BORDER:...Texas Guardsman Fires Across Rio Grande...Hits Mexican...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | It begins. Wait, wait. We're being a bit overly-dramatic there. Yes, a Mexican citizen was shot by a Texas National Guardsman, but it's a reach to say the U.S. will soon invade Mexico, as nutty Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised.

This from texastribune.org: [ A National Guard member on duty at the Texas-Mexico border in El Paso fired across the Rio Grande, injuring a 37-year-old Mexican man in Ciudad Juárez on Saturday night, according to the Texas Military Department and Mexican news outlets.

"On the night of 26 August, a National Guard Servicemember assigned to Operation Lone Star discharged a weapon in a border-related incident," a spokesperson for the military department said in a statement. "The incident is under investigation. More information will be made available as the investigation progresses."

According to El Diario, a Spanish language newspaper in Juárez, Darwin José García of the southern Mexican state of Veracruz initially told police he was migrant attempting to cross into the U.S. But the man later told reporters he was practicing a sport on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande around 8:50 p.m. Saturday while a group of migrants were crossing the river, according to the newspaper. García said he then heard shots and realized he had been shot in the leg, the newspaper reported. ]

We looked for but could not find any sort of comment about this shooting from Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

Perhaps he'll have a comment later today, or maybe we missed it.

Abbott is always cat-quick to note stuff coming from the southern side of the Mighty Rio Grande (Yes, that's the lame Rio Grande in the photo atop this post), but he always goes quiet when things on this side go wrong.

Hey, your guys shot a man standing on his country's soil.

Abbott's not listening...

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TEXAS:...Uh, What Effin' Sovereign State???...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Again, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is crowing about his "sovereign" state. He'd been quiet of late, but an opinion piece he is said to have written has been published by the New York Post. In it, Republican Abbott claims he is defending the border against migrants crossing over from Mexico by way of his so-called "state sovereign rights".

We say: What fuckin' state sovereign rights?

Texas, at last check, is a member of the United States and, as such, bows to the federal government on most aspects of domestic and international relations.

Abbott wrote this in an editorial published in today's edition of the New York Post: Biden is clearly more concerned with preventing Texas from protecting our sovereignty than stopping transnational criminals from exploiting his border crisis for profit or discouraging migrants from risking their lives to enter America illegally.

Texas needs to secede from the 50-state union to claim sovereignty. Yes, there are "states' rights," but that's something different. Here, when Abbott says Texas is being invaded by unarmed migrants, well, invasion by a foreign country or, say, criminals, would be clear cause for a federal response. Until you see a six-deep line of mad migrants crossing over firing AR-15s, well, it's not really an invasion, at least not a military one that would warrant national action. 

From Wikipedia, on whether Texas is a sovereign state: While Texas has been part of various political entities throughout its history, including 10 years during 1836–1846 as the independent Republic of Texas, the current legal status is as a state of the United States of America.

Abbott's use of the word is merely political, and cheap politics at that.

He should stop saying it, 'cause the feds keep laughing at him. Or, more to the point, he should stop using it to buttress his weird actions along the Rio Grande. Perhaps he picked it up from Mexico's calmer president, who, correctly, has said his "sovereign nation" is opposed to any meddling from the United States.

Sovereign must just sound good for Abbott.

Too bad it holds zero legal standing. If it wanted to, the federal government could fly an F-16 over his buoys and blow them out of the water. Abbott would moan and groan and Rednecks would howl for a civil war, but there is nothing Texas could do about it.

That Abbott says President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is concerned with "preventing Texas from protecting our sovereignty" is wrong. The federal government defends all states against any sort of aggression. Abbott knows this. He also knows that he used millions of dollars from Covid-19 aid given to Texas by the federal government to combat the virus for work on his Border Wall plan, which has failed.

The Texas-Mexico border is still not secured.

Blame lies with the federal government on that, although, well, a few other elements always work themselves into the equation - we are a country of immigrants, we offer asylum and we remain a beacon of freedom (according to our lying high school American History books).

I'm waiting for Abbott's next move.

Surely, he's not going to simply take to writing editorials for conservative newspapers.

Is he?...

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SUN STORIES:..."Nobody's Angel"...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Patrick was done with daytime TV. Morning had broken with breaking news about some horrific death down the road toward Brownsville of a teenager, his pals injured in an overnight wreck. And then had come head-shaking audio and video from a news conference held by a crazy front-runner for the American presidency.

Things were toasting from sea to shining sea and chewing was getting hard on the front teeth. Moving noise accompanied the afternoon rain for the first time ever, and it became clear to Patrick that simply living a life without societal drama was now a thing of the past.

He called his current female companion, a sparkplug hairstylist named Laura, and asked to see her.

"I'm on my period for three more days," she had quickly thrown at him, drawing real laughter from Patrick, who had grown up with a hard-ass father who made fun of his mother's menstrual cycle.

"I just want to have a nice, quiet dinner with you," he'd said in a rare, restrained tone. Where, had been her next line.

"I'm thinking of something basic, like meat loaf and mashed potatoes, rolls and iced tea over at Diaz Diner downtown," he'd said in calm reply.

"Geez, Patrick," she went on. "That does not sound like you. Something basic? Since when! You're a heartless, bronc-busting cowboy, a bow-hunter, a demanding-as-Hell lover and a tireless warrior from way back in the day!"

Been watching the news, he told her. That's what's got me down a bit. Laura, a Mexican woman with the sort of body that says "romance a-comin' " with every high-heel step she took, laughed a bit softer this time.

"That's why I tell you, lunkhead -  all you need on TV is Judge Judy," she continued, sighing for effect. "News today will ruin your day and your life!"

Seven okay for you, she heard him say from the other end.

"Seven-thirty," she shot back, fronting her womanhood...

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POLITICS:...So What If He Next Runs As A Republican?...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

BROWNSVILLE, Texas | Eric Garza hasn't had a smooth ride in his first three years as sheriff of simpleton-heavy Cameron County. Problems within the department have dogged his administration. Disgruntled employees have been airing dirty laundry. Inmates have died in custody at the county jail.

And local bloggers have gone loco in criticizing his every move.

Now, it is a vato-fueled rumor moving slowly but surely across town that Garza, a Democrat, may be switching to the Republican Party for his reelection campaign in 2024. The idea has rankled a few unemployed locals.

To that we say, "So what if he does switch?"

Big effin' deal.

It's not as if it would mean actually much to the day-to-day job. A congressional candidate switching parties is one thing; a local politician doing it is largely meaningless and only a barely superficial stain on his record, if that.

Local public officials are not any more empowered by being either a Democrat or a Republican. Oh, the Republican governor may come down to visit you are mayor and if you say you're one of his ilk, but nothing will change as far as doing the job. The same performance metrics will be in place.

The connection some loose-tongued residents make between, say, the sheriff's office and that of a more powerful post, like congressman or governor, is nonsense. Rio Grande Valley counties have had both Democrats and Republicans and...it's played out fine. No Republican sheriff has gone after residents of the poor side of town, nor have they favored the wealthy. It's been rather calm, in fact.

Last election saw the sitting sheriff (who had been beaten in a primary election by Eric Garza) up and support the Republican candidate in the eventual race. Omar Lucio was that fake Democrat and, well, the Republican lost and 84-year-old Lucio died, but nothing wild and onerous ever happened. That's gray-hair Lucio in photo above. A local resident was killed in his home by one of Lucio's escaped prisoners. Such wanton lawlessness has not happened under Sheriff Garza.

The job is the same for whoever gets it, political party aside.

That Eric Garza sees better possibilities as a Republican would be normal.

He's a politician, fer chrissakes!

Besides, and this is as important as anything else, Garza really has not had a major scandal on his hands. Hidalgo County Sheriff J.E. "Eddie" Guerra can say the same thing. But his predecessor? Man, what a lawless lout. Now there was a lost missile.

That would be one Lupe Treviño, who was first elected as Hidalgo County Sheriff in 2005, pled guilty to money laundering in 2014. Treviño was accused of accepting money for his 2012 re-election campaign from Weslaco drug trafficker, Tomás Gonzalez, also known as “El Gallo.” A judge sentenced Treviño to five years in federal prison.

His son Jonathan, a deputy and former Mission Police Department detective, was found guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced to 17 years in prison. He is scheduled for release in May, 2031.

Compared to that mess, Eric Garza's tenure as sheriff has been rather tame, yes.

But scandalous, no.

Not even close. He's been a lightning rod for bored and petty Brownsville bloggers and no one else.

Whether he seeks reelection as a Democrat or switches party to the Republican fold is meaningless at the end of the day. The job carries no political clout outside its operating sphere. Being a "local" Republican is not like being a "state" or "national" Republican.

The so-called power here comes from the job itself, not the party affiliation... 

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Republicans Are About To Tear Into Surging Vivek Ramaswamy...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Isn't it cool that Republicans are starting to hate one of their own - Vivek Ramaswamy, the rising political star who keeps ascending in the party's 2024 presidential polls? That guy. He's strike-zone hot, as they say of streaky baseball hitters.

But it'll get rougher for him as the Dog Days of August on the campaign trail cool off into the Fall. The election is still 14 months away, yet one can't help but notice Ramaswamy's arrival in a political party that at heart already has its preferred candidate - one Donald J. Trump.

That performance at the Republican National Committee's first debate in Milwaukee last Wednesday was not a wildly successful night for him, but Ramaswamy said enough to roil the feelings of his seven fellow Republicans onstage.

Candidate Nikki Haley, for one, chastised him on several occasions, once telling him he knew nothing of foreign policy. Ramaswamy smiled it away. Same for criticism he got from former Veep Mike Pence, who got an earful from his younger (38) opponent about Pence's handling of his election certification duties at the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 - the day of the infamous riot.

Ramaswamy did not back down. And he rarely does that. His wife Apoorva (a physician) told Time Magazine that Vivek loves sports, but considers politics his favorite game. "He just loves to talk," his wife said.

So, would the Republican Party consider Ramaswamy's candidacy seriously? We ask this because his poll numbers rose from a paltry 3% before the debate to a respectable 8%. It's not a great improvement, but is quite sizable for a literal nobody. His gain in that department rankled supporters on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, to date the runner-up to Trump in most party polls.

Is Ramaswamy right or left of Trump. That's what we were looking for in our data search.

This from the profile in Time Magazine: [ Ramaswamy's politics are often hard-right: he wants to cut federal regulators, supports ending affirmative action, and argues that trans kids are often dealing with unrelated mental health problems. But he doesn’t always sound like a typical Republican. Though he describes himself as personally "pro-life," he is one of few GOP candidates who admits he does not support a federal abortion ban. He wants to ban social media for people under 16, and scrap the automatic right to vote for those under 25. ]

What comes across clearly about this guy is his glibness.

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and an ex-ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, couldn't help frowning or looking at Ramaswamy with some disdain during that first debate. He was that effusive, his points all well-known, hard-ass Republican points, but issued always with the confidence of a raw but sharp political rookie. He is a graduate of Harvard and Yale Law School.

Unlike Trump, Vivek did not inherit his millions. As a businessman dealing in volatile hedge fund investments (pharmaceuticals), Ramaswamy found enough profitable success there to become a billionaire somewhat recently, in 2021. He likes to say he owns two modest homes in his native Ohio, but will also tell you he travels in three private jets he owns. And he loves to play down his wealth.

An anecdote in the Time Magazine article recalls a woman he met while campaigning in New Hampshire who told him she was ashamed to say she was just one of the "us cowtown people" in the state. Ramaswamy drew her smile when he said, "Oh, come on. I'm one of you."

It is that sort of connection he forges easily with voters he meets - something totally at odds with, say, Donald Trump's entitled behavior.

But we'll see if he keeps ascending.

His own Republican mates may be the ones shooting him down....

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The Farm & Ranch Report...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | So, you're now thinking that Donald J. Trump is on his way to jail, that, yeah, it still holds that no one is above the law? Many an American got that in their brain after last Thursday's show in Atlanta, where Trump surrendered on those charges that he tried to overturn Georgia's vote in the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Well, don't get your hopes too high.

There are three reasons why Trump will never go to jail: (1.) he's white, (2.) he's rich and (3.) he's male.

That slow process of getting him to where he is now (actually facing charges of instigating a coup d'état) moved at a snail's pace for a reason. White America, including plenty of Democrats, does not want a white man to be the first jailed president ever. Yeah, laugh all you want. And then study our history.

You've heard it said over and over: If a Black president had done what Trump did, he'd have been imprisoned long-ago. True that. You know it. Trump has been the recipient of a load of breaks, before and after he was elected president. The guy has lived a charmed life. Three attractive wives, several more-attractive porn stars, big bank loans from Russia, a home in ritzy, ethnocentric (mostly whites) Palm Beach, two stupid sons out spewing lies he told them, a daughter who made her millions off China and a son-in-law who didn't leave the White House with Trump until he'd pocketed a $2 billion gift from Saudi Arabia in exchange for who knows what.

No, that climax scene in this lousy, B-grade movie starring one of our citizen fatboys will not include camerawork of Trump being walked into a federal prison.

Not happening.

Best for him would be house arrest. In Mar-a-Lago, that would be about as good as it gets for that program. Punishment? No, not anywhere close. But maybe it will shut him up somewhat, something the country needs desperately, Rednecks all-aside.

Let us hope...

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Notre Dame beat the U.S. Naval Academy 42-3 yesterday in college football's initial game of the 2023 season. It was 28-0 at halftime. Not much of a competitive contest, but, well, we were sort of itching for football, so we sat in front of the TV and watched the merciless beating.

Next up for us is next Saturday's game between Texas and Rice in Austin. It should also be a general whipping as Rice, well, is not anywhere near a top tier football program. The test will be on the Longhorns, a team which has been disappointing since QB Vince Young led it to the national title in 2005. We expect big things from Texas, but we know we'll ultimately be let-down.

That's been their pattern, which is sad because the Horns have won nine national championships, the first one coming in 1914.

 -0-

Not much lately from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the Man Who Tamed The Tame Rio Grande. The Republican made waves all year up until recently. He's been too-quiet, which makes us believe that he'll soon add to his buoys as Border Wall policy and razor wire as a re-enactment of the Battle of The Bulge.

What could be up Abbott's sleeves?

I fear the worst, mainly because this guy has so much free time on his hands. I mean - the buoys? We had to laugh when we first heard of this, but, well, Maria, there they are in the middle of the passive Rio Grande. Some solution to the migrant problem that is always magnified by Republicans.

But, no, it would not surprise me one bit if prankster Abbott up and announced Texas had purchased the old Berlin Wall and would be erecting it along the northern banks of the Rio Grande, this after failing to buy chunks of the Great Wall of China, when the Chinese said, uh, no.

You think?

-0-

The weather's been a bit more tolerable lately, but we're not done with the Annual Texas Summer Scorch. This coming week will be Hell once again. The day's high reading in McAllen tomorrow will be 108 degrees, with the feels like at about 115-degrees. Tuesday and Wednesday will be at 103 degrees, according to the air-conditioned weatherboys.

September arrives on Friday. That will be, if nothing else, a state-of-mind blessing.

Halloween is two months away, Thanksgiving three months and Christmas four months.

Are you ready!?! Are you ready!?!

-0-

Our wandering reporting staff spent the weekend on South Padre Island, where some of them said the drinks were better than the beach. We had asked a few of them to stopover in Brownsville, the Harlem of The Rio Grande Valley, snoop around and bring us a report on that city's doings or undoings.

Brownsville is still poor and boring, they messaged.

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SUN RECORDS: Newsroom Jukebox - "Pretty Woman"...

No Surprise:...They Only Jailed The Black Guy...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | One more time: How many defendants at that wild jail booking in Atlanta, Georgia the other day? Eighteen, you say. And how many of them were white? What - there was one Black man? And who among the indicted glitterati that included Donald J. Trump and Rudy Giuliani was jailed...and is still in jail?

The Black man.

No one else.

Yeah, no surprise there, I suppose.

This from a news report: [ Trump and the 18 co-defendants in his Georgia election interference RICO case all met the deadline to surrender to authorities for arrest on Friday, and while most of them were released from the Fulton County jail on bail, one remains in custody. 

Harrison Floyd, a former marine who was associated with the group "Blacks For Trump," (shown in photo above) was charged earlier this month with three counts related to his alleged participation in a racketeering scheme to meddle with the 2020 election results and his harassment of campaign worker Ruby Freeman. 

During a court appearance Friday, Floyd appeared without an attorney and claimed that he could not afford to hire one. The court countered that he did not qualify for the services of a Georgia public defender, which are granted or denied following an application and eligibility review. Judge Emily Richardson informed Floyd that she would not be granting his release on bond at that moment.

"There are grounds for bond to be denied at this point," Richardson told Floyd. "I’m going to go ahead and find that you are a risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction. So I’m going to deny bond, but a full consideration of bond will be addressed." ]

Floyd’s case has now been assigned to Judge Scott McAfee. 

When the bond wasn’t granted, the co-defendant objected and argued he had presented himself to authorities for his surrender in a timely manner. "I got on a plane, I voluntarily came here," Floyd said. 

Some noted that this is not Floyd’s first arrest. In Maryland, he was charged after allegedly assaulting an FBI agent in May. The agent had served him a subpoena related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s separate investigation into Trump’s efforts to interfere with the 2020 election.

So the "Blacks For Trump" guy remains in jail. Sounds like he actually fronted "Thugs For Trump," but we may be being a bit too-harsh.

It's just interesting and notable that the only Black dude in the indicted gang was the only one deemed a "flight risk" and a "risk to commit additional felonies."

Geez, Louise, that sounds more like...Donald J. Trump.

And, by the way, Trump has not come forward to vouch for or to pay Floyd's bond...

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SUN SPORTS:...Notre Dame vs. Navy...In Dublin, Ireland...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Are you ready?! College football begins today at noon - in Dublin, Ireland. That's where the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will meet the Navy Midshipmen. At 1:30 CST, on NBC. Ah, the smell of football in the air. Adios, long, hot summer. 

I'm ready.

Here, by the way, is the Associated Press Top 15 teams headed into the 2023 season:

#1 Georgia 

#2 Michigan

#3 Ohio State

#4 Alabama

#5 LSU

#6 Southern California

#7 Penn State

#8 Florida State

#9 Clemson

#10 Washington

#11 Texas

#12 Tennessee

#13 Notre Dame

#14 Utah

#15 Oregon

-0-

As most of you die-hard fans of college ball know #1 Georgia is going for a three-peat, having won the NCAA championship the last two years. The still-hungry Dawgs have another formidable powerhouse with many key players off last year's team returning.

Texas is on the upswing and needs to show that it has returned to prominence, as the school's faithful like to say every year at the beginning of a new season. This will be the last year in the Big 12 for the Horns. They will compete in the stronger Southeastern Conference (SEC) next year.

The Rice Owls fly into Austin next Saturday (Sept.2) in the season opener for both schools. The Longhorns then travel to meet Alabama the following weekend (Sept. 9). That road game will be a supreme test for Texas.

USC (University of Southern California) will take on the Spartans of San Jose State later tonight. USC quarterback Caleb Williams is considered the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy. That could change, as often happens with marquee players.

The full schedule starts next weekend...

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SUN HUMOR:...A Clown Walks Into A Bar...

 

STAFF REPORT

McALLEN, Texas | The wild & wooly Internet is overflowing with memes and humor related to Donald J. Trump's jail booking in Georgia. That came yesterday, a typical Thursday not full of news. Trump's cheap saga was the story and that was that.

We wrote seriously about his legal travails, but the month's last weekend's here and, well, we've had a long week of covering this lawless guy.

But we believe it's not just us.

Word has it his Old Lady, Melania, has not been amused, either.

Yeah. Well, what's a wife to do when the Old Man is out playing fast-boring political games. Stay home and moan? Stay home and complain? Stay home and drink?

Melania Trump has said nothing about her husband's latest arrest. Not a word.

But she's apparently been shopping in New York City.

What a wife, right?...

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Inching To The Day He No Longer Means A Damn...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | It's a puzzle, one being assembled a piece at a time. There's that Donald J. Trump as weirdo president, as losing president, as riot instigator, as former president, as oft-indicted president, as arrested president, as photographed criminal, as a shrinking personality.

Every step diminishes the guy.

America waited on his departure from The White House, on his indictments, on his arraignments and his jail bookings, on his mug shot. It was all a silly journey, of sorts - the Trump-weary country inching toward the day this clown no longer means a damn.

That's where we are this morning following last night's booking of Trump in Atlanta.

One more piece of the puzzle, as Johnny Cash might sing. Not all that many left to complete the picture's totality. Trump gone and out of sight. No more excitable news reporting, no more waiting in great anticipation.

Trump is on his way out of the sit-com that has grabbed Americans since he entered national politics in 2015. It was a show. Now, it's a mere shadow of the foreboding end that will come, will come soon. It's what happens with news stories. Some have legs and stick around longer than others. Clowns need the media and the media needs clowns, especially in politics.

The stuff sells and, yes, the news media is also about business - making money by selling Ads or commercials. You get a million-plus viewers on a story and you're hot; you get 50 million and it's an industry.

Trump has brought home the bacon for small and major news operations. It costs money to send a news crew to Georgia, but it gets the viewers. The Atlanta Journal Constitution, on the verge of being sold not all that long ago, did gangbusters business yesterday with its almost minute-by-minute reporting of Trump's arrival in town, his motorcade drive to the Fulton County jail, his entry into the jail building, his booking, his photography and his departure.

It was the news of the day for pretty much every news outlet in the Free World. You could even find Trump's booking mugshot on LeMonde in Paris.

But it's winding down.

Every one of these benchmark moments is taking us to final resolution on the Trump saga. The facts are there: you could even ask whatever happened to the war in Ukraine? To the participants of the Republican Party's first presidential debate (2nd one is scheduled for Sept. 27)?

What Trump has done is suck the air out of the room, wherever he is or may be - that's been his star attraction.

Of course, we know it never lasts forever.

And endings are generally bad. That, we also know.

So long, Trump. We hardly knew you...

-30- 

Destination McAllen:...The City Of Palms Shines On...

 

 By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Can you say continued growth? The City of Palms is saying it almost daily these days. Word has it the population is way more than the 140,000 listed at the city limits signs. And, still, try finding a pothole. Things are booming here. The sights & sounds of progress, yes.

Now comes Domain Development with its vision for a spot along busy N. 10th Street.

This from The McAllen Monitor: [ A McAllen property developer is investing more than $120 million on the city’s north side with the intention of reinvigorating the area with upscale retail and residential “modern living.”

Domain Development Corp. announced its development plans for the agricultural land at the corner of North 10th Street and Wisconsin Road in a news release on Monday.

The company plans to turn the land, which lies just north of the Trenton Crossing Shopping Center and Sam’s Club, into a “mixed-use development” that will incorporate pedestrian-friendly retail, restaurant, office and residential spaces.

“The ambitious project promises to offer an urban lifestyle experience akin to the vibrant city life of San Antonio and Austin, complete with upscale shopping, top-tier dining, a dynamic entertainment scene, and modern living all in one location,” the news release stated.

Shavi Mahtani, president of Domain Development, describes the coming development, dubbed “The District,” as a vision of sustainable urban living.

“This is not just about building a commercial complex; it’s about creating a lifestyle, a high-end destination. Our vision for The District is to create a space that encourages social interaction, promotes local businesses, and is on the forefront of creating a unique destination for South Texas,” Mahtani said.

Retail and commercial spaces will come first, beginning with the development of five lots across 6.5 acres of commercial buildings lining 10th Street.

This portion of the development is earmarked for restaurants, including “three quick-serve restaurants, one strip center, and one 8,000-square-foot full-service restaurant space,” the news release states.

Domain expects to build a five-story, 100,000-square-foot building that will house “Class-A” office spaces, as well as additional restaurant and retail spaces that will range between 800 to 5,000 square feet.

“Dining at The District offers the opportunity to dine in or enjoy people-watching with your pets on the patios surrounding a vast green area used for community events, market days, or music,” the news release states.

A three-story luxury apartment complex will be built during Phase III.

The build will feature 220 “deluxe” apartments spread across seven buildings, and will include a pool, clubhouse and “exclusive cinema room.”

The condos will range from 1,800 to 2,000 square feet. Meanwhile, the townhomes will provide the most spacious living accommodations at 2,000 to 2,400 square feet and will be sold for between $500,000 to $600,000. ]

It's ambitious, but in keeping with the "modernization" of a sector of the city that simply keeps moving away from an abundance of citrus orchards to glitzy brick and glass construction.

The project gets underway this Fall...

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Trump Mugshot At Last, A National Disgrace...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Well, there it is - Republican Donald J. Trump's mugshot from the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia. I dunno, is it the Elvis look he wanted to portray? Some Star Trek weirdo/mutant character from far outer space somewhere?

He looks guilty as all get-out, is what I'd say.

A smile would have been better for him, although, well, his goose, as they say, may be cooked.

This from usatoday.com: [ Donald John Trump was arrested Thursday evening at Georgia’s Fulton County Jail on charges he tried to steal the 2020 election, the fourth criminal case he faces while currently campaigning for president.

Trump is one of 19 defendants in the indictment that alleges racketeering by a criminal organization that tried to overturn the election results. Local authorities said Trump would be treated like any other defendant.

But the processing – with authorities collecting fingerprints and a photograph – contrasts to his three other cases, in New York, Florida and Washington, D.C., where he was processed at a courthouse during the same trip when he entered a formal plea to charges. His photograph wasn’t required at previous bookings because he is well known.

Trump spent about 20 minutes at the jail before heading back to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for his flight back to Bedminster, New Jersey.

Trump's Georgia arraignment is expected the week of Sept. 5. ]

It's a process, a long one in this case. Federal courts are even slower. One thing is for sure: Trump and his lawyers have a mountain to climb in fighting his four indictments. Broke he may not be when this is all over, but he'll have less cash than he has now.

Is he still thinking winning the presidency will rid him of his legal troubles?

He may be...

-30-

Donald Trump Booked In Georgia...No Mugshot Yet...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Georgia law enforcement blocked pretty much all views of Donald J. Trump's arrival and entry into the Fulton County Jail late Thursday, as he arrived for his booking on those charges of seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Trump's mugshot has not been released to the news media.

Reports said he left his Bedminster home in New Jersey and flew to Atlanta, where a motorcade of police waited to escort him to the jail. There was no comment from him in Georgia, but, far from the scene of his arrest, he was quite talkative as he departed New Jersey.

This from dailymail.com: [ He also ripped into "lowlife" Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis as he braces to become the first former president in history to pose for a mugshot and have his height and weight recorded. It is the fourth time he will be booked in 2023 as he faces multiple criminal cases during his run for president. ]

Earlier this evening, reporters for the Atlanta Journal Constitution noted that Trump's booking included verification of his height and weight.

The 77-year-old checked in at 6'3" and 215 lbs.

It was unclear as to whether District Attorney Willis or other law enforcement official would be making a statement. Trump's bail was set at $200,000.

A large crowd outside the jail, however, was making plenty of noise in support of the disgraced former president, who, more and more, looks like a South American politician in-exile. 

He was expected to depart on a flight back to New Jersey later tonight...

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Day Of The Booking...Indicted Trump In Georgia...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Is this your day? I mean for sheer happiness? You know, Donald J. Trump being booked into Fulton County Jail on all those charges of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden?

This afternoon, he will be arrested, finger-printed and stood upright for a mug shot of the sort reserved for criminals. Is that your simplest definition of karma, or what?

We offer this blurb from ajc.com and a pictorial of the doings outside the Atlanta, Georgia jail: [ Donald John Trump is set to surrender to authorities at the Fulton County Jail today to face charges that he engineered a vast conspiracy with 18 allies to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia.

The former commander-in-chief announced his intentions in a social media post, saying he would arrive in Atlanta in the afternoon to “proudly” be arrested on the 41-count indictment. He plans to arrive on the eve of a Friday deadline set by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, whose investigation stretched for more than two years and involved a special grand jury.

The media presence outside the jail has been growing all week. ]

 

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Vivek Wins, DeSantis Chokes and Trump Booked In Jail...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | Well, that would be wild. I mean the Prime Minister of England - Rishi Sunak - is of Indian descent. Yeah, what if Vivek Ramswamy shocked the universe and won the American presidency in 2024?

Hello, tandoori chicken!

It's a bit farfetched, I know. But the world spins on an axis that every so often changes, so...

Anyway, it appears that 37-year-old Ramaswamy had a very good night at yesterday's Republican Party debate in Wisconsin (see graphic above. click on it to enlarge.). He clearly won the debate? Could be. Candidate Nikki Haley, who schooled Vivek a time or two on his lack of experience during the show, might disagree.

Anyway, here's what dailymail.com posted: [ Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy won the first Republican 2024 debate on Wednesday evening, according to an exclusive poll for DailyMail.com, narrowly beating out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (shown in photo at left). He put up a combative performance, trading blows with opponents such as former Veep Mike Pence who seemed intent on cutting him down to size. It made him the focal point for much of the debate. That was enough for 28 percent of respondents to say that he had the best night, pipping DeSantis who won the approval of 27 percent. ]

American polling had various results, but a slew of media outlets were pouring additional shine on Ramaswamy, perhaps the most emotional debater on stage. He looked raw as a politician and at times looked as if he thought he was at a high school debate, his smiling a bit over the top.

But he did way better than dour-face Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who never rose above mediocrity in appearance and words. His answers were thick, often wordy and a certain awkwardness emanated from his persona. He's toast.

Ah, but today is the day Donald J. Trump, the dude not at the debate, turns himself into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. Arraignment day for the cat that tried that Coup d' Etat on the good Ol' USA. That'll charge the news wires. Somebody tell him he's in for much more than he imagines.

Oh, and something tells me Trump will be at the next debate.

He's an attention-needy soul and there won't be much going on by then - not like this week...

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At GOP Debate, Nikki Haley Offers Biting Truth...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | It was a slow Wednesday night. Middle of the week blahs. All the footballs were stashed away in team lockers across the country. A mellow rain had come and gone. I was planning on a Big Date for the weekend.

And in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it was a handful of Republicans on a televised stage in what was billed as a party debate but actually was nothing more than a clown show. Republicans do this to us every four years.

This one, the first of several to be held by the GOP ahead of the 2024 presidential election, had a bit of excitement. Nursing home fighting words were exchanged, but nothing wildly-insulting or anything that would either elevate a candidate or demoralize another.

Yet, there they were: Doug Burgum, the governor of North Dakota; Tim Scott, senator from South Carolina; Chris Christie, ex-governor of New Jersey; Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida; Nikki Haley, ex-governor of South Carolina; Mike Pence, ex-Veep; Vivek Ramaswamy, just an ordinary businessman from Ohio and some other Nobody from somewhere.

As a ratings show, it underwhelmed.

There was, however, a shining moment for truth-in-politics. It came from Miss Haley, the only woman on the stage. She set the boys right about the President Joe Biden budget they so eagerly and often criticize.

She said this, from politico.com: [ Nikki Haley tried to cast herself as the fiscal hawk on the stage, attacking her former boss, Donald Trump, and other Republican candidates, who she said are responsible for ballooning federal spending.

She tore into the bipartisan, $2.2 trillion Covid relief package, the CARES Act, which Trump signed into law.

"You have Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Mike Pence - they all voted to raise the debt," she said. "Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt. Our kids are never going to forgive us for this."

"Look at the 2024 budget, Republicans asked for $7.4 billion in earmarks. Democrats asked for $2.8 billion," she said. "So you tell me who are the big spenders. It’s time for an accountant in the White House." ]

Truer words were never spoken at any sort of Republican gathering, whether at the secret ones where they mix the Kool-Aid or, well, in a very public national debate. 

You know it and I know it.

Chalk one on the board for Nikki Haley...

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Rudy's Mug Shot...Alone In Despair...Prison Looms...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | It begins. Friends and associates of Donald J. Trump walking the legal plank. How long had this been expected? The sad, bulbous face above is that of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, once a respected federal prosecutor and admired Big Apple politician.

But he fell for the charm of one of America's worst people, was used and abused and is now facing mounting legal bills Trump has declined to pay directly (he has promised to attend a fundraiser for poorer-by-the-day Rudy, however).

This from the NYdailynews.com: [ Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who made a career of prosecuting criminals before his two-term, law-and-order-focused mayoralty, surrendered to Georgia authorities Wednesday on 2020 election interference charges.

Giuliani, who faces 13 counts including violation of the Georgia RICO Act and several false statement charges, was processed at the Fulton County jail. His bail was set at $150,000 bond, according to Fulton County jail records.

At his booking, Giuliani - described in the jail records as 5-foot-11, 230 lbs. - wore a navy suit and a red, white and blue tie, a shiny American flag pin hanging from his lapel. He appeared to lean forward, grimacing slightly, in his mugshot. ]

It is one helluva fall from grace for this guy.

He earned it. Caught in the Klieg lights under which Trump lives, Giuliani went all-in on defending the former president at all turns. Rudy spared no money or time; he was there when he was asked to be there, there being anywhere Trump sent him.

But getting himself involved in Trump's desperate desire to stay in office even after losing the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden has now brought Giuliani closer to prison.

He was called a hero after his actions following the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers in Manhattan.

That now seems so long ago...

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SUN MOVIES:..."Y Tu Mamá También"...

For Veep Kamala Harris, A Lot Of Crap From Republicans...

 

By EDUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ

McALLEN, Texas | It's the bummer job for anyone who has been a take-charge person in a take-charge position. Being vice-president of the United States has its perks, but it also can be a life seemingly in the outs of frozen Siberia.

Say hell-o to Kamala Harris, the 58-year-old Veep currently being dogged by Republicans ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Incumbent Joe Biden, a Democrat, is seeking another four-year term and, presumably, keeping Harris on the ticket.

She's a target, however.

Right-wing media pundits have lumped on her for the extent of this term and now they are laying it on thicker as the GOP settles its internal brawls to select an opponent for Biden-Harris next year. Does she deserve the criticism? They say she's aloof, that she has not done the most to help Biden tackle thorny issues such as the still-ongoing abortion and border fights.

Harris, a former U.S. Senator from California, could be excused for playing the government's second-banana role to the hilt. She's been no worse than former-Veep Mike Pence, but right-wingers hand Pence a pass on most of the stuff he was and wasn't involved in during Donald J. Trump's term at the White House.

Vice presidents don't often seek the limelight. That's by the very design of the office. She is there to support Biden and to take on issues the president assigns her.

This nugget from an interview of Harris by politico.com: [ There has long been a consensus inside Harris’ inner circle that the vice president needs to get out of Washington and hit the road more. More outreach and handshaking; less time on Capitol Hill.

It’s certain to be the case through the entire 2024 election cycle.

Aides say Harris’ current, more fitting portfolio as the administration’s front person on abortion rights, gun violence, climate change and civil rights will be front and center during the campaign. They view her key constituencies as people of color, especially Black voters, young people and women.

Earlier this month, on the third anniversary of Biden selecting her as his running mate, the campaign released a detailed memo - “Why Vice President Harris Is Invaluable for 2024” - advertising her centrality in its strategy. It also aimed to serve as a tonic to help calm the nerves of some in the Democratic Party still whispering their concerns about Harris running with an octogenarian at the top of the ticket.

Republicans have tried to capitalize on those whispers, using the specter of a Harris presidency as a scare tactic.

“Kamala is a bogeyman that Republicans can use when it comes to pushing their message. A President Harris would be even worse than a President Biden because she campaigned as a progressive fighter and had to moderate herself when she became Biden’s running mate,” said one leading Republican strategist granted anonymity to speak freely.

Harris has heard those and other political attacks since the beginning of the administration.

“There are so-called leaders who aren’t focused on tackling the issues or challenges this country is facing,” she said. “Instead, they focus on me because they don’t want people to focus on what the Biden-Harris administration has delivered.”]

She also served California as its attorney general from 2011 to 2017 and before that was district attorney for San Francisco, 2004-2011.

In those roles, however, Kamala Harris was used to being front-center and calling the shots.

You don't get to do too much of that as a vice president.

The criticism will always be there...

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SUN SPORTS - ...Tommy Hearns KOs Roberto Duran...