Tony Ortiz: The TMZ of Texas Politics

0:00 – Intro: Tony Ortiz of Current Revolt
1:02 – Why local Texas news matters
1:47 – Grubgate: Mayra Flores and the stolen food photos
6:08 – Cowboy cosplay and fake Texan authenticity
7:31 – Campaign salary and a Disney World trip
10:18 – Personality politics and the Trump effect
11:53 – Shock-value politics and Gavin Newsom's memes
13:42 – Covering Republicans in a red state
14:47 – A Democratic pastor's OnlyFans follows scandal
20:11 – From Chicago to Texas and visiting Dallas
21:41 – Californians moving to Texas and how they vote
23:21 – Texas Democrats versus Democrats elsewhere
24:32 – Politics as a team sport and party boxes
26:12 – Judge Clay Jenkins, blackface, and a panty raid
29:27 – Revenge of the Nerds and the panty raid question
30:45 – A Texas lawmaker's alleged affair with a dancer
33:34 – Polygraphing the source before publishing
35:56 – Abortion allegations and why she came forward
38:19 – Name your accuser: anonymous Me Too stories
41:28 – Sheila Jackson Lee's leaked staff tirade
44:29 – Katie Porter and politicians who berate staffers
46:54 – Trump's garbage truck riff and RBG moment
48:44 – Funding independent news and remote work
52:08 – Paywalls, Substack, and microtransactions
55:18 – Offers to pay for hit pieces or killed stories
56:21 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
57:05 – Where to follow Current Revolt