Monthly Archives: June 2018

The Huffman influence

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. A lawsuit filed in state district court Monday alleges that the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission improperly fired one of its sergeants after he told federal law enforcement that state Sen. Joan Huffman had blocked an investigation into a Longview … Continue reading →

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

They’re still trying to make XFL 2.0 happen

Posted on June 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And who knows, maybe it will. Oliver Luck, the former Oilers quarterback and Dynamo executive who has most recently worked at the NCAA, was named Tuesday as the commissioner of the relaunched XFL that World Wrestling Entertainment will launch in … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Justice Department drops out of latest Obamacare lawsuit

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Which of course was filed in Texas by our felonious Attorney General. The Trump administration said Thursday night that it will not defend the Affordable Care Act against the latest legal challenge to its constitutionality — a dramatic break from … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 58 Comments

Who’s willing to tell Trump he’s all wet?

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Not Greg Abbott or Dan Patrick. During a visit to Pinkerton’s Barbecue on Friday afternoon, gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez said Gov. Greg Abbott failed to forcefully refute the president, who said on Wednesday that some Texans “went out in their … Continue reading →

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

More on the Texans’ cheerleader lawsuit

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a story in Vanity Fair about the second lawsuit filed against the Houston Texans by a group of former cheerleaders, who allege wage theft and harassment, among other things. The tale is from the perspective of plaintiff Gabriella Davis, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on More on the Texans’ cheerleader lawsuit

PPP: Cruz 48, O’Rourke 42

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, look, another poll. Democrat Beto O’Rourke trails U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, by 6 percentage points, according to a new poll commissioned by Giffords, the gun control group started by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. The survey, done … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

If I had a boat…

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

…I wouldn’t have used it to go Harvey-watching. Where does he get this crap? President Donald Trump praised the Coast Guard for its heroics during Hurricane Harvey Wednesday, but credited the high number of water rescues to people taking their … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Are you nostalgic for some strip club litigation?

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Then this is your lucky day. The legal fight over the striptease business in Houston has heated up, again. Two topless bars are suing the city of Houston over a controversial, years-old legal settlement they say unfairly hampers business at … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The criteria for Harvey accountability waivers

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here they are. Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Wednesday released the criteria he will use to decide how to waive state ratings for schools affected by Hurricane Harvey, more than nine months after it made landfall. Schools impacted by … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The criteria for Harvey accountability waivers

Council passes resolution to support 2020 DNC

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. Houston bolstered its bid for the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Wednesday as City Council affirmed the city’s safety and logistics services will be marshalled sufficiently to support the gathering if Houston is chosen as the host city. Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

The status of Confederate monument removal

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We still have a long way to go. Texas has removed the most Confederate symbols and statues in the country since 2015, according to a new Southern Poverty Law Center study. But the trend does not extend to the state … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Texas blog roundup for the week of June 4

Posted on June 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wonders if anyone will ever be held accountable for the tragedy in Puerto Rico as it brings you this week’s roundup.

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged , | Comments Off on Texas blog roundup for the week of June 4

TDCJ, here’s your moment in the sexual harassment spotlight

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Please learn from it. More than a decade after a sexual assault scandal rocked the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the agency is still a “boys’ club” plagued by sexual harassment and a culture that makes it difficult for women … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , | Comments Off on TDCJ, here’s your moment in the sexual harassment spotlight

Waymo moves forward on a self-driving car service

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, because they’re coming. Waymo, the driverless-technology company spun out of Google, has agreed to purchase as many as 62,000 minivans from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles for use in a ride-hailing service set to begin commercial operations later this year. … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rio Seco

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This is not good. Mario Rosales, who farms 365 acres along the Rio Grande, knows the river is in bad shape this year. It has already dried to a dusty ribbon of sand in some parts, and most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Rio Seco

Checking in on the Congressional forecast

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Now that our November lineups are finalized, I thought I’d check in once again on the 2018 Congressional race forecast, from G. Elliott Morris of The Crosstab. I last wrote about this in December, at a time when the generic … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Remember the (gross mismanagement by George P. Bush’s Land Office at the) Alamo

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe remember this in November. As the election season rolls on, keep this in mind when Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush opens his mouth: The officeholder from the state’s best-known political family certainly knows how to spin a story. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Remember the (gross mismanagement by George P. Bush’s Land Office at the) Alamo

Who’s gonna clean up that self-driving car?

