Internal Combustion

“A century and a half ago, Confederate Gen. Joseph Orville Shelby splashed into the wild waters of the Rio Grande off this border city and fled to Mexico, refusing to surrender to Union soldiers. Now the park named in his honor has become a front line in a feud between the state and the federal government — a power struggle over who ultimately has the right to control the border and the tide of humanity trying to cross it.” WaPo (Gift Article): Texas border city on edge as Gov. Abbott dials up battle with Biden. (It’s not about solving the problem. It’s about making the problem get more attention, even if that’s best achieved by making the problem worse.)

+ “In recent weeks, [Governor] Abbott’s efforts have grown much more contentious, with Texas law enforcement seizing control of a park along the river in Eagle Pass that is used by the U.S. Border Patrol. Texas officials are now blocking access to the park by federal law enforcement, a move that has earned the endorsement of dozens of Republican governors in other states … In a post on social media, Trump encouraged ‘all willing States to deploy their guards to Texas to prevent the entry of Illegals, and to remove them back across the Border.'” … But calls for support weren’t answered by just official state actors. A number of convoys of individuals supportive of Texas’s heavy-handed response to migrants — and its rejection of federal authority — are planning to travel to the area.” WaPo (Gift Article): The combustible mix of right-wing anger coming together in Texas.

+ Meanwhile, the House GOP prepares to impeach Homeland Security chief over handling of U.S. border