Friday, August 7, 2026
CAN'T BEAT $2 BREWS DURING 1ST FRIDAY BOOTS ON THE BLOCK EN EL SPORTSMAN
Thursday, August 6, 2026
DATA CENTERS DOUBLE DOWN ON NOISE, WATER, ELECTRIC USE
La Cebolla
SAN FRANCISCO—Hailing rapid developments in the infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced Tuesday that technological advancements were now allowing data centers to run on even more electricity.
“People said we were using an unacceptable amount of power, and with these upgraded facilities that require so much more of it, we’ve shown that we took those criticisms to heart,” said Altman, adding that while the newer data centers did not perform any better than their predecessors, they consumed five times as much electricity and were proving exceptional at straining power grids to the point of collapse.
“These improvements are revolutionizing the way data centers are exhausting not only energy, but also water, with the latest servers requiring 50 percent more of it to keep cool. And of course, the brisk acceleration in data center electricity consumption means even louder continuous noise in surrounding communities—no doubt a relief to residents upset that they can still manage to sleep once or twice a week over the unceasing whirring.”
Altman went on to say he was optimistic that innovations would soon enable data centers to run on enough electricity to plunge the rest of the nation into permanent darkness.
IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS – INCLUDING RUSSIANS – PAY TRUMP CASH: AND HE MOVES TO HIDE HIS FINANCES FROM BBC
By Ashleigh Fields
The Hill
President Trump's attorney filed an emergency motion Wednesday seeking to block the BBC from obtaining financial records linked to his trust.
The British broadcaster received approval from a judge late last month to probe the president’s financial documents after Trump claimed he experienced losses due to an episode of the company’s “Panorama” series titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”
In the footage, the BBC strung together three separate portions of a speech from Trump to make it look as if he encouraged a violent attack on the Capitol.
“The BBC’s improperly broad subpoena demands the Trust’s confidential tax, ownership, and financial records for approximately 400 entities,” Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito wrote in the legal filing.
“Once the Trust were to begin handing those records over to the BBC, that disclosure could not be undone, and the Trust’s pending objections could not restore what the BBC will already have seen,” Brito added.
If the emergency motion is not approved, the BBC would be granted insight on Trump’s crypto and stock profit, as well as business transactions from at least 400 entities and companies tied to his personal assets managed by family.
Last month, Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett granted the BBC’s subpoena to review documents from the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust dating to Jan. 1, 2023.
Her approval requires that the trust start producing documents by Thursday.
“Against the Trust’s irreversible injury, the BBC cannot point to any injury, only to brief delay, which does not constitute harm. Fact discovery remains open for months, and the BBC has never explained why it needed a non-party’s complete financial records within ten days or how a short stay would impair its defense,” Brito wrote.
The BBC has apologized for the documentary edit but has strongly rebuked Trump’s push for a payout and attempted to dismiss the lawsuit against the company, arguing U.S. courts hold no legal jurisdiction over the foreign corporation.
The president has refused to back down and recently requested that District Judge Roy Altman allow him to alter the lawsuit in a manner that would shield his financial documents from being reviewed by the British broadcaster.
The British broadcaster received approval from a judge late last month to probe the president’s financial documents after Trump claimed he experienced losses due to an episode of the company’s “Panorama” series titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”
In the footage, the BBC strung together three separate portions of a speech from Trump to make it look as if he encouraged a violent attack on the Capitol.
“The BBC’s improperly broad subpoena demands the Trust’s confidential tax, ownership, and financial records for approximately 400 entities,” Trump’s attorney Alejandro Brito wrote in the legal filing.
“Once the Trust were to begin handing those records over to the BBC, that disclosure could not be undone, and the Trust’s pending objections could not restore what the BBC will already have seen,” Brito added.
If the emergency motion is not approved, the BBC would be granted insight on Trump’s crypto and stock profit, as well as business transactions from at least 400 entities and companies tied to his personal assets managed by family.
Last month, Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett granted the BBC’s subpoena to review documents from the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust dating to Jan. 1, 2023.
Her approval requires that the trust start producing documents by Thursday.
“Against the Trust’s irreversible injury, the BBC cannot point to any injury, only to brief delay, which does not constitute harm. Fact discovery remains open for months, and the BBC has never explained why it needed a non-party’s complete financial records within ten days or how a short stay would impair its defense,” Brito wrote.
The BBC has apologized for the documentary edit but has strongly rebuked Trump’s push for a payout and attempted to dismiss the lawsuit against the company, arguing U.S. courts hold no legal jurisdiction over the foreign corporation.
The president has refused to back down and recently requested that District Judge Roy Altman allow him to alter the lawsuit in a manner that would shield his financial documents from being reviewed by the British broadcaster.
Wednesday, August 5, 2026
U.S. SENATE WORD OF THE DAY: GELDINGS, AS IN RAND PAUL, "EL CAPADO"
(A gelding is a horse who has been castrated in order to make him easier to train.)
By Charley Seagraves
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The would-be inquisition of Dr. Anthony Fauci last week by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and his cabal of the crass and the crude, did not go as planned.
One of the inquisitors dropped an F-bomb as if that were par for the course in the U.S. Senate, that once dignified forum of ideas and debate. Dr. Fauci took the high road and pled the 5th, denying the shameless the opportunity they so desperately wanted.
I, on the other hand, have chosen the low road and decided to tell the spineless exactly what I think, and maybe what Dr. Fauci might have been thinking:
“First, I refuse to dignify your idiotic questions with an answer, any answer. And as for you Rand Paul, you pompous, curly-haired, cockwomble, I know now why your neighbor beat the crap out of you. You’re one of those lowlifes who will do anything to try to distract from your own incompetence in order to create chaos and avoid the real issues.
