Monthly Archives: October 2014

More suspects arrested from the rape kit backlog

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

More good news. Houston’s effort to test a nearly three-decade backlog of sexual assault kits has resulted in new charges filed against 19 people, city officials said Monday, including 10 suspects identified and arrested for the first time. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on More suspects arrested from the rape kit backlog

Empower Texans could have some tax problems

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Schadenfreude alert: Empower Texans, an organization at the center of the state’s far-right conservative movement, reported no political expenses on its 2012 tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service, despite showing $350,000 in campaign expenditures to state authorities, documents show. … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Judicial Q&A: Mack McInnis

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Mack McInnis

HB2 plaintiffs ask SCOTUS for review

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Be careful what you ask for. After a federal appeals court ruled that the state could temporarily enforce new requirements for abortion facilities, Texas abortion providers are looking to the U.S. Supreme Court. On Monday, attorneys for the abortion providers … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on HB2 plaintiffs ask SCOTUS for review

Endorsement watch: Probate courts

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes its endorsements for Probate Courts, and as they have done recently stayed mostly with incumbents while having nice things to say about the challengers. The one Democrat they recommended out of the four races was as follows: … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of October 6

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance implores you to get a flu shot since the flu is a much bigger threat than ebola as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of October 6

Judicial Q&A: Shawna Reagin

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Shawna Reagin

Voter registration numbers are up

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news here. The number of Texans registered to vote in the state’s five largest counties increased by 2 percent since 2012, a reversal of the decline in total voter registrations that was seen before the last midterm election. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Voter registration numbers are up

Other AGs for same sex marriage

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone like one of these 15 Attorneys General representing Texas? A majority of the states that have legalized same-sex marriage are throwing their support behind two couples fighting Texas’ ban, arguing their own experiences … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Other AGs for same sex marriage

Mayors against climate change

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the Think Globally, Act Locally department. Mayor Annise Parker briefly took center stage Monday in the campaign against climate change by pledging to make America’s energy capital a laboratory for experimentation and action. Frustrated with the congressional response to … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mayors against climate change

Judicial Q&A: Barbara Gardner

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Saving SD10 and other benchmarks

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer looks at the race to succeed Wendy Davis in SD10. It’s a steamy, hot summer morning in the Metroplex, and at the Dixie House, a Southern-style diner in east Ft. Worth where gravy flows like water, Libby Willis … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Saving SD10 and other benchmarks

Texas same sex marriage plaintiffs want the get oral arguments scheduled

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

They would like to get on with their lives, if it’s not too much trouble to Greg Abbott and the Fifth Circuit. Austin lawyer Nicole Dimetman is pregnant and expects to give birth for the first time on March 15, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas same sex marriage plaintiffs want the get oral arguments scheduled

Another voter ID lawsuit filed

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Well, this is interesting. While a federal judge in Corpus Christi mulls whether the state’s requirement to show photo ID to cast a ballot violates the federal Voting Rights Act, a judge on the highest criminal appeals court in Texas … Continue reading →

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

Interview with Mike Collier

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Given that we are guaranteed to have an entirely new set of statewide officeholders after this election no matter who wins, there are a lot of candidates with current or past experience as elected officials, or at least as candidates. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Interview with Mike Collier

Rasmussen: Abbott 51, Davis 40

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Rasmussen giveth, and Rasmussen taketh away. Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott leads Democratic opponent Wendy Davis by 11 percentage points among likely voters with a month until Election Day, according to a newly released Rasmussen Reports poll. The gap was … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Rasmussen: Abbott 51, Davis 40

Castro endorses Clinton

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

You may speculate when ready. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) is endorsing Hillary Clinton through an email sent out by the low-dollar super PAC looking to galvanize support for a candidacy in 2016. Castro made the endorsement in an email that … Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Castro endorses Clinton

Perry’s lawyers are earning their paychecks

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

You never know what might stick when you throw everything you’ve got at the wall. Lawyers for Gov. Rick Perry on Friday filed a request to dismiss the indictment against the governor, saying paperwork needed to properly swear in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Perry’s lawyers are earning their paychecks

Weekend link dump for October 5

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A psychic tour of lower Manhattan. “Today the media are covering the next part of this story, the inevitable outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, mostly among children who have not been vaccinated.” Congratulations to Irish teenagers Ciara Judge, Émer Hickey and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | Comments Off on Weekend link dump for October 5

HB2 is about overturning Roe v Wade

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A cheery thought from Think Progress. Nevertheless, the single most ominous paragraph of the opinion, at least for people who care about reproductive freedom, is this one: Plaintiffs argue that the district court’s balancing approach is used by other circuits. … Continue reading →

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

More on the new Crime Lab boss

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Dr. Daniel Garner, the CEO and president of the Houston Forensic Science Center. Daniel Garner was ready to drift quietly into retirement after decades on the forefront in the field of forensic science. The last part of his career … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the new Crime Lab boss

Update on Radack’s feral hog plan

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

So far, so good. More than 100 hogs have been caught since July in a new Harris County Precinct 3 mitigation program designed to protect waterways and feed the poor by donating the meat of trapped pigs to the Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Update on Radack’s feral hog plan

Endorsement watch: Chron for Leticia

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s amazing how easy some endorsement decisions are, or at least should be, this year. The differences between the candidates this year could hardly be more stark. State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio, the Democratic candidate, is … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: Chron for Leticia

Saturday video break: Daniel

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

A little classic Elton John: Wilson Phillips did the honors on the “Two Rooms” tribute CD: That song wasn’t written for them, of course, but it sure sounds like it could have been.

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Saturday video break: Daniel

Texans Together asks for Justice Department investigation of AG and Harris County

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Hello Friends: We recently made a formal, written request to the U.S. Justice Department to immediately investigate Texas and Harris County officials for voter suppression in Harris County (see letter here). We are asking for a federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texans Together asks for Justice Department investigation of AG and Harris County

Anderson proposes her own pot prosecution reform plan

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trend. A move to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana emerged Wednesday as a major issue in the contentious race for Harris County District attorney with both candidates claiming ownership of the idea. At a news … Continue reading →

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

Alameel and Cornyn will debate

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve had Davis-Abbott, we’ve had Van de Putte-Patrick, and we’ll get Alameel-Cornyn. Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic challenger David Alameel have agreed to one face-to-face televised debate. They’ll meet in Dallas at Mountain View College on Friday, Oct. 24. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Alameel and Cornyn will debate

911 to text is here

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Text-to-911 service is available now in Harris and Fort Bend counties for Verizon and T-Mobile wireless customers. “This is not to be used just because people like to text, but when people cannot make a voice call,” said … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 911 to text is here

Friday random ten: T for two

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Or for ten, as the case may be. 1. Puttin’ On The Ritz – Taco 2. Sweet Child O’ Mine – Taken By Trees 3. Slippery People – Talking Heads 4. Kingdom of Rain – The The 5. In Walked … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Friday random ten: T for two

Judicial Q&A: Kyle Carter

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Judicial Q&A: Kyle Carter

Gov debate II: That’s more like it

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The second Governor’s debate was a lively affair. Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, who has mostly avoided direct confrontation with his opponent in the race for Texas governor, took a hard swing at Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis over her ethics … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Gov debate II: That’s more like it

Fifth Circuit lifts injunction on HB2 enforcement

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

This court is the worst. As it hears arguments in an appeal of a federal judge’s decision overturning new requirements for Texas abortion facilities, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the state … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit lifts injunction on HB2 enforcement

Endorsement watch: Criminal courts

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron made its endorsements for the Criminal District Courts over two days. For their first four endorsements, they went with three Republican incumbents and one Democratic challenger: 184th Criminal District Court: Mark Thering Judge Jan Krocker has been a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Judicial Q&A: Chip Wells

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for Democratic judicial candidates on the November ballot. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments