Category Archives: The great state of Texas

Confederate monuments to be removed

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the City of Houston plans to relocate the Dowling and Spirit of Confederacy statues, which are currently both located in two City of Houston parks. The statues will be removed by Friday, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

We keep hitting the wrong marks

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Up, up, and up. For the second day in a row, Texas has reported a record number of patients hospitalized with the new coronavirus, a metric Gov. Greg Abbott has said he’s watching as businesses continue reopening and limits on … Continue reading →

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

Javier Ambler

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Remember his name. Javier Ambler was driving home from playing poker on March 28, 2019, when he failed to dim the headlights of his SUV to oncoming traffic. A Williamson County sheriff’s deputy initiated a stop and began chasing him … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Anti-vaxxers gonna anti-vaxx

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Every step of the way, they are an obstacle to public health. The Texas group that lobbies against vaccine mandates is now launching a campaign against COVID-19 contact tracing, the public health measure used for decades around the world to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anti-vaxxers gonna anti-vaxx

So how’s that reopening going?

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Well, there’s more of it. Gov. Greg Abbott announced his third phase Wednesday of reopening Texas businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing virtually all of them to operate at 50% capacity. That is effective immediately, and there are “very limited … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Please wear a mask

Posted on May 31, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Don’t be that person. Seriously. Kara McIntyre remembers the day she likely contracted COVID-19 — she wasn’t wearing a face mask. She was at Target and began to feel dizzy. Later she checked her temperature and had a fever. So … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Reopening 3.0

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to go to a water park? Gov. Greg Abbott issued a proclamation Tuesday announcing additional services and activities that can resume under his second wave of reopenings, allowing food courts in shopping malls to reopen immediately and giving … Continue reading →

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

Sharing is CARES-ing

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I’m still trying to understand this. The state of Texas and its 12 largest counties are in a tug-of-war over who is responsible for handing out federal coronavirus relief funding for some small cities. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Sharing is CARES-ing

That’s not how you test

Posted on May 24, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Texas health officials made a key change Thursday to how they report data about the coronavirus, distinguishing antibody tests from standard viral tests and prompting slight increases in the state’s oft-cited daily statistic known as the positivity rate. The … Continue reading →

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

More reopening

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Onward we go, whether wise or not. Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced his next wave of reopenings designed to restart the Texas economy during the coronavirus pandemic, saying child care facilities can reopen immediately, bars can open Friday with … Continue reading →

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

We don’t know enough about what’s happening at nursing homes

Posted on May 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve talked before about two of the main coronavirus hotspot types in Texas, prisons and meat processing plants. Now we’re going to talk about that third type, nursing homes. As the death toll grows at Texas nursing homes, so has the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

The Hair Affair

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around this story, so to save myself a little brain power I’m going to outsource it. Lisa Falkenberg: Let’s be clear about something: Shelley Luther, the Dallas-area salon owner-turned-folk hero, wound up … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 37 Comments

More reopening

Posted on May 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It’s going great so far, right? Gov. Greg Abbott will allow hair salons in Texas to reopen Friday and gyms on May 18, moving more quickly than expected to further restart the Texas economy during the coronavirus pandemic. The businesses … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Federal response to coronavirus spike in Panhandle

Posted on May 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Variations on the theme. A federal strike force is headed to Amarillo in response to a surge of coronavirus cases tied to meatpacking plants in the area. Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson announced on Saturday that a team of federal officials … Continue reading →

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

How to become a coronavirus hotspot

Posted on May 4, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

It can happen to you, wherever you are. Barely a week ago, rural Lamar County in Texas could make a pretty good argument for reopening on Friday. Less than a dozen of the 50,000 residents of the area, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Day One of reopening

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, this is where we started. Texas reported 50 more COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, the most in any one day since the state reported its first deaths in mid-March. The state also reported it had added more than … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

All beaches are now open

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Again, ready or not. Galveston Mayor Jim Yarbrough isn’t worried about Texas beaches reopening to the public on Friday. He’s worried about where people will go after they leave the beach. “If Houston people want to come and congregate on … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 1 Comment