“First, I refuse to dignify your idiotic questions with an answer, any answer. And as for you Rand Paul, you pompous, curly-haired, cockwomble, I know now why your neighbor beat the crap out of you. You’re one of those lowlifes who will do anything to try to distract from your own incompetence in order to create chaos and avoid the real issues.
You claim to be “libertarian-ish” like your mentor and namesake Ayn. But like her, you’re nothing but a selfish, self-absorbed prick.
You created your own ophthalmology board, declaring yourself president and thereby becoming both the examiner and the examined. That’s the equivalent of masturbating and calling it sexual relations.
And as for the rest of you—Hawley and Johnson and Lankford and especially you Moreno—you’re worthless, contemptible, despicable, two-bit ne’er-do-wells. You bow down to an immoral narcissist who reminds me of an unsupervised 14-year-old who stays up half the night posting idiotic fantasies and ridiculous threats and AI generated images imagining himself a hero. You’re nothing but pawns in his game.
You’re geldings who prance around the track like studs, but we all know you have no cojones. And when he’s gone, you’ll be on your own. So, no, I will not dignify any of your questions with an answer. Now go have a bowl of that famous Senate Bean Soup and pass your gas elsewhere.”
MATAMOROS PEPSI CO. VICTIM OF CARTEL EXTORTION ARSON
Federal Investigation International
Special to El Rrun-RrunFirefighters did not respond to the attack on @pepsi and @Papas_Sabritas in #Matamoros.
Three lots of vehicles, separated by about 50 meters, were set ablaze. A total of 50 vehicles were burned. Sources indicated that the company threatened to leave.
More than 40 Sabritas delivery trucks were consumed in a massive fire at a @PepsiCo warehouse in #Matamoros, #mexico
More than 40 Sabritas delivery trucks were consumed in a massive fire at a @PepsiCo warehouse in #Matamoros, #mexico
Local reports point to a possible case of extortion by organized crime. Last week, a company driver was kidnapped. According to local media reports, the incident may be linked to extortion payments demanded by the Gulf Cartel.
Authorities say that the recent fire there follows a pattern that has been implemented by CDG extortionists, fueling fears that multinational companies will move out of the city and result in loss of jobs and tax revenue.
WITH A DEAD HEAT IN THE GOV'S RACE, SAY NO TO ELECTION RIGGING
Today marks the one year anniversary of when my Texas House colleagues and I broke quorum to stop Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans from forcing through rigged mid-decade redistricting.
I wasn’t going to sit back and just let that happen. My colleagues and I got up and fought back.
We put a national spotlight on what Republicans were doing. And we showed the country what it looks like to stand up when democracy is on the line.
Despite the Supreme Court clearing the way for Republicans’ rigged maps, we haven’t given up this fight. Because Abbott and his allies aren’t done. They’ve promised to come back next year and rig the maps all over again. And they’re already eyeing when Texas gains 4-5 more seats by the end of this decade.
And A new poll just dropped from Fox News, and we’re only ONE POINT behind Greg Abbott.
This is the tightest margin of Abbott’s entire political life.
Rigging elections is exactly how Republicans try to hold onto power when they know voters are turning on them. They redraw the lines, causing chaos in the midst of important elections.
But we can still fight back, and we will fight back — because no matter how hard he tries, Greg Abbott cannot gerrymander the governor’s election. The question is whether we have the resources to seize this moment and win.
Will you please chip in $5 to help us have the resources to stay on offense against Abbott, organize statewide, and continue fighting for working Texans?
Tuesday, August 4, 2026
UNDER PRESSURE FROM HINOJOSA, STATE WILL AUDIT DATA CENTERS AND STOPS ALL CONSTRUCTION ACROSS THE STATE, INLCUDING ANY PROPOSED FOR BROWNSVILLE
An exercise in redundancy?: The Brownsville City Commission is hosting a Data Centers Workshop on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at City Hall to discuss local infrastructure impacts, resource consumption, and potential land-use regulations.
By Michael Garcia
The PUCT and have been tasked with doing a comprehensive “verification and audit” of any data centers in the state that are working through ERCOT’s grid interconnection process.
According to the state, no data center projects are allowed to move forward with construction until this audit is completed. The governor’s office noted that any data center project that fails to comply with the PUCT and ERCOT will not be allowed to connect to the state’s power grid.
In total, ERCOT is reportedly considering over 474 gigawatts worth of requests from facilities looking to connect to the state power grid and around 90 percent of those requests are from proposed data centers.
To put that into perspective, the Department of Interior lists 1 gigawatt of power as enough to power between 225,000 to 300,000 average homes for a year. By those numbers, the amount of requests ERCOT is currently reviewing could power between 106,650,000 and 142,200,000 average homes for a year.
PUCT and ERCOT will collect the following information from each data center project that they audit:
* “Information detailing the extent to which data centers are paying their own way or depending on the state for financial assistance. That would include all state and local tax incentives, grants, abatements, or other public financial assistance received or expected to be received.”
* “The extent to which data centers are providing their own power or depending on the ERCOT grid for that power. Details should include projected annual and peak electricity consumption; and any effort and progress to construct or procure on-site electric generation including generation type, or other measures to reduce demand on the ERCOT grid.”
* “Information detailing the ownership and controlling interests in the project.”
KETK.com
AUSTIN, Texas (KETK) – On Monday – faced calls from his governor’s race opponent, Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, to put a moratorium on all data center construction in the state – Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to audit all data center projects that are connecting to the state’s grid.
AUSTIN, Texas (KETK) – On Monday – faced calls from his governor’s race opponent, Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, to put a moratorium on all data center construction in the state – Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to audit all data center projects that are connecting to the state’s grid.
The PUCT and have been tasked with doing a comprehensive “verification and audit” of any data centers in the state that are working through ERCOT’s grid interconnection process.
According to the state, no data center projects are allowed to move forward with construction until this audit is completed. The governor’s office noted that any data center project that fails to comply with the PUCT and ERCOT will not be allowed to connect to the state’s power grid.
“Any project that fails to comply with the requirements set forth by the PUCT and ERCOT, and by state law, must be denied connection to the Texas grid, " read a statement from the governor's office.
As recently as last week, Gov. Greg Abbott faced calls from his governor’s race opponent, Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, to put a moratorium on all data center construction in the state.
The nonprofit group Save Cedar Creek Lake said Abbott’s audit and the pause on construction falls short of being a “real” moratorium in their view.
“We are not asking the Governor to cancel the audit. We are asking him to widen it into a real moratorium before the scope hardens,” the group said in a press release Monday. “If a data center cannot get a power connection during your audit, it should not be able to get a water contract, an air permit, or a tax abatement either. Pause all of it, publish what you find, and tell us when the pause ends.”
As recently as last week, Gov. Greg Abbott faced calls from his governor’s race opponent, Texas State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, to put a moratorium on all data center construction in the state.
The nonprofit group Save Cedar Creek Lake said Abbott’s audit and the pause on construction falls short of being a “real” moratorium in their view.
“We are not asking the Governor to cancel the audit. We are asking him to widen it into a real moratorium before the scope hardens,” the group said in a press release Monday. “If a data center cannot get a power connection during your audit, it should not be able to get a water contract, an air permit, or a tax abatement either. Pause all of it, publish what you find, and tell us when the pause ends.”
In total, ERCOT is reportedly considering over 474 gigawatts worth of requests from facilities looking to connect to the state power grid and around 90 percent of those requests are from proposed data centers.
To put that into perspective, the Department of Interior lists 1 gigawatt of power as enough to power between 225,000 to 300,000 average homes for a year. By those numbers, the amount of requests ERCOT is currently reviewing could power between 106,650,000 and 142,200,000 average homes for a year.
PUCT and ERCOT will collect the following information from each data center project that they audit:
* “Information detailing the extent to which data centers are paying their own way or depending on the state for financial assistance. That would include all state and local tax incentives, grants, abatements, or other public financial assistance received or expected to be received.”
* “The extent to which data centers are providing their own power or depending on the ERCOT grid for that power. Details should include projected annual and peak electricity consumption; and any effort and progress to construct or procure on-site electric generation including generation type, or other measures to reduce demand on the ERCOT grid.”
* “The extent to which data centers are bringing their own water and reusing their own water as opposed to using water needed by local communities. The details should include projected annual and peak water consumption and anticipated sources of water supply. You must also obtain information about the cooling technology that will be utilized, including whether the facility will employ air-cooled, closed-loop, or another water-efficient cooling system.”
* “The extent to which data centers are using measures to reduce impacts on neighboring property owners and communities, including noise mitigation, light controls, setbacks, traffic improvements, emergency response coordination, and other community protection measures, understanding that each community is unique.”
* “Information detailing the ownership and controlling interests in the project.”
SO IT'S OK FOR CITY MATERIALS, MACHINERY AND LABOR TO BE USED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY TO BENEFIT A CITY COMMISSIONER? ASK THE D.A. AND TEXAS RANGERS
REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION
Date: ___________________
To: The Honorable Luis V. Saenz
District Attorney
Cameron County District Attorney's Office
964 E. Harrison Street, 4th Floor
Brownsville, TX 78520
Phone: (956) 544-0849
Public Information Email: dapir@co.cameron.tx.us
RE: Request for Independent Investigation into the Publicly Reported Construction of a Road on Property Owned by the Family of Brownsville City Commissioner Gustavo De Leon
Dear District Attorney Saenz,
I am submitting this request as a concerned citizen asking for an independent investigation into a matter that has been publicly reported involving Brownsville City Commissioner Gustavo De Leon.
According to public news reports, Commissioner De Leon stated that the City of Brownsville constructed a road on property owned by his family without his permission.
This matter has raised serious public questions regarding the use of taxpayer-funded labor, equipment, materials, and other public resources on private property.
This request is not asking your office to assume that any crime was committed. Rather, I respectfully request that your office determine the facts through an independent investigation and apply the law based on the evidence.
I respectfully request that investigators determine:
The exact location of the property where the road construction occurred.
The ownership of that property at the time the work was performed.
The dates the work was performed.
Whether City of Brownsville employees performed the work.
What city equipment, labor, fuel, and materials were used.
Who requested and who authorized the work.
Whether work orders, purchase orders, or other authorization documents exist.
The total cost to taxpayers.
Whether the work served a lawful public purpose or primarily benefited private property.
Whether any city policies or Texas laws were violated.
I also respectfully request that all relevant records be preserved, including work orders, equipment logs, GPS records, employee time sheets, material tickets, purchase records, emails, text messages, photographs, inspection reports, and any communications relating to this project.
If your office determines that another agency should conduct the investigation due to a potential conflict of interest, I respectfully request that the matter be referred to the appropriate independent law enforcement agency.
Respectfully,
__________________________
Name
Address
Telephone
Email
FORM COMPLAINT TO TEXAS RANGERS
REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION
Date: ___________________
To: Major Jeffrey Wolf
Texas Rangers – Company D
2525 N. International Blvd.
Weslaco, TX 78599
Phone: (956) 565-7651
RE: Request for Independent Investigation into the Publicly Reported Construction of a Road on Property Owned by the Family of Brownsville City Commissioner Gustavo De Leon
Dear Major Wolf,
I respectfully request that the Texas Rangers conduct an independent review of a publicly reported incident involving Brownsville City Commissioner Gustavo De Leon, his family's private property, and the reported use of City of Brownsville personnel, equipment, materials, and other public resources.
