overlooked.

And Thank you for all you do!
DONATE (Every little bit helps!)

www.savergv.org
contact@savergv.org
https://www.facebook.com/saveRGVfromLNG

Membership (Consider becoming a member!)https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfEWmMSqieFLUBdDnAF...

ASTRONAUTS MISS CONNECTING FLIGHT TO MOON, STAY IN ATLANTA

La Cebolla

ATLANTA—Forced to call off the approximately $4 billion journey around the moon due to unforeseen delays experienced by its four-member crew, NASA confirmed Thursday that the Artemis II mission failed Thursday after astronauts missed their connecting flight in Atlanta. 

“We thought we had enough time to stop for a Cinnabon, but before we knew it, we were sprinting across the terminal in our space suits and the rocket had already fired up its thrusters to leave orbit,” said Cmdr. Reid Wiseman, noting that Mission Control had provided the astronauts with discount hotel vouchers that could be redeemed at a nearby Holiday Inn Express. 

“We tried switching our tickets over to another flight, but the next rocket to the moon isn’t scheduled to leave until May 2028. The whole situation is really frustrating. Still, we’re hoping to make the best of the mission by collecting some sediment samples around the Atlanta airport before we return to Florida.”

The Artemis II crew reportedly grew further exasperated after realizing all their luggage had been successfully transferred and was now on its way to the moon.

HURTLING ONWARD THROUGH THE FOG ON TRUMP'S TRAIN WRECK

In “From Farce to Tragedy,” the author traces the first year of Donald Trump’s second term as a turning point in American political life. What once carried elements of chaos and dark comedy has hardened into something more deliberate and consequential. Trump’s return to power, framed by him as total vindication, has brought an unprecedented expansion of executive authority, the systematic weakening of institutions, and the normalization of personal loyalty over law. Drawing on sharp observations from leading journalists and scholars, the piece shows how emergency powers, executive orders, and transactional politics have reshaped governance at home and abroad. The result is not renewed greatness, but a spectacle of democratic erosion—an American tragedy unfolding without the comfort of a happy ending.

By Cemal Tunçdemir*

“What the American public always wants is a tragedy with a happy ending,” the American critic William Dean Howells, who was a central figure in Gilded Age American literature, once said. 

The second coming of Donald J. Trump to the US Presidency was not an accident of fate, nor even absurdity of democracy. It was a sequel demanded by majority of American voters that having once liked the “first season” and asked upon longer run. 

The real tragedy was not that Trump was Trump, that was obvious from the start, but that so many Americans mistook his loudness for conviction and saw his challenge to the rules as bravery.

“The first time around, there was something almost thrilling about Donald Trump as president,” explains American historian and journalist Thomas Frank, “The respectable world came together against him with a gratifying unanimity: the legacy media, the nonprofits, the universities, the think tanks, the tech sector, the intelligence community. Insulting this imbecile became the most rewarding pastime on earth.” 

By contrast, according to Frank, for much of 2025, the feeling was darker. “Absolute despair” if you will.

The difference in the second term wasn’t just the lack of the thrilling or accidental comedic elements of the first term. Donald Trump viewed his return to the White House as a profound vindication. In his telling, his four years of exile had proven that he was right about everything. 

About economy, about “stolen” election, about press, about elites, about universities, about institutions. This absolute conviction liberated him from all doubt, and all rules.

Trump’s unrestrained mind is on full display in a recent letter he sent to the Prime Minister of Norway as he wrote, “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace.”

“Donald Trump now genuinely lives in a different reality,” observes Anne Applebaum, “one in which neither grammar nor history nor the normal rules of human interaction now affect him.”

“Trump 2.0 is Trump 1.0 in some ways but on steroids,” compares Peter Baker, New York Times’s chief White House correspondent who have covered six US presidents, including Trump in his first term, “A lot of the things that he talked about doing or exploring in the first term -or tried but failed to do or was dissuaded from doing-he’s now doing and in spades.”

Unlike the first term, in the beginning of his second term, there was less confusion, more intent. And more so preparation. Trump has rolled out many of the Project 2025, 900-page Heritage Foundation-led blueprint, he once claimed he has nothing to do with. 

Many of Trump’s executive orders reshaping the government were outlined in this right-wing policy plan. From the early days of his tenure, Donald Trump began advancing Project 2025’s primary objective: the "deconstruction of the administrative state," a term coined by his former chief strategist, Steve Bannon. He has expanded the scope of executive power in ways unparalleled in modern history.

By the end of 2025, some 317,000 federal employees were out of the government, according to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This was the largest reduction of the federal workforce in American history. He even fired members and officials from various independent and bipartisan boards, agencies, and commissions, including dozens of inspectors general, key watchdogs for waste, fraud, and abuse across all government.

(*) Cemal Tunçdemir is a New York–based veteran journalist with extensive experience covering US politics and international affairs. 

To read rest of post, click on link: https://www.populismstudies.org/from-farce-to-tragedy-the-first-year-of-trumps-second-term-and-the-unmaking-of-america/

TORTILLAS, SALSAS FUEL ASTRONAUTS ON MOON-BOUND ARTEMIS

(NASA announced that the diet of the Artemis moon journey crew included almost five dozen tortillas that the crew had requested. We remember when kids would laugh at you if you pulled out a taco for lunch at the school cafeterias in the district. Those were the days when you could be punished for speaking Spanish on school grounds. Times, apparently, have changed. It reminded us of something that happened a few years ago. Have fun as you munch on a taco.)

By Juan Montoya

A few years ago, when we were looking up a file with the Cameron County District Clerk's office, we found ourselves wandering over to what used to be Amadeo Rodriguez's courthouse coffee shop. (Zeke Silva now has his coffee Roast House there.)

But back then we ran into a couple of attorneys, among them the late Ruben Herrera, and Trey Mendez and Alfredo Padilla, who are still with us.

As oft happens when people who have an inside track on civic and court stuff come together, the talk turned to local politics. 

Herrera, besides being a hotshot criminal lawyer, also sat on the Brownsville Housing Authority board and the Brownsville Visitors and Convention board. He also went on to become a trustee on the board of the Texas Southmost College, too. 

Padilla has made a nice living defending the accused and has often been talked about as a possible candidate for one of our courts. He was also a court magistrate and is now a prosecutor for the City of Brownsville. 

Trey, of course, before he did a stint as city mayor, was one of the four trustees on the Texas Southmost College majority that defied the powers that be and separated the University of Texas at Brownsville from college district so that we could have two free-sanding institutions like other communities in Texas.

Padilla declined to order the cholesterol-rich huevo con chorizo con papas y frijoles submarines that used to pass off as breakfast tacos at Amadeo's shop. Instead, he opted to slice off a piece of Herrera's bulging flour breakfast taco.

"Cuidando la linea," he said as he sliced off the piece and put it on a plate. All of us, except for Trey understood exactly what he meant. Pork chorizo and eggs with refried beans would tip off any diet red flag anywhere.

We commended Trey for his stand at UTB-TSC and told him that some of us would love to take a photography class or audit a history course, but that the $700 in student fees apart from the cost of the course was prohibitive.

"We're working on that," he replied as he wiped his mouth and started walking away. "I know exactly what you mean."

"But Alfredo," I commented, turning back to the talk at the table. "Nowadays you can get reconstituted wheat tortillas, low-fat, low-bleach ones that are actually healthy for you."

"That's true," he replied as he munched on the morsel. "But not here."

"Furthermore," I continued with the set up, "You can get blue corn, black corn, yellow corn, all kinds of tortillas without the chemicals that we got used to eating when we were growing up. I'm not talking about gorditas, now."

There was a general murmur of contented agreement around the table and I let them have it.

"Well, if anyone, as a lawyer you should know. It's called tort reform."

TRUMP'S "BACK TO THE STONE AGE" RHETORIC FUELS OIL PRICES

By Marc Jones

Reuters

LONDON, April 2 - Oil prices surged and global equity and bond markets recoiled ​again on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump dashed hopes of a swift resolution to the Middle East war.

Brent crude jumped more than ‌7 percent  to above $109 a barrel after Trump said in a disjointed prime-time address on Wednesday that the U.S. would hit Iran "extremely hard" in the coming weeks and "bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong".

Although he also said the U.S. campaign was nearing an end, the renewed rhetoric sent the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 and Wall Street futures down by between 1.3 percent and 1.8 percent, after Asian stocks had taken ​a beating overnight.

Government bond yields jumped on expectations that an inflation spike would force central banks to raise interest rates, or at least keep them on hold.

The dollar, which ​has reasserted its role as a safe-haven currency, rose too, pushing the euro down 0.5 percent to $1.1526 and sterling below $1.32. /FRX

"Over the past 48 hours, Tehran ⁠and Washington have exchanged a cacophony of statements, some suggesting rising odds of de-escalation. At the same time, kinetic action has continued unabated," BCA Research's Felix-Antoine ​Vezina-Poirier said.

To read the rest of the article, click on link: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/global-markets-wrapup-1-2026-04-02/

WHETHER IN AMARILLO OR THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXANS WANT A BETTER LIFE, BETTER SCHOOLS FOR THEIR KIDS

Team Gina

Wow. A packed standing room at our event in Amarillo. 

That’s not something we see every day. People packed the room because Texans are ready for something different — a governor who actually shows up, listens, and fights for them.

And that is exactly what Gina is doing on the campaign trail. Harlingen and South Texas is next.

She knows that issues differ all across the big state of Texas, which is why we’re visiting all communities — rural communities and big cities, in red areas and blue ones, because this campaign is for all of us.
We know the real fight in Texas has never been left versus right. It is the people of this state versus the powerful few who have rigged the system for themselves.

While Texans are working hard, a small group of wealthy insiders and political elites keep calling the shots — raising costs, underfunding public schools, stripping away freedoms, and making life harder for

working families.

Gina is running for governor to change that.

She knows Texans are tired of being divided and ignored. And she knows that whether you live in Amarillo, Brownsville, Houston, Dallas, or a small town in between, most people want the same basic things. 

Good neighborhood schools, affordable health care, decent jobs, safe communities, and the freedom to make their own decisions.

That is why this campaign is showing up everywhere, talking to everyone, and building the kind of grassroots power it will take to win.

EL MUERTO Y EL ARRIMADO, A LOS TRES DIAS APESTAN

Paula White on Trump: "You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us…God is with you and God is using you to defeat evil."

TRUMP'S LAWYER: UNSURE IF NATIVE AMERICANS ARE CITIZENS

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Various Sources

Sorry Don Jr, Eric, and Ivanka. Your mom wasn't a US citizen. Marco says you gotta go! 

Never mind that Marco Rubio’s statement is totally false under current U.S. law.

The 14th Amendment grants citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil and subject to its jurisdiction. The Supreme Court in United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), upheld birthright citizenship, and they're about to smack down Trump's executive order banning birthright citizenship.

But I'm willing to make an exception for you, Marco... and Donald's kids!

HUMILIATING: Supreme Court LAUGHS at Trump lawyer "unsure" if Native Americans are citizens under the Trump executive order he was sent there to defend. Enjoy every word of a punishment well deserved.

Justice Gorsuch: Are Native Americans today birthright citizens under your test and under your friend's test.

Trump lawyer John Sauer: Uh, I think so? I mean, obviously they've been granted citizenship by statute.

Justice Gorsuch: Put beside the statute. Do you think they're birthright citizens?

John Sauer: No, I think the clear understanding that everybody agrees in the congressional debates is that the children of tribal Indians are NOT birthright citizens.

Justice Gorsuch: I understand that's what they SAID. But your test is the domicile of the parents. And that would be the test you'd have us apply today, right?

He paused for a long time, his brain collapsing.
John Sauer: Yes, yes. A tribal Indian, for example, gives up allegiance to...

Justice Gorsuch: Born today, birthright citizens.

John Sauer: I think so on our test. If they're lawfully domiciled here. I'm... I'm not sure. I have to think that through. But that's my reaction.

Justice Gorsuch scoffed at the idiotic answer.

Justice Gorsuch: I'll take the YES. That's all right.

He laughed. The other justices laughed. Trump's lawyer is so stupid, so unprepared, that he didn't even know what Trump's executive order meant for Native Americans.

For the record, they've been automatic US citizens by law for over 100 years.

The justice had to HELP Trump's lawyer in his own arguments. Humiliating to the core.

This is what Trump and his MAGA goons deserve -- to hear the nation laughing at them, at the highest level.

THE FINAL BALLOT PLACES IN THE PORT, TSC ELECTIONS

FINAL BALLOTS FOR MAY 2, 2026 PORT OF BROWNSVILLE

EARLY VOTING APRIL 20-28

FINAL BALLOT FOR MAY 2, 2026 TEXAS SOUTHMOST COLLEGE

EARLY VOTING APRIL 20-28

BIGGER THAN YOUR INAUGURATION CROWD, AIN'T IT DON?

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Organizers say around 8 million people protested against Donald Trump, while the White House dismissed the movement as being driven by “leftist networks.” The images, however, have fueled their own narrative.

Millions took to the streets on March 28 for the third “No Kings” protest, with more than 3,300 events held across all 50 states. If confirmed, it could represent the largest single day of protest in U.S. history.

The largest rally in St. Paul drew roughly 200,000 people. Bruce Springsteen performed, while figures like Bernie Sanders and Jane Fonda addressed the crowd. The event was also shaped by recent federal agent shootings involving individuals such as Renée Good and Alex Pretti. 

Protests extended beyond major cities into smaller towns and traditionally Republican areas, with issues like immigration enforcement, the Iran war, and rising costs cited by participants. In some locations, including Los Angeles, clashes with law enforcement led to tear gas deployment and arrests.

While independent crowd estimates have not been fully verified, the scale and reach of the demonstrations have made it a significant national moment.

HOHNER ACCORDIONS SPONSORS TEXAS BEST CONJUNTO EN HARLINCHON

 

AFTER A BRIEF RESPITE, CHRIST RETURNS TO DOVETAIL JOINT

La Cebolla

JERUSALEM—In an effort to soften the blow for a human race eagerly awaiting His glorious arrival, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, clarified Monday that His return would be strictly limited to His carpentry business. 

“While I will soon appear once more upon the earthly realm, My sole focus during this Second Coming will be various woodworking projects and not the establishment of a messianic kingdom,” said Christ, the Light of the World, adding that He was looking forward to finishing the walnut kitchen island He had set aside for His martyrdom two millennia ago. 

“I realize many of you were looking forward to Me performing various miracles and casting Satan into a lake of fire, but I honestly can’t wait to spend My time building bookshelves, artisanal cabinets, and handcrafted chess sets—you can’t get that perfect rosewood for the pieces in heaven. We didn’t have power tools in Galilee back in the day, so I’m also excited to find out what I can accomplish with a band saw and a router, even if the righteous will, unfortunately, not be resurrected.” 

The King of Kings went on to request that His followers not pray to Him unless they were potential clients reaching out for an estimate.

ABOUT TIME THAT MCDAVITT BLVD. GOT WIDENED, RIGHT COMMISSIONERS?

• 

  
  (Ed.'s Note: A woman, barely visible, sits on the sidewalk at rear right on the west side of McDavitt Blvd. nursing her head and crying after the SUV pictured above was struck by the silver truck that veered off and stopped front right. The crash created immediate congestion because part of the rear end blocked one lane and the rest of the traffic had to take turns going through. The inconsiderate nature of our local drivers made it worse. This happened at about 11:30 this morning. Hope everyone is well, if not a bit scared.)

ELIZONDO AND PENA: WE CAN'T WAIT UNTIL JUNE TO DUMP CHAVEZ

(After two years in the role, Brownsville ISD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Chavez announced he is retiring. Chavez made the announcement during a February school board meeting. He said he will finish out his contract — which ends in June 2026 — before retiring. A majority of the board at that meeting voted to approve his retirement then.)

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

BISD April 7, 2026 Meeting Agenda

XII.E.1. Discussion and consideration regarding the Superintendent’s contract, including placing the Superintendent on administrative leave, suspension, or termination of contract. Discussion and consideration on naming an Interim Superintendent. (Board Agenda Request Carlos Elizondo/Board Support Minerva Pena)

This past February Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jesus Chavez announced – and a board majority accepted – his retirement effective June 30.

That acceptance, however, is now under challenge with two agenda items, to be heard in executive session, that Chavez be terminated immediately and an interim superintendent be appointed in his place.

The agenda items for Chavez's removal to be considered come as the BISD Board of Trustees had already begun the vetting process to select the next superintendent. The two trustees requesting the agenda item are Carlos Elizondo supported by Minerva Peña.

Elizondo and Peña are usually joined by trustee Frank Ortiz. Sources say that board members Denise Garza and Neida Ruth Soto-Grantland are "on the fence." 

