The State of Texas: September 22, 2015

Mashup Tuesday

People are still having fun with UT’s game on Saturday. Naturally, someone made the perfect mashup involving American Sniper. Perhaps the one good thing to come out of Longhorn losses is that they’ve been so dern amusing at it.

Daily Roundup

Technicalities — If anyone disliked defense lawyers before, they’re really not going to like this news about the execution-style death of Harris County Sheriff Deputy Darren Goforth. The defense representing Shannon Miles is looking into whether the deputy was at the gas station to meet a woman. Why is that important? “If Goforth was there to meet with the unidentified woman, rather than to gas up his patrol car, that could prove critical to the defense, [lawyer Anthony] Osso said at the press availability,” according to the Houston Chronicle. So, rather than being charged for murdering a cop while he was on official duty, Miles could just be charged for murder. Osso’s said his goal is to “get [the death penalty] off the table.” Will it stick? Tough to say, especially since no one approves of targeting a cop period. In addition, officials maintain that Goforth was “on duty and stopped at the station to fill up his patrol car following a routine accident investigation.” Even Osso admitted there’s not a lot of precedent for the argument: “This could be a highly litigated issue.”

Good Times — Ahmed Mohamed sure is milking his moment in the social media sun for everything it’s worth. Per the family’s promise, they’ve officially withdrawn their son and his younger siblings from Irving ISD schools. After receiving invitations from NASA, Google, and beyond, Mohamed is flying to New York City Wednesday to meet with dignitaries at the United Nations, reports the Dallas Morning News. To be fair, the family says Ahmed is having a little trouble adjusting to all of the rah-rahing from certain sections of the public, Mohamed’s father says he hasn’t been eating or sleeping well, and told the Dallas Morning News that the attention has “torn the family, and makes us very confused.” And speaking of confusing, if any of Ahmed’s liberal cheerleaders really want a mind-bending, how about their favorite atheist grouch Richard Dawkins pushing the theory that Ahmed’s intentions weren’t all that innocent. “Citing a YouTube video posted by Thomas Talbot that says Mohamed didn’t actually invent or build the clock, Dawkins wondered, if this is true, what Mohamed’s motive for bringing the device to school was,” The Blaze writes. Based on that video, Dawkins has questioned if Ahmed actually made or invented a clock, or if he just took the casing off of one he bought at the store. Dawkins joined a tiny chorus of others who allege Ahmed kinda knew what he was doing.

Poorly Researched — The fight over Medicaid budget cuts affecting therapy for disabled children continues. The implementation of the cuts has been delayed until October 1, but officials are still arguing with therapists and families in court. On Monday “a state employee called to testify in the case provided new evidence that the health commission has not formally studied how the cuts would affect children’s access to therapy services,” reports the Texas Tribune. “Pam McDonald, the health commission’s director of rate analysis, confirmed that state employees were told never to say that they were certain the cuts would not jeopardize access to care.” The evidence Monday, “paints a clearer picture of discussions taking place inside the state’s main health agency as it seeks to follow lawmakers’ wishes by slashing by roughly 20 percent the payments therapists receive from Medicaid — the public insurance program for the poor and disabled.”