Monthly Archives: April 2022

A roundup of border and lawsuit stories

Too much news, not enough time… New federal lawsuit seeks to halt Texas’ border trespassing arrests, give more than $5 million to illegally detained migrants. In a new challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott’s controversial border security crackdown, a lawsuit filed … Continue reading

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Time once again for Texas hospitals to struggle financially

I feel their pain, but… More than $3 billion in federal money has flowed to Texas health care providers in recent months to help pay for COVID-19 treatments, tests and vaccines for patients without health insurance, according to national health … Continue reading

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The “That’s right, you’re not from Texas” legal gambit

Tony Buzbee, y’all. The legal trouble that Deshaun Watson is facing in Houston already is threatening to get in the way of his new job in Cleveland. Lawyers for the 22 women who are suing Watson last week filed a … Continue reading

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Big XII may get temporarily bigger

The dominoes fall when they fall. Next week, the Big 12 plans to discuss the future of the conference regarding its expansion, per Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger. Houston, Cincinnati and UCF are expected to join the Big 12 in the 2023–24 academic … Continue reading

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

May 2022 special election Day Four EV report: Checking in on the mail ballots

In my first look at early voting for the May special election, I noted the fairly large number of mail ballots that had been cast so far in Harris County and wondered if we would hear about mail ballot rejections … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Are we about to get more COVID in Houston?

We could be. New data from the Texas Medical Center shows COVID-19 cases have leveled off over the past week, but some trends suggest the Greater Houston area could be on the verge of seeing higher virus spread. TMC hospitals reported an average of … Continue reading

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Now you really need to avoid the 59/610 interchange

Welcome to hell. Starting this weekend, Texas’ worst bottleneck is going to be an even bigger pain for drivers as the rebuild of the Interstate 69 and Loop 610 interchange turns a corner and takes out a key connector ramp. … Continue reading

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The next street safety project my neighborhood will be fighting about

My wife came back from this month’s civic association meeting and handed me a flyer for this, along with more or less the exact words I’ve used in the title of this post. North Main Street runs north from I-10 … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

More on the constitutional amendments

From the inbox, from State Rep. Gene Wu: Please share with your neighbors, family, tenants, parishioners, and community partners. Governor Greg Abbott issued a proclamation setting Saturday, May 7, 2022 as the special election day for two proposed constitutional amendments in Texas. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

End the “tampon tax”

I approve. A coalition of menstrual health organizations is appealing a decision by the Texas Comptroller’s Office to deny its protest against the state sales tax, which they say unfairly and unconstitutionally does not exempt tampons, pads and other hygienic … Continue reading

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

The New Orleans perspective on the Ike Dike

Of interest. Kelly Burks-Copes braces herself against the wind and marches past the ruins of Fort San Jacinto, a strategic spot on a sandy, wave-battered point where Spain, France, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy and the United States have … Continue reading

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

Texas blog roundup for the week of April 25

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with the people of Ukraine as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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We finally see that Manfred letter to the Yankees

The Chron headline is blaring, but I kind of think we already knew most of this stuff. Major League Baseball fined the New York Yankees $100,000 in 2017 for using their replay room and dugout phone to steal their opponent’s … Continue reading

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Abbott and Patrick ask SCOTx to take up Paxton’s whistleblower appeal

They sort of have a point, but they should still butt out. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday urged the Supreme Court of Texas to take up Attorney General Ken Paxton’s appeal to throw out a … Continue reading

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Looks like Texas didn’t even have to sue to keep Title 42 from ending

A different Trump judge already put it in the bag for them. A federal judge in Louisiana plans to temporarily block the Biden administration from ending Title 42, a pandemic-era health order used by federal immigration officials to expel migrants, … Continue reading

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What has Texas done to deserve ARPA-H?

Good question. Texas’ top medical institutions are vying to become home to a new federal research institution that would distribute billions of dollars to help discover cures and treatments for the world’s most intractable diseases. From MD Anderson Cancer Center … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

May 2022 special election Day One EV report: There were how many mail ballots?

