Good morning,

Every Texan rightly celebrates Oct. 2 (as I will tomorrow) because it is the anniversary of the Battle of Gonzales. But we shouldn’t rush past the significance of October 1, 1835, when the townspeople of Gonzales – knowing Mexican soldiers were coming for their cannon – met, debated, and then voted to proceed with an armed confrontation. They were determined to govern themselves, even if it meant their own bloodshed.

Here is today's Texas Minute.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Thursday, October 1, 2020
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• Did you hear Joe Biden is doing a campaign train tour? Yes, seriously. A train tour. He must think it’s 1920 all over again... or believe it still is.

• U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz had high praise for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cruz discussed  his meeting with Barrett and her qualifications. 
   
• “Unfortunately, I expect my Democratic colleagues to do everything they can to attack Judge Barrett. We’ve already seen the beginning of this with the attacks on her family. The attacks have been despicable, and I very much hope we don’t see Democrats recreate the personal smears that marred the Kavanaugh confirmation hearing.” – Sen. Ted Cruz

• A coalition of grassroots activists are planning a protest at the Governor’s Mansion in Austin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10. Brandon Waltens has the details.
      
• “Tired of masks and HIS control? THIS TYRANNY MUST END NOW,” reads the event flyer being distributed around the state. Sponsored by “The Still-Somewhat Free Citizens of Texas,” the protest seeks out business owners, bar owners, salon owners, parents, and Texans at large who are frustrated with the shutdown orders and mandates that have originated from Gov. Abbott’s office since March.
     
• I plan to attend, and hope you will, too!

• Two doctors who have been at the forefront of the fight against the Chinese coronavirus told a North Texas audience that, despite misinformation from media and elected officials, there are already successful treatments available. Robert Montoya was there and has a report.
   
• “People are making foolish decisions and following foolish mandates because they’re being controlled by fear. And until we get rid of fear, we’re really not going to be able to motivate people to come to our side,” said Dr. Simone Gold, a board-certified emergency physician with a law degree from Sanford.
   
• While much has been made of hydroxychloroquine, other readily available medicines have also seen success. Dr. Richard Bartlett, a West Texas family medicine and emergency doctor, described his experience using the inhaled steroid budesonide.
      
• “Despite what Dr. Fauci thinks, Oxford University and the University of Queensland Australia have one of their doctors that’s a professor of mathematics at Oxford, named Dan Nicolau, and he says that inhaled budesonide does work against COVID and that it’s a big deal,” Bartlett told Texas Scorecard.

• Meanwhile, legislation has been filed by U.S. Reps. Van Taylor (R-TX) and Donna Shalala (D-FL) to “harmonize the collection and reporting of public health data across all levels of government.” 
   
• According to Taylor, the legislation was filed because the coronavirus pandemic has “highlighted long-standing inconsistencies in the collection and reporting of public health data,” preventing public health officials from making well-informed decisions.

• Jimmy Flannigan, a left-wing incumbent on the Austin City Council, is currently running for re-election this November for his seat in the far northwest corner of the city.
   
• While Flannigan is highlighting his own “staunch fiscal responsibility” as a city councilman, Adam Cahn reports such claims stretch the boundaries of what those words actually mean.

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