Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Food Not Bombs lawsuit may proceed

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Do I hear a settlement offer? Anyone? A lawsuit filed by Food Not Bombs against the city of Houston will proceed after a federal judge rejected the city’s effort to dismiss the case. Since March 2023, FNB volunteers have received … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS to hear gender affirming care appeal

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up, this is a big one. The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the question of whether gender-affirming care bans for transgender youth are unconstitutional, in response to the Biden administration petitioning on behalf of trans youth and … Continue reading →

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One more time for keeping the Universities line going

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Raj Mankad is a Chron editorial board member and a neighbor of mine, who once took public transit from Houston to Galveston to prove it could be done. He has now taken to the op-ed pages in favor of not … Continue reading →

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Is the Houston Zoo too expensive?

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know how high a priority this should be, but I’ll engage the question. Houston Mayor John Whitmire is upset about what he thinks are exorbitant costs to visit the city’s historic zoo, and he is vowing to do … Continue reading →

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LINK Houston advocates for the Universities line

Posted on June 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From Sunday’s op-ed section, three leaders of LINK Houston advocate for the Universities BRT line as promised in the 2019 Metro referendum. This is the part that is most of interest to me: There’s a lot on the line. If … Continue reading →

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Even the Fifth Circuit occasionally finds a limit

Posted on June 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Remarkable. While it upheld the crux of a right-wing district judge’s ruling on a major Affordable Care Act case Friday, a panel of judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals accused that district judge of abusing his discretion by … Continue reading →

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NCAA has a March Madness expansion plan

Posted on June 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I feel confident something like this is going to happen. College basketball moved one step closer this week to an expanded NCAA men’s basketball tournament. NCAA officials on Wednesday presented to Division I conference commissioners at least two models of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 23

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“Whether he picks a firebrand like Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio or a milquetoast politician like North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Trump will still govern like Trump. Nevertheless, the septuagenarian’s pick could be far more meaningful than the average VP … Continue reading →

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Ellis requests full Metro board vote on halting Universities BRT

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s at least put it on the record. Concerned the University Corridor rapid transit line project could be delayed for years, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis on Friday called on Metro to move forward with the voter-approved project and hold … Continue reading →

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Influencers now required to disclose paid political content

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Could be stricter, and Lord knows our overall campaign finance system is a mess, but this was a slam dunk. Texas’ top campaign finance watchdog voted Tuesday to require social media figures to disclose when they are paid for … Continue reading →

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Kerry Max Cook declared innocent

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. Kerry Max Cook is innocent of the 1977 murder of Linda Jo Edwards, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals found, citing stunning allegations of prosecutorial misconduct that led to Cook spending 20 years on death row for a crime … Continue reading →

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Texas Medical Board publishes its useless abortion guidance

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

You already know how I feel about this. The Texas Medical Board on Friday adopted guidance for how doctors should interpret the state’s new abortion laws, reducing paperwork requirements some saw as overly burdensome but declining to provide a list … Continue reading →

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License plate scanning

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

HPD does a lot of it. How much is too much? As Houston public safety leaders continue to decry what they say are staffing shortages, the police department has come to rely on a license plate scanning technology more than … Continue reading →

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Once more with Amtrak and Texas Central

Posted on June 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Bloomberg examines the recent history and possible future of the Texas high speed rail line. The US is “on the cusp of a high-speed rail revolution,” says Andy Byford, Amtrak’s Senior Vice President for High-Speed Rail Development Programs. “Suddenly, people … Continue reading →

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Appeals court declines to block zombie ReBuild lawsuit ruling

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That means the city is still on the hook for a bunch more money to be allocated to drainage projects. Which the just-adopted budget didn’t account for. A state appellate court on Tuesday rejected the city of Houston’s request to … Continue reading →

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City report calls 11th Street a success

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

How about that? A Houston Public Works draft report obtained by Axios states that measures to slow traffic along 11th Street in the Heights have achieved key safety goals. Why it matters: The project — a polarizing rebuild completed under … Continue reading →

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Rice Stadium 2.0?

