BG Reads | News You Need to Know (January 15, 2021)
[BINGHAM GROUP]
NEW // BG PODCAST - Episode 123: Austin Infrastructure and Public Finance with Nicole Conley, Managing Director, Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC
Nicole most recently served as Chief Financial Officer at Austin Independent School District where she managed a $3 billion budget and capital program for the 80,000-student, 129-school community. In August 2020 she joined Siebert Williams Shank (SWS), the nation’s No. 1 minority- and woman-owned investment bank, as Managing Director in Infrastructure and Public Finance Department in Texas.
THE 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE:
LINK TO FILED HOUSE BILLS (1216)
[AUSTIN METRO]
In conversation with UT's medical school, Dr. Anthony Fauci looks ahead to post-pandemic nation (Austin American-Statesman)
In a virtual lecture with UT Dell Medical School on Thursday morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, shared his thoughts on a post-pandemic nation and how to prepare for another virus outbreak in the future. Fauci spoke with Dell Medical School Dean Clay Johnston and Dr. Kenneth Shine, courtesy professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School, after receiving the Ken Shine Prize in Health Leadership award. The accolade is an annual UT Dell Medical School honor given to those who make significant advancements in health.
While Fauci did not speak specifically on how the coronavirus is affecting Texas, he said he believed the federal government could collaborate better with local leaders to prepare for the end of the coronavirus pandemic and any sort of outbreak to come. "To say the federal government is going to dictate everything that's going to happen, I don't think works because of the diversity among the states," Fauci said. "To say to the states, you are on your own, even though the states do desire in certain things to be on their own, there has to be some commonality of direction because the states, as hard as they try, do still look for guidance from the federal government," he added. "I've always been one who feels that there needs to be a bit more collaboration and cooperation between the federal government and the states."
Moving forward into a post-pandemic nation, Fauci said his recommendation would be for federal leaders to set aside a yearly budget to prepare for any future pandemics. Fauci said that budget could be used to create a pandemic health care team, which could serve underprivileged communities when not needed for outbreak response. "One of the horrible things is the extraordinary impact that this outbreak has had on our economy, to the tune of trillions of dollars," Fauci said. "So, if you take a small slice of that and say we lost trillions and trillions of dollars this year, maybe a small slice to have a readiness there is not wasted money at all," Fauci said. "And, when you're not responding to an outbreak, there are a lot of other good things you could be doing in the community from a health standpoint."… (LINK TO STORY)
District attorney details civil rights cases (Austin Monitor)
Travis County District Attorney José Garza released information Thursday related to every case against local police officers pending in the office’s Civil Rights Unit. The information involves cases such as the deaths of Javier Ambler in March 2019 and Michael Ramos in April 2020 that have received considerable publicity as well as investigations related to use-of-force allegations arising from protests following the police killing of George Floyd last May.
Overall, the cases involve the alleged police shootings of nine men – Aquantis Griffin, Isaiah Hutchinson, Giorgio Taylor, Carlos Dodero, Mauris DeSilva, Tyler Grist, Fred Babcock, Enrique Quiroz, and Alexander Gonzalez – between 2019 and the first week of 2021. Other cases involve complaints concerning injuries allegedly suffered at the hands of police officers, including 11 complainants who say they were injured during protests following the deaths of Floyd and Ramos. Finally, one complainant alleges that an officer sexually assaulted her after responding to a service call at her address.
“Already this year, there have been two officer-involved shootings,” Garza said in a press statement. “Our community has been clear that when law enforcement officers use deadly force, prosecutors must investigate the case quickly and with transparency, to ensure that no one is above the law.” A major plank in Garza’s platform was holding police accountable for any crimes they have committed.
Former District Attorney Margaret Moore decided last fall that she would leave officer-involved shooting cases to Garza. Because of that and due to Covid-19 restrictions, Travis County is not currently conducting any criminal jury trials. So cases against two former police officers and one former investigator with the Austin Fire Department are awaiting trial.
Garza said he intends to present evidence related to the deaths of Ambler and Ramos to the Travis County Grand Jury before its term expires on March 30. He also intends to present evidence related to the alleged sexual assault before the end of March… (LINK TO STORY)
Global data center company Digital Realty relocates HQ to Austin from San Francisco (Austin Business Journal)
Digital Realty Trust Inc. — a major data center owner and operator — is relocating its headquarters to Austin from San Francisco.
The company's move is among the first relocation announcements to be made this year, following a banner year of companies rushing to Central Texas in 2020, and certainly the largest. As of the afternoon of Jan. 14, Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR) had a market capitalization of more than $37 billion.
With the relocation, Digital Realty is also expanding the local footprint that it's had since the mid-2000s. The company has a large swath of space at the MetCenter business park, and company officials said they've leased space for a corporate office at 5707 Southwest Parkway, near MoPac Expressway and U.S. Highway 290… (LINK TO STORY)
Austin school district encourages remote learning options after MLK Jr. holiday (Austin American-Statesman)
Austin school district Superintendent Dr. Stephanie S. Elizalde on Thursday again pushed for parents to choose remote learning options — this time for the four days following the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.
"For the week of Jan. 19-22, if you are able to do so, please continue to have your children learn in a remote off-campus setting. We will continue to support you and we will welcome any student who needs to be at our campus, regardless of the reason with open arms," Elizalde wrote.
Earlier this week, Elizalde urged parents to choose remote learning options for the remainder of the week in light of a spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the area. On-campus instruction and resources are available to families who require them, officials said… (LINK TO STORY)
[TEXAS]
Texas mayors urge Biden administration: Send vaccines directly to big cities (San Antonio Express-News)
A group of mayors representing some of the United States’ most populous cities — including Austin, San Antonio and Houston — is asking President-elect Joe Biden to give them direct access to coronavirus vaccines. In a Wednesday letter, the 22 mayors urged the Biden administration to establish a national vaccine distribution plan for cities, instead of allocating all available doses to state governments. “Cities have consistently been on the front line of our nation's COVID-19 response,” San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg wrote on Twitter. “I'm proud to join my mayoral colleagues in requesting that the Biden Administration prioritize a direct line of vaccines to our communities. We must do all we can to expand and improve access.”
Direct shipments of the vaccine would allow local leaders to plan and connect directly with their constituents, including disadvantaged communities, and help distribute vaccines more swiftly, the mayors argue. “While it is essential to work with state and local public health agencies, health care providers, pharmacies, and clinics, there is a need to be nimble and fill gaps that are unique to each local area,” they wrote. “Very few cities are receiving direct allocations, and as a result, the necessary outreach needed to lay the groundwork for your vaccination goals are not being met.” The mayors of the country’s three largest cities — New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago — also signed onto the letter. The request comes as the country receives widespread backlash for a sluggish vaccine rollout; just 37 percent of the total doses allocated to states so far have been put into people’s arms, according to a Bloomberg News tracker… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas House requires masks for 2021 legislative session, declines to expand virtual testimony (Texas Tribune)
The Texas House unanimously adopted rules Thursday that will require members to wear masks in the chamber and during committee hearings and allow them to cast votes on legislation from outside the House floor.
But the chamber opted to not require testing for lawmakers as they meet during the coronavirus pandemic and did not expand its virtual testimony options to allow members of the public who have not been invited to testify to comment at committee hearings remotely.
“We’re new to this pandemic, and the whole point about these rules — the key is respect, the key is courtesy,” said state Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, while introducing the rules proposal earlier Thursday. “What’s the rules? It’s 150 people, that’s what the rules are.”
The coronavirus requirements were part of a broad resolution setting rules for the House during the Legislature’s 2021 session. Members debated amendments on the resolution for hours. In addition to voting on health protocols, the chamber overwhelmingly shot down proposals that would have kept Democrats from serving as committee chairs in the Republican-controlled House… (LINK TO STORY)
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Trump: ‘We’re in a worse place today than we were before he came in’ (Dallas Morning News)
Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who once reportedly called President Donald Trump a “moron” behind closed doors, is now disparaging — on the record — his former boss’s grasp of affairs both foreign and domestic. “His understanding of global events, his understanding of global history, his understanding of U.S. history was really limited,” the former Exxon Mobil chief told Foreign Policy magazine in an interview released this week. The Texan added: “It’s really hard to have a conversation with someone who doesn’t even understand the concept for why we’re talking about this.”
There’s never been love lost between Tillerson and Trump, particularly after the president fired his first secretary of state by tweet. Trump bashed the Texan as “dumb as a rock” and “lazy as hell,” while Tillerson called Trump an “undisciplined” leader who “doesn’t like to read.” But until now, Tillerson hadn’t been quite so detailed in his frustration. “I used to go into meetings with a list of four to five things I needed to talk to him about, and I quickly learned that if I got to three, it was a home run, and I realized getting two that were meaningful was probably the best objective,” he told Foreign Policy. He explained that he started “taking charts and pictures with me because I found that those seemed to hold his attention better.”
“If I could put a photo or a picture in front of him or a map or a piece of paper that had two big bullet points on it, he would focus on that, and I could build on that,” Tillerson told the outlet. “Just sitting and trying to have a conversation as you and I are having just doesn’t work.” Asked by Foreign Policy how Trump made informed decisions if the president had a hard time focusing during briefings and didn’t read briefing material, Tillerson didn’t hesitate. “Well, that’s the key,” he said. “I’m not sure many of those decisions were well-informed.” The interview with Foreign Policy was conducted before Trump incited a mob to march on the Capitol — an event that led the House this week to impeach the president for a second time. And given the magazine’s audience, the conversation focused almost exclusively on foreign affairs… (LINK TO STORY)
Texas laws protecting whistleblowers don't apply to Attorney General Ken Paxton, his agency argues in bid to quash lawsuit (Texas Tribune)
The Texas attorney general’s office is attempting to fight off efforts by four former aides to take depositions and issue subpoenas in their lawsuit claiming they were illegally fired after telling authorities they believed Attorney General Ken Paxton was breaking the law.
The agency is arguing that Paxton is “not a public employee,” and thus the office cannot be sued under the Texas Whistleblower Act, which aims to protect government workers from retaliation when they report superiors for breaking the law.
Four former Paxton aides claim they were fired in retaliation for telling authorities they believed Paxton had done illegal favors for a political donor, Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. The whistleblowers’ allegations have reportedly sparked an FBI investigation.
In seeking reinstatement and other financial damages, the whistleblowers want to question Paxton under oath, as well as Brent Webster, his top deputy at the attorney general’s office, and Brandon Cammack, a Houston lawyer Paxton hired to investigate complaints made by Paul in what aides say was a favor to the donor. They also issued subpoenas to Paul’s company and a woman alleged to have been Paxton’s mistress… (LINK TO STORY)
Houston police officer resigns after being linked to Capitol takeover (Houston Chronicle)
A longtime Houston Police Department officer believed to have joined a violent mob at the nation’s Capitol resigned Thursday amid a growing federal probe into the insurrection. The officer, Tam Pham, dropped off his resignation with Chief Art Acevedo ahead of his disciplinary meeting Friday with the top law man — though the chief earlier expressed doubt that the officer would attend. The chief — after receiving a tip about Pham’s possible involvement — reviewed the officer’s social media and found photos suggesting that he entered the Capitol building during the deadly takeover. Acevedo said he then contacted the FBI’s Houston Division, which opened a federal investigation into the officer’s East Coast trip.
Acevedo expects federal charges to be filed against the officer. The special agent in charge of the FBI’s Houston field office stressed that federal investigators — without acknowledging the police officer — are using tips and “advanced technical and scientific tools” to tie local residents to the Capitol mob. “Our agents and analysts have been gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors toward bringing appropriate charges,” Perrye Turner said Thursday in a statement. In Washington, the FBI there has spent more than week sharing dozens of photos of rioters in an attempt to identify and then arrest them. At least 32 people — including two Virginia police officers — have been charged federally in connection to the violent mob. A tip on Tuesday led law enforcement to the latest arrest of a retired Boothwyn, Pa., firefighter in suspicion of hitting three U.S. Capitol Police officers with a fire extinguisher… (LINK TO STORY)
[NATION]
Biden unveils $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 relief plan (NPR)
President-elect Joe Biden outlined his plans for economic relief from the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, citing the need for a more robust vaccination plan as well as for additional direct payments to American families to help recover the U.S. economy. His plan, called the American Rescue Plan, is expected to cost $1.9 trillion.
The package includes $1,400 direct stimulus checks, which would supplement the $600 checks Congress passed late last year. Biden also proposes an additional $160 billion for a national vaccine program, including $20 billion for distribution, and an additional $50 billion for expanded testing.
"It's not hard to see that we are in the middle of a once-in-several generations economic crisis, with a once-in-several generations public health crisis. A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight," Biden said.
"We have to act, and we have to act now," Biden said. "We cannot afford inaction."… (LINK TO STORY)
Nation’s jobless claims soar to highest level since mid-August as resurgent virus infects economy (Associated Press)
The number of people seeking unemployment aid soared last week to 965,000, the most since late August and a sign that the resurgent virus has likely escalated layoffs. The latest figures for jobless claims, issued Thursday by the Labor Department, remain at levels never seen until the virus struck. Before the pandemic, weekly applications typically numbered around 225,000. They spiked to nearly 7 million last spring, after nationwide shutdowns took effect. Applications declined over the summer but have been stuck above 700,000 since September.
The high pace of layoffs coincides with an economy that has faltered as consumers have avoided traveling, shopping and eating out in the face of soaring viral caseloads. More than 4,300 deaths were reported Tuesday, another record high. Shutdowns of restaurants, bars and other venues where people gather in California, New York and other states have likely forced up layoffs. Some states and cities are resisting shutdowns, partly out of fear of the economic consequences but raising the risk of further infections. Minnesota allowed in-person dining to resume this week. Michigan is poised to do the same. Some bars and restaurants in Kansas City are extending their hours. Economists say that once coronavirus vaccines are more widely distributed, a broader recovery should take hold in the second half of the year. The incoming Biden administration, along with a now fully Democratic-led House and Senate, is also expected to push more rescue aid and spending measures that could accelerate growth… (LINK TO STORY)
After barring Trump, Facebook and Twitter face scrutiny about inaction abroad (New York Times)
In Sri Lanka and Myanmar, Facebook kept up posts that it had been warned contributed to violence. In India, activists have urged the company to combat posts by political figures targeting Muslims. And in Ethiopia, groups pleaded for the social network to block hate speech after hundreds were killed in ethnic violence inflamed by social media.
“The offline troubles that rocked the country are fully visible on the online space,” activists, civil society groups and journalists in Ethiopia wrote in an open letter last year.
For years, Facebook and Twitter have largely rebuffed calls to remove hate speech or other comments made by public figures and government officials that civil society groups and activists said risked inciting violence. The companies stuck to policies, driven by American ideals of free speech, that give such figures more leeway to use their platforms to communicate.
But last week, Facebook and Twitter cut off President Trump from their platforms for inciting a crowd that attacked the U.S. Capitol. Those decisions have angered human rights groups and activists, who are now urging the companies to apply their policies evenly, particularly in smaller countries where the platforms dominate communications… (LINK TO STORY)
Koch network pledges to 'weigh heavy' lawmakers' actions in riots (Politico)
The powerful Koch political network, funders of the Tea Party, will “weigh heavy” the actions of members of Congress in the days leading up to and after last week’s siege of the Capitol when considering future donations, in a sign that the GOP’s megadonor class is uncomfortable with the party’s recent actions. In a statement to POLITICO, the Koch network said it will take last week’s events seriously when deciding where to put its millions of dollars in spending next election cycle. “Lawmakers’ actions leading up to and during last week’s insurrection will weigh heavy in our evaluation of future support. And we will continue to look for ways to support those policymakers who reject the politics of division and work together to move our country forward,” said Emily Seidel, CEO of Americans for Prosperity and senior adviser to AFP Action, the group's super PAC.
Seidel’s statement follows months of the network working to operate more independently of the Republican Party. Billionaire Charles Koch has become increasingly dissatisfied with the tactics and policies of President Donald Trump and did not support him during his 2016 or 2020 election bids. The Koch move comes after numerous corporate PACs began suspending their donations to Republicans who challenged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory last week. Many of those businesses were acting in response to pressure from clients and customers. The Koch action, coming amid a resounding silence among Trump allies, suggests that megadonors — a small class of brand-name billionaires who give from tens to hundreds of millions of dollars per election cycle — also feel that their reputations are on the line if they back lawmakers who supported Trump’s claims of election fraud. Key GOP donors including the Ricketts family of Chicago, Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and financier Ken Griffin declined to comment on their giving plans in the wake of the attack on the Capitol. While some are expected to continue backing candidates that are aligned with Trump — Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts is the Republican National Committee finance chair — their unwillingness to defend the president and his supporters at a crucial moment could be a sign of their discomfort with the direction of the party… (LINK TO STORY)