Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

There’s a coordinated statewide campaign? We can do that?

Who knew? U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and the Texas Democratic Party are launching a coordinated campaign to consolidate resources for races up and down the ticket, the party and Allred campaign announced Wednesday morning. The initiative, dubbed “Texas Offense,” will … Continue reading

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Another Paxton attempt to harass a migrant shelter halted by a judge

How much do you have to hate migrants to keep doing this? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot depose the leader of a McAllen migrant shelter, a Hidalgo County judge ruled Wednesday. District Judge Bobby Flores’ decision shuts down attempts … Continue reading

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Council approves Prop A rules

Finally. On Wednesday, [Houston City Council] approved, in a 13-2 vote, a set of rules offering members two mechanisms to push forward their policy proposals. Under the new rules, members can still directly request the administration place their proposals on … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, July 26 edition

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, we have Texans who are probably not going to be the VP candidate; the Dallas County Juvenile … Continue reading

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Former Chief Finner says city is trying to bury HPD dropped cases issue

Explosive stuff, with a strong pushback from the Mayor. Ever since Troy Finner suddenly retired in May, he has kept a low profile. The former Houston police chief has declined to speak with most members of the media and, aside … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Class action lawsuit #3 filed against CenterPoint

Once, twice, three times a Beryl-related class action lawsuit related to CenterPoint’s failure to get the power back in a timely fashion. A firm representing 19 medical professionals and other business owners in Harris County filed a class action claim … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Could Montgomery County replace CenterPoint?

We’ll see. I’m very skeptical, but I consider this to be an interesting test case of the proposition that CenterPoint’s service area could be reduced. After Beryl wiped out power in the [Creekside Park] neighborhood and the county, officials within … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of July 22

The Texas Progressive Alliance mourns the passing of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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We are starting to hear some names in CD18

The first potential candidate to publicly acknowledge an interest in CD18 is former Mayor Sylvester Turner. Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has confirmed with KHOU 11 News anchor Len Cannon that he is “seriously considering” a run for Congresswoman Sheila … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Women affected by the abortion ban banding together

This story is equal parts heartwarming and rage-inducing. One morning last spring, Hollie Cunningham’s father was drinking coffee and watching “Good Morning America” on his patio when he saw Austin Dennard, a Dallas-area OB-GYN, on the screen. Through tears, Dennard … Continue reading

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MLB to Austin?

It could happen. [W]ith expansion teams on the horizon, the MLB believes that Austin is one of a few cities that has the potential to host a team. Exactly when the league may expand is a question that hasn’t been … Continue reading

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July 2024 campaign finance reports – Senate and Congress

I know there’s been a real firehose of news lately, but it’s July and that means it’s time to review campaign finance reports. This list will be a little smaller than the previous one as again there are fewer races … Continue reading

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Another Tuesday Beryl roundup

Hurricane Beryl killed at least 22 people in the Houston area. More than half were heat-related deaths. Hurricane Beryl claimed at least 22 lives in the Houston area. Recent additions to the list include 11 people who died from hyperthermia, … Continue reading

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Brace yourselves for the 2028 RNC in Houston

Just a reminder, this is looming in our future. Houston isn’t taking any chances. As host of the next Republican National Convention in 2028, the city has dispatched teams to Milwaukee this week to get a handle on how to … Continue reading

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President Biden drops out of 2024 race

I think we all were expecting this to happen at some point. It was still quite the jolt to see the first breaking news alert on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of people had their weekends cut short. One of my … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

What happens now in CD18

The Chron is already raising the question. Under state law, the Harris County Democratic Party’s executive committee will have until Aug. 26 to nominate a candidate to run in the Nov. 5 general election. If the committee does not choose … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Behold the US High Speed Rail map

May I live long enough to see this happen. The U.S. High Speed Rail Association (USHSR) published a map outlining its proposal for a new 17,000-mile national high-speed rail network across the United States, which it claims will “cut our … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for July 21

“Utah’s Republican Governor Spencer Cox has said he won’t vote for Donald Trump in November”. “Why Abortion Bans Keep Getting Passed, Even Though They’re Unpopular”. Softball will once again be an Olympic sport in 2028, when the Games are in … Continue reading

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RIP, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Very sad news. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a towering political figure in Houston for decades and one of the longest-serving members in Congress, died Friday. She was 74. Earlier this year, Jackson Lee had announced that she’d been diagnosed … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

No more “CenterPointLe$$”

We’ll always have the memes. Drivers passing by the I-10 West freeway will no longer see the “CenterPointLe$$” graffiti tag. Friday morning, city workers removed the words aimed at the utility company’s response to Beryl — a hurricane that left … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Maybe the Texas Lottery Commission shouldn’t be helping to pick winners

Great followup to an earlier bonkers story about guaranteeing a Lottery win. Last spring, a small group of Texas lottery retailers received word that a single customer wanted to arrange a guaranteed lottery win. No player had matched all six … Continue reading

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Another class action lawsuit filed against CenterPoint

You’re involved in this one. Michael Fertitta, son of Rockets owner and Landry’s Inc. CEO Tilman Fertitta, is one of three lawyers representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit against CenterPoint Energy in the wake of Hurricane Beryl. The lawsuit, which was … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

In case you’d been nostalgic for Y2K…

Here’s CrowdStrike to remind you what could have been. A massive IT outage that disturbed Microsoft customers and businesses across the world on Friday caused flight delays and cancellations at Houston airports, led to the temporary closure of Port Houston … Continue reading

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Yeah, COVID is still out there

Not the threat it once was, thankfully, but still a threat. The arrival of summer is once again coinciding with an uptick in COVID-19 infections in Houston. Infections are on the rise for the fifth summer in a row in … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Another Friday Beryl roundup

Still lots to keep up on, so let’s get to it. CenterPoint spent $800M on mobile generators. Where are they post-Hurricane Beryl? Over the last three years, CenterPoint Energy – the company in charge of delivering power to millions of … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Still discussing the HISD bond proposal

There could still be changes, if the Board of Managers decides to do something other than be the usual rubber stamp. About three weeks before its potential vote, Houston ISD’s Board of Managers held a special meeting Tuesday to question … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, July 19 edition

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, it’s a grab bag of national, state, and local news. From important matters like reactions to last … Continue reading

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Buzbee draws a crowd of plaintiffs

Apparently, lots of people would like to sue CenterPoint. Can’t really say I’m surprised. It took a week after Hurricane Beryl swept through Houston for CenterPoint to fully restore the power at Mechelle Tran’s Gulf Coast-inspired resaurant Riel. She and … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Five Texas cities to get into the 2024 Michelin Guide

All of the state’s food media goes crazy. Buckle up, Texas, we are (finally!) getting a Michelin Guide. The French tire company and prestigious food authority confirmed via press release on Tuesday that Texas will be the newest location featured … Continue reading

Posted in Food, glorious food, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Judge orders some Uvalde records to be released

Really hard to believe that this is still a contested issue, but here we are. The school district and sheriff’s office in Uvalde must release their records and documents related to the Robb Elementary School shooting — including police body … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 15

The Texas Progressive Alliance hopes everyone has recovered from Hurricane Beryl and gotten power back as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Buzbee to file class action lawsuit against CenterPoint

Give the man credit, he knows how to take initiative. The Buzbee Law Firm, representing a cohort of Houston restaurants, is filing a class action lawsuit against CenterPoint Energy. Attorney Tony Buzzbee released a statement on social media, stating the … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Paxton appeals Annunciation House ruling

Totally expected, which doesn’t make it any less despicable. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will appeal an El Paso district judge’s ruling that blocked his efforts to close the Annunciation House networks of shelters for migrants crossing the border. “For … Continue reading

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

PUC launches its CenterPoint investigation

Whatever. The Public Utility Commission on Monday launched an investigation into CenterPoint’s response to widespread power outages that continue one week after Hurricane Beryl swept through the region, Chairman Thomas Gleeson said. The commission’s staff will recommend changes CenterPoint can … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments