WHEN HE DIES, WAIT FOR THREE DAYS JUST TO MAKE SURE...

 

Below: Famed Chicago hot dog stand "The Wiener’s Circle" is making its voice heard amid the Trump–Pope Leo feud

EX SBEDC CEO RIOS DEPO REVEALS SERIOUS PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

San Benito, Texas – As questions continue to grow surrounding a $3.4 million lien that appears to have never been formally approved, sworn testimony has revealed a deeper issue inside the San Benito Economic Development Corporation, one centered not on a a single decision, but on the flawed process followed to make those decisions in the first place.  

In deposition testimony, former EDC board president Julia Rios acknowledged that despite clear requirements for city-level approval on contracts and amendments, actions were often taken without internal administrative direction rather than the strict compliance with governance rules.

Rios admitted that, during his time in leadership, he relied on guidance provided by Jose Morales, husband of commissioner Deborah Morales when executing official actions. That reliance, even in situations where governing documents required formal approval beyond the board, in now raising serious concerns about whether proper procedures were consistently followed.

The structure of the EDC exists to ensure accountability. The board is expected to act collectively, major decisions are to be documented, and oversight mechanisms are in place to protect public assets. But testimony now suggests that those safeguards safeguards may not have been applied ass intended.

Of particular concern, Rios confirmed that amendments to major agreements were executed without documented city approval, despite language requiring it. When questioned, he described those actions as part of of what he understood to be normal operational practice at the time, pointing to internal direction rather than formal authorization.

That distinction is critical because when formal procedures are replaced with informal practices, the system designed to protect public funds tends to break down.

The result is what is now unfolding: A multimillion dollar financial obligation tied to public property, with no clear record of board approval and no documented vote reflecting authorization.

Rios further testified that he di not recall consulting legal counsel on key decisions and repeatedly pointed back to SBEDC meeting minutes rather than confirming whether proper approvals were ever formally obtained. In multiple instances, he was unable to verify that significant actions were taken in accordance with required procedures.

Taken together, the testimony presents a picture of an organization operating with blurred lines of authority, where decisions were influenced by internal direction rather than consistently anchored in formal governance  requirements. Rios testimony shows indicated that this was not simply about one document. 

Rather, it was about the system that allowed it to exist. In this case, his testimony shows that  governance is not defined by intent, but rather by process. And when that process was not followed, accountability became unavoidable. What is now coming into focus is not just a financial question, but a structural one. 

The question emerges: How dis a system designed to require oversight allow a decision of this magnitude to move forward without clear city commission approval? And how many other decisions followed the same path? 

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THINGS ARE DIFFERENT, YET REMAIN THE SAME...

GARZA RUNNING ON LEGACY OF PERSERVERANCE, HARD WORK TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY TO GAIN 107TH DISTRICT COURT

By Noe Garza Jr.

Runoff Candidate, 107th District Court

This past Saturday, I was presented with something I will never forget.

It is a book about my life—written, designed, and published by three of my strongest supporters: Nereida Arredondo, Aracely Rodríguez, and Napoleón Rodríguez.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. This is a gift I never expected, and one I will always value.
The book is titled Un Corazón Sin Fronteras — A Heart Without Borders… El Legado-The Legacy.

The cover is powerful. It shows a young boy looking toward the man he would become—and a man looking back at the child he once was. Both are me.

That child came from humble beginnings in El Tahuachal, Matamoros. Born without medical care, nearly lost at birth, and a survivor of Hurricane Beulah. 

Through faith, perseverance, and opportunity, that journey led to a career of 39 years as a lawyer—and now, a candidate for the 107th District Court.

This gift is more than a book. It is a reminder of the trust and belief others have placed in me.

I am grateful to be the leading candidate—but this election comes down to turnout. I need your vote.

Early voting: May 18–22

Election Day: May 26

ON THE ROAD NORTH, FREDDY HIGH AGAIN ON HIS H20 PIPA

(After months of scraping and preparation, workers have finally repainted the San Benito water tower along the expressway with the portrait of Freddy Fender (AKA Baldemar Huerta) that had been removed during the repairs. This was sent from one of our seven readers who drove by on the way to the VA Clinic in Harlingen.) 

