Summer Solstice
Summer officialy gets underway this evening. We have been feeling the summer for a while now.
“The 3rd Hour of Today” is celebrating the Summer Soltice this morning from Anchorage, Alaska, the land of the midnight sun. See the featured photo.
North to Alaska
We’re goin’ north, the rush is on
That is from the 1960 tune and the movie “North to Alaska.”
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This just in from the Chron isn’t new news. See this:
Congratulations, Texas. Only Mississippi ranks worse when it comes to health care, but only by a smidge.
Texas was worse than Mississippi in terms of the number of low-income people accessing and affording health care, new research from The Commonwealth Fund shows. If it weren’t for slightly lower rankings in some of the other 69 categories, Mississippi might even have pulled ahead.
Health care in Texas has been pitiful for decades, and while the state has made progress in some areas, it has regressed in others. The Lone Star State is a lousy place to be sick and poor.
The big driver of poor health in Texas is Gov. Greg Abbott’s refusal to expand Medicaid, the health care program for low-income people. The Texas Medicaid program does not cover able-bodied, childless adults or the working poor whose employers do not offer health insurance.
Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the country at 22% of adults, double the national average. We have the second-highest uninsured rate for children at 12%, more than double the national average of 5%.
This is something Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick never seem to mention. Such shameful policy.
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Not surprisingly, my state senator, Sen. Molly Cook, was rated the most liberal senator in the Texas State Senate. So, I have the most liberal state representative, State. Rep. Christina Morales and most liberal state senator, Sen. Cook. I’ll take it.
Here is the Trib piece on the state senate ratings: Analysis: The 2025 Texas Senate, from right to left | The Texas Tribune.
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From the Chron on the Pasadena runoff tie:
A coin toss will determine who will win a seat on the Pasadena City Council.
The June 7 runoff election for the District B seat on the City Council ended with both incumbent Bianca Valerio and her challenger, Bruce Leamon, receiving 272 votes.
“Please remember how important local elections are,” District C council member Emmanuel Guerrero said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “A good example is currently in District B. There is a tie — very interesting circumstances. The same amount of voters came out and voted. One of y’all here could’ve made the difference.”
According to the Secretary of State’s website, “if two or more candidates for the same office tie for the number of votes required to be elected, a second election to fill the office shall be held.”
The state’s election code also states that the “tying candidates may agree to cast lots to resolve the tie.” Additionally, a “written statement of withdrawal signed and acknowledged by the candidate,” ends the tie.
A statement from the city confirmed a coin flip at 11 a.m. at City Hall will decide the election on June 30.
Heads ot tails, I guess.
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Today is the 50th anniversary of the release of “Jaws.” I saw it the day it was released. Great flick. It comes in at number 48 of the American Film Institute’s Best Movies of All Time. It won the Oscar for Best Film Editing and Best Sound, and, oh yeah, Best Score. That haunting music score is one of the most recognizable and “you’re gonna need a bigger boat” is one of the most memorable lines. The opening scene is one of the best. Like I said, great flick.
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The Astros lost in extra innings last night and visit the Angels this weekend.