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. Rice University might build a new football stadium soon, according to a new report. Although the Rice Owls football team’s home has already undergone improvements, Rice school administrators have stated that some significant changes are now required. … Continue reading →

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Metro officially puts Universities BRT line in the freezer

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Goddammit. The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County will not pursue the University Corridor bus rapid transit line, a core element of the MetroNext program, delaying the project indefinitely. During a Tuesday meeting of the board of directors’ Strategic Planning … Continue reading →

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Still talking about connecting Texas to the national grid

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a compelling idea. Still not sure if it’s a good idea, but it is compelling. If the Texas power grid had been connected to neighboring systems in early 2021, the likelihood of deadly blackouts during Winter Storm Uri would … Continue reading →

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HPD to expand “AI surveillance”

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have many questions. An AI technology firm will install 64 new cameras throughout the city to improve public safety as Houston Police Department officials say they are facing staffing shortages. In a $177,483 contract approved Wednesday by City Council, … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of June 17

Posted on June 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance has reported every free luxury vacation it has received from a wingnut billionaire (unlike some Supreme Court justices we could name) as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Firefighter deal certified and approved

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That’s that. Houston City Council approved the $1.5 billion settlement and labor contract with the city firefighters union on Wednesday, a deal that now forces Mayor John Whitmire to quickly find new sources of revenue to help pay for it. … Continue reading →

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Paxton lawsuit to nullify marijuana ordinances tossed

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A state district judge in Travis County has dismissed a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Paxton that sought to nullify voter-approved ordinances in Austin and a few other cities that effectively decriminalize possessing small amounts of marijuana. In a … Continue reading →

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Bird flu found in Houston wastewater

Posted on June 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

No need to panic, but good to know. Bird flu has been detected in wastewater around the Houston area, Harris County Public Health officials said Tuesday. The source of the Bird flu, or H5N1, found in Houston water between March … Continue reading →

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Abbott appoints first judges to new statewide business appeals court

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten about this. Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday appointed three conservative justices to the new 15th Court of Appeals, which lawmakers created last year to oversee appeals involving the state, challenges to the constitutionality of state laws and cases … Continue reading →

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Annunciation House hearing

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This one is on the merits, to determine if Ken Paxton has any evidence to support his outlandish claims that the religious charity is engaged in “human trafficking”. An El Paso judge will rule within two weeks on the attempt … Continue reading →

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The DFW high speed rail line hits a bump

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Whoops. Dallas City Council members hit the brakes on a proposed elevated high-speed passenger rail line that would connect with Arlington and Fort Worth. The council, including Mayor Eric Johnson, approved a resolution 14-0, with council member Jaime Resendez absent. … Continue reading →

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SCOTx declines to take up IVF appeal

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A small victory. The Texas Supreme Court has declined to take up a major in vitro fertilization case that could have potentially upended access to the procedure. The justices allowed a lower court’s opinion to stand, and, for now, sidestepped … Continue reading →

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Federal judge strikes down Florida laws against gender-affirming care for minors and adults

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest, for obvious reasons. Florida can no longer enforce its ban against transgender youth receiving gender-affirming care, or its restrictions against adults accessing gender-affirming care, after a federal district court ruling on Tuesday found those rules to be unconstitutional … Continue reading →

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B-Cycle’s reprieve runs out

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Sad to see it go. Houston’s long-struggling system of on-demand bicycles is reaching the end of the trail. BCycle, the system of kiosks with available bikes spread around downtown, Midtown and other locations will close June 30, officials with the … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for June 16

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“How Donald Trump Could Weaponize US Surveillance in a Second Term”. “The Scottish woman who claims to be the inspiration for Richard Gadd’s hit Netflix “Baby Reindeer” has sued the streamer, seeking monetary damages of at least $170 million.” “Republicans … Continue reading →

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Scott and McCrutcheon win HCAD runoffs

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not much to say, you can see the live results. There were 12,479 total mail ballots, so another 1,436 were received after Tuesday. A bit more than 11K votes had been counted as of 10 PM and two thirds of … Continue reading →

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Controller Hollins has not certified the firefighter deal yet

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were wondering. Hours after Mayor John Whitmire told City Council members on Friday that Controller Chris Hollins plans to certify the mayor’s landmark contract with the Houston firefighters union, Hollins walked back that claim, saying his review … Continue reading →

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Uplift Harris remains on hold

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Doesn’t look good for them. The Supreme Court of Texas ruled against Harris County’s guaranteed income program Friday, continuing to block the county from sending checks to participants. In an opinion written by Justice James D. Blacklock, the court said … Continue reading →

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