Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Weekend link dump for August 18

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“Vice President Kamala Harris’ announcement of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate has introduced an unexpected issue into our high-stakes political discourse: casual wear.” “How Paul Wellstone Helped Give Us Tim Walz”. “It may be that the effort … Continue reading →

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Beware the voter registration attacks

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. County election departments across Texas are trying to reassure voters amid a flood of formal challenges questioning whether their registrations are valid. The challenges, filed by conservative groups and individual activists, seek … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paxton to investigate CenterPoint

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Monday his office will investigate CenterPoint’s conduct during Hurricane Beryl, which wiped out power to millions of the utility’s Houston-area customers last month. “My office is aware of concerning allegations regarding CenterPoint … Continue reading →

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More on the cryptomining noise problem

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It does sound like hell. Over the course of several months in 2024, TIME spoke to more than 40 people in the Granbury area who reported a medical ailment that they believe is connected to the arrival of the Bitcoin … Continue reading →

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Paxton finds a new target to bully

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Vile, disgusting, authoritarian – one quickly runs out of adjectives. Attorney General Ken Paxton is trying to shut down an immigrants rights group in Houston, alleging it is “systematically” flouting nonprofit rules by advocating too aggressively against state laws and … Continue reading →

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

Heat mapping

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty cool. Or hot. Kinda both. Your choice. Chris and Rachel Powers were ready for their second drive of the day when they parked outside a bakery in Houston’s East End. They cracked the passenger-side window of their Audi and … Continue reading →

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How Houston-area students are taking on conservative school boards

Posted on August 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. Rather than giving in to the common case of “senioritis,” recent Spring Woods High School graduate Cristopher Melendez spent his senior year determined to make his fellow classmates’ voices heard by Spring Branch ISD leaders. Melendez created a … Continue reading →

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

I got those “Same old HGAC” blues

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t see this resolving any time soon. Nearly seven months after Houston missed a deadline to increase its role in regional planning, negotiations with the Houston-Galveston Area Council have stalled indefinitely, despite a mandate by Houston voters in last … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Uplift Harris 2.0

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If at first you don’t succeed… Harris County will relaunch its guaranteed income initiative with added restrictions following Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit challenging the legality of the Uplift Harris program. Though the Uplift Harris legal battle is still making … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Dispatches from Dallas, August 16 edition

Posted on August 16, 2024 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 that starts with some important news about the November election in the … Continue reading →

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Erica Lee Carter to run in the special election for CD18

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

She says she’s in. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s daughter Erica Lee Carter announced Monday that she is running to finish out her mother’s term in Congress. Jackson Lee died July 19 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She represented … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

The great timesheet caper has been foiled

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We can all sleep better at night knowing this guy is off the street. The Texas Rangers concluded an investigation into Harris County’s highly scrutinized November 2022 election, finding no evidence that there was an attempt to sway the results, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Council sends Whitmire’s anti-protest ordinance to committee

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but until he backs down it’s not good enough. Houston City Council tabled Mayor John Whitmire’s proposal to ban targeted protests near residential homes after fierce opposition from pro-Palestine groups, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and others … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 12

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance got some advice on changing its car’s oil from Tim Walz while putting together this week’s roundup.

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Turner wins CD18 nomination

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It was very close. Several dozen precinct chairs Tuesday night elected former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to be the Democratic nominee for Congressional District 18, replacing the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee on the Nov. 5 ballot. The vote means … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Another complaint filed over abortion denial

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not a lawsuit but a federal complaint about improper emergency care. Two women have filed complaints with the federal government alleging that Texas hospitals denied them abortion care necessary to treat their ectopic pregnancies. The complaints were filed August 6 … Continue reading →

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Anti-endorsement watch: Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, LULAC Council to oppose HISD bond

Posted on August 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s officially campaign season here now. The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus and the League of United Latin American Citizens Council 60 are both urging voters to reject Houston ISD’s $4.4 billion school bond proposal in November. In separate, recent statements, … Continue reading →

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A checklist for CenterPoint

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve said on multiple occasions as various officeholders have (correctly and justifiably) dumped on CenterPoint that they owe us a list of actual things they intend to do about them. This op-ed by Sandra Haverleh of the Texas Consumer Association … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Accountability ratings release halted

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. A Travis County judge has blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing its ratings of the state’s school districts and campuses for a second year in a row. Judge Karin Crump on Monday issued a temporary restraining order after … Continue reading →

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

Nasal vaccine for flu and COVID in the works

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty cool. A team of researchers from the University of Houston have developed a new vaccine to treat and prevent the spread of flu and multiple coronavirus strains. Through two nasal sprays — an immune activating therapeutic treatment and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The CD18 candidate forum

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was a well-organized event, and my kudos to everyone who put it together in such a short period of time. I just have a couple of comments. Candidates vying to fill the congressional seat of the late U.S. Rep. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

News flash: Ted Cruz is extremely anti-abortion

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s cut to the chase here, shall we? Texas Democrats are making abortion rights a major campaign issue after Republicans in the state banned the procedure, and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred is casting Ted Cruz’s views as “extreme” in his … Continue reading →

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On burying a freeway and building a park over it

Posted on August 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noting this for the record. As a high-stakes project to sink I-35 through downtown Austin kicks into gear this summer, city officials and the University of Texas are looking to Dallas for a possible glimpse of the future. The vision: … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Weekend link dump for August 11

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“That said, although dismissing an idea as weird might be an effective political strategy, journalists have different standards and are committed to the spirit of free inquiry. Let’s take this seriously for a second and ask: Did expanding the franchise … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

RFK Jr qualifies for the ballot

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Whoopie. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent presidential candidate, will be on the Texas general election ballot this November. The Texas Secretary of State’s office announced Thursday afternoon that it had accepted Kennedy’s petition to appear on the state ballot … Continue reading →

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Going younger at HPD

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure about this. Mayor John Whitmire wants to tap into a younger audience for police recruits, but doing so may require going to Austin and changing state law. During a news conference introducing new Police Chief Noe Diaz, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The NFL will use facial recognition for its ticketing at all stadia

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The future is here, like it or not. It’s just a month away from the Cowboys’ season kickoff, and fans better stay on their best behavior once the stadium doors reopen. This year, the Cowboys and the rest of the … Continue reading →

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Two more small updates on CD18

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I learned two things of interest from this Houston Landing story about the CD18 situation. The bulk of the story is about the candidate forum today and the recent Zoom interviews that candidates did (see here for more on each), … Continue reading →

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Harris County Flood Control District tax hike proposal on the ballot

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

One more item to vote on. Harris County will ask voters in November to increase the Flood Control District’s property tax rate to fund a “transformational” investment in drainage for years to come. The district’s current tax rate is 3.1 … Continue reading →

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So many teachers gone

Posted on August 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I just can’t see how this is a good thing. More than 4,000 employees left Houston ISD in June, bringing the total departures since the state takeover to over 10,000. The record number is three times higher than the June … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

HISD approves the bond referendum for November

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I expect there will be some vigorous campaigning over this. I’ll be very interested to see how much money gets raised and spent. Houston ISD will ask voters in November to pass the biggest school bond package in Texas history, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Of course the I-10 project will cost more than expected

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The sun rises in the east, water is wet, etc etc etc. Lifting Interstate 10 out of White Oak Bayou’s floodway is poised to cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars more than anticipated, as bids to build the project … Continue reading →

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

Dispatches from Dallas, August 9 edition

Posted on August 9, 2024 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 another grab bag including: Six Degrees of Clarence Thomas; election news; shenanigans in Fort Worth; … Continue reading →

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July 2024 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Senate and Congress State offices Harris County offices No preambles here. This used to be a dead time in the city electoral cycle, as no one was allowed to fundraise until the January of the election year. That’s long … Continue reading →

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