The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - April 4, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Thursday, April 4th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans Assistant Editor Rob Lausches, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. After allegedly attempting to smuggle a foreign national over the border, a Texas State Guardsman deployed in Eagle Pass has been arrested. First reported by Allie Bradley at News Nation, it was confirmed with the Texas Department of Public Safety that 26-year-old Texas State Guard member Savion Johnson was arrested on March 30. In a statement to Bradley, Governor Greg Abbott said, If the allegations are true, the accused is a traitor and a criminal. Abbott said that the accused man's illegal smuggling may subject him to a mandatory minimum prison sentence of at least 10 years and added that, quote, he deserves more. Sources told News Nation that Johnson was promised $5,000 to $6,000

Starting point is 00:00:56 for smuggling the person and that he was armed during the attempt. A viral social media post claiming Texas' voter roll grew by 1.25 million since the start of this year is totally inaccurate, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said on Wednesday, stating the number is actually 57,711. The original post, shared by the account EndWokeness, claimed that the number of voters registering without a photo ID is skyrocketing in three key swing states. It cited the Social Security Administration's Help America Vote Verification database that checks, among other factors, whether a registered voter is still alive. The post was then shared by Elon Musk, whose 179 million ex-followers made it go even more viral. In the end, the Secretary of State confirmed that the number cited was the frequency with which the office checked to verify a voter file was still attached to a living person. It is totally inaccurate that 1.2 million voters have registered to vote in Texas without voter ID this year, Nelson said in a release. She said that the almost 58,000 added to the rolls is lower than 65,000 who were added in 2022 and 104,000 who were added in 2020.

Starting point is 00:02:08 Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have both confirmed that a person in Texas has tested positive for H5N1, better known as bird flu. According to the CDC and confirmed by Miller, the individual had been exposed to dairy cattle in Texas supposedly infected with bird flu. The CDC stated this is only the second person in the U.S. to ever test positive for bird flu, the other case occurring in Colorado in 2022. It went on to state this is quote, uncommon, but has occurred sporadically worldwide. The Texas Department of State Health Services also confirmed the report of a person becoming sick following contact with dairy cows. Miller added that a CalMain Foods poultry facility received notice of a positive bird flu test and will be location will depopulate 3.6% of the company's total flock and that production has temporarily ceased. Cal Main added that bird flu is not transmitted through properly cooked eggs, and there is no known risk for eggs currently in the market, and that no eggs have been recalled due to the positive test. Dallas is aiming to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2030. On April 3, the Dallas

Starting point is 00:03:30 Director of Transportation Gus Concarli gave his update on the city's Vision Zero efforts to the city council. Vision Zero is an internationally adopted strategy for eliminating traffic fatalities and reducing serious injury that was first implemented in Sweden in 1997. It has gained momentum across cities in America, including major cities in Texas such as Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Dallas adopted its Vision Zero action plan in 2022. In 2023, there were 208 traffic fatalities in the city. Most traffic fatalities or serious injuries result from accidents that are speed-related or involve impairment or distracted driving. Failing to wear a seatbelt increases the chance of death or serious injury from 1% to 10%, Kankarli said.

Starting point is 00:04:17 In the $1.25 billion bond package that will be voted on by Dallas residents on May 4th, about $47 million is allocated to transportation projects, with $12.4 million dedicated to Vision Zero efforts. Thanks for listening. Be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - April 4, 2024

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