This request arises from public statements made by Commissioner Gustavo De Leon and news reports concerning the construction of a road on property owned by his family.
According to those public reports, Commissioner De Leon stated that the City of Brownsville constructed the road on his family's private property without his permission.
I am not asking the Texas Rangers to assume that a crime occurred. I respectfully request an independent investigation to determine the facts surrounding this specific incident and whether any Texas laws, city policies, or other legal requirements were violated.
I respectfully request that investigators determine:
The exact location of the property where the road construction occurred.
The ownership of that property at the time the work was performed.
The dates the work was performed.
Whether City of Brownsville employees performed the work.
What city equipment, labor, fuel, and materials were used.
Who requested and who authorized the work.
Whether work orders, purchase orders, or other authorization documents exist.
The total cost to taxpayers.
Whether the work served a lawful public purpose or primarily benefited private property.
Whether any city policies or Texas laws were violated.
Please identify and preserve all relevant records, including work orders, equipment logs,
GPS records, employee time sheets, material tickets, invoices, emails, text messages, photographs, inspection reports, and any communications relating to the planning, authorization, or completion of this project.
If your agency determines another agency has primary jurisdiction, I respectfully request that this matter be forwarded to the appropriate authority or that I be advised of the proper agency to contact.
Respectfully,
__________________________
Name
Address
Telephone
Email
IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN, TURTLE DOVE(S) HAVE THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE
(Ed.'s Note: One of our seven readers said he was walking downtown under the plasma center sign at the corner of Elizabeth and 10th streets when he heard a chirping coming from above and saw that a birds had built their nest inside the "R" of the Grifols Plasma Donation Center. Nests "R" Us?)
AND THEN THERE WERE TWO...
(After the previous post, we were sent a second photo showing another dove couple tending to a second nest, this time inside the "G." The Hood has gone to the boids.)
GET YOUR MELANIA COIN, NOW AVAILABLE IN LIMITED EDITIONS...
“Party of family values” has had one of the wildest rebrands in American history.
Monday, August 3, 2026
THE GOVERNOR'S RACE TIGHTENS: GINA IN DEAD HEAT WITH ABBOTT
By Steven Ardary
Fox News 7
The Texas Governor's race is a dead heat
Fox's polling showed a dead heat in the governor's race.
Abbott supporters made up 50 percent of those polled, while 49 percent of those polled said they supported Hinojosa.
The poll shows a closer contest than a poll from Texas Public Opinion Research, which showed Abbott held a three-point lead.
The poll surveyed 1,006 Texas registered voters and was conducted by Beacon Research and Shaw and Company Research. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
The Brief
The Texas Governor's race is a dead heat
Fox's polling showed a dead heat in the governor's race.
Abbott supporters made up 50 percent of those polled, while 49 percent of those polled said they supported Hinojosa.
The poll shows a closer contest than a poll from Texas Public Opinion Research, which showed Abbott held a three-point lead.
The poll surveyed 1,006 Texas registered voters and was conducted by Beacon Research and Shaw and Company Research. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.
The Brief
James Talarico leads Ken Paxton 51 percent to 48 percent in a new Fox News poll of Texas voters.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa are virtually tied, 50 percent to 49 percent.
Both races remain within the poll’s 3-point margin of error, with many voters open to changing their minds.
A new poll from FOX News shows Democratic candidate James Talarico with a slight advantage over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a contentious Senate race that remains extremely close as November inches closer.
Talarico leads Paxton in Fox News poll
In the poll, conducted July 23–26, 51 percent of those polled said they planned to vote for Talarico in November, while 48 percent put their support behind Paxton.
The numbers are closer compared to a poll published earlier this week by the Texas Public Opinion Research that showed the Austin Democrat with a five-point lead.
The Fox News poll showed plenty of room for a shift in support for both candidates, with 19 percent of those who said they would vote for Talarico open to the idea of changing their mind, while 22 percent of Paxton supporters said they were open to changing their support.
While both candidates garnered strong support as candidates, at least a third of voters on either side said they made their choice as a vote against the other candidate.
Nearly half of voters polled (47 percent) said they felt Talarico was too extreme to serve as Senator, with 25 percent saying they were "extremely concerned."
More than half (59 percent) of those polled said they felt Paxton lacked the moral character to be a U.S. Senator, with 33 percent saying they were "extremely concerned."
The Source: Information in this article comes from a Fox News poll conducted July 23-27, 2026, of 1,006 registered Texas voters.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Democrat Gina Hinojosa are virtually tied, 50 percent to 49 percent.
Both races remain within the poll’s 3-point margin of error, with many voters open to changing their minds.
Talarico leads Paxton in Fox News poll
In the poll, conducted July 23–26, 51 percent of those polled said they planned to vote for Talarico in November, while 48 percent put their support behind Paxton.
The numbers are closer compared to a poll published earlier this week by the Texas Public Opinion Research that showed the Austin Democrat with a five-point lead.
The Fox News poll showed plenty of room for a shift in support for both candidates, with 19 percent of those who said they would vote for Talarico open to the idea of changing their mind, while 22 percent of Paxton supporters said they were open to changing their support.
While both candidates garnered strong support as candidates, at least a third of voters on either side said they made their choice as a vote against the other candidate.
Nearly half of voters polled (47 percent) said they felt Talarico was too extreme to serve as Senator, with 25 percent saying they were "extremely concerned."
More than half (59 percent) of those polled said they felt Paxton lacked the moral character to be a U.S. Senator, with 33 percent saying they were "extremely concerned."
The Source: Information in this article comes from a Fox News poll conducted July 23-27, 2026, of 1,006 registered Texas voters.