So far, neither Elizondo nor Peña have made public their choice for Chavez interim replacement.

TRUMP'S POLL NUMBERS UP WITH DICTATORS, RACISTS, AND BILLIONAIRES

Dear Leader's new poll numbers are out. Looks like he's still got a strong following in certain segments of society.

 

FALLEN ANGEL: TRUTH, PAIN, AND RESPONSIBILITY IN CHAVEZ'S LEGACY

(Ed.'s Note: Like the majority of us, the writer of this piece was stunned when he learned of the alleged sexual grooming  and abuse of women and  minors by the late Cesar Chavez, the founder and leader of the United Farm Workers Union. Chavez died more than 30 years ago and cannot be confronted with or be prosecuted on the charges. The writer's reaction to the controversy below.)  

By Magdaleno Rose-Avila

Impacto

The news of the abuse of women and children by César Chávez came as a shock to many—especially to those of us who had invested so much of our lives, our hopes, and our sacrifices in the success of the United Farm Workers.

Faced with these horrifying headlines and the painful details now emerging, the UFW and the César Chávez Foundation made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the national celebrations traditionally held on March 31 to honor César’s birthday.

Like many others, I joined the union as a young dreamer searching for justice and freedom. In 1970, I began my journey as a full-time organizer, earning five dollars a week in wages and ten dollars for food. Thousands of us sacrificed deeply to win union contracts and to build what felt like a foundation of hope.

Joining the union changed my life. I stopped selling drugs. I got rid of the two pistols I owned—guns I once believed I might use against my enemies. Through the movement, I learned that love was stronger than hate, and that nonviolence could become my path toward healing.

César died in 1993. By 1994, I became the founding director of the César E. Chávez Foundation.

As a human rights activist, I have witnessed many movements where leaders abused the power entrusted to them. Still, reading that César abused UFW cofounder Dolores Huerta, and that he abused children in the 1970s, was devastating—hard to read, harder to absorb.

Over the years, I had written more than once that César was neither a god nor a saint. I challenged him and the union on several issues and came close to being fired more than once for doing so. I believed then, as I do now, that movements must allow for truth, dissent, and accountability.

I hope that all who were abused can now feel safe enough to come forward. And when they do, we must meet them not with doubt or defensiveness, but with love, respect, and a genuine commitment to help them heal. In doing so, perhaps we may also find a way to heal ourselves.

Dolores Huerta struggled for decades as a powerful woman leader within a movement dominated by men and burdened by a heavy cloud of machismo. 

More than twenty years ago, she left the UFW and founded the Dolores Huerta Foundation, creating a new and vibrant home where young people—especially young girls and women—could organize, grow, and flourish. At nearly 96 years old, she remains a face of freedom for so many.

The UFW built a national movement that empowered farmworkers and their allies to confront large growers and their right-wing supporters. Through boycotts of lettuce and grapes, the union won contracts that transformed lives. Activists like myself learned how to organize, challenge a racist system, and fight for justice without violence. The sacrifices were immense—and many of us continue that fight for human rights to this day.

Now, efforts are already underway to remove César’s name from buildings and schools. This moment is painful not only for the movement, but for the Chávez family, and especially for the victims who have come forward. We should not be surprised if more victims emerge.

As we move forward, we must ensure that the rights of young girls and women are protected, and that our response to victims and their families is thoughtful, compassionate, and just.

The enemies of the union—of Chávez, of farmworkers, of Mexican Americans—will call for a public lynching and the total destruction of a movement that, despite its flaws, has accomplished profound good. We must not allow their hatred to define this moment.

Instead, we must commit ourselves to honest leadership and to building safeguards that protect everyone, without exception.

Many of us will feel anger, disappointment, and regret. We will search for the rainbow we so desperately need right now.

They say that when one star disappears, it makes room for three others to appear.

LAID OFF AT TRICO? CAMERON WORKFORCE WANTS TO HELP

Recently laid off from Trico?

Let’s get you back to work-- attend our Rapid Response!

Date: March 31st

Time: 8:30am

Location: Brownsville Events Center, 1 Event Center, Brownsville, TX. 78526

CITY PUBLIC LIBRARIES CLOSED FOR CHAVEZ, GOOD FRIDAY, AND EASTER

THRIVING, MAYOR? REALLY? HAVE YOU ASKED DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES?

