The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - August 19, 2024

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Monday, August 19th, 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. First up, Texas Children's Hospital has fired a whistleblower following allegations that it was, quote, unlawfully billing the state Medicaid program for the purposes of child gender modification. The whistleblower, Vanessa Sivage, provided a statement to the Manhattan Institute's Christopher Ruffo with details about how she was fired after revealing the, quote, sex change procedures ongoing at the hospital, but also the fraud and deception related to the illegal billing practices to Medicaid in having these procedures covered by taxpayers, end quote.

Starting point is 00:00:51 Sivage stated that after her initial story went public, Texas Children's put her on leave. She was then fired on Friday, August 16th. Prior to Sivage blowing the whistle, she stated that she submitted a religious accommodation request to transfer to another department. She said her role in the endocrinology clinic was devastating because her role as a nurse, quote, primarily involved providing medication refills and working with physicians to answer questions from parents about treatment plans. Following Savage talking with Ruffo, the Federal Bureau of Investigation sent agents to her home to intimidate and threaten her, in Ruffo's words. Next, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE, has sued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in an effort to prevent the

Starting point is 00:01:39 Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment, or SCOPE, Act from going into effect. The SCOPE Act, also known as House Bill 18, was passed during the 88th legislative session. The law aims to prevent digital service providers, or DSPs, from entering into agreements with minors without parental or guardian consent. It also mandates that DSPs include options in these agreements for parents or guardians to permanently enable specific settings. Additionally, the SCOPE Act requires certain disclosures about advertising practices and provides parents with greater transparency regarding how algorithms are used to target their children. The SCOPE Act was initially introduced by Representative Shelby Slauson and had 90 joint authors or co-authors from both parties.

Starting point is 00:02:28 Fier's complaint argues that the SCOPE Act, quote, In other news, the Federal Trade Commission has filed an administrative complaint against a group of Texas car dealerships, alleging that they targeted black and Latino consumers with unwanted and higher-priced add-ons. Asbury Automotive Group, the owner of the three Dallas-based David McDavid used car dealerships, are alleged to have, quote, charged consumers for add-ons they did not agree to, misled consumers into believing add-ons were required, and charged black and Latino consumers more than non-Latino white consumers for the same products, including add-ons. The FTC complaint also singles out Ali Bentley, the general manager of McDavid Ford Fort Worth, McDavid Honda Irving, and McDavid Honda Frisco, responsible for formulating, directing, and controlling the operations and practices of these dealerships, including the implementation of

Starting point is 00:03:31 financing, sales policies, and the sale of add-on products, as having, quote, knowledge of the unlawful practices alleged in the complaint. The add-ons include extended warranties, maintenance plans, chemical coatings, and dent protection. The FTC filing alleges that Asbury employees would receive additional compensation for these add-ons. The allegations say the packing of sales contracts with add-on charges was done in such a way that consumers were being charged without agreeing to the purchased add-ons. Last but not least, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that 28-year-old Austin Schaffner of Pasadena was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after he pled guilty to charges of unlicensed firearm sales involving machine gun parts and suppressors. According to the DOJ, Schaffner was operating an illegal business manufacturing and selling unmarked

Starting point is 00:04:25 firearms, known as ghost guns, as well as suppressors and components to convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns. Prosecutors say the operation was Schaffner's primary source of income and that he was using funds from the weapons he was selling to expand his enterprise. Schaffner was using the social media app Instagram to sell his weapons. One of his new prospective clients turned out to be an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Also, check out the newest episode of the Send Me Some Stuff podcast with reporters Brad Johnson and Cameron Abrams, available now on thetexan.news and wherever you listen to podcasts. These two

Starting point is 00:05:06 discuss the Donald Trump-Elon Musk conversation on X, their impressions of presidential hopeful Kamala Harris's vice presidential running mate Tim Walz, an interview with the former chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, and more. Thanks for listening. To support The Texan, please be sure to visit thetexan.news and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - August 19, 2024

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