MEMORIES FROM A LONG AND WINDING MUSICIAN'S ROAD
By Albert Besteiro
The Connectors
With more time on my hands these days, I often and frequently daydream of past memories from my life.
With more time on my hands these days, I often and frequently daydream of past memories from my life.
One in particular is when I performed at a Mexican jail ( I've also performed at a jail in Dusseldorf, Germany)...I was very reluctant to go perform there but a friend was being detained for importing "herbs" from Mexico. 
In exchange for less time for our friend, we (The Connectors) agreed to perform there. Upon arriving at the facility, we were frisked, our Driver's License confiscated along with our car keys.
As we are being paraded into a long tunnel with barb wire along the top and sides, I thought to myself what a dumb decision I had made.
My heart was beating fast and there was no way I could turn back, fear gripped me...and then, the other side of the tunnel opened up into a yard or playground and as I lifted my eyes to see, I was shocked!! It looked like "family day" at a park...people playing basketball, inmates spending time with their families, people selling fruits and art.
We then were ushered to our friends cell...where outside was a bar-b-q pit with fajitas and steaks...we entered the cell and greeted our friends...they then asked " Would you like something to drink? ( My options were beer, brandy, or soda). I opted for the cold Mexican beer...they then lit the celebratory and welcoming first joint of the afternoon.
Fortunately, since the cells had a outside walkway with fresh air from outside, smoking was not prohibited...we ate and celebrated for an hour or so, then a group of inmates unloaded our equipment and set up our gear (all gear was intact and nothing stolen ) we played for the inmates and their families and were well received.
Months later, each band member received a plaque from the Mexican government thanking us for helping in the " rehabilitation " of their criminals! I met alleged thieves, murderers and drug dealers all whom have caused much pain and suffering, yet they treated us like kings that day.
I'm still trying to process that experience and how despite it being another gig it opened my eyes to a different side of humanity...after night had fallen, we all left free to return home and I slept like a baby...
TEXAS BY THE NUMBERS...
ROSE GOWEN BOASTED OF GADZILLION "ACTIVE" TOURISTS ON BIKE TRAILS, NOW IT'S THE TOURISM SUNSHINE GUYS
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Yup. Their public statemenst asserts that Brownsville welcomes more than 10 million visitors each year while approximately 1,000 new hotel rooms are being added.
If Brownsville received 10,000,000 visitors per year, that averages approximately:
• 27,400 visitors per day
• 191,800 visitors per week
• 833,000 visitors per month
Assuming 1,000 additional hotel rooms:
• 70 percent average occupancy
• 2 guests per occupied room
Those rooms could accommodate about 1,400 overnight guests per night, or approximately 511,000 overnight guests per year.
That is a small fraction of 10 million annual visitors.
Questions Raised
If the 10 million figure is accurate, residents may reasonably ask:
• How was the 10 million visitor figure calculated?
• How many are overnight visitors?
• How many are day visitors?
• How many are simply passing through the city?
• How many stay in hotels outside Brownsville?
• What independent methodology was used to produce the estimate?
Without those details, it is difficult to understand what the 10 million figure represents.
Economic Illustration
If 10 million visitors each spent:
• $100 each = $1.0 billion in spending
• $250 each = $2.5 billion in spending
• $500 each = $5.0 billion in spending
Those figures illustrate why understanding the underlying methodology is important when evaluating visitor estimates.
Conclusion
It's BS. Anyway, the purpose of this analysis is to request greater transparency regarding the reported visitor estimate. A breakdown of overnight visitors, day visitors, pass-through travelers, and the methodology used to calculate the figure would help the public better understand the claim.
Yup. Their public statemenst asserts that Brownsville welcomes more than 10 million visitors each year while approximately 1,000 new hotel rooms are being added.
Capacity Analysis
If Brownsville received 10,000,000 visitors per year, that averages approximately:
• 27,400 visitors per day
• 191,800 visitors per week
• 833,000 visitors per month
Assuming 1,000 additional hotel rooms:
• 70 percent average occupancy
• 2 guests per occupied room
Those rooms could accommodate about 1,400 overnight guests per night, or approximately 511,000 overnight guests per year.
That is a small fraction of 10 million annual visitors.
Questions Raised
If the 10 million figure is accurate, residents may reasonably ask:
• How was the 10 million visitor figure calculated?
• How many are overnight visitors?
• How many are day visitors?
• How many are simply passing through the city?
• How many stay in hotels outside Brownsville?
• What independent methodology was used to produce the estimate?
Without those details, it is difficult to understand what the 10 million figure represents.
Economic Illustration
If 10 million visitors each spent:
• $100 each = $1.0 billion in spending
• $250 each = $2.5 billion in spending
• $500 each = $5.0 billion in spending
Those figures illustrate why understanding the underlying methodology is important when evaluating visitor estimates.
Conclusion
It's BS. Anyway, the purpose of this analysis is to request greater transparency regarding the reported visitor estimate. A breakdown of overnight visitors, day visitors, pass-through travelers, and the methodology used to calculate the figure would help the public better understand the claim.
Sunday, August 2, 2026
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT IT'S BEEN MORE THAN THREE YEARS AGO?
Original painting by Kalista Montoya
On May 7, 2023, a driver named George Alvarez plowed an SUV into a group of people waiting at a bus stop outside the Ozanam Center in Brownsville. The crash killed 8 people — mostly Venezuelan men who were recent asylum-seekers — and critically injured 10 others.
Location: A non-marked bus stop outside the Ozanam Center (a homeless and migrant shelter) on Minnesota Road in Brownsville.
The Crash: A gray Range Rover ran a red light, lost control, flipped onto its side, and slid into a crowd of 18 people sitting or standing along the curb.
Aftermath: The driver attempted to flee on foot but was detained by witnesses at the scene until police arrived.
Charges: Charged with 8 counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, with bond set at $3.6 million.
Sentencing: Alvarez was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Investigation Findings: Prosecutors and police stated the driver lost control following a red light, though toxicology tests and his addiction history became central to the legal proceedings regarding his impairment at the time of the crash.
Incident Details
Date and Time: Sunday, May 7, 2023, at approximately 8:30 a.m.Location: A non-marked bus stop outside the Ozanam Center (a homeless and migrant shelter) on Minnesota Road in Brownsville.
The Crash: A gray Range Rover ran a red light, lost control, flipped onto its side, and slid into a crowd of 18 people sitting or standing along the curb.
Aftermath: The driver attempted to flee on foot but was detained by witnesses at the scene until police arrived.
Driver and Legal Outcome
Suspect: George Alvarez (34 years old at the time) of Brownsville.Charges: Charged with 8 counts of manslaughter and 10 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, with bond set at $3.6 million.
Sentencing: Alvarez was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
Investigation Findings: Prosecutors and police stated the driver lost control following a red light, though toxicology tests and his addiction history became central to the legal proceedings regarding his impairment at the time of the crash.
PUTTING THINGS IN CONCRETE TERMS...
Trump, please let the Mexican concrete guys come back in. I’m tired of having to go behind these white concrete boys to finish their jobs!
Melissa De Luna
Give me 5k and I’ll have Juan and Pablo back in 2 days and doing this job and call it even.
Martin Quintero
Lol get the white folks who voted for him to help out bet they happy we not taking their jobs
Saturday, August 1, 2026
WE CHOOSE TO...SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL
Fauci invoked the Fifth. Trump invoked the Fifth. Epstein invoked the Fifth.
The Fifth Amendment didn’t change. The reactions did
.
AND THIS MAKES OUR MAGA FRIENDS FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR HERO?
16 mins ago
Trump still refuses to give up the 1.8 billion slush fund. The conman spends taxpayer money like a drunken sailor. There is no end to his corruption and no end to this meaningless war.
Friday, July 31, 2026
NAVARRO TO CORTINA: "NO TODOS LOS AMERICANOS SON HOMBRES MALOS"
El Rrun-Rrun graphic. We thank Dr. Marie Theresa Hernández, PhD Professor University of Houston • World Cultures & Literatures Program Department of Modern & Classical Languages, for sending us a copy of the letter by Jose Antonio Navarro.
Navarro was born in 1795 in San Antonio de Béxar, at a time when Texas was still part of the Spanish colonial empire, and he would go on to live through Spanish rule, Mexican independence, the Texas Revolution, the Republic of Texas, and Texas statehood — witnessing and shaping nearly every major political transformation of the region in a single lifetime.
He was also one of only two native-born Texans of Mexican descent to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836, a decision that placed him at profound personal risk given his deep roots in Tejano society and his extended family connections throughout Mexico.
Cortina left Brownsville only 13 hours after his takeover September 28, 1859 at the urging of the Mexican military detachment in Matamoros – some of who were his relatives – after killing five Brownsville residents, including Peter Neale, son of Brownsville mayor William Neale, who he accused of murdering Mexicans and still walking free in the city with impunity. 
Navarro wrote Cortina that he had heard of his raid on Brownsville and told him that he understood his anger, but urged him to reconsider his quest for vengeance, counseling him that his revolution was "without object, without moral or physical force, destitute of any hope of success or glory..."
He sent his son Angel Navarro to deliver the letter to Cortina and a copy of it sent to Governor (General) Sam Houston. 
Navarro wrote that he had heard of several reasons for Cortina to have staged the takeover of the city looking for his enemies, but that one reason seemed to him to be his main drive and that it was "mainly a local disturbance, a matter of personal vengeance on his part and his followers, provoked by a few evil and malevolent (white) Americans of Brownsville, and "in my view, I have never believed that a man (like you) of good sense, noble, and obedient Mexican adopted son of this country (USA)" would launch such an enterprise.
Navarro's appeal to Cortina was soon overtaken by events that saw Houston send the Texas Rangers who were routed by Cortina and it wasn't until December 27, 1859 – two months after the September raid – that Major Samuel Heintzelman and the U.S. Army with a Texas Ranger detachment under John (RIP) Ford battled him in Rio Grande City and drove him into Mexico that the first Cortina War ended.
Navarro's life story complicates simple narratives about Texas history, showing a Tejano statesman deeply committed to Texas independence and statehood while remaining proud of his Mexican heritage throughout his entire life. His letter to Cortina shows that he considered Cortina and himself "adoptive" sons of the fledgling United States and he urged his compatriot to overlook the evil elements among the white men who were entering the country and place his hopes on the majority of Americans.
"Every once in a while there appear malevolent and avaricious speculators and imps whose thirst for the acquisition of lands that they could not acquire with their industry or good services to their country leads them to be evil persecutors of honest (Mexican) citizens who are illiterate and cannot defend their rights. Pero Señor Juan Nepomuceno, that class of evil men has noting in common with" the laws and good will of most Americans...
HOW AMERICANS FEEL ABOUT TRUMP'S "ALREADY WON" WAR IN IRAN
About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37 percent of Republicans.
The poll was conducted July 23-27, as the U.S. and Iran paused attacks following a nearly two-wek escalation in the war. During the escalation, the U.S. targeted Iranian military and commercial sites while Iran attacked U.S. military facilities in the Middle East, resulting in additional deaths of American service members. Since the war began, 18 U.S. service members have been killed, but the Trump administration has sought to revise those numbers.
Thursday, July 30, 2026
YEAH, HE'S A CROOK, BUT HE'S OUR TEXAS GOP CROOK...