(A mute testament to Cowen's prosperity are the boarded up stores an entire two blocks on the south side of Elizabeth Street directly across from City Hall from Ninth to 11th Streets in the city's downtown core.)

By Ron Whitlock

Rio Grande Guardian

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Mayor John Cowen, Jr., held his 2026 State of the City Address at Texas Southmost College’s Performing Arts Center..

It was titled “Prosperity and Purpose.”

During his address he spoke about his city’s rapid growth, economic strength, and rising national

recognition. 

(That's not the man behind the curtain in the staged production of the State-of-The- City by the marketing and communications smoke-and-mirrors department. It's Cowen.)

To support that growth, the city is investing heavily in infrastructure. Cowen said an historic $215 million capital improvement plan is underway, focusing on road reconstruction, drainage enhancements, and smart traffic systems aimed at improving safety and reducing congestion.

“Brownsville is not just growing—we are thriving. And people across the country are taking notice,” Cowen said.

Cowen pointed out that for every one person leaving Brownsville, three new residents are choosing to move in. He said this underscored the city’s increasing appeal.

“Brownsville is growing at an unprecedented pace, with more people choosing to move here than leave, driven by billions in investment and a strong focus on infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life to build a thriving, future-ready city,” Cowen said.

To read rest of Whitlock's story, click on link: https://riograndeguardian.com/stories/cowen-brownsville-is-not-just-growing-we-are-thriving,63485
 

EVERY TIME THE EPSTEIN AFFAIR RESURFACES, BOMBS EXPLODE SOMEWHERE

By Senator Claude Malhuret 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

"Every time the Epstein affair resurfaces, bombs explode somewhere in the world and cause a distraction." Senator Claude Malhuret stood up in the French Senate this week and systematically torched every single member of Trump's cabinet.

Nobody was spared. Not one.

"A year ago, here in France, I compared Trump's presidency to Nero's Court. I was wrong. It's the miracle court," Malhuret began. Then he went through the roster.

"An anti-vaxxer, former heroin addict as Minister of Health." (That's RFK Jr)

"A climate-skeptic Minister of Economy." (That's Scott Bessent)

"An alcoholic TV host, Minister of the Armed Forces." (That's Pete Hegseth)

"An old Qatar agent, Minister of Justice." (That's Pam Bondi, whose former firm collected $115,000 a month lobbying for Qatar)

"A groupie of Putin, Minister of National Security." (That's Tulsi Gabbard)
Then he pulled back and went bigger.

"A Turkish proverb says: when a clown settles in a palace, he does not become king. It is the palace that

becomes a circus."

Malhuret pointed out that since Trump created his so-called Board of Peace, he has launched more military strikes than Biden did in his entire term. He called out the Boeing jet Qatar gifted Trump worth $400 million.
 

He called out the stock market manipulation that only insiders benefit from. He called out the Gulf investment deals enriching Trump and his family.

"Any one of these conflicts of interest would have caused an immediate procedure of impeachment here," Malhuret said. "But we are not here. We are in MAGA's America where public business is conducted in favor of private interests."

Then came the line that cut deepest. "Every time the Epstein affair resurfaces, bombs explode somewhere in the world and cause a distraction."

This is how the world sees us now. 

Not through Fox News. Not through Truth Social. Through the cold, clear eyes of allied nations watching a great country be hollowed out by crooks.

Every American should hear this speech. Share it.

A HEART-FELT THANK YOU AND DONOR APPEAL FROM GINA

Donate $5 »

ON 14TH STREET'S EL TENAMPA, A SPLASH OF MEXICAN ARTISTIC COLOR

MARIA FELIX

WALL OF MEXICAN STARS

CANTINFLAS AND CORNELIO REYNA

THE BOYS IN THE BACK

CHENTE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

(Ed.'s Note: What used to be a set of drab walls of El Tenampa, a local watering hole at 2525 E. 14th Street, has now become a riot of color and artistic figures. We inquired and were told that it was the work of a Weslaco muralist simply called "Alejandro," who works with spray paint cans. The side with the row of music and artistic Mexican stars face southward And in front, Cantinflas and Cornelio Reyna share a wall with an unfinished Vicente Fernandez. Out in back, a mariachi plays as a cockfight is in progress. We can hardly wait for Alejandro to finish his work and will keep our 7 readers updated.)