Just One Thing: Texas ends DEI in public universities
Last year, Texas passed Senate Bill 17 and it went into effect this January, banning state universities from spending any money on DEI training or DEI-specific employees or offices, or from using DEI protocols to influence hiring or employment. It’s almost enough to make you want to send your kids to school in Texas, though I emphasize “almost”. Yesterday the University of Texas announced that they are firing roughly 60 employees who had been wasting well over $1.5 million taxpayer dollars per year with their racist programs. UT Austin has also closed its Multicultural Engagement Center which held, among other things, the Queer and Trans Black Indigenous People of Color and Allies student group. Enough said.
UT Austin lays off around 60 staffers to comply with Texas DEI ban – Houston Public Media
Texas university lays off dozens of employees amid state DEI ban (usatoday.com)
The actual bill: TX SB17 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | LegiScan
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Today's Guests
DJ Summers is Director of Policy and Research at the Common Sense Institute. We'll talk about the news (that will not surprise any listener to this show) that the "free" lunch program for all public school kids in the state is already costing much more than expected.
CSI Director of Policy & Research DJ Summers.
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Mark S Zaid is a National security attorney. He was just listed to Forbes top 200 lawyers in the US. (Woo hoo!) He represents multiple clients suffering from "Havana Syndrome" which the federal government officially still says probably doesn't really exist.
Mark S. Zaid, P.C. (markzaid.com)
Havana syndrome won’t go away - POLITICO
What's likely behind mysterious 'Havana syndrome' that plagued US diplomats - ABC News (go.com)
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Comedian Jon Reep joins me in studio! John's a very funny dude and he's playing at Comedy Works Downtown (at Larimer Square) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
He's the host of the cleverly named Carolina Reeper show on FB and YouTube: Home - Carolina Reeper with Jon Reep
Jon Reep | Live in Denver | Comedy Works
Jon Reep’s website
See another video at the end of the blog
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Other Stuff
Doesn't exactly seem like the most competent governing: Denver says dying isn't 'negative outcome' of homeless initiative | 9news.com
(And I'm not talking about the headline...I'm talking about the budgetary aspects.)
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Did ya ever year a story about one of your heroes, or at least someone you have thought highly of, and have it make you think a little less of them? OR, if the story isn’t about the thing for which you care about that person then is it irrelevant?
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I wish them clear skies: Solar eclipse weather forecast means anxiety for totality tourists (usatoday.com)
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I just hate it when gov't talks about letting us keep more of our own money has having a cost or needing more money in the state budget. This was the inevitable cry once they waited a while to do something when all they needed to do was pass something limiting the max increase per year. It doesn't "cost" the state anything because they'd still get more than the year (or two years) before. Colorado's state budget doesn't account for promised tax cuts - The Colorado Sun
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I keep not getting to this, in part because I wonder if it's too heavy for the show, but I might talk about it today: ‘I’m 28. And I’m Scheduled to Die in May.’ | The Free Press (thefp.com)
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Remarkable: One woman is changing women’s sports - Iowa's victory over LSU is the most-watched women's college basketball game on record | AP News
As DEI dies on the vine, there are and will remain plenty of holdouts because it's a giant racket, a giant industry, a giant grift, and people who are profiting mightily will not walk away quietly.
Now I don't want to say that a truly top-tier consulting firm like McKinsey is intentionally grifting, but data that they have released in several studies over multiple years purporting to show financial benefits from firms becoming more "diverse" in management are now being challenged.
First is the challenge, then a recent McKinsey report doubling down on their claims (not in response to the challenge, which is newer).
Why diversity matters even more | McKinsey
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Ugh: Toronto player under NBA investigation for betting irregularities (usatoday.com)
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Denver is still a tough place to afford a home: Guess how many homes under $300,000 are on the market in Denver (denverite.com)
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A month is a long time in politics. Seven months is just short of an eternity. Still, these findings are interesting: Five Takeaways on the Biden-Trump Race From WSJ's Swing-State Poll - WSJ
As if that’s not enough bad news for Biden: Biden Bests Trump on Likability; Trump Seen as Better Leader (gallup.com)
Of course, there’s always a micro data-point that seems to argue against macro statistics: 'Border moms' helping close Donald Trump's gender gap - Washington Times
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Well what did you think would happen? Wolf kills a calf in Colorado, the first confirmed kill after the predator's reintroduction - The Colorado Sun
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In my libertarian dreamworld, there would be liberty to ingest what you want (as an adult.). But there is an argument that we have so ruined the quality of citizen that liberty in certain areas imposes too much external harm. In any case, this is why I like federalism: Oregon Has a Drug Epiphany - WSJ
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I owe you this from yesterday though I'm not sure I'll have time to get to it today: The real D.C. crime wave - POLITICO
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Today's Videos
I had mentioned the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah" on the show along with the great (maybe greater than the original) covers by Jeff Buckley and KD Lang. A listener just sent me this fabulous rendition:
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BBQ baby head! I wonder what this young woman will end up choosing as a career. BBQ pitmaster? Cannibal?
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Jon Reep on being a redneck in Los Angeles
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And on how to mess with strangers