Jim Vertuno
@JimVertuno
Followers
6K
Following
11K
Media
2K
Statuses
97K
AP journalist for 29 yrs. Reporting Texas sports & full-contact politics: Longhorns, Legislature, F1, guns, mayhem and the SEC. Florida A&M grad '92
Joined August 2009
If U booed Mack Beggs: The UIL birth cert.rule made him wrestle girls when he wanted to wrestle boys. At NCAA level, he'd wrestle boys.
35
621
2K
Sam Ehlinger on Texas at 7-5: "Rome wasn't built in a day. If you had told Texas fans three years ago that we would have seven wins and headed to a bowl game and had a chance to win eight, I think people would be pretty happy . Overall, we did a great job." #HookEm.
537
175
1K
Kohlhausen's dad died this season. Says he convinced security to let his mom on the field where they cried together. #hornedfrogs.
5
376
756
Woke up from a nightmare that we all watched the worst Super Bowl ever . .
66
29
549
On the day @GregAbbott_TX issues new order banning vaccine mandates, Texas hits 13,928 COVID patients in hospitals and 233 newly reported deaths. Here's the chart .
44
267
485
Outside family reunification center, a man walked out of the building sobbing “she is gone” into his phone. Behind the building, by herself a woman is talking/screaming into her phone, shaking her fist and stamping her feet.
17
143
412
Tom Herman may rip off 100 wins in a row after today, but 6-5 in year 3 is a perfect example of why a school doesn’t need to give a contract extension after year 2. Texas is a destination job. It could have waited . .
20
38
447
Houston first major city with every major variant of novel coronavirus:
26
541
415
Ok, I’ve got 26 years at AP. Here’s an AP story about AP firing an AP reporter over AP’s anonymous sourcing policy. Based on …. Anonymous sources.
.@AP fires reporter, reviews sourcing rules after Poland error:
8
77
321
In times like this, I think of the AP writer who has to delete, delete, delete, take a deep breath and start over. #MSUvsMICH.
4
212
372
Edward Michael Vertuno Sr. 1932-2022. Father, husband, educator, veteran and the kindest man you’d ever hope to meet.
100
7
366
Texas Gov was once so suspicious of US military maneuvers in Texas, he sent Texas State Guard to monitor the situation and “protect” citizens back in 2015. #JadeHelm.
This is the most offensive thing I've ever heard. No one should ever question the loyalty or professionalism of the Texas National Guard. @TexasGuard . I authorized more than 1,000 to go to DC. I'll never do it again if they are disrespected like this.
10
111
288
The line across the street waiting to attend Trump town hall in Austin
9
181
229
2 Texas COVID trends going in wrong direction: Today's 1,878 hospitalizations are 2nd highest in 1 day. The 7-day positivity rate has surged from 4.27% on 5/26 to 7.55% Saturday, highest rate since April 23. Those are 2 key metrics in @GregAbbott_TX 's reopening.
27
189
251
That's a big boat for the Brazos . .
No coronavirus reported in Waco area as Texas cases continue to rise
8
8
246
Herman says a lot of youth on defense: Nine starters tonight on defense are seniors or juniors #hookem.
12
61
232
Everything about this police response compared to Uvalde is stunning: From the cops entering the building and confronting a shooter who was carrying assault rifles, to the quick release of video footage. It didn't take 77 minutes to act, or months to release video.
In bodycam footage, Nashville police seen confronting school shooter
5
50
219
That no-masks-required Texas GOP convention in Houston next month is going to be interesting.
29
39
175
No power, no internet, cell phone spotty, 3 laptops dead. Sitting down to write a story by pencil and candlelight. Journalism!
17
22
199
There's a coach named Willie in Tallahassee who is 8-1 . That would be FAMU's Willie Simmons.
0
58
195
Latest @Baylor federal Title IX lawsuit alleges 21-second gang rape video by football players, and football team staging dog fights.
23
325
183
One thing I’ve learned in 25 years covering college football: every team has the toughest, most innovative, most demanding and motivating strength and conditioning coach in the sport.
9
31
193
Tears streaming down his face, DL Paul Boyette Jr., praises Strong as mentor, teacher and coach #hookem
1
64
189
After nearly 17 years, we said goodbye today to Baxter. He’s off to finally learn Spanish and eat the whole wheel of cheese. He was so wise, like a miniature Buddha covered in hair …
29
3
183
If Pierce Bush failed in his first congressional race, is he destined to be a two-term president?.
11
16
161
Is Ramen noodling?
This is Ramen. He visits the pond every day and tries to kiss a turtle. Hasn’t had any luck yet. 13/10 would console
7
9
169
No. 19 Texas men add Villanova to the schedule on Dec. 6. That means Shaka Smart and the Longhorns will face the No. 3 Wildcats and No. 2 Baylor in a 7-day stretch. #HookEm.
2
18
183
Texas regents give their blessing to plans for new campus basketball arena. Also, Matthew McConaughey will be the arena's "Minister of Culture." Seriously. #hookem.
17
51
166
BTW, Texas law does require several immunizations. A bunch of them. Take a look .
5
64
146
Still wondering who is “our” when the 50 states are “they”?.
JARED KUSHNER: "The notion of the federal stockpile was it's supposed to be our stockpile. It's not supposed to be states stockpiles that they then use."
6
37
135
Big 12 refs would have been reviewing that until Wednesday . .
3
30
156
Consider this: Austin has been a COVID-19 hotspot . while the 50,000 student campus has been closed.
6
33
140
Chris Beard just left Travis County jail. He and his attorney answered no questions before driving away.
5
41
154
So … was someone trying to hire Fisher away? Or is A&M outbidding itself?.
13
10
143
Leaving Uvalde today to make way for other @AP journalists, who continue to report this story of horror and heartbreak with respect and compassion for families, and with grit and determination for the facts of what happened.
12
10
141
Texas reporting 50 new COVID deaths, the highest single day so far, just as the the state preps for slow opening Friday. New cases hit 1,033, first day over 1k since April 10.
12
125
124
A few thoughts on Ken Riley, Hall of Famer: First, he was my coach in college at Florida A&M. That should explain a lot as to why this was so personal for me that he be enshrined.
5
19
137
Is the Texas Tribune, which constantly asks the public for $, going to publicly address its layoffs? Did I miss it? Two hours ago they retweeted a story by one of the laid off reporters.
7
40
111
Today we have heard the head of a power company and the head of the PUC both say they warned Gov. Abbott's office, Lt. Gov Patrick's office and others that the storm barreling toward the state was gonna cause problems and blackouts #txlege.
4
79
122
Actually, wrote this lede from NRA convention in 2013.
With entirety of federal gov in hands of the right, interesting to watch NRA convert to just pure culture war org rather than gun rights.
5
46
112
Quick research says Texas and OU will have 1st year head coaches meet in Dallas for first time since '47 (Wilkinson and Cherry) #hookem.
6
115
124
Happy Texas Independence Day: The day all Texans remind you where they are from (you know, like every other day).
4
26
106
Texas Department of Public Safety now referring all questions about Uvalde shooting investigation to District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee. She declined comment when reached by the @AP.
4
50
109
Houston mayor . .
Every time we start moving in the right direction the Governor steps in and sets us back and makes all of our jobs harder. He minimizes the sacrifices of people and businesses. I just don’t get it. st.
0
56
100
From Austin Mayor to AP: MLS would be huge success in Austin and Crew would enjoy support. No public funding of a stadium.
8
71
111
A cool thing about Uvalde … they don’t cut down 200-year-old trees for a road. Cars just gotta go around …
4
14
117
Ewers wore an Alamo Bowl sweatshirt to team CFP avail. He won’t be getting another one of those this year …
0
5
114
Art Briles attorney Ernest Cannon to AP: McCaw “validates what Art has been trying to say from the first day. Baylor had a campus-wide problem. It was not unique to the athletic department . Baylor needed two things: A bus and someone to throw under it.".
15
65
116
Ehlinger's 487 total yards ranks 3rd all time at Texas, behind Jerrod Heard (527) and Vince Young (506) #hookem.
3
50
103
Danke Schoen. .
Wayne Newton sued over monkey biting girl visiting former Vegas estate
28
5
86
Nope. 29 new COVID-19 deaths is nearly 3x the rate of the projected daily rectal cancer deaths in Texas this year.
4
14
102
Texas COVID-19 Chronicles: testing positivity rate rockets over 21%. Hospitalizations nearly 4,000 (that’s the number to watch in the coming days, to see how many people are getting really sick or not).
1
37
97
I know Texas a late-arriving crowd but this is 15 mins to kickoff #hookem #okstate
http://t.co/6JqutCA8Cn.
13
175
103
Former FAMU football coach Rudy Hubbard goes into the College Football Hall of Fame tonight. I wish former Rattler coach Ken Riley was still with us. Can we get Riley in the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his family? @FAMUAthletics @FAMU_1887 @FAMU_FB.
5
23
103
Be kind out there today, as you don't always know what others you encounter might be going through. Cashier in store just told me today is 7th anniversary of her daughter's death. Her day will be a struggle.
1
13
98
Charlie Strong gets hugs from players after news conference. Says he wants to stay and Texas will soon win national title #hookem
5
52
100
Riley changed my life with a surprise scholarship offer to FAMU that sent me along pathways I may have never explored, while opening the door to a career that has taken me halfway around the world. He was a man of excellence, dignity and class. I will miss him.
Former Rattler Football Legend Ken Riley Passes Away
3
15
96
A warm bath of information and aromatherapy that smells of newsprint .
Q&A: What is the "press pool" and what does it do? 🔓.
10
21
78
Curbside grocery pickup means I bought a watermelon the size of a WWII-era torpedo
4
3
93
Power’s out for 18 hours, house is freezing and sun going down. Then it hits: we only have scented candles . .
9
7
96
If Texas really is considering about $20 million in buyouts amid the economic crisis of the pandemic, did anyone offer to write a check to save dozens of staff jobs, furloughs and salary cuts in Oct? #HookEm.
25
20
96
So, how’s that Texas COVID positivity rate? Now 24.5 percent.
18
37
81
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says that a month of the key COVID-19 metrics trends moving rapidly in the wrong direction does not warrant new statewide restrictions. If it happens for another month, it probably will.
28
42
91
I’ll never forget this fake punt . and there’s a special highlight at the end.
#FAMU Homecoming 1990 against South Carolina State. can you imagine a fake punt from your own end zone going for a touchdown? 👀
14
8
94
And Vanilla Ice postpones Austin show about 2 mins after my story hits the wire . update coming.
9
22
83
Univ of Texas official confirms first reported by @thedailytexan that students, faculty and staff will be required to wear masks in campus buildings and indoor classes in the fall. Those who don't could face code of conduct disciplinary measures.
11
42
81
Texas fans will like they got Big 12’s only bowl win . then remember they lost to losing bowl teams Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma (and TCU) in the regular season.
13
13
82
Texas regents also to approve defensive coordinator Todd Orlando salary of $1.7M (plus a car, because who can afford one on that salary?) and OL coach Herb Hand $640k plus a car. #hookem.
10
24
85
Don't look now, but Baylor's "terrible" schedule now includes home win over TCU and handing Oklahoma one of its worst home losses ever.
3
62
86
Area man catches up on stack of newspapers from 2018. .
Fake News Houston Chronicle Retracts Many Stories With Questionable Sources. via @VINnews.
1
14
80
Even if one insists the “slow down the tests” was a joke, it ain’t no joke in Texas where testing is not rising while new cases, daily hospitalizations and infection rate are. Rapidly.
4
31
64
'He lied': Iraqis still blame Powell for role in Iraq war (from @AP) … this story also quotes the guy who threw a shoe at W
7
22
66
A federal judge has found Texas foster system so bad, kids come out "worse than they went in."
Kelly says separating families at the border isn't cruel: "The children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever"
5
62
67
Taking a break now from COVID coverage and everything else for a bit. Heading out for 2 weeks and I hope to unplug as much as possible . later.
4
0
74
Yeesh. Texas sets a new high in COVID hospitalizations for 3rd straight day. Now at 2,153. State health officials will note still more than 13k hospital beds and 1,500 ICU beds avail.
17
63
69
New Texas COVID-19 numbers: 5,551 new cases (new record), 29 new deaths, 4,389 total hospitalizations (new record and 1-day spike of nearly 300), and 7-day positives rate jumps to 10.42 percent (highest since April 17). This is what @GregAbbott_TX means by "massive outbreak.".
9
40
71
News release from Austin-Travis County: From now through May 1, events with 2,500 or more people are prohibited unless organizers are able to assure Austin Public Health (APH) that mitigation plans for infectious diseases are in place. Each event will be evaluated case-by-case.
12
57
70
Hahahaha. Mopac toll road standstill as Mopac moves. Great job Austin.
3
14
71
Univ of Texas regents agenda this week shows 1-year contract extensions for football assistants Banks, Davis, Gideon, Joseph, Milwee, Becton and Choate #HookEm.
5
7
79
Wow. Iowa States David Montgomery kicked out for throwing a punch (in retaliation). Will miss first half against Texas. Dumb, dumb, dumb #hookem.
7
17
75
Have done a lot of complaining and joking. But glad to still have gas to cook with, a car to charge a battery and a family to lean on. Many others have it worse . .
0
2
73