Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Spring Branch ID to appeal redistricting verdict

As expected. Spring Branch ISD officials plan to appeal last month’s federal ruling that the district violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by holding at-large elections, the board president said Monday night after an executive session discussion. While awaiting … Continue reading

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We’re sinking

I think at some level we all knew this was true. Groundwater and oil extraction are causing the ground beneath Houston to sink faster than any other major city in the U.S., according to a new study in Nature Cities. … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 12

The Texas Progressive Alliance can’t get enough Chicago Pope memes as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Measles update: The wastewater still has something to tell us

Very cool. An outbreak detection program found the presence of the measles virus in samples of Houston wastewater in early January 2025, before cases were reported, new findings show. The findings were possible because almost three years earlier, a team … Continue reading

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MLB reinstates Pete Rose

Wow. Major League Baseball removed Pete Rose and other deceased players from MLB’s permanently ineligible list on Tuesday, an extraordinary twist to a saga that has gone on for more than three decades. The decision, announced by commissioner Rob Manfred … Continue reading

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Resolution Calling for the Banning of Ted Cruz at College Playoff Sporting Events

As you know, I’m a Democratic precinct chair. As of this year, so is my buddy Bill Kelly, who had been before that the head of Governmental Relations for Mayor Sylvester Turner. After long discussion and one too many “oh … Continue reading

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One more poll item

A couple of points to note here. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) trails Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by 16 points in a new poll commissioned by the Senate Leadership Fund, the GOP-leadership backed super PAC. SLF is supporting Cornyn. Their … Continue reading

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How can we stand all this winning?

Item 1: More than 1 million people count on Houston-area food pantries, which are staring down empty shelves after losing $11 million in federal funding. Until recently, 100 tractor-trailers full of federally-funded food pulled up each month to the Houston … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mexico sues Google over Gulf of Mexico renaming

I suppose this was inevitable. Mexico has followed through on its threat to sue Google after the tech giant switched to the name “Gulf of America” on its digital maps, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced at a Friday news conference. Google Maps users in … Continue reading

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Once more with Trump’s approval ratings in Texas

Of interest. President Donald Trump is viewed favorably by 47% of Texas voters and unfavorably by 50%, putting his net favorability at -3. This is a significant decline since November, when Trump’s net favorability was +12 (55% favorable, 43% unfavorable). … Continue reading

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Who cares about weather disasters?

Not the Trump administration. The Trump administration’s steep staff cuts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) triggered shutdowns of several climate-related programs Thursday. Perhaps most notably, the NOAA announced it would be shuttering the “billion-dollar weather and climate disasters” database … Continue reading

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Harris County claims early victory in lawsuit over mass federal layoffs

First round to the good guys, but there’s a lot more to happen. Harris County was among local governments and others claiming victory Saturday after a judge halted the Trump administration’s efforts to lay off federal employees. The county, local … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for May 11

“Since its publication last Sunday, The New York Times Magazine article “Have We Been Thinking About ADHD All Wrong?” has been called provocative and controversial. We would like to add a few adjectives: misrepresentative, biased, and dangerous.” “Doxxing the Secret … Continue reading

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The turnout effect in those school board races

In yesterday’s post we talked about the possible voucher effect in the recent school board elections, which were by and large a rout of the wingnuts. That same Chron story offered one more explanation at the end. While some of … Continue reading

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Be wary of the Trump mifepristone strategy

Hmmmm. On Monday, Trump’s Justice Department slotted into a long-running, right-wing effort to get the abortion drug mifepristone restricted or yanked from the market altogether. Instead of joining forces with the red states challenging the drug, though, it largely picked … Continue reading

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A brief digression on wacky fan contests at sporting events

I love this kind of stuff, and I hope you do too. Every night across the country, fans vie for prizes in contests staged during breaks in the action at sporting events big and small. In basketball, it might be … Continue reading

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Saturday video break: AV Undercover is back

Very good news. Since 2010, AV Club has been inviting artists to cover songs from a list chosen by our readers. Once a song has been chosen, it’s crossed off the list for that season, leading to fewer and fewer … Continue reading

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Measles update: It would help if the people with measles stopped traveling while sick

I don’t know what else to say. An El Paso resident’s two-day visit to Austin has prompted a warning from city public health officials, after the person was confirmed to have measles. The person was in Austin from April 25 … Continue reading

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The tariff effect on chocolate

Chocoholics beware. For weeks, businesses across the U.S. have scrambled to plan for President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs. That includes two Houston Heights dessert shops. Pudgy’s Fine Cookies and Underground Creamery at 1010 N Shepherd Dr. have been on edge as news about Trump’s “Liberation … Continue reading

Posted in Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Renaissance Festival to be sold

There’s always drama with this thing. A Grimes County District Judge has ruled the the Texas Renaissance Festival must be sold, ending a two-year legal battle over the popular festival. Judge Gary W. Chaney of the 506th state District Court … Continue reading

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Did vouchers play a role in the May school board elections?

Interesting hypothesis from the Chron. Several conservative candidates with right-wing support lost their bids for Houston-area school boards Saturday night, a change that some experts said could reflect dissatisfaction with the current state of national politics. Even though school boards … Continue reading

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Fort Worth ISD could be subject to takeover

Look out. The Texas education commissioner is now officially weighing his options for Fort Worth ISD after a now-closed school triggered the state’s school intervention law. In a May 5 letter to Superintendent Karen Molinar and board President Roxanne Martinez, … Continue reading

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Buc-ee’s settles with Duckees

Peace has broken out. Buc-ee’s, Texas’ favorite beaver-branded convenience store has reached a settlement with a Duckees, a Missouri company peddling duck-branded snacks and gas that it alleged was a copycat, according to court records. The lawsuit, filed in November, … Continue reading

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Tanking the economy has its costs

Sorry, Donald. For the first time, President Donald Trump has a negative approval rating in Texas over his handling of the economy, according to a new poll. The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project survey, released Wednesday, found … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The kids are fighting at Second Baptist

Such a shame. In May 2024, Pastor H. Edwin “Ed” Young told his congregation that he was resigning from his leadership post at Second Baptist in Houston, ending his 46-year tenure as one of America’s most influential and charismatic pastors. … Continue reading

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The CenterPoint weather stations

Good, I guess. CenterPoint Energy plans to install a network of 100 weather stations across its 12-county service territory in the Greater Houston area before hurricane season kicks off on June 1, the company announced Monday. The weather stations are … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 5

The Texas Progressive Alliance remembers when 100 days didn’t feel like 100 years as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Measles update: Who needs research?

I’m very sorry to say that we once again have to talk about RFK Jr and his continued quest to make us all sick and stupid. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s motto is “ Make America Healthy Again,” … Continue reading

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Mayor Whitmire releases his 2026 budget

I’m still trying to figure this out. Mayor John Whitmire proposed a $7 billion budget Tuesday for fiscal year 2026, closing a projected $220 million deficit without implementing new fees or taxes for residents. The proposal pulls $3.03 billion from Houston’s general fund, … Continue reading

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Who’s really using Polk Street?

The people who would be most affected by a proposed street closure are trying to quantify the effect of said closure. Armed with clipboards, pencils and determination, a group of volunteers gathered early Wednesday morning at intersections around the George … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

There’s a lot of Dems looking at the Senate race

From the inbox, from Thursday’s “Texas take with Jeremy Wallace” newsletter. The more endangered U.S. Sen. John Cornyn looks in early polling against Ken Paxton in the GOP primary, the more Democrats are buzzing. While a Democrat has not won … Continue reading

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More on the May elections

In my first post, I promised I’d look for a recap of the school board races from Franklin Strong. Here he is. That was a drubbing. I’ve been covering Texas school board elections for seven cycles, and as I have documented over and over again, book … Continue reading

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Energy Transfer blames the driver for that fire

It’s what you’d expect them to say. In the five years before a sports utility vehicle struck Energy Transfer’s pipeline in Deer Park and caused a massive explosion and fire, pipelines operated by the company and its affiliates had been … Continue reading

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Some May election results

And then there were two for San Antonio Mayor. The race to become San Antonio’s next mayor is headed toward a partisan showdown between one candidate loved by national Democratic Party leaders and another who has close ties to the … Continue reading

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