Dem James Talarico called capitalism ‘oppressive system’ that should be dismantled in 2020 forum
By Ryan King Published Sep. 1, 2026 Updated Sep. 1, 2026, 12:15 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico once decried capitalism as an “oppressive” system — along with white supremacy and climate change — that needed to be dismantled, while predicting that the Lone Star State’s fossil fuel industry was “not gonna last.”
Speaking to Sierra Club activists on a September 2020 Zoom call, Talarico warned that the US was facing the “multi-faceted threat” of a climate, economic, and social crisis.
One activist asked about how communities of color suffer harm from climate change.
Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico speaking at a campaign rally in Kerrville, Texas.
The Texas Democratic Senate hopeful is trying to appeal to moderate and disaffected conservative voters.
“I’m so thankful that you asked this question and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and white supremacy and capitalism in our country,” Talarico responded in comments first reported by CNN.
“And I think only understanding the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we going to be able to begin the process of dismantling them.”
At the time, Talarico was 31 years old and running for a second term in the Texas state legislature.
During the same forum, the Democrat dismissed the oil and gas industry, despite Texas producing 43% of the country’s crude, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s. That industry is not gonna last,” Talarico said.
“And if we wanna ensure we have an economy that’s gonna work for our children and our children’s children, we gotta be ahead of the curve and Texas has to lead instead of follow on this issue.”
Texas is also the country’s largest wind energy producer and by some estimates has taken the crown from California in utility-scale solar production.
“James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address,” Talarico spokesperson JT Ennis told The Post.
“James has already said he missed the mark on some of his past statements, while [Republican candidate] Ken Paxton has refused to address his comments that the school shooting in Uvalde was ‘God’s plan’ and that Texas’ abortion ban is good for interstate commerce.”
The Talarico campaign also noted that the Democrat had “taken many votes” in favor of the oil industry, and its website indicates his goal is to ensure that Texas “not only maintains, but extends” its energy dominance.
“James supports the oil and gas industry and believes in an all of the above energy strategy that protects Texas oil and gas jobs,” Ennis said of Talarico’s past comments on oil.
“He’s already said he missed the mark on some of his past statements, but Ken Paxton is clipping a few old, cringey comments to distract from his career of corruption that includes being impeached by his own party, enriching himself and his billionaire mega-donors, and using his office to protect pedophiles and
James Talarico has forced Republicans to divert more resources to Texas than they would like.
Republicans have repeatedly attacked Talarico over his stance on social issues, including his past suggestion that God is nonbinary, that “God is not Christian,” and that there are six sexes.
“I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity,” Talarico once joked in a 2021 podcast, referring to his frustration with religious conservatism.
Talarico holds a 1.9 percentage-point edge over Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, in the latest RealClearPolitics poll.
Paxton, who unseated incumbent John Cornyn in the Republican primary, has faced down a series of his own scandals — including charges of securities fraud, infidelity, and impeachment by the Austin legislature.
The Department of Homeland Security plans to transport migrants awaiting immigration proceedings from U.S. cities along the southern border farther into the interior of the country, beginning with Los Angeles in the coming weeks, according to internal documents obtained by NBC News.
The plan would alleviate overcrowding along the border, where record numbers of border crossers have overwhelmed the capacity of shelters in some cities, at times leading Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, to release migrants on the street to fend for themselves.
Typically, migrants who are allowed to stay in the country and make asylum claims are released to shelters run by religious and nongovernmental organizations after they are released from CBP custody. From there, the migrants pay for flights and bus transportation to cities where they go before immigration judges who will rule on their asylum claims.
Not a chance in a billion that any such law would pass or be even remotely enforceable.
Enforceable or likely to be enforced? My guess is neither... and while it sounds great, that hinges on it being applied/enforced with gusto and equally across the political spectrum (I have doubts).
The Athletic is doing a piece on Rookies who shined in preseason - Fano got a mention.
Spencer Fano, OT, Cleveland Browns (No. 9) After playing mainly right tackle at Utah, Fano has had no trouble adjusting to the left side. He’s such a perfect fit for Todd Monken’s offense, and though he’s still feeling his way around NFL power, Fano will be a day-one starter. I loved this pick — and still do.
Concepcion also got a mention - but not Boston (which I find a little strange given everything I have read) ... but here is his blurb:
KC Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns (No. 24) Concepcion was built to play in Monken’s offense, in the same manner Zay Flowers once was. We’ve already seen examples in training camp, both in Concepcion’s ability after the catch and the versatility he offers.
You're welcome. Things seem to be moving more and more in that direction..................
Gov. Lee proposes renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is proposing renaming Nashville International Airport in honor of Dolly Parton, joining a growing push to put the Tennessee icon’s name on BNA.
Lee and Nashville International Airport announced the proposal Friday, but the name change is not yet final. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s current naming policy and Lee’s proposal are expected to be discussed at the authority’s Sept. 17 meeting. The video player is currently playing an ad.
The announcement comes as support for renaming the airport has surged following Parton’s death. As of Thursday afternoon, about 140,000 people had signed a Change.org petition calling for the airport to be named after her, including roughly 90,000 signatures added since her death.
The petition was launched in 2025 by Nashville residents who originally hoped to honor Parton while she was still alive.
State Rep. Todd Warner has also said he plans to introduce legislation to rename the airport when lawmakers return to session.
Lee spoke with Parton’s team about his proposal this week. According to the governor’s office, her team expressed appreciation for the outpouring of support and said they are open to continuing the conversation.
“Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state,” Lee said. “From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her.”
The proposal, however, is far from final.
The governor does not have the authority to rename the airport on his own. The decision would likely fall to the airport’s governing board, though there is an ongoing dispute over whether the state-appointed board or Metro Nashville’s board is ultimately in control.
The change could also require action from the Tennessee General Assembly or Metro Council.
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority said Lee’s proposal and its current naming policy will be addressed at its Sept. 17 meeting.
Any name change could also come with a significant price tag. Previous estimates made during an earlier push to rename BNA after President Donald Trump put the cost of replacing airport signs and branding at about $10 million.
Parton was born in Sevier County and became a global music icon while maintaining deep ties to Tennessee. Her legacy also includes decades of philanthropy through efforts including the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library.
“BNA® is the front door to Music City, and with that comes a responsibility to reflect the very best of who we are as a community,” said Doug Kreulen, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.
The airport authority previously said its naming policy, originally adopted in 2010 and updated in 2024, lays out the formal process for naming its buildings, spaces, facilities and streets.
More details about the proposal are expected in the coming weeks.
In the end I doubt anyone makes some major movement to try and stop it. That would be an extremely unpopular thing to do here in Tennessee. I have seen some people from east Tennessee that oppose it because she is from there and not Nashville. But then Knoxville is the only major airport in that area and while it's called an International Airport it has no international flights and the Nashville airport dwarfs it is size and traffic.
It's unanimous! So we're definitely on the right track. 👍
Riddick and Deion were teammates on the Falcons, and are still friends. Riddick's "endorsement" of Shedeur was more about Deion and "the way he was brought up."
Lots of guys have starter "potential." Unfortunately, Shedeur isn't starter quality right now, and I'm not convinced he's ever going to get there. Dillon looked better after virtually no reps. Unfortunately, since they invested all those reps in Shedeur, he's probably going to stick around and take more reps which, to me, would seemingly be more efficaciously spent elsewhere.
If he's had every football advantage his entire life, and he still can't do (NFL) basic stuff (i.e, consistently throw on time), why am I to believe it is suddenly going to happen this season?
He's a talented thrower, but there's a lot more to playing QB.
Qatari PM heads to Iran to ‘de-escalate tensions’ as tanker attack tests Trump’s Hormuz claim
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is visiting Tehran to “discuss ways to de-escalate tensions and create the conditions conducive to dialogue,” the Qatari prime minister’s spokesperson said.
An oil tanker on Tuesday caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz: UKMTO.
U.S. allies reportedly challenged Trump’s claims that Iran’s mines in the strait had been fully cleared.
The Prime Minister of U.S.-ally Qatar is in Iran for talks on Thursday as part of efforts to “de-escalate tensions” between Tehran and Washington.
Qatar, which has served as a back channel between the warring countries, announced Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani would visit Tehran to “discuss ways to de-escalate tensions and create the conditions conducive to dialogue.”
It came after the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said that another oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz early on Thursday, the latest in a string of sporadic attacks that have kept ships away from the vital energy corridor.
A spokesperson for Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in a post on X that the Qatari Prime Minister is due to “meet with a number of Iranian officials” during his visit.
“The discussions will also address freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz & the need for it to return to the status quo prior to February 28,” he said. Hormuz tanker attack undermines Trump claims
The UKMTO said the latest attack on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was reported off the Omani coast, adding that the resulting fire had been extinguished, all crew members were reported safe, and an investigation was underway.
Traffic through Hormuz has trended lower this week and remains far below pre-war levels, even as the U.S. has sought to help escort vessels along the Omani side of the strait. Last week, an attack on a cargo ship transiting the waterway killed a crew member.
Only five ships made confirmed crossings Tuesday, down from seven the day before and a collapse from more than 130 vessels a day before the war, according to Kpler. All five crossings used the unilateral route Iran has designated for shipping, the tracking firm said.
U.S. allies are skeptical that Iran’s mines in the strait have been fully cleared, Bloomberg reported, casting doubt over President Donald Trump’s claims that the waterway was safe for passage.
The report came after Trump said Wednesday that the Hormuz waterway had been fully cleared of mines, calling it “a functioning strait.”
“Yes, every once in a while there will be a drone or a rocket or something shot, but it is a very functioning strait. A lot of oil is pouring out,” Trump said.
Iran and Oman, meanwhile, have agreed on a temporary maritime corridor intended to restore safer passage through the strait.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, however, warned that the waterway will not fully reopen until the U.S. fulfils its commitments under an interim peace deal framework signed in June, which has since lapsed.
The U.S. military has maintained a naval blockade against Iranian ships in the vital chokepoint, and used the southern Omani lane to escort oil tankers in and out of the Gulf.
This week saw the Trump administration launch an “economic onslaught” against Iran’s financial connections around the world, upping the ante on countries and entities that maintain economic ties with Tehran. That escalation has scuttled prospects of peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday, Trump said he has “no time schedule” for when he expects to resume the talks with Iran to put an end to the six-month war. When asked if economic pressure was more effective than military strikes, Trump said, “I think they are both effective.”
In a diplomatic outreach following the U.S. sanctions campaign against the Iranian economy, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on the UN and its member governments to condemn what he described as U.S. “economic terrorism,” arguing the UN bears “legal and moral responsibility” to denounce the sanctions campaign as “illegal and criminal.”
U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods after trade talks collapse
I'm just curious why any of this is even happening? It seems some people have very short memories. Trump claimed that NAFTA was a terrible trade deal. As such he made a new trade agreement with both Canada and Mexico calling it the USMCA. He claimed it was "the best and most important trade deal ever made". It is not set to expire until July 1st 2036.
Now all of a sudden he says both Canada and Mexico are taking advantage of us and wishes to ignore the very trade deal he himself agreed to and signed with both Canada and Mexico. WTH?
Is it any wonder nations around the globe no longer trust the U.S. and Donald Trump?
First they know that Trump's word isn't worth the paper it''s written on and secondly they now understand that any agreements the U.S. has with anyone, anywhere can be ignored based on a single election. We are no longer the trustworthy partners we used to be.
It seems as though now trump is saying the very deal he made in 2018 no longer counts because he made a crappy deal to begin with?
He was the favorite player of the vast majority of Browns fans while he was here. I loved everything about the man, and I'm so happy about his Browns comments. Here's one of my favorite memories (somebody already addressed the Jim Donovan calls):
There are a couple Chubb/Hunt mic'd up videos out there that can always get a chuckle out of me. Here's one but there are more and there are at least a couple little snippets in each.
At this point I plan to wait and see exactly "what they do". If this administration stays par to the course they will do everything they can to make an example out of him like they do everyone they feel has crossed their path. Time will tell.
I was a coach on a State LL championship team. I coached baseball for over ten years at East Cobb Baseball. According to Baseball America the number one youth baseball league in the US. 55 major leaguers played for East Cobb.
I have watched some of the best twelve years in the country.
![[Linked Image from i.imgflip.com]](https://i.imgflip.com/6w8ype.jpg)