Monthly Archives: June 2019

Anadarko anxiety

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We know how you feel, The Woodlands. Occidental last month agreed to buy Anadarko for $38 billion, outbidding the much bigger oil company Chevron. The looming question is whether Oxy will maintain a presence in The Woodlands or move out … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 9

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

“How to Travel at (Nearly) the Speed of Light“. “Every year, thousands of women suffer life-altering injuries or die during childbirth because hospitals and medical workers skip safety practices known to head off disaster”. “To recycling experts, the shift could … Continue reading →

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May runoff results

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

With 303 of 474 precincts reporting, State Rep. Eric Johnson was leading in the runoff for Dallas Mayor over Scott Griggs, 57% to 43%. At the time I started writing this I didn’t see any news coverage declaring the race … Continue reading →

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Do we have someone running in CD06 yet?

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This guy really needs a strong opponent. U.S. Rep. Ron Wright, R-Arlington, says on a video released by an abortion rights group that women commit murder if they have an abortion and should “absolutely” be punished Reproaction, an abortion rights … Continue reading →

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Many non-existent Bigfoot sightings happen in Texas

Posted on June 9, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Happy hunting, I guess. Bigfoot walks among us here in Texas. Or at least that’s what researchers tracking the elusive beast would have us believe. Recently, Travel Channel published a list of the eight best places to catch a glimpse … Continue reading →

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Could Beto-Cornyn still happen?

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

According to that same Quinnipiac poll, some people would like for it to happen. Most Texas Democrats say they’d prefer for former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke to abandon his campaign for president and instead take on Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. … Continue reading →

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One more in CD23

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Should be an interesting primary. Rosalinda “Rosey” Ramos Abuabara, organizer of a 2017 LGBTQ pride flash mob across the street from the home of then-mayor Ivy Taylor, has filed to run for the congressional seat now held by Republican Will … Continue reading →

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Where hyperloops are headed

Posted on June 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Henry Grabar looks at trends in hyperloop development and notes an interesting trend. Last year, I checked in with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company that hopes to pioneer terrestrial transit at the speed of sound using a cadre of far-flung … Continue reading →

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Still ridiculously early poll: Biden leads Trump by four

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Encouraging, but the usual caveats apply. President Donald Trump is locked in too-close-to-call races with any one of seven top Democratic challengers in the 2020 presidential race in Texas, where former Vice President Joseph Biden has 48 percent to President … Continue reading →

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Paxton still holding on to bogus voter purge data

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all about secrecy. He doesn’t want you to know what he’s up to. More than a month after a legal settlement was reached to scrap the review, Paxton’s office has indicated it is keeping open the criminal investigation file … Continue reading →

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In case you thought scooters were not enough of a menace

Posted on June 7, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

How do pogo sticks grab you? San Franciscans may soon be able to bounce their way around town, if a Swedish-based mobility company has its way. Earlier this month, start-up company Cangoroo announced plans to deploy hundreds of pogo sticks … Continue reading →

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Looks like Boykins is in for Mayor

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This had been rumored for some time. Houston City Councilman Dwight Boykins has filed paperwork indicating he will run for mayor, setting up a clash with incumbent Sylvester Turner and at least two other major candidates. Boykins filed a report … Continue reading →

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We still have a lot of broken flood mitigation infrastructure

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Did I mention that hurricane season is underway? As the Atlantic hurricane season arrives Saturday, Harris County leaders say the region remains extremely vulnerable to major storms two years after Hurricane Harvey’s unprecedented rains swamped the Houston area, forcing leaders … Continue reading →

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Moving ahead with voting centers

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The first time was a success, so we’re going to keep using them. Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted unanimously to apply for state approval to expand the use of countywide polling places to general elections. County Clerk Diane … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of June 3

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

If it had been within the Texas Progressive Alliance’s power to present this week’s roundup, it would have done so.

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It was Abbott all along

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Who was behind that botched voter purge that caused now-former Secretary of State David Whitley to not get confirmed by the Senate? Greg Abbott, that’s who. Two top officials at the Department of Public Safety named Gov. Greg Abbott’s office … Continue reading →

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Paxton sues San Antonio over Chick-fil-A records

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We really do live in strange times. It’s a red-meat issue, but it feeds on chicken. San Antonio’s decision to exclude Chick-fil-A from its airport continues to resound in political circles. Legislators passed a religious freedom bill that gained steam … Continue reading →

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Look, up in the Skai

Posted on June 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The flying cars we’ve long been promised may not look like cars. A transportation company is betting its sleek new hydrogen-powered electric flying vehicles will someday serve as taxis, cargo carriers and ambulances of the sky, but experts say they … Continue reading →

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“Laggards”

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

You can do something about that, you know. The Maryland congressman leading an investigation into the error-filled effort to purge suspected noncitizens from Texas voter rolls referred to Texas officials as “laggards” who are taking a “minimalist approach” to satisfying … Continue reading →

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Stadium netting

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

You may have heard about this last week. A foul ball struck by Cubs center fielder Albert Almora, Jr. during the fourth inning hit a small child along the third-base line at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday night, causing a … Continue reading →

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The driverless shuttle at TSU is ready to roll

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I spotted this on Twitter earlier this week. You may have heard the term autonomous vehicles. These are vehicles that can guide themselves down the road on their own. This technology is being adapted for public transportation. A 2017 statute … Continue reading →

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The repeat Congressional candidates

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks at how the key 2020 Democratic Congressional campaigns are shaping up. Short answer: There are a number of repeat candidates from 2018. The situation in the 24th District is emblematic of a broader trend across the state. … Continue reading →

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Who cares about new mothers?

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not the Lege. The new mothers contracted infections. They overdosed on drugs. Their hearts failed. They committed suicide. The women died in different ways, but all perished within a year of giving birth. Rising rates of maternal mortality spurred Texas … Continue reading →

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The timeline for driverless cars

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We know they’re coming, but how long it takes them to get here really matters. For Elon Musk, the driverless car is always right around the corner. At an investor day event last month focused on Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, the … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 2

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Trump administration officials as Blazing Saddles characters. “I therefore charted the ratio of minimum coach seat width to the proportion of U.S. adults who are overweight. At the risk of being cheeky, I label this variable the Airline Seat Size … Continue reading →

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Lege passes on helping with the Census

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Typically short-sighted. But in a time when the census is tinged with partisan politics — mostly over Trump’s proposed inclusion of a citizenship question — Texas lawmakers adjourned without taking action to ensure a complete count. State Representative César Blanco, … Continue reading →

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HOV for Uptown BRT update

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Checking in on this long-time project. Uptown’s bet on buses is getting a lift from TxDOT in a first-of-its-kind venture that has state highway dollars going to a mass transit project along one of Houston’s most clogged freeways. Come next … Continue reading →

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New fronts in the war on mosquitoes

Posted on June 2, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Science marches on. In the center of Anita Schiller’s dragonfly-ring-clad hand, a dragonfly nymph is scooting around. The dedicated naturalist and entomologist is explaining how the insect (which is a water-dwelling dragonfly with gills before it grows wings) expels water … Continue reading →

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Whitley lands on his feet

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Were you surprised? Former acting Secretary of State David Whitley, who resigned Monday after failing to be confirmed by senators following his botched oversight of an investigation that questioned the citizenship of nearly 100,000 voters in Texas, has landed back … Continue reading →

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How Texas Republicans did not make their case to women this session

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They did have a not-excessively-misogynist session, but see if you can spot what’s missing in this recap and preview story. Texas could have tried to beat Alabama to become the first state in the nation to ban all abortions this … Continue reading →

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Hurricane season again

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

As always, we hope for the best. The National Hurricane Center predicted Thursday that a near-normal Atlantic hurricane season is most likely this year, meaning a likely range of nine to 15 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), … Continue reading →

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