What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us
Did Mom tell you not to believe everything you're told?
Hi friends,
Did you know:
A Harris county judge candidate is endorsed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) which Gov. Abbott designated as a foreign terrorist organization and transnational criminal organization under Texas law?
Judges denied a request from landowners seeking more time in the Bell County East–Big Hill 765-kV transmission line proceeding?
USDA launched the Great American Cotton Plan to revitalize the cotton farm economy and bring back clothing that doesn’t contain plastics?
U.S. manufacturing has expanded for five straight months?
The truth about battery storage as ‘back-up power’?
Getting the whole story can be a challenge, but these days it’s important to try. Media almost always has a spin and, like in contracts and life, sometimes what’s not said is more important that what is said.
With elections (and election integrity including voter ID), data centers, and Islam in our daily news - and time sensitive, I encourage you to be informed and engaged especially - but not only - on these concerns.
One of Texas’ Most Powerful County Offices Is on the Ballot
Few people pay close attention to county judge races — but they should.
In Texas, a county judge plays a major executive role, presides over commissioners court, helps shape budgets and emergency management, and has significant influence over local government priorities.
That is why the Harris County Judge race matters so much. Harris County is the largest county in Texas and one of the most politically important counties in the country. In November, Democrat Letitia Plummer will face Republican Orlando Sanchez for the open Harris County Judge seat.
One reason this race is drawing attention is Plummer’s endorsement from CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Gov. Abbott designated CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization and transnational criminal organization under Texas law citing ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. (CAIR denies the allegations.)
Voters are right to ask serious questions about candidate endorsements, policy positions, and ideological beliefs. As to religion, Americans are free to worship, or not, as they choose.
Local races are more important than many realize. And we’ve certainly seen the power judges wield since Trump began his second presidential term.
Source:
https://texasscorecard.com/local/cair-backed-muslim-candidate-seeks-harris-county-judge-post/
Texas Landowners Say They Were Denied More Time in a 765-kV Transmission Line Case
A major Texas transmission line fight is moving fast — too fast for many landowners.
Administrative law judges denied a request from landowners seeking more time in the Bell County East–Big Hill 765-kV transmission line proceeding. The landowners say hundreds of miles of new route links were added after earlier public meetings, affecting roughly 1,300 to 1,400 properties and ~2,000 owners who were not given the same early opportunity to participate in the routing discussion.
This is not a small neighborhood power line. The proposed Bell County East–Big Hill project is part of Texas’ 765-kV Strategic Transmission Expansion Plan, intended to move large amounts of electricity across the state, including toward the Permian Basin. LCRA says the project endpoints are about 199 miles apart, and the filed application includes 122 alternative routes ranging from about 214 to 244 miles.
The landowners asked for more time. The administrative law judges said no, citing the 180-day approval deadline under Texas law.
That is the part Texans should pay attention to.
Whether someone supports or opposes 765-kV transmission, the process matters. When state-backed infrastructure projects move on compressed timelines, landowners can find themselves racing to understand maps, deadlines, legal filings, intervention rules, and potential impacts to their property.
This is bigger than one transmission line.
It raises a basic question: Are Texas landowners being given a real opportunity to participate before decisions are made that may affect their land for generations?
Local property rights are not a side issue. They are the foundation of self-government.
Source:
Cotton is now part of the Make America Healthy Again conversation?
The USDA just announced the Great American Cotton Plan, aimed at helping American cotton farmers, rebuilding domestic textile manufacturing, and encouraging more demand for products made with American-grown cotton.
The surprising part is the health angle.
USDA says support for natural fibers like cotton aligns with MAHA because Americans are increasingly concerned about microplastics and synthetic materials in everyday products. Cotton is natural, breathable, biodegradable, and grown by American farmers. Many synthetic fabrics, by contrast, are petroleum-based and can shed microplastics.
USDA also says nearly 70% of the world’s textile fibers are now synthetic, most of them plastic-based materials such as polyester.
This is about more than cotton.
It touches American farming, rural jobs, domestic manufacturing, supply chains, consumer choice, and the growing concern over synthetic materials in everyday life.
There are fair questions about subsidies and government involvement, but this is worth watching.
Sometimes the “big picture” shows up in something as ordinary as the shirt on your back.
You’re not seeing this in the ‘news. U.S. Manufacturing Has Expanded for Five Straight Months.
Here is a good-news economic signal worth watching.
According to the Institute for Supply Management, U.S. manufacturing expanded again in May 2026, marking the fifth straight month of growth. The Manufacturing PMI came in at 54.0, the highest reading since May 2022. Any number above 50 signals expansion.
Even better, new orders rose to 56.8, and production remained in expansion territory at 54.3. That matters because new orders often tell us whether businesses expect continued demand.
This is the kind of trend people who care about rebuilding America’s industrial base should watch closely.
Peter Navarro tells us that this reflects the early impact of Trump’s tariff-and-tax strategy: making foreign production less attractive while encouraging investment here at home.
It’s the beginning of broader American manufacturing recovery.
However… Manufacturing employment is still below the expansion line, though it improved from April. So this is not yet a full manufacturing boom. It is a real signal, and the positive results will continue. Think of it like a partially prepared meal; the best is yet to come.
After years of concern about offshoring, hollowed-out supply chains, and dependence on foreign production, it takes time for the manufacturing expansion to get to the employment piece.
Sources:
Peter Navarro Substack:
peternavarro.substack.com/p/a-trumpnomics-trend-manufacturing
Official ISM May 2026 Manufacturing PMI PDF:
https://www.ismworld.org/globalassets/pub/research-and-surveys/rob/pmi/irun202605pmi.pdf
ISM May 2026 Manufacturing roundup:
https://www.ismworld.org/supply-management-news-and-reports/news-publications/inside-supply-management-magazine/blog/2026/2026-06/ism-pmi-reports-roundup-may-2026-manufacturing/
Reuters report:
https://www.reuters.com/business/us-manufacturing-activity-scales-four-year-high-may-ism-says-2026-06-01/
Battery Storage May Help the Grid — But It Is Minimal
Battery storage is often described as if it were backup power.
That is only partly true. Battery Energy Storage Systems, often called BESS, can provide power quickly when the grid is strained. In Texas, ERCOT says battery storage is already helping during peak demand hours, improving reliability, and lowering some energy costs. NERC also says ERCOT’s summer reliability outlook improved partly because thousands of megawatts of battery storage were added in 2025 and early 2026.
So this is not an argument that battery storage is useless.
But battery storage is also not the same thing as a power plant.
A battery does not create electricity. It stores electricity produced somewhere else and releases it later. Pumped hydro storage works in a similar way: electricity is used to pump water uphill, and then water is released later to generate power. In both cases, storage shifts electricity from one time period to another which can be helpful for balancing the grid.
But it is not the same as having firm, dispatchable generation that can keep running through long periods of low wind, low sun, extreme weather, or multi-day emergencies.
Communities are being asked to host more battery storage projects, often with unrealistic promises about reliability, renewable integration, and emergency support. Those claims need to be examined carefully.
While battery storage may help stabilize the grid and provide short-duration support, it should not be oversold as generation, fuel security, or long-duration emergency backup.
Citizens must understand the difference before more land is committed, more substations are expanded, and more infrastructure is stacked across rural communities.
Sources:
Energy Security and Freedom Substack:
energysecurityfreedom.substack.com/p/battery-storage-isnt-backup-storage
EIA: Energy storage for electricity generation:
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/energy-storage-for-electricity-generation.php
EIA: Utility-scale batteries and pumped storage return about 80% of stored electricity:
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=46756
ERCOT: Understanding Battery Energy Storage Systems — Current and Future:
https://www.ercot.com/files/docs/2026/02/02/4-Understanding-Battery-Energy-Storage-Systems-Current-and-Future.pdf
NERC 2026 Summer Reliability Assessment:
https://www.nerc.com/globalassets/our-work/assessments/nerc_sra_2026.pdf
FERC 2026 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment:
https://www.ferc.gov/news-events/news/presentation-report-2026-summer-energy-market-and-electric-reliability-assessment
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind.
White paper on land and water rights: Property Rights and Freedom: A White Paper on America’s Disappearing Land (8/13/2025)
United we stand. Divided we fall. We must not let America fall.
VoteTexas.gov, https://www.votetexas.gov/get-involved/index.html
Disclaimer:
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind. This Substack is provided for informational and commentary purposes only. All claims or statements are based on publicly available sources and are presented as analysis and opinion, not legal conclusions.
No assertion is made of unlawful conduct by any individual, company, or government entity unless such claims are supported by formal public records or verified legal documents. The views expressed here reflect my personal perspective on property rights and land use issues.
While I strive for accuracy and transparency, readers are encouraged to verify all details using the official sources and references provided. Any references to third-party material are included solely for your consideration and do not necessarily reflect my views or imply endorsement.
If you share this content, please include this disclaimer to preserve context and clarity for all readers.
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