President Obama
Ethel Kennedy left us yesterday at age 96, 56 years after her husband, U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated. I always admired her for how she raised her 11 children, nine who are still with us, after the death of her husband. She was a special and great American.
On a related note, I found this interesting from the “Today” website:
Taylor Swift had a connection with Ethel Kennedy even before meeting the matriarch of the Kennedy family.
Ethel Kennedy, who was married to Robert F. Kennedy, died on Oct. 10 from complications related to a stroke she suffered last week, her grandson, Rep. Joe Kennedy III, wrote in a statement on X. She was 96.
The mother of 11 was the inspiration for Swift’s song “Starlight,” which is featured on Swift’s 2012 album “Red.” There’s also a “Starlight (Taylor’s Version)” from the 2021 re-recording, “Red (Taylor’s Version).”
Back in 2012, the pop star explained how a black-and-white photo of two people from decades ago inspired her to write the upbeat love song.
“I get a lot of style inspiration from the 1960s, so I’ll go and look at black and white pictures, and look at (photos from the) ‘50s and ‘60s,” she told The Wall Street Journal. “And I came across this picture of these two kids dancing at a dance. It immediately made me think of like how much fun they must have had that night. It was back in the late ‘40s.”
As Swift continued looking at the photograph, she learned more about the couple who were in the snap.
“I ended up reading underneath that it was Ethel Kennedy and Robert F. Kennedy. And they were like 17 (Robert was born Nov. 20, 1925, Ethel on April 11, 1928),” she said. “So I just kind of wrote that song from that place, not really knowing how they met or anything like that. And then her daughter Rory ended up coming to a show a couple weeks later and I told her about the song and she was like, ‘You have to meet my mom. She would love to meet you.’ So that was kind of what that song was about.” Swift and Ethel Kennedy would meet and later pose together at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2012 in Park City, Utah.
Here is the entire read: Ethel Kennedy Inspired Taylor Swift’s Song ‘Starlight.’ What The Pop Star Shared (today.com).
In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Ethel Kennedy the Presidential Medal of Freedom honor.
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Speaking of President Obama, he was back on the campaign trail last night with a scorcher of a speech in Pittsburgh. See the featured photo. Here are a few of his lines from last night:
They can’t hear your boos, but they can hear your vote.
Do you think Donald Trump has ever changed a tire in his life.
That was my economy. I handed it over to him (Trump).
Do you think Donald Trump has changed a diaper.
Nice job, Mr. President.
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State Sen. Carol Alvarado was endorsed by the Houston Chronicle. See this:
This Democrat can play offense and defense in the Texas Senate
Carol Alvarado made her mark in Austin, in part, by working on a bipartisan grand jury reform bill in 2015 before making the leap from the House to the Senate District 6 during a special election in 2018. She had a productive freshman term there, co-sponsoring and passing 29 bills.
She hasn’t let up. In fact, in this most recent session, she set a personal record: passing 38 bills.
“I’ve been able to work across party lines while staying true to my Democratic values and principles on things like voting rights, women’s reproductive rights, civil rights issues, education,” while still “working hard to find common ground on economic issues [and] workforce development issues,” Alvarado, who turns 57 in October, told the editorial board.
Here is the entire endorsement: Senate District 6: Carol Alvarado or Martha Fierro | Endorsement (houstonchronicle.com).
Way to go, Senator!
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Commentary voted for the HISD bonds. I have never opposed HISD bonds, and I am not going to start voting against them in 2024. If we have an elected board running the district or a TEA appointed board of managers, I don’t want our kids going to school in unsafe buildings that are falling apart or have lousy heating and air conditioning. Here is from the Chron:
Houston leaders held dueling, simultaneous press conferences Thursday about Houston ISD’s controversial $4.4 billion bond proposal.
With less than a month before Election Day, the two coalitions voiced their arguments for why voters should either support or oppose the largest school bond in state history. The district’s first school bond in 12 years has faced more public pushback than previous bonds due largely to opposition to the state takeover and appointed Superintendent Mike Miles‘ leadership.
HISD parents, Houston’s NAACP branch, the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation and the Harris County Democratic and Republican Party spoke out against the bond, while Children at Risk, the Houston Food Bank, the Center for School Behavioral Health and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston spoke in favor.
Here is the entire Chron read: Coalitions argue for, against HISD bond in separate press conferences (houstonchronicle.com).
This is also in the Chron today:
Houston ISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers named 13 people and two alternates Friday to the committee that will oversee the district’s $4.4 billion school bond if voters approve the measure next month.
After more than three hours in closed session, the board named a group of people who represent “fields of law, finance, accounting, construction, engineering, government, education, edtech and energy” to the committee. All members are HISD residents, and six of them are past, current or future HISD parents, according to the district.
The Bond Oversight Committee will be responsible for monitoring progress of bond projects, providing regular updates to district leaders, communicating allegations of wrongdoing, potential waste or fraud to the superintendent and other oversight duties related to the bond.
Andy Canales
Canales is the principal and operating partner at Broadtree Partners, a private equity firm.
Andy Chan
Chan is the first Asian American Mayor of Southside Place and a former member of the City of Southside Place City Council.
Bob Eury
Eury is the retired president of Central Houston, the Houston Downtown Management District, and the Downtown Redevelopment Authority.
Chris Brown
Brown is an HISD parent and the former Houston City Controller, where he served as the city’s chief financial officer for eight years.
Christopher Cola
Cola, the father of two HISD graduates, is a certified public accountant and a former chief financial officer.
Daria Wenas
Wenas is an HISD parent who has worked as a consultant and manager at Ernst & Young, one of the world’s largest accounting networks, for more than 17 years. She currently works as managing director at EY’s National Tax Department, where she specializes in pass-through transactions.
Felix Chevalier
Chevalier, a Houston attorney who launched the Chevalier Law Firm, has represented several government agencies and corporations. He also leads strategic partnerships with Urban Capital Network, a venture capital firm, and is a senior consultant for Cornerstone Government Affairs, a consulting firm based in D.C.
Jarred Morgan (alternate)
Morgan works as principal consultant at AG Consulting Partners, a management consulting firm specializing in sales, marketing and project leadership.
Karen Duffy (alternate)
Duffy is an HISD parent with more 20 years of experience in education, nonprofit and volunteer leadership, including as PTA president at Travis Elementary.
Lauren Haller Fontaine
Haller Fontaine, an HISD parent, is the senior director and senior legal counsel at Pattern Energy, where she leads legal operations with a focus on compliance and intellectual property.
Marcos Rosales
Rosales is a trial lawyer and partner at Beck Redden LLP, who has previously served as general counsel of a multi-industry business enterprise and a commercial construction company.
Mark Mallette
Mallette is the former chief operating officer at Freeport LNG, a liquefied natural gas company, where he was “responsible for the successful execution of multibillion-dollar projects.”
Michael Davis
Davis is a licensed real estate broker, business and life coach and the founder and chief executive officer of Brooks & Davis Real Estate Firm.
Taylor Chapman
Chapman is an investment principal at New Climate Ventures, where he leads venture investing efforts in decarbonization technologies.
Wendell Robbins III
Robbins is the president of W.A. Robbins Construction Co., Inc., a Houston construction company specializing in commercial construction.
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Early Voting in Person starts in ten days.
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The Yankees advanced to the ALCS.