Ready or not, here we reopen

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Who cares what the data says? As he moves to reopen the state Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has cited data and science as his guiding lights. But Texas has yet to meet most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Ready or not, here we reopen

Reopening the beaches

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Galveston has opened its beaches again. Galveston beaches were reopened to pedestrians Monday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. after being closed for nearly a month due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The Galveston City Council voted 4-3 on the … Continue reading →

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

Reopening roundup redux

Posted on April 30, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

More news about that thing that Greg Abbott is making us do. Health experts give Abbott’s plan to reopen Texas mixed reviews, warn state should revive stay-at-home order if surge emerges: Diana Cervantes, director of the epidemiology program at the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Reopening roundup

Posted on April 29, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Judge Hidalgo adjusts to the new status that has ben imposed on us from Austin. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday announced plans to significantly expand novel coronavirus case tracing, and maintain reserve hospital capacity, to prepare for a … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

How partisan is concern about coronavirus?

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

On the one hand: Texas’ economy is taking a catastrophic hit — and hundreds of thousands of Texans are out of work — as officials shutter businesses and limit some establishment’s operations to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. But while Texans’ optimism … Continue reading →

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

And so reopening begins

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I have questions. Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that he will let the state’s stay-at-home order expire Thursday as scheduled and allow businesses to begin reopening in phases the next day, the latest ramp-up in his push to restart the … Continue reading →

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

And now, a few words about tigers

Posted on April 26, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We have a lot of them in Texas, and as is the way in this state, there’s little to no regulation of them. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, announced on Monday that he is co-sponsoring the Big Cat Public … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on And now, a few words about tigers

Greg Abbott’s grand plan is coming

Posted on April 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not (spoiler alert: not ready). Gov. Greg Abbott could make an announcement as soon as Friday about reopening a wide range of Texas businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic, including restaurants, hair salons and retail outlets. During a series … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

So this is reopening

Posted on April 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s not much to this, is there? Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday announced initial steps to reopen the Texas economy during the coronavirus pandemic, including those that in the next week will loosen surgery restrictions at medical facilities, allow all … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

What does “reopening the economy” look like?

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll find out (sort of) later this week. Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that reopening the Texas economy will be a “slow process” guided by public health concerns as he continued to preview a forthcoming executive order that will detail … Continue reading →

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

We still have no idea how many people have been infected

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s just a real lack of testing being done. Six times in three weeks, Marci Rosenberg and her ailing husband and teenage children tried to get tested for the new coronavirus — only to be turned away each time, either … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We still have no idea how many people have been infected

Is CBD oil “essential health care”?

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

These are the questions of our times. The police went into Fatty’s Smoke Shop in Beverly Hills, a small city surrounded by Waco, last Wednesday about 10 a.m., owner Jesse Singh recalled. His business, they informed him, is not considered … Continue reading →

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

Coronavirus is taking its toll on the Census

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The timing of this pandemic really sucks. The nonprofit Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston had more than 15 tabling events planned over the next several weeks where volunteers were going to post up at festivals, fairs and other community gatherings … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

We don’t really know how many COVID-19 patients there are in Texas hospitals

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

For a variety of reasons, the data is hard to get a handle on. Texas is bracing for a pandemic that is projected to kill tens of thousands of people across the U.S., but health officials and state leaders are … Continue reading →

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

RIP, Ronnie Earle

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The iconic former Travis County District Attorney has passed away. Ronnie Earle, who served as Travis County district attorney for more than 30 years and was best known for prosecuting some of Texas’ top politicians and for championing the community … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on RIP, Ronnie Earle

That was a statewide stay-at-home order

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

And we’re under it now, even if you don’t want to call it that. Gov. Greg Abbott released a new video Wednesday clarifying that his executive order issued on Tuesday “requires all Texans to stay at home” except for essential … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Abbott imposes travel restrictions

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Where we are now. Gov. Greg Abbott is tightening travel to Texas by ordering some motorists from Louisiana to self-quarantine for two weeks. The new travel restrictions come as Louisiana’s status as a novel coronavirus hotspot grew Sunday to more … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments