Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

HCA Healthcare hacked

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A national breach with Houston connections. HCA Healthcare, which operates more than a dozen hospitals in the Houston area, announced that personal information from as many as 11 million patients nationwide has been stolen in a data breach and could be sold … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 16

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Fox Faces FCC License Threat Over False Election Claims & Jan. 6 Attack”. Actions have consequences. Speaking of which, Disbar Him. “Nearly two-thirds of all physicians reported being harassed over COVID-19 advice.” “WNBA players have long lagged in earning power … Continue reading →

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An early peek at Mayoral fundraising so far

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Campaign finance reports are officially due Monday, and there are some in the system now. Candidates are free to say how they’ve done before their reports get posted, and the Chron asked some of the Mayoral candidates what we should … Continue reading →

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The scooters come back to Dallas

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how it goes this time around. Electric scooters had a rough go in Dallas following their 2018 introduction. The “micro-mobility” options pissed off plenty and led to a spike in hospitalizations. So in 2020, the two-wheeled vehicles were yanked … Continue reading →

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Tuberculosis

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s making an unfortunate comeback. Before 2020, advances to eradicate TB, which is spread person to person through the air, were underway globally. It was considered by many public health experts to be a feasible goal, since tools are available to identify … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

UT professors sue over TikTok ban

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t wait to see how this one plays out. A group of college professors is suing Texas for banning TikTok on public-university computers and phones, saying it has undermined their ability to teach students and research one of the … Continue reading →

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Jack Christie?

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I dunno. Former At-Large City Councilmember Jack Christie is considering a run for mayor, and attorney Tony Buzbee said he has not ruled out a run despite taking on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment defense. Christie, a Republican who also served as Spring Branch ISD … Continue reading →

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San Marcos sanctioned in Trump Train lawsuit

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

What a cluster. A federal judge has sanctioned San Marcos for failing to preserve phone and email records from a former employee related to the October 2020 “Trump Train” incident involving a Biden-Harris campaign bus. Campaign staffers and volunteers filed … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed against anti-trans gender affirming care law

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No time wasted on this one. Several families with transgender children are asking a judge to block a new Texas law that would stop minors from accessing many types of transition-related health care, including puberty blockers and hormone therapies. The … Continue reading →

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Over the counter birth control pill approved

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A big deal, and a long time coming. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first ever over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States Thursday, a huge advancement in contraceptive accessibility amid an ever more restrictive abortion landscape. “Approval … Continue reading →

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Our wastewater COVID tracking is a big deal

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Nice to be recognized as a leading innovator. The practice of using plumbing to track and prevent disease isn’t new. A series of cholera outbreaks in the mid and late 1800s prompted many cities, including London, Boston, and Chicago to install sewer systems in … Continue reading →

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Is ShotSpotter working?

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story would suggest the answer is No. Houston city leaders deployed the gunshot surveillance system ShotSpotter to strengthen police responses in neighborhoods where gunfire too often rings out. But three years into its deployment, crime statistics show the technology hasn’t made a … Continue reading →

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Future legislator Miss Texas

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, I’m impressed. The day of the school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Tex., last year, Averie Bishop posted a TikTok video, sobbing. “These things happen all the time and nothing changes,” she said. After the Supreme … Continue reading →

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Major League Cricket

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

America’s newest major league makes its debut today. While cricket has flourished in England and some of its former colonies, it has never taken off to the same degree in the United States, where some have perceived it as impenetrable. … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 10

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance went and joined Threads but can’t really say why as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Here are your volunteer “NES-aligned” schools

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

See if yours is on the list. Fifty-seven Houston ISD schools will voluntarily take part in Superintendent Mike Miles’ vision for reshaping campuses ahead of schedule, district officials announced Tuesday. The 57 campuses will comprise what Miles has coined the … Continue reading →

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Squeezing in the Gulfton BRT extension

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Hope they find a way everyone can live with to make this work. Bringing better bus service to one of Houston’s most transit-dependent and oft-ignored areas has Metro officials balancing, yet again, how best to upgrade service without upsetting advocates and drivers. Approval … Continue reading →

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Climate change is bad for mosquitoes

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I think we all can have mixed feelings about this. Houston may be getting too hot even for mosquitoes, whose bites can be both annoying and dangerous, according to a new analysis of daily temperature and humidity in 242 locations … Continue reading →

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Sen. Gutierrez officially announces for US Senate

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have ourselves a real contested primary. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, announced Monday he is joining the Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Gutierrez made his campaign official in a nearly four-minute video that starts … Continue reading →

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Republicans finally agree on a property tax cut

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Our moderate-length semi-statewide bit of unpleasantness is coming to an end. Probably. The $18 billion compromise between the Texas House and Senate — which includes more than $5 billion approved for relief in 2021 — would give increased tax relief … Continue reading →

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Another interim AG appointed

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

All hail the latest temporary overlord. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday that a longtime aide, Angela Colmenero, will serve as the second interim attorney general following Ken Paxton’s impeachment. After the House voted to impeach Paxton in May, he was … Continue reading →

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Were these courts really necessary?

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Should have added these two bills to the “will be sued over” list. Republican state leaders’ plan to create two new types of statewide courts is facing backlash from critics who say they are unconstitutional and will unfairly benefit large … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The sidewalk situation

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have a lot of work to do. Growing up in Gulfton, Sandra Rodriguez walked just about everywhere. Her father took the family’s only vehicle to work, so Rodriguez and her four siblings got used to the southwest neighborhood’s patchy … Continue reading →

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

Time for another area code

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We don’t know what it will be yet, but it’s coming. The last area code was added for Houston residents just nine years ago, but a new one is already calling in. What does this mean for Houston residents who … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Weekend link dump for July 9

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Why Are Gen Xers Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley Running Like Grumpy Old Boomers?” “Americans in former Confederate states more likely to say violent protest against government is justified, 160 years after Gettysburg”. I love this picture I found on … Continue reading →

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Latest ReBuild lawsuit dismissed

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

One less thing for the next Mayor to worry about. I hope. A district court judge has ruled in favor of Houston leaders in a 4-year-old lawsuit, countering allegations that Mayor Sylvester Turner and the City Council illegally shortchanged the … Continue reading →

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DOJ asked to investigate shady migrant flights

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Feels like this should have been done awhile ago, but better late than never. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), California State Attorney General Rob Bonta and Texas Sheriff Javier Salazar sent a letter to the Department of Justice on Thursday … Continue reading →

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The Jovita Idar quarter

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Cool. As part of a series honoring women in history, the U.S. Mint will release a new quarter in mid-August depicting early 1900s South Texas journalist-activist Jovita Idar. Often associated with her early life in Laredo, she lived her last 25 … Continue reading →

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You sure you wanna join the NES now?

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Consider your answer carefully. Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles met with dozens of school principals Thursday to walk them through his plans for “wholesale systemic reforms” and offered those who signed up for his New Education System one last chance … Continue reading →

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How Harris County has spent COVID relief funds

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of good stuff here. Harris County has received around $1.8 billion in federal aid to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, a staggering sum that provided struggling residents with immediate emergency relief, has kept county services running and is fueling … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Malaria

Posted on July 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Time for something new to worry about. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning doctors and public health officials about a handful of locally acquired cases of malaria. There hasn’t been a case of malaria caught locally … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harris County files its first lawsuit over an election bill

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Another early start, for a clear reason in this case. Harris County is headed to court to challenge a new state law that abolishes its elections office, County Attorney Christian Menefee announced Thursday. The county’s lawsuit aims to stop Senate Bill 1750 from going into … Continue reading →

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Watson Grinding explosion “could have been prevented”

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know about you, but I favor there being fewer unplanned massive explosions. A deadly explosion that rocked northwest Houston in January 2020 could have been prevented with better planning and safety training, the federal agency responsible for investigating chemical … Continue reading →

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Dispatches from Dallas, July 7 edition

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from DFW, a mass shooting in a historically Black neighborhood in Fort Worth, the return of a former statewide candidate … Continue reading →

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