Hey, it’s early voting time for the May 2022 special election. You know what that means, so here’s your Day One EV report for it. And here’s a comparison for Day One with the two most recent countywide elections: Election … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Interview with Staci Childs

As noted, I have done interviews with the two candidates in the Democratic primary runoff for SBOE4. This is a 72% Biden district that has no Republican candidate for November, so the winner of the runoff will be the next … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lawsuit filed over Llano County libraries

This is going to be something to watch. Seven Llano County residents filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the county judge, commissioners, library board members and library systems director for restricting and banning books from its three-branch public library system. … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Beto calls for expanded gambling

It’s fine. Good politics, given the polling. Democrat Beto O’Rourke said if he’s elected governor he’s “inclined to support” expanding casino gambling and legal sports betting in Texas, the first time he’s publicly addressed the issue on the trail. During … Continue reading

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Where are the endorsements?

As you know, early voting has begun for the May 7 election, which includes two Constitutional amendments and the special election for HCC District 2. As of last night when I drafted this, I see no endorsements in any of … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Interview with Coretta Mallet-Fontenot

I said during the primary season that I would revisit some races for the primary runoffs, and that time has come. I won’t have a whole lot of these, but one I had my eye on from the beginning was … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What is going on at CrimeStoppers?

Whatever it is, I’m not sure how to stop it. “Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.” That message, along with the promise of a reward, has appeared for decades at the end of news reports … Continue reading

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Texas sues to stop the end of Title 42

Just another day at the office of destruction for Ken Paxton. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration on Friday to halt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from lifting Title 42, a pandemic-era … Continue reading

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weekend link dump for April 24

“With MLB adopting the universal DH, the era of pitcher hitting in the league is officially done. To say farewell, let’s hand out awards for the best, weirdest, and most magical moments produced by pitchers stepping up to the plate.” … Continue reading

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 4 Comments

Early voting for the May 7 elections begins tomorrow

We all have at least one election to vote in, so get ready to get out there. On May 7, Texas voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on two proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, as well as … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

New bail bond rules survive initial court challenge

There are a couple of stories all rolled into this, so my apologies for any confusion. A ruling by a Harris County judge Friday will allow a recently-approved policy requiring bail bond agents to charge some defendants a 10 percent … Continue reading

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Our deadly roads

It was a bad year last year. Last year was the second deadliest on record for vehicle fatalities on Texas roads, reflecting a lethal trend here and throughout the nation, especially in large urban areas. In 2021, 4,480 people died … Continue reading

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Please don’t feed the ducks

Quack. The City of Houston is asking residents who visit Hermann Park to stop feeding the ducks. They said the population of domestic ducks has exploded and park workers think it’s because the ducks won’t leave because there’s too much … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Keeping the world safe from low tire pressure

Such a visionary. State troopers ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott to inspect every commercial truck coming from Mexico earlier this month — which clogged international trade with Mexico — found zero drugs, weapons or any other type of contraband, according … Continue reading

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Our still-smoggy skies

We’re being called on the carpet for them. The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday sought to list the Houston and Dallas metro areas as “severe” violators of 2008 federal ozone pollution standards, kicking off a process that will likely impose … Continue reading

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Is there a better way to measure hurricane intensity?

Probably. During the this week’s National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, a Colorado State University professor proposed a better a way to predict the damages of a devastating hurricane — do away with the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Hurricane specialist, Philip Klotzbach, … Continue reading

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Courts keep turning the Yankees down

Time to give up and move on, y’all. The New York Yankees keep taking losses in court. A federal appeals court has denied the team’s latest attempt to keep a 2017 letter from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred detailing … Continue reading

Posted in Baseball, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’m not sure I want us to be an early Presidential primary state

We’re pretty early already. I’m fine with that. The Texas Democratic Party is planning to apply to be one of the first states to vote on the 2024 presidential nomination. The Democratic National Committee recently decided to allow new states … Continue reading

Posted in The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment