Opinion

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS The window for signing up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act is now open through Jan. 15, with most Texans expected to pay considerably higher premiums, The Texas Tribune reported.

“Write something sensible.” I’m finishing this column on the first anniversary of my mother’s passing, and I can still hear her cajoling me to cater to her down-to-earth tastes. Her funny bone was unpretentious.

The continuing federal shutdown means food benefits provided to 3.5 million Texans could be cut off in November, The Texas Tribune reported. Of those affected, nearly half are children.

When I visited Ready.gov, I was taken aback by this jarring disclaimer: “NOTICE: Due to the lapse in federal funding, portions of this website may not be updated … until after appropriations are enacted.”

Early voting began Monday across Texas with voters deciding the fate of 17 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, as well as local races for city and school board, bond measures, and tax proposals. The Houston Chronicle reported that many of the propositions intend to lower property taxes for homeowners and businesses. There are two proposed changes to the homestead exemption.

It’s called “messy authenticity,” and it’s the latest trend to clearly demonstrate America has lost its collective mind. Looking for a Maison Margiela sweater with unfinished threads and gaping holes? It’ll cost you nearly $1,500.

Redrawing the state’s congressional maps, though being challenged in court, has drawn 114 Republican candidates in the state’s 38 districts with nearly two months left until the filing deadline, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Civility is making headlines again — that lack of it, that is. Recent surveys by workplaceresearch firms, such as Sogolytics and the Society for Human Resource Management, suggest that nearly half of Americans have witnessed or experienced incivility at work.

The same plaintiffs who are challenging the state’s 2021 congressional map are asking a panel of three federal judges to block using the new GOP-approved districts from being used in the March midterms. The Texas Tribune reported this is the first legal test for the redrawn districts, which are intended to increase the Texas congressional seats held by Republicans by five.

Goldman Sachs predicts artificial intelligence may displace up to 300 million jobs by 2027. Of course, I acquired that information from AI, so I have no idea if it’s true or if AI is just trying to bully me into making friends with it so it won’t render me as obsolete at work as I am at home.