 

REMEMBERING RUDY ACUNA AND HIS OCCUPIED AMERICA: J.T. CANALES; "CORTINA WAS OUR PREDECESSOR IN FIGHTING FOR OUR PEOPLE AND AGAINST RACE DISCRIMINATION."

Original El Rrun-Rrun Graphic

(The first time I heard of Juan N. Cortina taking over Brownsville was during an American Culture class at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor in 1975. I wasn't taught of him in elementary, middle school or high school at the Brownsville Independent School District or Texas Southmost college before I transferred there. The book was "Occupied America" and I had the chance to talk some of it over with Acuña when he attended UM on a research-teaching fellowship. Soft-spoken and unassuming, Acuña echoed Brownsville's J.T. Canales in his letter to a fellow Chicano activist, Alonso Perales. Research into this aspect of Texas history is now underway and perhaps local Mexicano kids will be able to learn of these ancestors who fought for the respect of their civil rights. Acuña passed this past March 23. RIP.)

By Juan Montoya

Despite the demonization of Juan Nepomuceno "Cheno" Cortina – who took over Brownsville in September 1859 to protest Anglo abuses of Mexicans – the leading Hispanic voices of Texas saw him as the first man to challenge the new established order's mistreatment of their fellow American citizens in South Texas and the denial of their civil rights.

Canales, who served  in the Texas House of Representatives from 1905 to 1910 and from 1917 to 1920  in the Texas House of Representatives, also worked in irrigation law, education, and judicial and tax reform.

He also led the fight in the legislature to reform the Texas Rangers and called attention to their abuse of the rights of Mexican-Americans in the state.

From 1912 to 1914 Canales served as county superintendent of public schools in Cameron County where he stressed the use of the English language, United States patriotism, and rural education. In fact, Canales, a graduate of the University of Michigan, had an elementary school named after him by the Brownsville Independent School District. 

(At the opening of the school in 1949 he talked to students. Notice the barrio children's bare feet.) 

In 1914 he was elected Cameron County judge before returning to Austin as state representative. He, along with San Antonio-based attorney Alonso Perales – who was also  author of "En Defensa de La Raza" and U.S. diplomat –  were among a group of Hispanic leaders in Texas who founded the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Canales wrote most of its constitution and its members elected him president from 1932 to 1933.

So it was surprising when Dr. Marie Theresa Hernandez, professor at the University of Houston and an author and professor in UH's World Cultures and Literatures Department discovered correspondence between Canales and Perales who viewed Cortina not as Anglo authors painted him as a thief or bandit and the "Rogue of the Rio Grande," but rather as a "predecessor" of Hispanics who defended  Mexican-American civil rights.

In a letter uncovered by Dr. Hernandez dated February 18, 1950 written by Canales to Perales, Canales tells Perales that he had sent copies of a thesis written by his son-in-law Charles W.  Goldfinch for his Master's degree at the University of Chicago in 1949. The only difference between Cortina and them, he said, was in method rather than in purpose 

"I was happy to receive your letter February 14 and also note the high opinion you have of (Goldfinch's thesis) on General Cortina," Canales wrote. "You are right. Cortina was our predecessor in fighting for our people and against race discrimination. He used a different method to accomplish this from the one you and I have been using...

"He used force because that was the only means he had at the time," Canales wrote Perales. "We have used education and an appeal to reason, but it is the same fight and we are merely carrying on what he began in 1859."

Canales then goes on to suggest that Goldfinch's thesis be translated into Spanish, but defends its publication in English saying that:

"Since the fight we have is against the prejudice of the Anglo-American, who speak only their own language, it was more important to write it in English."

Canales then tells Perales that he had sent copies of Goldfinch's thesis to "Texas" historians and that their response to it had been "splendid."

J. Frank Dobie, an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for his many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open range who had written "A Vaquero of the Brush Country," among other books, responded to the thesis that Cortina had been maligned by Texas historians based on deep-seated prejudices and bias by writing Canales that: 

 "Dear Don Jose, mi amigo estimado: The older I grow the more difficult the comprehension of truth appears to me. I am sure that if I was rewriting the (book) I should revise some things said about (Cortina)."

