reflect on same-sex relationships

“We work a lot with intelligence and information received. We have a communication center here. We receive a lot of calls from individuals saying, hey, my neighbor that's present here illegally, or my ex-wife, you know.”

In honor of Pride, I can’t recommend Secret City, by James Kirchick, highly enough. The book chronicles American history through the lens of gay Washington from the 1930s to 1990s. If you ever wondered whether Reagan was controlled by a “homosexual ring”, this is the summer read for you.

Texas had a heckuva 2025: - Allowed apartments in commercial zones - Legalized modest starter homes in new subdivisions - Adopted single-stair up to 6 floors in the state bldg code - Ended arbitrary roommate caps in college towns Amazing work by @texansforhousing.bsky.social & coalition!

Texas is having a YIMBY moment! "Both [legislative] chambers have approved bills to make it harder for property owners to stop new homes from being built near them and encourage cities to allow the construction of smaller apartments." www.texastribune.org/2025/05/27/t...

I respect the heck out of @mcbride.house.gov. This was a great interview. "We have to create space for some imperfect allies... That conversation needs to continue with people, but we can’t dismiss them as bigots or remove them from our coalition..." www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/arc...

Sen. King (I-ME) and Sen. Cassidy (R-LA) made plans to shore up Social Security by investing funds in equities. Unfortunately, they couldn’t bridge the partisan divide. But Trump kind of revived the idea with his talk about a sovereign wealth fund. www.asppa-net.org/news/2023/5/...

imagine being accidentally added to a second, slightly smaller group chat where they're talking about how to handle this scandal

I’m obsessed with the midrises in Condesa, CDMX.

Warning: Fascists believe a very wide array of First Amendment activity is “anti-American.” This will not stop here.

They’re smaller than a Volkswagen Beetle and powered by a motorcycle engine. But truck drivers prefer them over big American pickups and are fighting to keep them on the road.

Also experimenting with innovative new “Strobe Tariffs” which will apply only to imports received in odd-numbered minutes after the hour.

NEW proposal from @leedrutman.bsky.social and Georgetown's Michael A. Bailey: If Democrats are doomed to lose Senate races in red states anyway—b/c the party's brand there is so radioactive—they should consider stepping aside in those states to let a new anti-MAGA party field candidates.

Strongest result since when? apnews.com/article/germ...

The public comment period for changing passports to misgender trans people is open. Please take a moment to let them know that you do not support that change.

he is so swagless he has somehow achieved negative drip. this image is like a vortex, i can feel the swag being drained from my own body as i view this

Whomp whomp. The “left conservative” party that took its social cues from the far-right and economics from the far-left flopped.

Expectations of a far-right surge among young Germans didn’t materialize.

Occasionally, Enriching Our Worship comes out swinging.

The tech press is doing great work. And this piece from @lopatto.bsky.social might be the best I’ve read this week. Comparing DOGE to the Cultural Revolution and “anti-woke” to purges of all things “bourgeois” is insightful. www.theverge.com/elon-musk/61...

A tax on heavy truck mileage would: - Shore up the Highway Trust Fund - Reduce traffic, air pollution, and wear on roads - Induce investment in rail All without raising the gas tax or imposing new fees on drivers. www.cato.org/regulation/w...

Stoops will bring us together. 🎶 But seriously, stoops and porches build community and knit neighborhoods together. They should be standard on new homes. youtu.be/EVjiz80WStE?...

2 hours spent walking around downtown Dallas, and I snapped this photo of 211 N Ervay. This turquoise tower is one of my favorites.

Wack.

Can we stop referring to Trump as Hitler? He’s more of a Kmart Mussolini.

FBI Uncovers Al-Qaeda Plot To Just Sit Back And Enjoy Collapse Of United States

Fantastic from @taras-grescoe.com on Swiss public transport. He also mentions neighboring Austria’s €3 per day “climate ticket” that covers public transit nationwide. This was a key part of the Conservative-Green coalition agreement. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

I’m a fan of @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social proposal for a constitutional amendment that would subject presidential pardons to Senate advice and consent.

Democrats should say we'd rather default than fund this.

The past week

The Church of the Transfiguration was the first Episcopal parish I visited when I moved home from college. I’m grateful for their welcome and faithful witness.

What might have passed if Democrats had focused on deliverables instead of continually pushing the Overton window to the left over the past decade? Let’s take a look at (flawed) Republican-introduced bills that Democrats rebuffed on immigration, LGBT rights, clean energy, and child poverty.

“But [Biden] never seemed to have a clear sense of which of these goals were most important, and what should win out when they conflicted with each other.” Damn, this is good from @dylanmatt.bsky.social on the president who couldn’t choose. www.vox.com/politics/394...

Maybe he was afraid it would burn? nypost.com/2025/01/20/u...

I admire @jfallows.bsky.social and his sense of optimism. He (and his equally talented wife and co-author, Deb) brought clear eyes to America’s favorite punching bag - our small towns. And now, James does so again with his piece in Wired on the California Dream. www.wired.com/story/califo...

“What If America had proportional representation?” is one of my favorite political games to play. Not mentioned in this article, but I’m skeptical that party-list voting could work in America. We seem to like picking individuals, not parties. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

The Texas Legislature is back in session. Instead of whatever messaging bills to please the base, Texas Republicans should pass smart center-right bills that focus relentlessly on economic growth and on making Texas the best place to raise a family. Here are a few ideas:

The Laken Riley Act is moving quickly through Congress, with Democratic support. @dallasnews.bsky.social has a thoughtful op-ed in today's paper calling for a revised bill that focuses on deporting undocumented immigrants charged with serious crimes. (1/2) www.dallasnews.com/opinion/edit...

Downtown Dallas adventure today.

I love my neighborhood. Oak Cliff, Dallas, Texas.

The opt-in Dallas Alert system is malfunctioning. I've gotten more than 200 calls, texts, and emails with every NWS warning nationwide...

Finally, a sport I can get into: the European Tram Driver Championships youtu.be/0zQ9jt9L5sk?...

Trudeau’s announcement last year that Canada would cut immigration targets by 20% surprised me. For years, Canada has used immigration as a tool to fuel economic growth and the US stands to learn a lot from the Canadian skilled -based immigration system. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Great explainer from @texastribune.org on how the Legislature might respond to the Texas housing crisis. www.texastribune.org/2025/01/06/t...

I’ve recently been obsessed with Parisian apartment buildings, particularly the style made famous by Georges Haussmann in the mid 19th century. Thanks to @99pi.org I learned that those sweeping mansard roofs are the result of, you guessed it, height restrictions. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/9...

Texas Republicans want to introduce an environmental review process that applies to renewables only. They’re also proposing land use restrictions, like setbacks. If zoning for solar passes, I’m going to become the Joker. www.dallasnews.com/news/politic...

I walked 3,271 miles in 2024. That’s about 16,000 steps per day. I walk because I like to. And I wish that our neighborhoods and towns were designed to make walking easier. youtu.be/eEWa7cpiyD8?...

America’s fracturing conservative fusionism, the alliance between free marketers, social conservatives, and foreign policy hawks, has me thinking about New Zealand’s own fusionist experiment. In 2023, the country saw its first three-party coalition. Let’s take a look. www.reuters.com/world/asia-p...

Texas deserves to “bring home its own tax dollars and improve the health of its population and bring down health premiums and stabilize family finances and help set people on a path to independence.” We can do this by expanding Medicaid. Proud of the work @nathanfortexas.bsky.social is doing.