How can Texas Republicans really stand for upholding the law by nominating crooked Ken Paxton?? It’s a serious question, too. They justify terrorizing the Black community and Latino community in Texas while continuing to elect criminal leadership who have little to no regard of the law. How?
BIRDS OF A FEATHER...
Dude gotta mugshot and get nominated...my family with mugshots struggle to get housing and jobs
BREATHING ROOM: DATA CENTER, QUICK LUBE, EVENT CENTER ON HOLD
By Monserrat Pagan
myRGV.com
Meanwhile, the company behind a request for a special use permit for a data center and cold storage facility in a former Walmart and the former Southwest Key facility on Padre Island Highway that was scheduled to go before the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 6 has withdrawn its request, City Manager Alan Guard confirmed Wednesday.
Still, the commission will hold two public hearings on the proposed moratorium ordinance at its Sept. 1 and Oct. 6 regular meetings.
If approved, the temporary moratorium would suspend municipal approval for the construction, expansion and operation of a “High-Intensity Data Processing Facility, Event Center, Private Game Club, Automotive Quick Lube Facility, or Self-Storage Facility,” according to the notice.
The initial moratorium “may be extended up to an additional 90 days upon a public hearing on the proposed extension and adoption of additional written findings,” the notice states.
Mayor John Cowen previously told MyRG .com that the city commission will hear a general presentation about data centers at the Aug. 4 meeting.
He also said that he would consider a moratorium, but noted it’s important to learn more.
BILINGUALISM: HOW DO YOU SLICE A PIZZA? WITH LITTLE SCISSORS....
By Juan Montoya
When I was in grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison I got to know a few movimiento people who had been active in La Raza Unida, the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Atzlan (MEChA), among others.
One of the most interesting was Mario Compean from Las Wilmas (San Antonio), who, for those of us old enough to remember, was the last Raza Unida candidate for governor of Texas.
Mario was working on his PhD in Educational Administration at the UW and acted as a sort of mentor to younger undergrads through the university's Chicano Advocate's office.
When I was in grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison I got to know a few movimiento people who had been active in La Raza Unida, the Mexican American Youth Organization (MAYO) and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Atzlan (MEChA), among others.
One of the most interesting was Mario Compean from Las Wilmas (San Antonio), who, for those of us old enough to remember, was the last Raza Unida candidate for governor of Texas.
Mario was working on his PhD in Educational Administration at the UW and acted as a sort of mentor to younger undergrads through the university's Chicano Advocate's office.
Now, Wisconsin, being a beer-manufacturing state (the beer that made Milwaukee famous, among others), lent itself to the consumption of its products. The Rathskeller started serving beer at 11 a.m.
In the evenings, after classes concluded and a bunch of us gathered to shoot the breeze over a mug of Old Style beer, the tales would start flowing.
What follows is one of the better offerings by Compean.
It seems that when La Raza activists would go to the outlying rural communities in Central Texas around Uvalde, Crystal City, etc., a part of the organizing would include the proper manner to conduct a meeting under Robert's Rules of Order. This, of course, would set off a round of protest from independent-minded adult migrant workers.
"Y quien es ese Robert?" (who is this Robert?) they would ask the chair when he called them to order and gave someone the floor. "Porque manda el?" (Why is he in charge?)
"Y quien es ese Robert?" (who is this Robert?) they would ask the chair when he called them to order and gave someone the floor. "Porque manda el?" (Why is he in charge?)
After a couple of these meetings, people generally caught on and by then the organizers were ready for most questions. That is, until they got to a meeting at a small town held in a rural church hall.
"La raza was getting into the meeting and following the rules of order until an old man stood up bien enojado (angry) and demanded to know why we wanted to sacar el mocho (someone without an arm or leg)," Compean would say.
"Yo nomas quiero saber porque quieren sacar al mochito," the old man said. "Oigo que saquen el mocho y que saquen el mocho. Que les hizo el mochito pa que lo quieran sacar?"
It took a while for the organizers to understand the man's protest, but when they did, they burst out laughing, much to the man's displeasure.
"No, señor, they're saying that they second the motion, no que saquen el mocho!"
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
SO DONALD TRUMP AND ERIC TRUMP ARE GUILTY AS HELL THEN, JOSEY??
"You don't plead the 5th if you haven't done anything wrong..." Josey Wales, The Babylon Bee
TRUMP PLEADS THE 5TH 440 TIMES, AND ERIC TRUMP MORE THAN 500 TIMES
Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 400 times (specifically reported as over 440 times) during a single civil deposition.
Deposition Details
Date: August 10, 2022
Location: New York, New York (New York Attorney General’s office)
Context: A civil business fraud investigation led by Attorney General Letitia James into the Trump Organization's financial practices.
Outcome: Aside from stating his name, Trump declined to answer substantive questions for the duration of the four-hour hearing
Deposition Details
Date: August 10, 2022
Location: New York, New York (New York Attorney General’s office)
Context: A civil business fraud investigation led by Attorney General Letitia James into the Trump Organization's financial practices.
Outcome: Aside from stating his name, Trump declined to answer substantive questions for the duration of the four-hour hearing
WHAT SAY YOU, SANE REPUBLICANS? IF THERE ARE ANY LEFT...
Chris Perez: The back of the shirt says “No Matter What"
GUS AND PEDRO JOIN DATA CENTER BATTLE: DISTRACT FROM ASPHALT-MILLINGS GATE; BUT STATE BEAT THEM TO THE DRAW
By Juan Montoya
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
A proposal for a data center in Brownsville and the particulars about its electric and water use have not even been discussed and we already have at least two city commissioners who say they have already made up their mind that they are against the construction of one here.
City of Brownsville commissioner Pedro Cardenas has spoken out against it and assures us that his appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commissioner (independently, or does she do what she is told?) has reached the same conclusion.
It didn't take long for fellow commissioner Gus de Leon – eager to distract residents from the asphalt-millingsGate scandal involving city materials, labor, and machinery to make road improvement on his private property right before he leased it to the Department of Homeland Security and who sleeps and wakes up with honor and integrity intact – to pipe in vowing to fight the idea and to wage holy war against it.
This two-headed Hydra tag team is now – even before we know anything about the planned data center construction – waging a jihad against them.
"Although a data center proposal has not yet been presented to the City Commission, we understand that it is expected to go before the Planning and Zoning Commission," Cardenas wrote in his FB social page."I have already spoken with my Planning and Zoning appointee, and I am glad that she shares my position. At this time, we are against the proposed data center."
But, hold the presses, haven't these gents kept up with what the State of Texas and its local representatives in the legislature – D-27 Senator Adam Hinojosa and State Rep. D-38 Erin Gamez, Brownsville – have been doing up in Austin which effectively makes their courageous stand a self-serving side show?
Cardenas states that these are his concerns:
"Brownsville and South Texas have faced drought and water supply concerns for several years," he wrote. "Data centers can require significant amounts of water and electricity, and I do not believe our community currently has the infrastructure necessary to support a project of this size without placing additional pressure on our residents, utilities, and essential services....Until we have the water supply, electrical capacity, infrastructure, and clear answers needed to protect our residents, my position is a firm NO."
[Hey, Pedro, SpaceX had no running water (and 13 launches later still doesn't) and they buy it from the Brownsville Public Utility Board (PUB). Would you have been against SpaceX coming because of their supposed impact on local water supplies?]
And just FYI, this center is not the only one which has approached the city. Management can point to at least two others interested in coming here to do biz.
Your opposition sounds nice, but this is what's going in Austin.
According to the Austin Statesman, the state has already directed the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to require data center proponents to take concrete steps to protect residential ratepayers from the costs of data center expansion.
Both entities are under orders to make sure that residential ratepayers across the state will not foot the bill for this industry’s growth. These actions keep electric bills affordable and protect the water these communities need. And unless they comply, no permits for the centers will be issued. Zilch.
These requirements are in place right now across Texas, so rising in courageous opposition in Brownsville matters very little. Already, several data centers have withdrawn their plans to build such centers in several cities across the state because they didn't meet the PUCT and ERCOT directives. Once they comply, the show is on.
The two commissioners' heroics aside, these key actions have already been taken and underway by the PUCT and ERCOT and include:
*Requiring data centers to not only pay for transmission infrastructure built to serve them but contribute toward meaningfully reducing residential electric bills.
*Adopting rules to prevent large data centers from diverting existing power away from the ERCOT grid and ensuring power is prioritized for Texas families and communities.
*Begun sweeping changes to how data centers pay for the infrastructure needed to serve them, ensuring data centers do not shift those costs onto everyday Texans or place unnecessary strain on our state's resources.
*Implemented a new interconnection screening process to prevent data centers from overburdening the grid.
The PUCT and ERCOT also recommended the following legislative changes for the upcoming legislative session:
*Expand the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act to cover large data centers so foreign actors cannot use them to threaten the Texas grid.
*Clarify the PUC's and ERCOT's authority to establish additional reliability requirements that data centers must comply with.
*Require data centers to register with the PUCT and ERCOT so the state has accurate information about their water and electricity operations.
And before we start following knee-jerk politicians, just what is a data center and why would we need one here?
A data center is a facility that houses the computing infrastructure needed to store, process, and distribute digital information. Think of it as the “engine room” of the internet and many business applications. Do you use a cell phone, PC, Internet, or surf the social pages? You are already using a data center somewhere.
Its main purposes include: Storing data: Keeps databases, files, backups, photos, videos, and other digital information securely. It is also used for running applications: Hosts websites, business software, streaming platforms, AI models, and cloud services. Do you want SpaceX and Saronic to continue providing well-paid jobs and to attract other high-tech companies to provide jobs to local residents?
Processing information: Performs computations for tasks like financial transactions, analytics, machine learning, and scientific research.
Providing network connectivity: Connects users, devices, and services over high-speed networks.
Ensuring reliability: Uses redundant power, cooling, networking, and hardware so services stay online even if components fail.
Protecting data: Includes physical security, cybersecurity measures, fire suppression, and environmental controls.
What’s inside a data center?
Simple analogy:
Imagine a city library: Books = Data
Librarians = Servers that find and process information
Shelves = Storage systems
Hallways = Network connections
Electricity and air conditioning = Power and cooling systems
Just as a library organizes and provides access to information, a data center organizes, stores, processes, and delivers digital information to users around the world. Sure we don't want to be connected with all the protections in place?
Its main purposes include: Storing data: Keeps databases, files, backups, photos, videos, and other digital information securely. It is also used for running applications: Hosts websites, business software, streaming platforms, AI models, and cloud services. Do you want SpaceX and Saronic to continue providing well-paid jobs and to attract other high-tech companies to provide jobs to local residents?
Processing information: Performs computations for tasks like financial transactions, analytics, machine learning, and scientific research.
Providing network connectivity: Connects users, devices, and services over high-speed networks.
Ensuring reliability: Uses redundant power, cooling, networking, and hardware so services stay online even if components fail.
Protecting data: Includes physical security, cybersecurity measures, fire suppression, and environmental controls.
What’s inside a data center?
Simple analogy:
Imagine a city library: Books = Data
Librarians = Servers that find and process information
Shelves = Storage systems
Hallways = Network connections
Electricity and air conditioning = Power and cooling systems
Just as a library organizes and provides access to information, a data center organizes, stores, processes, and delivers digital information to users around the world. Sure we don't want to be connected with all the protections in place?
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