Likewise, Dr. W.P. Webb, who wrote what is considered the authoritative book "The Texas Rangers," considered the bible on the subject, said he would have reconsidered Cortina's treatment in it if he had had access to Goldfinch's sources.

"It is too bad that I did not also have access to the other side of the story (meaning when he wrote The Texas Rangers). I think it is very fortunate that this has been done by one who has access to Cortina's side of the tale."

Canales said Webb was not considering a revision of his book, but "If it is, I shall take into account the new evidence on Cortina." Canales said that he had run into Webb who told him there was a new book on Texas history being considered, and "if he has anything to do, he would revise the chapter on Cortina."

He then lists other recipients of the Goldfinch thesis ranging from college presidents and historical scholars to justices of the Texas Supreme Court who all sent complimentary letters after reading it.

"The only way to destroy falsehood is with the true facts presented in a logical manner and documented by historians. This is why I believe that (this thesis) will have the effect to change public opinion among our Anglo-Saxon fellow citizens."

In closing, Canales tells Perales that: "I was very happy to receive your letter and as you have been my loyal collaborator in my effort to clean Texas history from its lies and in vindicating the rights of our Latin American fellow citizens in Texas.

"I am writing you this long letter to you showing what results have been received thus far from (the thesis)."

COUNTY TAX OFFICE HELPING APPLY FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS

CONGRATS TO TEXAS BEST CONJUNTO ORGANIZERS FOR A GREAT SHOW!!

EVEN GALILEO RECANTED IN THE FACE OF STUPIDITY...

 

WE BROUGHT TSC BACK FROM THE BRINK. ANOTHER 100 YEARS, AND BEYOND...

 

TOMORROW, TOMORROW, NOS WACHAMOS, TOMORROW

 

HERE WE GO AGAIN...USING PORT LOGO IS A NO-NO, MARTHA

 

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Good afternoon BND Candidates,

It has come to our attention that certain campaign materials may be utilizing the District’s official Port logo.

Please be reminded that the District does not allow or encourage the use of its official logo in any campaign-related or political advertising materials. We respectfully ask that all candidates review their current and future campaign materials to ensure compliance with this guidance.

For additional information regarding political advertising requirements, please refer to the Texas Ethics Commission’s resources at the link below:

Political Advertising

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Thanks, Regards,
Margie S. Recio /Director of Administrative Service.

P.S. For the uninitiated, being a candidate means that the scrutiny is higher, not lower. In the photo above, Martha Davila – one of three candidates for the Brownsville Navigation District's Place 4 – is using the port's logo to advance her candidacy. Not good, Martha. She has also filmed herself inside the Port of Brownsville's executive building facing the port's main gate. Another no-no.

In the case of the race that Davila is in, the other two candidates – Luis Villarreal and Prisci Roca-Tipton – are also prohibited from using public property and assets for political campaigning. Or the use of the port's logo. They have so far avoided filming in the port's buildings or using the logo fpr their promotions. 

Some folks, apparently, take a bit longer to get it.

PRISCI SLAMS ANTI- MUSLIM SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST GONNELLA, A CATHOLIC

RAISING THE STANDARD FOR OUR COMMUNITY

By Prisci Roca Tipton

What we are seeing in this race is disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising.

The smear campaign against Mr. Shariff Gonnella is reprehensible. I’ve had the opportunity to get to know Shariff, and while we are running in different races, I respect his experience, his professionalism, and the way he engages with voters. He has been open, direct, and willing to answer tough questions, and that is what leadership should look like.

Campaigns should be about ideas, experience, and who is best prepared to serve our community. 

They should not be tied to anonymous pages pushing misleading claims or benefiting from the spread of false information. No candidate claiming to stand on high moral ground should be associated with or advertising on pages like this.

I want to be clear. I do not support smear tactics, and I believe our community deserves better than campaigns that rely on them.

Voters deserve facts, not confusion. They deserve transparency, not misinformation.

We all have a responsibility to elevate the level of conversation in this community, and I will continue to stand for that.

I invite you to take a moment to visit Shariff Gonnella for Brownsville Port Commissioner Place 2 @ shariffgonnella.com.

At your service.

FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU. FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME...

WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!

VILLARREAL MAILER ELIMINATING PORT TAXES CAUSING WAVES

"Back in 1936, the Port of Brownsville was built with a promise to the people – that once it became self-sufficient the tax would go away.

Here we are nearly 90 years later. The port is thriving, growing, and succeeding. But families are still paying that tax. 

I believe that a promise made should be kept. This isn't about politics. It's about fairness, accountability and keeping our word to the people. Let's honor that promise – together." 

CHAVEZ SUSPENDED; LA JOYA'S ALDA BENAVIDES APPOINTED NEW BISD SUPERINTENDENT EARLY TODAY

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

 In a marathon meeting lasting until the we hours of the morning today, a majority (5-2) of the board of the Brownsville Independent School District voted to replace Dr. Jesus Chavez with Dr. Alda Benavides, formerly of La Joya, Texas.

The board had previously approved Chavez's retirement effective June 30, but an agenda item titled XII.E.1. Discussion and consideration regarding the Superintendent’s contract, including placing the Superintendent on administrative leave, suspension, or termination of contract was placed on Tuesday's agenda. Discussion and consideration on naming an Interim Superintendent. (Board Agenda Request Carlos Elizondo/Board Support Minerva Pena.

Those voting to suspend Chavez were Elizondo, Peña, Denise Garza, Frank Ortiz, and Neida Ruth Grantland. Those voting against were Daniel Lopez Valdez, and Jessica Gonzalez. 

Benavides graduated from La Joya High School in 1971 and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Pan American University.

After seven years with the McAllen Independent School District and a stint at the Region One Education Service Center, she returned to La Joya as a counselor. Benavides earned several promotions before taking the top job in September 2006. She abruptly "retired" from the top job with the La Joya BISD in February 2019. 

THEY DON'T WANT TO BE REMINDED OF THIS (CRITICAL RACE THEORY)

"THE PROBLEM WE ALL LIVE WITH": NORMAN ROCKWELL

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

In November 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges became one of the first Black children to integrate an all-white public school in the American South, attending William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Her enrollment came after federal court orders to desegregate schools following the Supreme Court’s 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Each day, Bridges was escorted to school by U.S. federal marshals as large crowds of white segregationists gathered outside, shouting threats and insults.

Some protesters carried disturbing props, including a small coffin with a Black doll inside, meant to intimidate and terrorize the child. 

Despite this, Bridges continued attending school, often as the only student in her class, taught by teacher Barbara Henry, who agreed to instruct her when others refused.

Her experience became a defining image of the Civil Rights Movement and later inspired works like Norman Rockwell’s 1964 painting “The Problem We All Live With,” which depicted her walk into school under federal protection.

WHAT ABOUT YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? DAVILA FILMED CAMPAIGN AD INSIDE PORT'S EXECUTIVE BLDG.

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Under Texas Election Code § 255.003, a person (including a candidate or officeholder) may not use public funds or public resources for political advertising. All candidates are absolutely covered by this law.

For the uninitiated, being a candidate means that the content of the ad is clearly political advertising. If so, then that scrutiny is higher, not lower. In the ad above, Martha Davila – one of three candidates for the Brownsville Navigation District's Place 4 – is filmed inside the Port of Brownsville's executive building facing the port's main gate. 

So if any candidate films inside a public building, in most cases it is not allowed. This includes filming a campaign ad in city hall, county buildings, port buildings, district buildings, government offices, lobbies, or meeting rooms even if the candidate is not currently an officeholder, no money is exchanged, it's “just a background shot.”  It can still be considered use of a public resource for political advertising.

In the case of the race that Davila is in, the other two candidates – Luis Villarreal and Prisci Roca-Tipton – are also prohibited from using public property and assets for political campaigning. They have so far avoided filming in the port's buildings in their ads.

