Monthly Archives: April 2023

Hazmat routes

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story made me think about a thing I basically never think about, and now I wish I didn’t have to think about it. Toxic inhalants, flammable gases and explosive chemicals are just some of what rolls along Dallas-Fort Worth … Continue reading →

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We await what’s next with mifepristone

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Everything is on the table”, whatever that ultimately means. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said the administration is willing to do whatever it takes to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, after a federal judge in Texas suspended the … Continue reading →

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So many Board of Managers applicants

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I sure wonder what the process to sort through all of these will be. More than 370 people applied for nine spots on the board that will govern Houston ISD, wrapping up the first step in the Texas Education Agency’s … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Well, the moon could use the oxygen

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

If you write a story about a Houston firm proposing to build an oxygen pipeline on the moon, I will read it. A Houston company might build an oxygen pipeline on the moon, enabling NASA to transport a key ingredient … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for April 9

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Researchers identified a shape that was previously only theoretical: a 13-sided configuration called “the hat” that can tile a surface without repeating.” “The New York Yankees, one of MLB’s most storied and successful franchises, have a high-end problem: They’re running … Continue reading →

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Mifepristone access banned and expanded

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

So as you might have heard, this happened on Friday. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of abortion drug mifepristone nationwide Friday, including in blue states with robust abortion protections. The … Continue reading →

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Metro approves University BRT route

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Still a lot of work to be done before any actual construction can begin. Metro officials on Wednesday approved a path for the 25.3 mile University Corridor in a rare split vote that keeps the region’s largest bus rapid transit project on track … Continue reading →

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On recycling cooking oil

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m always intrigued by stories like this. NRG Stadium is no stranger to fried food — like the booths upon booths of deep-fried desserts that line NRG Park during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, or the churros and corn … Continue reading →

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HISD students walk out in protest of TEA takeover

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. Five minutes into her second-period class, Elizabeth Rodriguez and her classmates at Northside High School stood up and walked out to protest the Texas Education Agency’s planned intervention in Houston’s sprawling, diverse public school district. The 18-year-old … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Looking ahead to the inevitable litigation over a trans sports ban

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The feds have weighed in. The Department of Education on Thursday formally proposed a rule change to Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in schools, that would be at odds with anti-trans bills being signed into … Continue reading →

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Meet your new astronauts

Posted on April 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency announced the four astronauts who will be onboard the Artemis II mission around the moon yesterday at an event at Ellington Field near NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. The 10-day mission … Continue reading →

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Hollins moves to the Controller’s race

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have some thoughts. Chris Hollins, the former Harris County clerk, said Thursday he is dropping his campaign for mayor and will seek the controller’s office instead, roughly one week after Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee announced she would enter the … Continue reading →

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CD15 is the target for 2024

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if it remains the only one. Democrats want South Texas back. The U.S. House Democratic campaign arm plans to dump funds into Texas’ 15th congressional district this election cycle in a bid to reclaim the most competitive seat … Continue reading →

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Rep. Jones responds to her former staffers’ complaint

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Houston state Rep. Jolanda Jones criticized her former staffers in a new statement Wednesday for publicizing the name of an intern who they alleged was having an inappropriate relationship with Jones’ son and for making assumptions about his … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, April 7 edition

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week in Dallas news: Who is the Dallasite at the center of the Clarence Thomas scandal? Plus ACLU support for some area protestors; … Continue reading →

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No one asked you, Tony

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Oh good Lord. Tony Buzbee, the millionaire businessman and trial attorney who unsuccessfully challenged Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2019, is considering another run for City Hall’s top job. Buzbee on Wednesday said supporters are urging him to run again, and he believes he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A brief but dismal legislative update

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few recent news stories, to give you an idea of what’s happening in the Legislative session, and why I have been avoiding it. Item 1: Republican Texas senators on Monday reversed themselves and voted against allowing transgender kids currently being treated with puberty … Continue reading →

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Harris County felony bail bond lawsuit ruling coming

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Definitely something to look forward to. Lawyers on both sides of a lawsuit accusing Harris County of unfair bail practices that unjustly imprison lower-income inmates are pressing for a swift resolution, and a judge says a ruling in the four-year … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 3

Posted on April 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This weekly Texas Progressive Alliance roundup will take about 15% less time to read thanks to our new pitch clock.

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Senate re-passes its redistricting map

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly political theater, as there’s little reason to believe they actually need to cover their butts at this point. A year and half after it was first approved, the Texas Senate on Monday voted to rubber-stamp a map setting the … Continue reading →

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Llano County ordered to return books to library shelves

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, this is a thing that is happening in the year of our Lord 2023. Officials in Llano County must return to the public library system books they removed and allow them to be checked out again, a federal judge ruled this week. … Continue reading →

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Speedier baseball

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A faster-paced game with more action is exactly what MLB hoped for with its myriad rule changes, and so far it’s exactly what it has gotten. Major League Baseball’s new rules are working as hoped through the first four days … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Congress 2022

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: State House 2022 A comparison with 2012 This will be short and bland, as there ain’t many competitive Congressional districts by any metric. Dist Abbott Abb% Beto Beto% =================================== 28 79,478 46.4% 88,550 51.7% 34 57,793 42.7% 75,741 55.9% … Continue reading →

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Hegar caves on phony “defunding” claim again

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Clown the Comptroller II: Electric Boogaloo. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar on Monday backed off his claim that Harris County “defunded” a constable’s office in violation of a state law intended to prevent cities and counties from cutting their police budgets, … Continue reading →

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“One Clean Houston”

Posted on April 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hope this works. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday unveiled a $17.8 million illegal dumping initiative aimed at expediting cleanups, increasing surveillance and enforcement, and prioritizing areas hardest hit by Houston’s roadside trash problem. Standing beside an illegal dumpsite strewn with … Continue reading →

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Yes, it’s another Senate 2024 post

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, I’m legally obligated to blog about these, I don’t make the rules. Texas Democrats acknowledge that a steep climb awaits whoever challenges Cruz in 2024. But though they have limited options, they believe at least one potential candidate could … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile, in Ken Paxton crime news…

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Paxton buddy Nate Paul loses an appeal on the contempt charges against him. The Austin real estate investor accused of bribing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton still faces 10 days in jail for contempt of court, after losing an appeal. … Continue reading →

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Checking in on the Astrodome

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

With the Final Four in town, we have visitors at Reliant Stadium looking over at its unused predecessor and wondering what’s going on with it. The short answer is, not much. The state of the dome and prospects for its … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for April 2

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Our primary goal was to shed light on Beethoven’s health problems, which famously include progressive hearing loss, beginning in his mid- to late-20s and eventually leading to him being functionally deaf by 1818.” “My proposal is simply this: Every high … Continue reading →

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Second federal complaint filed over TEA takeover of HISD

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the ACLU, the Houston NAACP, LULAC #19, and the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday regarding the Texas Education Agency’s … Continue reading →

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There’s nothing like ERIC

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Be careful what you seek to destroy, Republicans. With some Texas Republicans pushing the state to abandon one its best tools for preventing voter fraud — a coalition of states that share voting roll data to weed out duplicate and … Continue reading →

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The Observer on the effect that banning abortion has had on Texas doctors

Posted on April 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m glad this won’t end up being one of their last stories. Doctors have a code, a set of principles meant to guide their practice: Give care. Act justly. Respect patients. Do no harm. But for Texas doctors, especially obstetrician-gynecologists, … Continue reading →

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SCOTx rules for city on pay parity, for firefighters on collective bargaining

Posted on April 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to approach this one at first via dueling press releases. First, from the HPFFA: The Supreme Court of Texas has ruled that the City of Houston violated the state constitution in refusing to honor voter-approved fair pay and … Continue reading →

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MLB reaches tentative CBA with minor leaguers

Posted on April 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Impressive. Minor league baseball players and Major League Baseball struck a tentative deal Wednesday on the first collective bargaining agreement between the sides that will more than double player pay and represents the largest-ever gains in the rights of minor … Continue reading →

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