What is Federalism?

 - Click here. 

United States: 
- U.S. Constitution.
- U.S. Code.
- Code of Federal Regulations.
- U.S. Case Law.

Texas: 
- Texas Constitution.
- Texas Statutes.
- Texas Adminstrative Law.
- Texas Case Law.

Houston: 
- Code of Ordinances.

https://uscode.house.gov/browse/prelim@title52&edition=prelim

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/

https://www.brazoriacountyclerktx.gov/departments/elections

https://library.municode.com/tx/pearland/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH

https://www.pearlandisd.org/board-of-trustees/election-information

https://www.alvincollege.edu/about/college-leadership/board-of-regents/elections.html

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/09/texas-railroad-commission-primary-2026-guide-wright-rosenthal/

https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/03/2026-texas-supreme-court-primary-guide-2/

Dear ChatGPT: Outline the subject matter covered in the Federalist Papers

- Click here for the full answer.

Here’s a topic-by-topic map of the subject matter in the Federalist Papers to the specific essay numbers, organized the way constitutional law courses and serious history texts usually do it.

I. Failure of the Articles of Confederation

Why the existing system could not survive
- Federalist No. 15 – Insufficiency of the Confederation
- Federalist No. 16 – Impossibility of enforcing federal laws on states
- Federalist No. 17 – States’ attraction to their own power
- Federalist No. 18–20 – Lessons from ancient & modern confederacies (Greece, Rome, Holy Roman Empire, Netherlands)

Core takeaway: A government acting only on states is structurally defective.


II. Dangers of Disunion & Benefits of Union

- Federalist No. 1 – Purpose of the essays; choice between reason and force
- Federalist No. 2 – Advantages of unity (Jay)
- Federalist No. 3 – Union and foreign relations
- Federalist No. 4–5 – European threats & manipulation
- Federalist No. 6–7 – Interstate conflict without union
- Federalist No. 8 – Standing armies & militarization
- Federalist No. 9 – Union as a cure for faction
- Federalist No. 10 – Faction & the extended republic
- Federalist No. 11 – Commercial advantages of union
- Federalist No. 12–13 – Revenue and efficiency

Core takeaway: Union is the precondition for security and liberty.


III. Republican Government & Popular Sovereignty

- Federalist No. 9 – Republican principles refined
- Federalist No. 10 – Representation vs. pure democracy
- Federalist No. 14 – Geographic size and republicanism
- Federalist No. 39 – Definition of a republican government
- Federalist No. 57 – Accountability of representatives
- Federalist No. 63 – Stability and public trust

Core takeaway: The Constitution creates a representative republic, not a democracy.


IV. Factions & Majority Tyranny

- Federalist No. 10 – Causes of faction and structural remedy
- Federalist No. 51 – Internal controls on faction through separation of powers

Core takeaway: You cannot eliminate faction—only control its effects.


V. Federalism: Division of National & State Power

- Federalist No. 39 – Federal vs. national character
- Federalist No. 45 – Limited federal powers; broad state powers
- Federalist No. 46 – States as safeguards against federal overreach
- Federalist No. 47 – Separation of powers applied to federalism

Core takeaway: Dual sovereignty protects liberty through competition.


VI. Separation of Powers

- Federalist No. 47 – Montesquieu and separation of powers
- Federalist No. 48 – Dangers of legislative dominance
- Federalist No. 49 – Appeals to the people
- Federalist No. 50 – Periodic constitutional conventions rejected
- Federalist No. 51 – Structural checks: “ambition must counteract ambition”

Core takeaway: Liberty survives through institutional design, not virtue.


VII. Checks and Balances

- Federalist No. 51 – Internal checks
- Federalist No. 52–53 – House elections & accountability
- Federalist No. 54 – Representation and taxation
- Federalist No. 63 – Senate’s stabilizing role

Core takeaway: Overlapping powers force deliberation and restraint.


VIII. Legislative Branch (Congress)

- Federalist No. 52–56 – House of Representatives
- Federalist No. 57 – Electoral accountability
- Federalist No. 58 – Apportionment & population growth
- Federalist No. 59 – Federal control of elections
- Federalist No. 60–61 – Election safeguards
- Federalist No. 62–63 – Senate structure & purpose

Core takeaway: Bicameralism balances responsiveness and stability.


IX. Executive Branch (The Presidency)

- Federalist No. 67–71 – Nature of executive power
- Federalist No. 70 – Unity of the executive
- Federalist No. 71 – Duration in office
- Federalist No. 72 – Re-eligibility
- Federalist No. 73 – Veto power
- Federalist No. 74–75 – Military & treaty powers
- Federalist No. 76–77 – Appointments
- Federalist No. 78 (partly) – Executive influence on courts

Core takeaway: Energy + accountability beats plural executive chaos.


X. Judicial Branch

- Federalist No. 78 – Judicial review & independence
- Federalist No. 79 – Judicial compensation
- Federalist No. 80 – Jurisdiction of federal courts
- Federalist No. 81 – Limits on judicial power
- Federalist No. 82 – Concurrent jurisdiction
- Federalist No. 83 – Jury trials

Core takeaway: Courts defend the Constitution, not policy preferences.


XI. Military, War, and National Defense

- Federalist No. 23–29 – Military powers & militias
- Federalist No. 24–26 – Standing armies
- Federalist No. 41 – Defense as a core national function

Core takeaway: Defense requires national coordination, not state rivalry.


XII. Taxation, Spending, and Commerce

- Federalist No. 30–36 – Federal taxing power
- Federalist No. 41–44 – Necessary and Proper Clause
- Federalist No. 42 – Commerce Clause
- Federalist No. 45 – Balance of fiscal power

Core takeaway: Revenue power is inseparable from sovereignty.


XIII. Ratification & Constitutional Authority

- Federalist No. 40 – Legitimacy of the Convention
- Federalist No. 85 – Final defense of ratification
- Federalist No. 84 – Bill of Rights objection answered

Core takeaway: The Constitution derives authority directly from the people.


One-Sentence Synthesis: Each Federalist paper fits into a single grand project: designing a government strong enough to govern, but structured enough to remain free.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/us/politics/trump-save-act-elections.html

https://sites.duke.edu/thewellianmag/2021/03/01/what-are-tribal-nations-and-reservations/

https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/candidates/guide/2026/offices2026.shtml

https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/types-local-governments-by-state-2022.html

Crime and Criminal Procedure

It's useful to look through these as we also look through the due process clauses.

From U.S. Code: 

- U.S. Code: Title 18 — CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE.

From Texas Statutory Code: 

- Code of Criminal Procedure.

Dear ChatGPT:

Regarding Search Warrants


- Why might a request for a search warrant be denied? 

A judge or magistrate can deny a request for a search warrant when it fails to meet constitutional and statutory requirements—mostly grounded in the Fourth Amendment. The core idea is simple: the government has to justify invading someone’s privacy. Here are the main reasons a warrant gets rejected, grouped the way judges usually think about them.

No probable cause
Stale information
Lack of particularity
Unreliable informant or insufficient corroboration
Defective or misleading affidavit
No nexus between crime, place, and evidence
Constitutional or statutory violations
Overbreadth or disproportionality
Wrong judge or lack of jurisdiction


- How often are requests for search warrants denied? 

There isn’t a comprehensive official national count of how often judges deny search warrant requests in the ordinary criminal justice process in the United States (i.e., warrants based on probable cause under the Fourth Amendment). However, multiple empirical studies and data points suggest the denial rate for typical search warrants is very low.

Empirical research (e.g., a large analysis of electronic warrant requests in Utah) shows:

Judges approved about 98 % of warrant applications that were reviewed.

Over 93 % were approved on first submission.

Only roughly 2 % were not approved on first submission, which would include initial denials or requests for additional supporting information before approval.

The median judge review time was around three minutes.

That implies that outright denials (not conditional approvals or requests for more information) happen only in a small single-digit percentage of cases — perhaps 2 % or less of submitted requests — in these studied contexts. However, exact national statistics across all states and jurisdictions are not widely published.

- Provide examples of denied search warrants.

Here are well-known examples where courts denied search warrants or suppressed searches because the warrant application failed constitutional standards—mainly under the Fourth Amendment’s probable cause and particularity requirements. I grouped them by why the warrant failed

Lack of Probable Cause

Aguilar v. Texas

What happened: Police sought a warrant based solely on an unnamed informant’s tip.
Why denied: The affidavit gave no basis for the informant’s credibility or how they knew the information.
Rule: Established the Aguilar–Spinelli test (later relaxed, but still influential).

Overbroad or General Warrants

Stanford v. Texas

What happened: Warrant authorized seizure of all books and papers related to communism.
Why denied: Essentially a general warrant, the very abuse the Fourth Amendment was written to stop.
Rule: Warrants must be highly particular, especially when First Amendment materials are involved.


Digital & Modern Examples

Riley v. California

What happened: Police searched cell phones without a warrant.
Why denied: Phones contain vast personal data; a warrant is required.
Rule: Digital searches demand heightened scrutiny.

The 9th Amendment: The Unenumerated Rights

 - Click here.

From PISD

Good afternoon everyone,

I want to make you aware that we have received information indicating a possible student walkout planned for Friday related to national immigration issues. Since the walkout could potentially occur at any of the Pearland ISD High School campuses, the high school principals are sending the following message to faculty and staff to ensure that all staff are aware of a potential protest and understand how they should respond if a student or multiple students walk out of the classroom.

While students may have strong feelings about current events, our role as educators is to ensure a safe, supervised, and orderly school day while maintaining focus on instruction for all students. Instruction will continue as scheduled, and classes should not be altered to acknowledge or accommodate a walkout. Staff must remain neutral at all times and may not encourage, discourage, promote, or participate in any student walkout or related activity. Students may not be released from class for this purpose. Any student who leaves class or campus without permission will be documented and addressed in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

Students who leave class or campus without authorization may receive an unexcused absence for missed instructional time and a disciplinary referral. Students who leave class or campus or refuse to follow staff direction may face further disciplinary action. These consequences will be applied consistently regardless of the reason for leaving class. If a student chooses to leave your classroom, do not physically block or restrain the student. Please document the incident according to the campus procedures. Instruction should continue for the remaining students. Administration and campus security will monitor hallways, exits, and common areas throughout the day.

Thank you for your continued professionalism and cooperation as we work together to maintain a safe, orderly, and respectful learning environment for all students. If you have questions regarding procedures, please contact an administrator directly.

- Free speech rights of high school students.

- Texas state leaders target school walkouts as students rally for Houston teen detained by ICE.

- What free speech rights do high school students have?

High school students do have free-speech rights, but those rights are more limited than adults’ and are shaped almost entirely by U.S. Supreme Court doctrine. The governing rule is not “no rights,” but conditional rights inside a compulsory, state-run institution.

Lawfare Live, The Now: Tariff Oral Argument at the Supreme Court

Dear ChatGPT:

 - Does the U.S. Constitution grant the power to make treaties with Indian tribes solely to the national government?

- Provide a comprehensive list of Indian treaties throughout U.S. history.

 

The Constitution of the State of Minnesota

Let's compare with the Texas Constitution.

- Click here for it. 

Consolidated Governmental Power

From AI Overview:

Consolidated governmental power is the centralization of authority within a single entity, individual, or governing body, often designed to increase efficiency, strengthen administrative control, and eliminate opposing factions. It reduces the influence of smaller, competing bodies and can lead to increased bureaucracy, authoritarianism, or more stable, unified governance.

Key Aspects of Consolidated Power
- Methods of Consolidation: Rulers and governments often secure power by purging opposition, controlling police/military forces, making key appointments, changing laws, and utilizing surveillance.
- Historical Context: Commonly seen in the rise of 15th-17th century European "New Monarchies," which aimed to reduce noble influence. It is also characterized by 20th-century communist regimes, such as Lenin and Stalin's in the Soviet Union, which used secret police and purges to eliminate rivalry.
- Governmental Structure: In some contexts, this refers to city-county consolidation, where multiple municipal governments merge into a single entity to streamline services.
- Risks: Centralizing power often brings risks of weakened checks and balances, potentially resulting in authoritarian rule or reduced individual liberties, such as those raised regarding the U.S. Patriot Act.

Forms of Consolidation
- Administrative: Merging departments or agencies to improve efficiency and reduce redundancy.
- Political: One party or leader gaining total control over decision-making, as seen in Soviet-style systems.
- Territorial: The merging of local governments (e.g., city-county) to form a single jurisdiction.

While intended to enhance stability and effectiveness, consolidating power often prompts concerns regarding the potential for misuse of authority and the marginalization of local or minority interests.  

Popular Sovereignty

From AI Overview: 

Popular sovereignty is the principle that a government’s power is created and sustained by the consent of its people, who are the source of all political authority. Rooted in American constitutional law and the idea of "We the People," it implies that government exists to serve the citizens, who hold ultimate authority to choose their representatives.

Key Principles and Aspects
- Consent of the Governed: Government legitimacy depends on the approval of the people.
- Source of Power: All political power is derived from the people, rather than from a monarch or, in the US case, exclusively from the states.
- Accountability: Leaders are accountable to the citizens and can be removed through elections,, recalls, or impeachment.
- Constitutional Basis: In the U.S., the Constitution is the supreme legal expression of this, ensuring that power is delegated by the people, not inherent in government, as mentioned in this YouTube video.

Historical and Contextual Applications
- American Revolution: Popular sovereignty emerged as a rejection of the divine right of kings and British monarchical rule.
- 19th Century Expansion of Slavery: The term was controversially applied in the U.S. to allow settlers in new territories to decide for themselves whether to permit slavery, a policy heavily associated with Stephen A. Douglas. This was central to the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which led to violent conflicts.

Limitations and Challenges
- Implementation Conflicts: As seen in "Bleeding Kansas," allowing territorial residents to vote on slavery created intense, violent conflict rather than a peaceful resolution.
- Defining "The People": Historically, the definition of who was included in "the people" with voting rights was restrictive.
- Potential for Tyranny: While democratic in nature, some critics argue that popular sovereignty could be used to justify the suppression of minority rights by a majority.

Speed Racer - ep 7 - "The Race against the Mammoth Car" - part 1

Rules related to yesterday's special elections

United States Constitution:  

Article 1, Section 2, Clause 1:

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
ArtI.S2.C1.1 - Congressional Districting
ArtI.S2.C1.2 - Voter Qualifications for House of Representatives Elections

Article 1, Section 2, Clause 4:

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
ArtI.S2.C4.1 - House Vacancies Clause


Texas Constitution:|

Article 3, Section 13:

Sec. 13. VACANCY IN LEGISLATURE. (a) When vacancies occur in either House, the Governor, or the person exercising the power of the Governor, shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies; and should the Governor fail to issue a writ of election to fill any such vacancy within twenty days after it occurs, the returning officer of the district in which such vacancy may have happened, shall be authorized to order an election for that purpose.

(b) The legislature may provide by general law for the filling of a vacancy in the legislature without an election if only one person qualifies and declares a candidacy in an election to fill the vacancy.

(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Nov. 6, 2001.)

See also Article 4, Section 12.


Texas Statutory Code:
- Texas Election Code.


Texas Secratary of State: 
- Elections and Voting. 
- - Current Election Information.
- - Important Election Dates 2025-2026.
- - Offices up for Election in 2026.

Special Elections in Texas

Runoff for US CD 18 to fill a seat made vacant by the death of Sylvester Turner.

- Governor's Proclamation.
- Christian Menefee wins Texas’ 18th Congressional District runoff against Amanda Edwards.
- Houston Democrat Christian Menefee wins special election to complete Sylvester Turner’s term in Congress.

Special election for Texas Senate Dictrist 9 made vacant by the resignation of Kelly Hancock.

- Governor's Proclamation.
- Texas stunner: Democrat Taylor Rehmet flips Republican state Senate district Trump won by 17 points.
- Democrat Taylor Rehmet wins solidly red Texas Senate seat in stunning special election upset.

Dear ChatGPT: Provide examples of economic emergencies declared by presidents.

One way to understand the growth of executive power in the United States is to chart the use of emergency powers to justfy it. 

Here is a look at economic emergencies, but as you can see economic emergencies and military emergencies can overlap.

- Click here for the full answer.

Here are two additional, related questions: 

- Why does the president have emergency powers?

- What does the U.S. Constitution say about emergency powers? 

From Lawfare

Some articles touching on constitutional conflict: 


- The State of FARA.

Last March, Arkansas proposed a bill that would require foreign agents to register in the state. It wasn’t alone: Similar bills were also introduced in Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, and other states. This slew of legislation is part of a broader trend by states to engage in national security and foreign policy-related issues, with states increasingly adopting analogues to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Collectively, these actions portend increasing compliance burdens for companies and nonprofits with certain foreign connections, in particular due to differences between state statutes and their federal cousin.

- - Foreign Agents Registration Act.
- - Supremacy Clause.


- Minnesota’s Compelling 10th Amendment Case Against Trump’s ICE Surge.

Control over state and local government personnel is one of the powers reserved to the states by the 10th Amendment. In addition, as legal scholar Michael Rappaport has shown, the original meaning of the Constitution indicates that such control is a basic element of the sovereignty inherent in being a state in the first place.

- - The Tenth Amendment.


- Grok, ‘Censorship,’ & the Collapse of Accountability.

While the ability to misuse AI image generation technology for purposes of harassment came as no surprise, researchers long assumed that such behavior and content would remain confined to dark pockets of the internet. Experts expected that these images would be generated primarily via open-source models and shared via underground or encrypted chats. Such models also support “nudify” apps, which could be used to generate virtual “revenge porn,” create fake content featuring celebrities distributed on dedicated domains, or be used as tools for teenagers to harass their classmates. But Grok’s unique integration with X enables creation, prominent public distribution, and effortless resharing via the retweet button—and could thus normalize such behavior at scale.

Elon Musk, CEO of xAI, dismissed the torrent of outrage that followed the proliferation of the content, explicitly stating that calls to curtail Grok amounted to an effort to “suppress free speech.” Musk’s fanboys, in his X mentions and elsewhere, reflexively echoed this position.

- Free Speech: Obscenuty.
- Free Speech: CP.

From the Washington Post: A mysterious delay in the Supreme Court tariffs case

An opinion weighing in on the process in the Supreme Court.

The case it discuses is Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump.
- Oyez: Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump.
- ScotusBlog: Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump.

It regards the constitutional taxing powers, and whether the president improperly used an act of Congress to bypass its limits.
- Overview of Taxing Clause.
- International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

 Click here for the full article. 

. . . more than 12 weeks have already passed since the Nov. 5, 2025 arguments in the tariffs case. Now the court is on break, meaning a decision is unlikely for at least a few more weeks. Judging by the oral argument, Trump is the underdog in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump. But the longer the case drags on without resolution, the less likely it is that the president got licked.

. . . The lengthy deliberations are a puzzle because the case is not particularly complex. The 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act allows the president to “regulate” imports in an emergency. Trump says this IEEPA language means he can impose unlimited tariffs on any country at will, even though the Constitution gives the tariff power to Congress. The Supreme Court has decided a series of similar cases in recent years emphasizing that Congress needs to speak clearly to give sweeping powers over the economy to the executive branch. This legislation doesn’t mention the power to tax or tariff.

It’s still hard to see how Trump wins this case, given the three liberal justices inclined against him, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch’s strict view of the separation of powers and the chief justice’s concern with the court’s nonpartisan reputation. But the odds of a clean and decisive defeat for the president are going down, and the odds of some sort of negotiated settlement are going up. Perhaps the justices are trying to engineer a way to block the tariffs only prospectively, without inviting an avalanche of lawsuits over refunds. That could be a worthy goal, but the damage from judicial delay is growing.

What is Statute Labor? What is Statutory Labor?

Statute labor (or statutory labor) historically refers to a system of forced or mandatory unpaid labor imposed by law, often requiring citizens to work on public projects like roads as a form of taxation.

In a modern context, this term is rarely used, though it broadly relates to labor regulated by government statutes.

Key aspects often associated with statutory or mandatory work include:

Historical Context: Historically, it was a requirement for residents to perform a certain number of days of labor on public infrastructure, such as road maintenance, in lieu of paying taxes.

Public Service: It was often organized at the local or municipal level.

Modern Equivalence: It has largely been replaced by taxation systems where money, rather than physical labor, is used to fund public works.

Note: In some contexts, the term "statutory employee" is used to describe a worker who is treated as an employee by law for tax purposes even if they are an independent contractor.


- Statute labor.

- Statutory labor.

The Evolution of the Texas Bill of Rights

 From 1876 to 2025

- 1876 Constitution, Article 1.

- As amended through November 2025.

The Compromise of 1850

- Click here for the entry. 

From the Washington Post: Senate passes funding deal, but short-term shutdown still expected

 - Click here for the full article.

The Wilderness Road

 

Wikipedia: The Wilderness Road.

The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other (more northern route) is sometimes called the "Cumberland Road" because it started in Fort Cumberland in Maryland. Despite Kentucky Senator Henry Clay's advocacy of this route early in the 19th century, the northern route was selected for the National Road, connecting near Washington, Pennsylvania into the Ohio Valley of northern Kentucky and Ohio.

In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap. It was later lengthened, following Indian trails, to reach the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The Wilderness Road was steep, rough and narrow. It could be traversed only on foot or horseback. By contrast, wagons could travel along the National Road route (originally the Braddock Road blazed by the competing Ohio Company and George Washington circa 1750), particularly after the improvements.

Despite the adverse conditions, thousands of families used the Wilderness Road. In 1792, the new Kentucky legislature provided money to upgrade the road. In 1796, an improved all-weather road was opened for wagon and carriage travel. The road was abandoned around 1840 (construction on the National Road after Vandalia, Illinois also stopping owing to the Panic of 1837 and early railroad construction), although modern highways follow much of its route.

- History of turnpikes and canals in the United States.

 

What is a political purge? What are examples of political purges?

From the New York Times: The Trump Administration Has Been Sued 600 Times. Track These Cases.

 - Click here for the full article. 

Ex-CIA Official on What Xi Jinping's Purge of Top Chinese General Reveals

What is Xi Jingping's official title?

As of January 2026, Xi Jinping’s primary official titles, which establish him as the paramount leader of China, are General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and President of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He holds all three positions concurrently. 

Key details regarding his leadership titles:

• General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party: As the leader of the ruling party, this is his most significant title, which he has held since November 2012.
• Chairman of the Central Military Commission: This title makes him the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
• President of the People's Republic of China
  :
   This is his head-of-state title, held since March 2013
  .
"Core Leader": An honorary, elevated title highlighting his authority within the party. 

Due to holding numerous leadership positions, he is often referred to in international media as the ""chairman of everything"". 

The right of self preservation

From the Texas Declaration of Independence: 

When, in consequence of such acts of malfeasance and abdication on the part of the government, anarchy prevails, and civil society is dissolved into its original elements. In such a crisis, the first law of nature, the right of self-preservation, the inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands in extreme cases, enjoins it as a right towards themselves, and a sacred obligation to their posterity, to abolish such government, and create another in its stead, calculated to rescue them from impending dangers, and to secure their future welfare and happiness.

- What is the right of self preservation?

The right of self-preservation is the idea that every person has a fundamental right to protect their own life and bodily integrity—even when doing so conflicts with other rules or obligations. It’s one of the deepest concepts in political philosophy, constitutional law, and criminal law.

- What does this mean? The inherent and inalienable rights of the people to appeal to first principles, and take their political affairs into their own hands.

This sentence means that ultimate political authority rests with the people themselves—and when institutions fail, they are morally justified in acting directly based on fundamental principles of justice and legitimacy.

- What does this mean? Civil society is dissolved into its original elements.

It means that the organized social order breaks down, and people are no longer acting mainly as members of institutions (citizens, workers, voters, jurors, church members, etc.). Instead, they revert to their basic, pre-political condition as individuals or small groups.

Henry Morgan: Privateer

- Click here for the Wikipedia entry. 

What is a privateer?

Dear ChatGPT: Provide a list of British privateers active from the 1500s to the 1700s.


What is a letter of marque?

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 

Congress shall have the power:

. . . To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

2305: 
- Article of Confederation.
- - ChatGPT: Provide an outline of the Articles of Confederation.
- Defects of the Article of Confederation.
- Outline of U.S. Constitution.
- The States within the United States Constitutional System.

2306: 
- Principles in the Texas Declaration of Independence.
- The backgrounds and interests of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
- The States within the United States Constitutional System.
- Evolution of Constitutions in Texas.
- Outline of 1876 Constitution. 
- Amendments.
- Current Texas Constitution. 

More from the Houston Chronicle:

- Greg Abbott halts future use of H-1B visas at Texas state agencies and universities.

- Rift between Houston's Lina Hidalgo, John Whitmire remains as pair host dueling freeze updates.

- Harris County extends early voting by two days for CD18 runoff election.

- Who are the top donors to Harris and Montgomery county officials? Here's the top 5 in each county.

From the Houson Chronicle: UH removed its student government. Can they budget $25M in student fees?

- Click here for the full article.  

Two state lawmakers and a group of University of Houston students are questioning whether the university followed state law when it approved a $25 million student fee budget last fall without a functioning student government.

The controversy involves the Student Fees Advisory Committee, which UH students view as their most direct way to affect change on campus. It sets the budget for millions of dollars in student fees each year, funding campus services like health care, veteran support and career advising.

While previous debates have centered on subsidies for athletics, the committee became a flash point again last year after UH administrators dissolved the Student Government Association, which state statute holds responsible for making student appointments to the advisory committee.

Instead of waiting for a new student government this spring, UH officials convened a group of current and former student leaders to conduct interviews and appoint new members to the advisory panel, a university spokesperson said.

That work-around got the attention of state Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, D-Houston. She wrote a letter to UH Chancellor Renu Khator on Nov. 25, saying she worried that the appointments were improper and "undermined student authority."

"The statute reflects the Legislature's belief that students should have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting the more than $25 million in annual student service fees at UH," Morales Shaw wrote. "While I deeply respect UH's autonomy in managing its affairs, I want to ensure we're on the same page regarding the statutory requirements for student representation."

State Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, also wrote a letter to the student chair of the committee, urging her not to sign the 2027 budget recommendations until it was clear UH was following the law. The student chair did not respond to requests for comment.

"If this statutory requirement was not fulfilled, any subsequent budget recommendation could be rendered legally questionable and potentially subject to administrative challenge or legislative inquiry," Dutton wrote on Nov. 18.

What are rare earth minerals?

From AI Overview:

Rare earth minerals are a group of 17 chemically similar, soft, heavy metallic elements (15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium) crucial for high-tech, green energy, and defense applications. Despite their name, they are relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust but difficult to find in concentrated, economically mineable deposits.

Key Aspects of Rare Earth Minerals

The 17 Elements: These include Lanthanum (La), Cerium (Ce), Praseodymium (Pr), Neodymium (Nd), Promethium (Pm), Samarium (Sm), Europium (Eu), Gadolinium (Gd), Terbium (Tb), Dysprosium (Dy), Holmium (Ho), Erbium (Er), Thulium (Tm), Ytterbium (Yb), Lutetium (Lu), Scandium (Sc), and Yttrium (Y).

Common Sources: Key ores include bastnäsite, monazite, and xenotime, which are often found mixed with thorium or uranium.

Why They Are Important: Known as "industrial vitamins," they are essential for permanent magnets in electric vehicles and wind turbines (45% of demand), smartphones, defense systems, lasers, and consumer electronics.

Production: Although found worldwide, extraction is difficult and environmentally intensive, with China controlling approximately 70% of global mining and 87% of refined production as of 2023.

Properties: They possess unique magnetic, phosphorescent, and electrochemical properties.








They are not actually "rare," but they are rarely found in high-concentration deposits, making extraction challenging and costly.

 

From the United States Geographic Survey: United States Critical Minerals Locations

 

- Click here for the article. 

- Click here for the USGS website.

- Wikipedia.

- Click here for the Department of the Interior.

- Wikipedia.

See also: 

- ISGS: Selected Mines, Deposits, and Districts of Critical Minerals.

From the Houston Chronicle: Oil money flows into Texas Railroad Commission campaigns. The largest donors might surprise you

- Click here for the article. 

Three elected officials lead the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates oil and gas fields, pipelines, utilities and mining operations.

Oil money flows into their campaigns, but the largest oil companies weren’t the largest donors. Lesser-known oil companies and some outside the industry have contributed more over time, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis.

To identify companies linked to donations during the review period (July 2000 through December 2025) we looked at contributions they made directly as well as those made by their employees and executives. The list may not be complete, which is why we used the terminology “at least.”


The donors and their interests brfore the RRC:

-Midland Energy.

-Ryan LLC.

-Energy Transfer.

-NGL Energy Partners.

-Double Eagle.

-Perry Homes.

-Hunt Consolidated.

-Hilcorp.

-Williams Brothers Construction.


From ChatGPT: Describe the regulatory decisions made by the Texas Railroad Commission since 2000.

- 1) Shale-era drilling & completion controls (well integrity + fracking transparency)
- 2) Produced-water disposal, induced seismicity, and injection oversight
- 3) Gas flaring: Rule 32 permitting and scrutiny
- 4) Pipeline safety modernization (especially late-2010s into 2020)
- 5) Gas system reliability after Winter Storm Uri (2021–2022)
- 6) Environmental protection: oilfield waste rules overhaul (effective July 1, 2025)
- 7) Plugging, cleanup, and “orphan well” scale-up (2020s, accelerating recently)
- 8) Carbon capture & storage: Class VI primacy (major 2025 decision)

 

 

Dear ChatGPT: Describe the backgrounds and interests of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence.

- Click here for the full answer. 

Overview: Who Were the Signers?

The 59 signers of the Texas Declaration were not a cross-section of Texas society. They were overwhelmingly:

Anglo-American immigrants
Politically experienced
Economically invested in land and slavery
Closely tied to U.S. legal and political traditions

They largely represented the settler elite, not the broader population of Texas (which included Tejanos, Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans, and poor laborers).


1. Regional Origins & Migration Background

Predominantly from the United States
Most signers were born in Southern U.S. states:
Virginia
Tennessee
Kentucky
North and South Carolina
Georgia

A smaller number came from Northern states, but still within the U.S. constitutional tradition.

Implication:

They brought with them expectations of:
English common law
Written constitutions
Local self-government
Individual property rights

This made them hostile to Mexican civil law traditions and centralized authority.


2. Education & Professional Backgrounds

Overrepresentation of Professionals

Many signers were:
Lawyers
Judges
Former legislators
Newspaper editors
Military officers

Notable examples include:

Sam Houston – former U.S. congressman and governor of Tennessee
Lorenzo de Zavala – former vice president of Mexico, one of the few Tejano signers

Implication:

 These men were skilled in constitutional argument, not spontaneous rebels. The Declaration is legally sophisticated and modeled closely on the U.S. Declaration of Independence.


3. Economic Interests

Land Speculation

Many signers were:
Empresarios
Surveyors
Land speculators
Large landholders

Independence promised:
Clearer land titles
Protection from Mexican legal challenges
Expansion of Anglo settlement
Slavery & Plantation Agriculture

Most signers either:

Owned enslaved people
Intended to

Mexico had abolished slavery (1829) and later attempted enforcement in Texas.

Implication:

Independence was closely tied to preserving a slave-based economic system, especially cotton production tied to U.S. markets.


4. Religion & Culture

Predominantly:
Protestant (Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian)

Mexico required:
Official Catholicism (at least formally)

Implication:

 Cultural alienation reinforced political resistance. Many signers viewed Mexican religious requirements as incompatible with Anglo-American liberty.


5. Political Ideology & Grievances

Core Beliefs

The signers generally favored:

Federalism over centralism
Written constitutions
Jury trials
Local governance
Militia traditions

Major Grievances Listed in the Declaration
Suspension of the 1824 Mexican Constitution
Rule by military dictators (especially Santa Anna)
Lack of trial by jury
Restrictions on immigration from the U.S.
Threats to slavery and property rights

These grievances reflect elite legal and economic priorities, not mass democratic ones.


6. Who Was Largely Excluded?

Notably underrepresented or excluded:

Indigenous nations (Comanche, Apache, etc.)
Enslaved people (≈30% of population)
Most Tejanos
Poor Anglo laborers
Women

Exception:

 Lorenzo de Zavala represents a Mexican federalist tradition, not indigenous or popular resistance.

From Brookings: How different states are approaching AI

- What is the Brookings Institute? 

- Click here for their website.

- Click here for the article.


The race to implement AI has now shifted to the states and, at present, 34 states are studying AI, including 24 states that have created a group to study AI and another 10 states have delegated the task to a standing committee. In addition, according to tracking by the Brookings Center for Technology Innovation,1 47 states have introduced2 AI-related legislation in 2025. New York has introduced the most legislation, but Texas has passed the most (see Table 1). As such, we believe the time has come to analyze the state of the states as it relates to AI, and this is our first of a multi-part series of papers on the topic.

. . . Analysis of the 2025 data show roughly two-thirds (173) of state AI bills were introduced by Democrats, compared to about one-third (84) by Republicans. Only three—in Minnesota, New Jersey, and Tennessee—were bipartisan efforts. Overall, Democrats have been more proactive in pushing AI governance, consistent with their broader tech-regulation tendencies. Republicans have also put forward many AI bills, often on issues like banning certain harmful uses of AI or promoting innovation. Election deepfake bans and child pornography, for example, saw bipartisan interest. On the other hand, sweeping regulatory bills (imposing strict obligations on AI developers or businesses) have mostly come from Democrats in states like California, New York, and New Jersey. Republican-led states often favored lighter-touch approaches, with Texas failing to pass a high percentage of its proposed bills.


We first analyzed a few of the major themes in the 2025 bills:

-Nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII)/Child sexual abuse material (CSAM): 53 bills introduced and 0 currently signed into law

-Elections: 33 bills introduced and 0 currently signed into law

-Generative AI transparency: 31 bills introduced and 2 currently signed into law

-Automated decision-making technology (ADMT)/High-risk AI: 29 bills introduced and 2 currently signed into law

-Government use: 22 bills introduced and 4 currently signed into law

-Employment: 13 bills introduced and 6 currently signed into law

-Health: 12 bills introduced and 2 currently signed into law


Some states introduced comprehensive AI governance bills, covering broad obligations for AI developers or government use, while others focused on narrow sector-specific or issue-specific bills. For instance, Colorado’s “Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence” bill created a wide-ranging regime for “high-risk” AI systems, requiring developers and users of such AI to implement transparency, monitoring, and anti-discrimination measures. In contrast, in 2024, California started to pursue a patchwork of many targeted laws addressing things like election deepfakes, AI-generated content warnings, digital replicas of performers (including one bill for deceased performers), and training-data disclosure, rather than one overarching framework. It is worth noting that California originally pursued a comprehensive approach, but it was vetoed by the governor. As a result, California reverted to the more piecemeal approach. These different approaches are noted by analysts as a major difference between state strategies. Also, some smaller states have primarily symbolic or exploratory bills (e.g., creating AI task forces or study commissions rather than imposing rules).

Which countries recognize the independence of Texas after 1836?

From AI Overview: 

After 1836, several countries recognized the Republic of Texas, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, and the Republic of Yucatán, with France being the first European nation to do so, all recognizing Texas to bolster its sovereignty against Mexico, which refused to acknowledge its independence until the U.S. annexation in 1845**.

Key Recognizers:

- United States: Officially recognized Texas in March 1837.
- France: First European nation to recognize Texas in 1839, establishing diplomatic ties.
- United Kingdom (Great Britain): Followed France in recognizing Texas.
- Belgium: Also recognized Texas's independence.
- Netherlands: Recognized Texas as an independent republic.
- Republic of Yucatán: A neighboring Mexican state that also recognized Texas.
- Russia: Recognized Texas as independent from 1836 until annexation, though diplomatic activity was minimal.

Context:

- Texas sought recognition from these nations to pressure Mexico into acknowledging its independence and to establish trade relations. Mexico, however, viewed Texas as a rebellious province and never recognized its independence, leading to conflict that culminated in the Mexican-American War after Texas's annexation by the U.S. in 1845.

From the Texas Tribune:

Federal court focuses on informant in appeal of Texas death row inmate’s conviction.

Terms:
- 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
- City of Amarillo.
- Randall County District Attorney’s Office.
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice.


Texas counties, auto industry push back on proposed ID restrictions on car registration tied to immigration.

Terms: 
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
- Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association.
- Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison of Midlothian.
- Bexar County.
- Travis County tax office
- Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Celia Israel
- Texas United Auto & Community Alliance
- Texas Register: December 26, 2025.


Federal judge upholds West Texas A&M drag show ban, short-circuiting student group’s appeal.

Terms:
- federal judge.
- U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk.
- a limited public forum.
- Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
- Supreme Court precedent
- expressive conduct
- Texas A&M University System.

How Do Data Centers Work?

 

Describe OpenAI's lobbying strategy in local governments in Texas

Click here for the full answer.

OpenAI’s local-government “lobbying” strategy in Texas is less about working every city hall one-by-one, and more about (1) smoothing big infrastructure projects at the county/city level and (2) making it easy for local governments to buy OpenAI-related services through statewide/co-op procurement channels, while the company’s formal registered lobbying footprint shows up mostly at the state level.

1) Use state-level leverage to shape the local playing field

2) “Procurement-first” instead of “ordinance-first”

3) Infrastructure siting: negotiate locally where the real money is

4) Work through intermediaries (resellers, integrators, “AI marketplaces”)

5) Likely “watch-outs” they plan around (because locals care)

What you can infer about OpenAI’s Texas-local strategy from the evidence we do have

-They are in the state lobbying system (suggesting top-down policy influence).
-They prioritize procurement channels locals already trust (DIR/co-op).
-They engage locally hardest where they must: mega-infrastructure siting + incentives + energy/community plans.

If you want, I can also map this into a “local targets” checklist (city managers, EDCs, county judges/commissioners courts, MPO/COG procurement, municipal utilities/co-ops) and the documents you’d pull to verify activity (abatement agreements, development corporation minutes, DIR purchase orders, municipal lobby registries).

Dear CHatGPT: Describe OpenAI's lobbying strategy in Texas

Click here for the full answer.

OpenAI’s Texas lobbying strategy (based on what’s publicly visible) looks like a “broad-cover, early-engagement” play: hire registered Texas lobbyists, track and shape statewide AI rules, and align with Texas’ big priorities (economic development, state procurement, education pilots, and infrastructure/data centers).


1) Build a formal Texas presence fast (and keep it compliant)

-What that signals: OpenAI isn’t treating Texas as “flyover policy.” It’s treating it as a core statehouse where rules and procurement decisions can materially affect the company.


2) Use multiple lobbyists with wide issue coverage (not a single narrow bill fight)

-What that signals: this is consistent with a strategy of:

--covering multiple committees and “touch points” (tech, judiciary, homeland security, education, procurement, energy/infra), and
--staying positioned for fast-moving amendments late in session.


3) Shape the statewide “rules of the road” for AI (especially government + high-impact use cases)

-Likely lobbying posture here (pattern-based, not mind-reading):

--push for risk-based / narrower scope vs. sweeping liability,
--protect model/provider flexibility (safe harbors, preemption-ish language where possible)
--steer toward agency rulemaking + guidance rather than hard prohibitions,
--ensure compliance obligations are workable for vendors selling to Texas agencies.


4) Pair policy with “Texas value props”: jobs, compute, grid, and public-sector modernization

-Why it matters for lobbying: In Texas, “AI policy” quickly becomes:

--data center permitting / local incentives / Chapter 313-style successors,
--grid reliability / interconnection / demand response,
--state procurement rules (DIR contracting, agency AI policies), and
--security concerns (especially around foreign tech).


5) Expand “friendly demonstrations” in education and government workflows

-What that signals: lobbying and government affairs can reinforce adoption by:

--emphasizing data controls and compliance,
--positioning products as efficiency tools (teacher/admin burden, agency paperwork)
--building relationships with agency CIOs, education leaders, and procurement channels.