The key legal logic applies since the issue is not who you are (candidate vs. private citizen), but rather: "Did you use government property or resources to support a campaign? To state it more simply: A public building = government resource; a campaign video = political advertising. That combination is what creates the violation.

Walking through a public building while being filmed incidentally may be a gray area, but  staging or intentionally filming a campaign ad inside is a problem. You simply cannot use it as a campaign asset, even if  they got permission and a public official says: “You can film here.”
They cannot authorize use of public resources for political ads.

The bottom line is that a candidate filming a political ad inside a public building is still likely a violation of Texas law, because it constitutes using public resources for political advertising – regardless of their status as a candidate

Got it?

ONLY 3 MORE DAYS TO TEXAS BEST CONJUNTO IN HARLINGEN

 

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS CANCELS APRIL 12 LAGUNA VISTA CANDIDATES' FORUM AFTER BIAS CONCERNS ARE RAISED

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

Breaking News: League of Woman Voters  cancels candidate forum in Laguna Vista.

They haven't said why, but at  this point, what's going on in this bay city doesn’t feel like an isolated incident anymore, but part of a pattern of something that has been going on for a while. It may help explain the constant online harassment, the bullying, and the half-truths and narratives meant to stir things up instead of actually being useful to the undecided voter.

And – according to some sources – when you look a little closer, resident Natalie Ruiz seems to be right at the center of it. Her close friend, Jeannie Canter, tried to position herself as just an objective member of the women’s forum, but given their close relationship, that’s hard to take at face value.

Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Darla Jones has stayed in the background, circumspect, almost as if she deliberately tried to keep herself removed from it all, even though it is common knowledge that she clearly was an active party and went along with it.

It honestly comes across like this was all coordinated to make their slate look like stronger, when in reality they appear to be reliant on the online negativity and tactics devoid of substance.

The page in question is built around anonymous posts, constant negativity, and repeated attacks, all targeting certain candidates while presenting itself as some kind of impartial information source. That alone, residents say, should raise eyebrows about how this campaign has been handled from those quarters..

Now that same pattern appeared to be spilling into what was promoted as a “candidate forum.” It was supposed to be neutral, but the people behind it have already made their support for certain candidates pretty clear. That prompted the League of Women Voters to step in to clear any suspicion of non impartiality. 

The League has stepped in and canceled the April 12 "until we can unsure that all league policies and guidelines are fully followed." That’s not something that happens for no reason.

At a certain point, people start connecting the dots. When something is presented as neutral but clearly isn’t, it raises real questions about transparency, fairness, and how this whole campaign is being run. It can only be deduced that some of the candidates have relied on skullduggery behind the scenes because they didn’t have a campaign of substance or an actual platform to run, and now it’s evident.

THE STATE OF BROWNTOWN?: THE UNHEALTHIEST CITY IN AMERICA

By Dina Arevalo
WalletHub

It’s an unbelievable distinction.

The unhealthiest city in America. But it’s a distinction that was recently bestowed upon Brownsville, the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley.

Out of 182 large cities across the United States, the city "on the border by the sea" came in dead last in a new ranking of the Healthiest and Unhealthiest Cities in America by personal finance website WalletHub. 

And it wasn’t the only South Texas city orbiting the bottom. Of the 16 major Texas metropolitan statistical areas that made WalletHub’s list, only four cracked the top half on the "healthiest" side of the ranking. The remaining 12 were ranked firmly on the "unhealthiest" side of the coin, including Corpus Christi and Laredo, which joined Brownsville in the bottom 10.

"Where people live can have a big influence on how successful they are at staying in good health," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said. "So, the best cities are the ones that provide the greatest access to high-quality healthcare, green spaces, recreation spaces, and healthy food."

To create the ranking, WalletHub culled data from multiple sources in order to assign weighted scores across four major metrics, which the site refers to as "key dimensions" — Health Care, Food, Fitness and Green Space. The site then compared 150 of the most populated American cities, including at least two of the most populated cities in each of the 50 states in order to take into account states with smaller populations.

