Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Yeah, the Paxton federal prosecution was officially dropped

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Please take several deep breaths before and as you read this. The Justice Department quietly decided in the final weeks of the Biden administration not to prosecute Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending the corruption investigation that cast a long … Continue reading →

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It looks like there’s no DaSean Jones do-over election on the May ballot

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the May 3, 2025 Joint Election Fact Sheet that I got on Monday. You will notice that on page 2, where the participating entities are listed, that Harris County is not among them. There are MUDs and services districts, … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, April 4 edition

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, the governor goes full Islamophobe; Dallas gets ready to pick a new police chief; Neiman Marcus in … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit threatened for CD18

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

File away, I say. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday that House Democrats will “very likely” sue if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to hold off on calling a special election for the Houston-area seat of the late Congressman Sylvester … Continue reading →

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Tariffs are not good for beer

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’ll cost you more to drown your sorrows. Just getting a beer in Texas could become more expensive under President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs on essentially every country in the world. While most industries are bracing for Trump’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Bidness, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

A win for protecting the right to travel

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, but the legal fight is far from over. The state of Alabama cannot prosecute groups that help people leave the state for an abortion, a federal judge ruled late Monday. The decision — one of the first to … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 31

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance will be texting this week’s roundup to the Houthi PC Small Group.

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Measles update: Moving around the state

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And we have some new counties to add to the board, too. The measles outbreak that began in the South Plains region of Texas rose to 422 cases and spread to two new counties on Tuesday, according to health officials. … Continue reading →

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I got those “too much overtime cost” blues

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

More overtime, more problems. The city of Houston is expected to spend twice as much as it budgeted on overtime this year, contributing to next year’s projected $330 million deficit, the city controller’s office said Tuesday. Overtime costs for Houston … Continue reading →

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The Astrodome Conservancy keeps plugging away

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I respect the hustle. It’s time to move forward with Vision: Astrodome, the recently unveiled proposal from the Astrodome Conservancy. It activates the power of this historic monument to serve the public, now and long into the future. Since its … Continue reading →

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Recall Houston

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Color me skeptical. Recall Houston, a group working to recall Houston Mayor John Whitmire, is gaining steam and reading for a push to get the effort on the ballot in 2025. The organization has been working for almost a year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Menefee threatens to sue to get CD18 election called

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hope it doesn’t have to come to that, but there’s no reason to trust Greg Abbott. Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee on Monday demanded that Gov. Greg Abbott call a special election to fill the region’s open congressional seat, even going … Continue reading →

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Why are we now tearing up bike lanes?

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is bullshit. Without prior announcement, the city of Houston has begun removing the dedicated bike lane on a key street, raising concerns among residents about transparency and the city’s commitment to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. The potential loss of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Allred considering 2026 Senate run

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Fine by me. On a night when he urged a group of erstwhile Republicans to stay in the fight, former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred said he’s “seriously considering” a 2026 Senate campaign against incumbent John Cornyn, or the winner of … Continue reading →

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More efficiency studying

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not. Houston Public Works and the city controller’s office will receive deeper analyses of their operations and finances after the city council on Wednesday voted to expand the purview of Mayor John Whitmire’s efficiency study. The study, completed … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Kendall Scudder elected TDP Chair

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations and good luck. The Texas Democratic Party’s governing board on Saturday elected Kendall Scudder to lead the party forward as its new chair after a devastating performance in November and years of electoral defeats. “The challenge that we’re facing … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 30

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

“J.D. Vance Is the Most Disliked New Vice President in History”. “The leading Chinese electric carmaker BYD has soared in value after it said its latest batteries charge fast enough to add 400km (249 miles) of range in only five … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Of course the Justice Department dropped the GLO screw job complaint

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What did you expect? Or for that matter, what did I expect? The findings were stark. In one investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development concluded that a Texas state agency had steered $1 billion in disaster mitigation … Continue reading →

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Some plaintiffs drop out of redistricting litigation

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate but not unexpected. Two months before a scheduled trial, a coalition of voting rights groups is withdrawing from a long-running challenge to the political maps Texas drew after the 2020 U.S. census, which the groups said diluted the voting power of … Continue reading →

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Buc-ee’s versus Barc-ee’s

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, come on now. First was Choke Canyon. Then came Duckees. One month later, Super Fuels went under the microscope. This week, a canine-focused Missouri business became the latest target of legal action from a popular Texas-based super rest stop. Ladies and gentlemen: It’s … Continue reading →

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Measles update: Hello, Ohio

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Put another state on the board, Johnny. A measles outbreak in Kansas doubled in less than a week to 23 cases and has “a possible link” to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico that have sickened more than 370, the … Continue reading →

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Maria Rojas’ attorneys get a chance to speak

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And surprise surprise, they say the charges against their client are long on bluster and short on facts. When the Texas Attorney General’s office announced its first arrest under Texas’ abortion laws, the court filings and press statements painted a … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, March 29 edition

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

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 a grab bag: congressfolks on both sides of the aisle making controversial statements; we may … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court keeps Menefee for now

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. Harris County Commissioners have opted to keep Christian Menefee as the county attorney until Gov. Greg Abbott calls an election to fill the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s seat in Congress. Menefee has served as county attorney for more than four years, … Continue reading →

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New York county clerk refuses to file judgment against Dr. Carpenter

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. A county clerk in New York refused Thursday to file a more than $100,000 judgment from Texas against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, setting up a potential challenge to laws … Continue reading →

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

Modified Montrose construction to begin on Monday

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here it comes. Workers will break ground Monday on the first phase of a hotly debated plan to revamp Montrose Boulevard from Allen Parkway to West Clay Street. The final roadmap retains the original intent to include an expansive … Continue reading →

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Beware the trojan “abortion exceptions” bill

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Jessica Valenti warns us. Texas Republicans are poised to pull a fast one: They’ve convinced Democrats and doctors to support a bill they claim will protect life-saving abortion care and ‘clarify’ the state’s ban. But the rapidly advancing “Life of … Continue reading →

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Yeah, we won’t get the CD18 election until November

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the conclusion to draw from this Trib story. Three weeks after U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death and just over a month before the state’s next uniform election, Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet called a special election to fill … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The forthcoming travel ban and the MLB season

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just a little cloud hanging over Opening Day, that’s all. President Trump’s expected travel ban on more than three dozen countries could prevent some Astros and other Major League Baseball players from Cuba and Venezuela from coming into — or leaving — the United States. … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of March 24

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is glad for the distraction of March Madness as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Measles update: Hello, Kansas

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Put a new state on the board, Johnny. State health officials report the number of measles cases is growing in Kansas this year as cases climb nationwide. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) reported on March 20 on … Continue reading →

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New teacher evaluation system approved by HISD

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes. Houston ISD’s state-appointed board unanimously approved a new teacher evaluation system Thursday that will go into effect for the next school year. The model, which will be used to evaluate the district’s roughly 11,000 teachers, … Continue reading →

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Some good news for UST

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Situation update. The University of St. Thomas in Houston seems to have turned a corner with its finances in 2024, though its position remains precarious as the school posted a deficit in its operating budget for the seventh consecutive year, … Continue reading →

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An early overview of the CD18 special election

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Whenever it may be. After a whirlwind week of campaign announcements, endorsements and articles by national media, voters in Congressional District 18 could be forgiven for thinking Election Day is right around the corner. In fact, the candidates vying for … Continue reading →

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