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a question I hadn’t pondered before. Who will clean self-driving vehicles? I found myself wondering this recently as my son and I tidied the family car after a road trip. We’d been driving for only five hours, but we … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

DCCC poll: Culberson 47, Fletcher 45

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. The U.S. House race between GOP incumbent John Culberson and Democratic challenger Lizzie Pannill Fletcher is generally expected to be closer than most in this traditionally Republican enclave of west Houston and the Harris County suburbs. Now an … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Final instructions in bail practices lawsuit

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We may finally be nearing a conclusion in this matter. A year after a landmark ruling that upended Harris County’s bail system, a federal appeals court Friday issued final instructions for a Houston judge to craft a revised plan for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Final instructions in bail practices lawsuit

The problem with more cops in schools

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I haven’t had anything to say so far about Greg Abbott’s proposed responses to the Santa Fe school shooting. There isn’t much to say about it – these are a bunch of small changes around the margins, all while scrupulously … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The problem with more cops in schools

Weekend link dump for June 3

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Making China great again. “But in the coming weeks, even more scripted series will tackle misogyny and the impact that inappropriate and/or abusive behavior has on women, so much so that it feels accurate to refer to the upcoming season … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 8 Comments

More Census litigation

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Also good. The Mexican American Legislative Caucus and the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus are suing the Trump administration in hopes of blocking the addition of a citizenship question to the once-a-decade census of every person living in the United States. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

You got something to say about the Harris County bond referendum?

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You’ll get a chance to say it. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett on Wednesday announced a series of public meetings to seek input from residents on an estimated $2.5 billion flood infrastructure bond that commissioners plan to put before voters … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Second group of cheerleaders sues the Texans

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Different group, same basic complaints. Hannah Turnbow spent the 2017 NFL season wearing a bright smile and a Texans cheerleaders uniform, dancing on the field, waving pompons on the sideline, meeting fans in NRG Stadium suites and concourses and attending … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, Other sports | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fifth Circuit does its thing in the motor voter case

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The sky is blue, water is wet, and the Fifth Circuit does what the state of Texas asks it to do. Texas will not be required to meet a 45-day deadline to implement online voter registration for drivers — for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit does its thing in the motor voter case

State Senate finally updates its sexual harassment policy

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’d been waiting. The Texas Senate has adopted a new sexual harassment policy that mandates in-person anti-sexual harassment training for senators and offers more details on specific steps for reporting inappropriate behavior. The Senate’s policy, which was sent out to … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Stockman remains in custody

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

So sorry. A federal judge ruled for the second time that former U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman is a flight risk and ordered him to remain in federal custody while he awaits sentencing in an elaborate $1.25 million fraud scheme. Chief … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Stockman remains in custody

Harris County poll: Hidalgo 53, Emmett 47

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox last week: The Lina Hidalgo campaign for Harris County Judge today released the results of its first county-wide poll, showing the Democratic challenger leading the Republican incumbent by a stunning six percentage points; among Harris County voters … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Council approves Mayor’s budget

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The annual ritual is observed. Houston City Council adopted Mayor Sylvester Turner’s $4.9 billion budget by a vote of 13-4 Wednesday, ending three hours of otherwise amiable debate with an impassioned speech from Councilman Jack Christie that concluded with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Council approves Mayor’s budget

No Greens

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t honestly say I’m sorry. When Texans head to the ballot box this November, they’ll be able to vote for Republicans, Democrats or Libertarians. If they want to choose a candidate affiliated with another political group, they might have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments