JohntheBaptist

Well done, @_delconte and @TexasLonghorns. #hookem Screengrabbed from a friend's social media:

One year into cell phone bans, Dallas schools see 24% increase in library book checkouts. 👏👏👏 "Public school districts in Texas are almost one school year into the first statewide cellphone ban, and a North Texas school district is seeing positive impacts. Dallas ISD officials said that, district-wide, they have seen a significant increase in library book checkouts, which they largely attribute to students no longer having cellphones with them during the school day. "I started hearing, 'Oh, I'm so bored. I can't get on my phone after I do my work or during lunchtime,'" Hillcrest High School librarian Nina Canales said. "Once they lock into these stories, they don't seem to care about their phones at all." From the first day of school to March 31, 2026, the district reported an increase of more than 200,000 additional books checked out compared to the previous year. A look at the library checkouts for the previous year: 2025-2026 Total Circulation (1st day of school to March 31, 2026) – 1,084,837 2024-2025 Total circulation (1st day of school to March 31, 2025) – 872,430 Total library book checkout increase: 24.35% At Dallas ISD's Hillcrest High, students are following this trend. Canales said there were roughly 500 books checked out in the first nine weeks of the 2024-2025 school year. This school year, that number spiked to about 1,800 books. "That floored me," Canales said. "I had to re-do the report again because I was like, 'What, are you kidding me?'" Students felt the impact too. "Now that I'm busy with a bunch of work and college, I don't find myself missing my phone that much, even at home," said Yamilet Jimenez, 9th grader." By @laceybeasnews. @JonHaidt @safe_screens

NEW: Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby is taking a leave of absence from the football program for a gambling addiction, the school announced. on3.com/news/texas-tec…

The second opinion is in Hencely v. Fluour Corporation, a case in which a military contractor argued that federal law trumps a lawsuit brought by someone seriously injured by a Taliban operative working for the contractor. Court holds it does not. supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf…

For @bradj_TX and the readers: I am the Senate Chair of the Local Government Committee. I ran the hearing on this bill, SB 854, by Senator @mayes_middleton in 2025. This was the "Yes in God's Backyard" bill. It was brought by a combination of Christian pastors of multiple denominations and many non-denominational groups. Several of those have extensive national reputations and a history of conservative philosophical views. SB 854 simply allowed religious institutions to use a portion of their property to build affordable housing, helping hardworking families obtain needed affordable housing. To Rep. @chiproytx’s legitimate question of who would use this bill if passed, I can tell the large & impressive list of organizations, non-profits, pastors, dioceses, et al., that testified in FAVOR of the bill: Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops @TXCatholic, Baptist General Convention of Texas Christian Life Commission @TexasBaptists, Ecclesia Church @ecclesiahouston, The Diocese of Austin @austindiocese, Texas Farm Bureau @texasfarmbureau, Texas Association of Business @txbiz, Americans for Prosperity @AFPhq, Goldwater Institute @GoldwaterInst, Buckner International @buckner_intl, Texans for Housing @TexansHousing, Texans for Reasonable Solutions @TXReasSolutions, Texas Public Policy Foundation @tppf, Texas 2036 @texas2036, Texas Eagle Forum @TexasEF, Texas Conservative, coalition Research Institute @txcc, Texas Association of Builders @texas_builders, Texas Values @txvalues, Texas Realtors @txrealtors, Habitat for Humanity @habitat_org, Real Estate Council of Austin @RECA_austin, @dallashousingco, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity @DallasHabitat. I was at the hearing. I ran the hearing. I know what was discussed, and this bill would have had the same usage pattern as ESAs do now or any similar program if passed finally. It had not yet gone through floor debate, amendments, passed the Senate, much less gone to the other chamber for their consideration. My committee passed 9 other housing affordability bills, all with statewide impact, that went into law. To say otherwise is not to recognize the obvious facts. #txlege Senator Paul Bettencourt Chair, Local Government Committee

It’s a long-awaited milestone—for the first time, westbound US 290 traffic can now travel from downtown Austin to Dripping Springs without stopping at a light! #progress #nonstopmainlanes

The Dallas Mavericks are expected to submit a proposal soon that entails demolishing Dallas City Hall, designed by I. M. Pei, and in its place building a new 50-acre entertainment district, anchored by a new NBA arena. ow.ly/lFGm50YJ3YI