Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:

President Barack Obama appeared on the final episode of comedian Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast, heaping praise on Austin State Rep. and Senate Candidate James Talarico, and taking issue with Governor Greg Abbott's deployment of Texas troops to Chicago, considering Abbott's freakout over Jade Helm in 2015: https://deadline.com/2025/10/barack-obama-wtf-final-episode-1236583585/

...Some of those Texas troops have been sent back home after apparently being found too fat for duty by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/hegseth-national-guard-overweight-troops-chicago-b2844960.html

As a panel of El Paso judges considers that new Texas congressional map, it's notable that lawyers for the state tried throughout to conceal as much as they could about its drawing process - and that the guy who drew it 100% ignored public testimony against the redraw: https://www.democracydocket.com/analysis/in-a-federal-courtroom-in-texas-republicans-were-desperate-to-keep-details-of-their-gerrymander-under-wraps/

...Meanwhile North Carolina becomes the next Republican state to consider gerrymandering itself for Trump: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxydpr1zz2o

The number of kindergarteners showing up for school without the basic state-required measles vaccination is skyrocketing: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/10/13/texas-schools-vaccines-measles-delinquencies/

Helena Moreno, who was elected mayor of New Orleans last weekend, has extensive ties to Texas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Moreno

It's almost time to vote! Check out our 2025 Texas Statewide Voting Guide, including a link at the bottom for a printable version you CAN take with you to the polls: https://progresstexas.org/blog/2025-texas-statewide-ballot-guide

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