Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

I-45 project is back on

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Though it will still be several years before there is any real construction. Nearly two years to the day that federal officials paused TxDOT’s plans for rebuilding Interstate 45 and downtown Houston’s freeway system, national and state highway leaders have come … Continue reading →

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The past history of TEA takeovers

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As of Monday afternoon there’s still no word from the TEA about the fate of HISD, so while we wait we ponder what history can teach us. Assuming that history doesn’t contain anything gay or CRT-related so we’re allowed to … Continue reading →

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I don’t see any issue with HCC campaign contributions and the Maldonado vote

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the reporting in this story, but ultimately I think it’s a nothingburger. The four trustees who voted to extend Houston Community College Chancellor Cesar Maldonado’s contract received a combined $78,000 in campaign donations from a political action committee … Continue reading →

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What does Florida have against bloggers?

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

These are the questions we must ask ourselves these days. Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) wants bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and other members of the Florida executive cabinet or legislature to register … Continue reading →

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Nate Paul jailed for contempt

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a little story about one of Ken Paxton’s close personal friends. A real estate investor accused of bribing the Texas attorney general has been ordered to pay over $180,000 in fines and spend 10 days in jail for contempt … Continue reading →

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So whose fault is the Sidney Powell lawsuit dismissal?

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

My reaction to the news that the lawsuit brought by the State Bar of Texas against Trump nutcase lawyer Sidney Powell was being dismissed was that it was the State Bar’s fault for screwing up the paperwork. The DMN editorial … Continue reading →

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A win for butterflies

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure this will end up in court, but it’s still a good thing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday declared the prostrate milkweed an endangered species and mandated new habitat protections for the plant, closing a chapter … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for March 5

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

13 Biggest Changes ‘Game of Thrones’ Made From the Books. Spoilers a-plenty, in case you couldn’t tell. “[T]here is no evidence to support speculation that noise resulting from wind development-related site characterization surveys could…cause mortality of whales, and no specific … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

So is there anything that can be done to derail the TEA takeover?

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Probably not. I mean, I really appreciate the engagement and the passion, but we’re at the end of the road here, a road that started almost six years ago. Sometimes you just run out of things to do. With time … Continue reading →

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If not for I-45 then for something else

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Money for highways never goes unspent. Drivers on Houston freeways likely can relate: Facing a slowdown when it comes to rebuilding Interstate 45, state transportation leaders are shifting gears and changing lanes. Unable to significantly move ahead with the controversial … Continue reading →

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Won’t someone think of the catchers?

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s at least one constituency affected by the looming future of robo umps that isn’t so sure about the whole thing. While pitch clocks, bigger bases and other rules changes debut this year at the major league level, the Automated Ball-Strike System will receive its … Continue reading →

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Superintendant House speaks about the looming TEA takeover

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Not much one can say in this position. Superintendent Millard House II said it’s business as usual in the state’s largest school system until the Texas Education Agency pulls the trigger on its rumored takeover plan. He used the start … Continue reading →

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The Rodeo is more accessible now

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear, though I’m honestly surprised this is a thing that has just now happened. People with disabilities trying to get into and enjoy the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will have an easier time this year because of … Continue reading →

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Are there more parks like Fairfield Lake out there?

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, there are others, but most are not likely to go away any time soon. We hope. Recent news that Texas’ Fairfield Lake State Park is closing to make way for a new upscale gated community raised a question: How … Continue reading →

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Democratic AGs file lawsuit to ease access to mifepristone

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good, albeit a bit confusing at this point in time. A dozen Democratic state attorneys general have opened a new front in the legal war over mifepristone, the “gold standard” medication used in the majority of all US abortions. In a federal lawsuit filed … Continue reading →

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Former Land Commissioners oppose anti-Open Beaches bill

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Among coastal states Texas is unique. The 1959 Texas Open Beaches Act (TOBA), as well as time-honored common law and tradition in existence since long before 1959, provides that Texas beaches are open to the public. In … Continue reading →

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HCC will hire a new Chancellor

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. The Houston Community College System Board of Trustees voted on Wednesday not to extend the contract of Chancellor Cesar Maldonado. The trustees’ decision was close: Four voted in a special meeting to consider a new contract and five opposed. … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Dispatches from Dallas, March 3 edition

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week in DFW, our most interesting story is a brouhaha in Frisco ISD, but we also have an interview with Sarah Weddington’s co-counsel … Continue reading →

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So it looks like that TEA takeover of HISD is going to happen

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Mayor Sylvester Turner sounded alarm bells Wednesday when he announced that he has heard from multiple sources that the state intends to take over Houston ISD as early as next week. “I’m talking to legislators, and what they’re saying … Continue reading →

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So about that DPS delay in notifying the victims of the credential stuffing attack

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s their explanation. [DPS Director Steve] McCraw said DPS officials kept the news under wraps to avoid jeopardizing the agency’s investigation, including efforts to arrest the fraudsters who organized the scheme. The explanation came in response to questioning from state … Continue reading →

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You still have time to donate to the Democratic judges’ legal fund

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder: Here @JudgeGenesis Draper. She is 1 of 17 elected Harris County Dem. judges sued to undo ‘22 election. Judges can’t take pro bono help to defend selves. Can’t let Mattress Mack undo election wins. Clubs In Action … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of February 27

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance is studying pitch clocks and base sizes as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Abortion funds’ lawsuit against the “sanctuary cities” guy tossed by SCOTx

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate. The Texas Supreme Court upheld the right of an anti-abortion activist to call abortion advocacy groups criminal enterprises and emphasized the state’s 1921 law criminalizing abortion is in force. In the majority and the concurring opinions issued Feb. 24, … Continue reading →

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DPS victimized by credential stuffing attack

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the technical term for this. The Texas Department of Public Safety was duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas driver’s licenses to a Chinese organized crime group that targeted Asian Texans, DPS Director Steve McCraw told a Texas House … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We do need more felony courts

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good start. County officials are considering adding new district courts and making more room for detainees in an effort to reduce to county’s court backlog and alleviate overcrowding at the Harris County Jail. During Commissioners Court on … Continue reading →

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Lege targets Harris County election administrator

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We knew something like this was coming. House and Senate bills filed by Republican lawmakers in response to Harris County’s mismanagement of its recent elections could give the Texas secretary of state the authority to step in, suspend county election … Continue reading →

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Actually, we could have saved Fairfield State Park

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Well, well, well. State officials passed up an offer to save Fairfield Lake State Park this month, just days before the Texas parks department celebrated its centennial, according to newly uncovered text messages. The 1,821-acre park sits on land the … Continue reading →

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Houston suspends “sister city” ties with Tyumen

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Houston Mayor Turner Sylvester on Friday suspended the city’s partnership agreement with Moscow and its sister city relationship with Tyumen, Russia, on the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Turner said that while he believes in the … Continue reading →

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We’re fixing to have some boring May elections

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At least as far as Mayoral races go. The mayors of some of Texas’ largest cities are cruising toward reelection. The incumbents in San Antonio and Fort Worth face little opposition after the deadline to run for mayor in the … Continue reading →

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Let’s spend less money on court-appointed lawyers

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my main takeaway from this. Harris County paid one private attorney just over $1 million last year to represent hundreds of low-income people accused of crimes, helping proliferate a system that critics say wastes taxpayer dollars and robs indigent defendants of … Continue reading →

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Metro’s first electric bus has arrived

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Metro’s next fleet of buses quietly is coming together, in more ways than one. The first of 20 electric 40-foot buses bought by Metropolitan Transit Authority has arrived in Houston, though it will be some time before it is … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for February 26

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“No one has a playbook in politics for shooting down UFOs that are not aliens.” “Bill Watterson, the creator of the beloved comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, is releasing a dark and adult graphic novel later this year.” “After years … Continue reading →

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Abortion funds remain protected from prosecution

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good news, in the kind of world where this is needed at all, for now. A federal judge issued a favorable ruling for Texas abortion funds, indicating they likely cannot be criminally charged for helping people travel out of state … Continue reading →

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Harris County libraries to eliminate fines

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County residents no longer will have to pay late fees on overdue library books, formalizing a policy the 26 branches of the county library started during the pandemic. Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve … Continue reading →

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