"The analysis considers everything from the cost of a medical visit to fruit and vegetable consumption and the percentage of adults who are physically active," WalletHub officials said.

Brownsville ranked the worst of any city in terms of fitness, and second-to-last in terms of health care and food. And at No. 172, the city of nearly 195,000 residents also has among the worst access to green spaces, which may have contributed to its ranking within the bottom five when it comes to the percentage of physically active adults.

But other cities in deep South Texas didn’t fare much better. 

For instance, Laredo ranked last for access to mental health counselors, with nine times fewer per capita than Worcester, Massachusetts; Missoula, Montana; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Richmond, Virginia and Manchester, New Hampshire, which all tied for first for counselor availability. The Webb County border city also ranked second-to-last when it came to the number of healthy restaurants per capita.

Meanwhile, of the four cities that made it to the top half of the overall ranking, Austin came in first in a five-way tie for the city with the best access to dieticians and nutritionists per capita. And Plano — an affluent suburb of Dallas — ranked third-best when it comes to its premature death rate.

Here’s how every Texas city ranked overall: Austin (9), Plano (63), Houston (70), Dallas (83), San Antonio (101), Fort Worth (116), Lubbock (130), Garland (133), El Paso (136), Arlington (145), Irving (147), Grand Prairie (154), Amarillo (162), Corpus Christii (175), Laredo (180) and Brownsville (182).

McAllen, the second-largest city in the Valley, which was named the second-fattest city in the nation, was not listed in WalletHub’s ranking of healthiest and unhealthiest cities.

(Dina Arévalo has been a journalist in the Rio Grande Valley since 2004 and is a graduate from Baylor University. She was previously with The Monitor in McAllen covering Hidalgo County governments and KRGV as a weekend technical director and associate producer.)

IF EVER ANYONE HAS BETRAYED U.S., IT HAS BEEN TRUMP

 

GONNELLA "MUSLIM SLURS, CARTEL TIES AGAINST ME ARE BLATANT LIES. IS THIS THE KIND OF COMMUNITY WE WANT TO BE?"

(Ed.'s Note: With port elections coming up less than a month away (May 2), opponents of Place 2 candidate Shariff Gonnella have started posting false accusations against him calling him a "Venezuelan-born Muslim" and alleging that he exported stolen fuel out of the Port of Brownsville for the past 8 years for the drug cartels. Curiously, they echo statements – although these were documented – made against outgoing chairman Steve Guerra, in a runoff for Cameron County Judge. In his answer below, Gonnella counters the allegations that appeared in the anonymous Brownsville and Valley News – and online publication that appears before elections to slur their political opponents. The two other candidates are Alex Najera and David Garcia. Neither has claimed responsibility nor publicly denounced the scurrilous attacks. Gonnella slams his shadowy accusers below.) 

By Shariff Gonnella

I’ve worked across the world in logistics and infrastructure, in environments where facts matter and integrity matters. I have dealt with complex challenges, high-stakes operations, and real responsibility. But I have never seen anything like this kind of politics.

Blatant lies. Fabricated accusations. A complete disregard for the truth.

So I have to ask, what does that say about the people behind these attacks?

What does it say about the candidates they are trying to promote?

Maybe they are afraid of what I bring. Maybe we are challenging interests that are used to control outcomes. Or maybe they still believe that misleading people is a way to win.

But here is what I know. Attacks like this are not aimed at someone irrelevant. 

They are aimed at someone who is connecting with people, gaining momentum, and offering something different. That tells me we are doing something right.

I am not backing down from this. I am addressing it head-on. Because this moment shows the difference between a campaign built on hard work, experience, and real conversations and one built on misinformation and distraction.

Let me be clear.

I was born in Venezuela, raised in the United States, and I am proud to call this country my home. I am a man of faith, a Catholic, and I believe in living with integrity. 

Most importantly, I have lived my life in a way that my children will never see their father compromise his values or step outside the law.

If you want to know who I really am, do not listen to anonymous pages. Look at my work. Look at my experience leading global operations, building infrastructure, and connecting markets around the world.

Go to ShariffGonnella.com. See it for yourself.

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.

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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/