Monthly Archives: May 2022

Paxton seeks to intervene in GENECIS case

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is what I was worried about. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wants the state to intervene in a court battle over medical care for transgender youth at a Dallas hospital. Paxton filed a petition in a Dallas County court … Continue reading →

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

Debtors’ court, part 2

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Also not good. One day last September, while trying to pay for groceries, Leslie Alvarez got the shock of her life. All the money in her bank account had disappeared. The Houston single mother called her bank. An employee told … Continue reading →

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The cattle-rustling County Judge

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

“Bonkers” is the first word that came to mind as I read this Twitter thread and the linked story at the end of it: . #BREAKING: Loving County Judge Skeet Jones was arrested earlier today by the Texas and Southwestern … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

DFPS to resume investigating families of trans kids

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Gross and discouraging. The state of Texas will restart its abuse investigations into families with transgender kids after a recent court ruling that lifted a statewide injunction on such probes. In a statement on Thursday, the Texas Department of Family … Continue reading →

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We really missed counting a lot of people in Texas

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Over half a million, by the latest estimate. Tripped up by politics and the pandemic — and with only a last-minute investment in promotion by the state — the 2020 census likely undercounted the Texas population by roughly 2%, the … Continue reading →

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So what did happen with the HD147 special election?

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I was alerted by a comment on an earlier post to this. Things are getting heated in the race to replace State Representative Garnet Coleman in District 147. Jolanda Jones narrowly won the race in Saturday’s special election with 202 … Continue reading →

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

2022 primary runoff Day Five EV report: Yes, I have some info about mail ballots

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting has concluded for the primary runoffs. Here’s the final EV report, and here are the final totals: Party Mail Early Total ============================== Dem 16,767 25,294 42,061 GOP 13,187 50,498 63,685 You can compare to Day Three. As is … Continue reading →

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

State Bar complaint filed against Ted Cruz

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A group of lawyers want the State Bar of Texas to investigate Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz for his “leading” role in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Lawyers with the 65 Project, an organization aiming to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Texas asks SCOTUS to not block its stupid social media law

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

As you’d expect. The Supreme Court should allow a sweeping Texas law to remain in effect that restricts the ability of Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to moderate their platforms, according to the state’s attorney general. In a filing to the Court … Continue reading →

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On reporting election night results faster

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure about this. Ahead of next week’s primary runoff elections, Harris County officials are recruiting county staffers to help speed up the results by picking up ballots at polling locations and driving them to the county’s central count location. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Rough times for oysters

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s bad for oyster fishers, too. But if there just aren’t enough oysters to support harvesting them, well… Currently, 25 of the state’s 27 harvesting areas are already closed. The season normally runs from Nov. 1 through April 30, but … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton finds a new thing to lie about

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This counts as personal growth for him. The state police made him do it. That’s the excuse Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton gives on his Texas ethics disclosures in place of revealing, as required by law, the addresses of properties … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

How will abortion bans be enforced?

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The good news is that anti-abortion zealots don’t yet know how they’re going to force women to give birth. The bad news is we cannot count on that to continue to be true. It took next to zero effort for … Continue reading →

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2022 Kinder Houston Area Survey

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of optimism in here. Dr. Stephen Klineberg’s final survey of the Houston area leaves him with hope. Yes, residents are concerned about the economy and crime, and their mental health has not improved even as the COVID-19 pandemic has … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 16

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with the people of Ukraine, and also decries the misogynist and regressive SCOTUS draft opinion on abortion, as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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2022 primary runoff Day Three EV report: Not quite as many mail ballots

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get right to it. Here is the Day Three EV report for the primary runoffs. Here are the vote totals through Wednesday: Party Mail Early Total ============================== Dem 15,675 10,993 26,668 GOP 12,735 26,794 39,527 And as a reminder, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2022 | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

GLO prepares to screw Houston again on Harvey recovery funds

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Gird yourselves. Of the more than 300,000 homes in Texas damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, none were in Coryell County. Located 220 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, this small agricultural county was not the place Congress had in … Continue reading →

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

On the importance of the Democratic AG runoff

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We have two good choices in this race. Whoever wins, we need to fully support them in November. Rochelle Garza locked hands with her mother and marched through Dallas at a reproductive rights rally this month to let voters know … Continue reading →

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Sure hope our grid can handle a bunch of crypto

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. With interest surging in digital currencies and the blockchain technology behind them, more and more investors and operators are turning to Texas, lured by its cheap energy and hands-off regulatory approach. The … Continue reading →

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DMN/UT-Tyler: Abbott 46, Beto 39

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the story, which I currently can’t access. A very brief summary of it is in this Current article. The data is here and I’m going to riff on that, with references to the February version of this poll, for … Continue reading →

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

SCOTUS asked to again block that stupid social media censorship law

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Please save us from the lawless Fifth Circuit. Having to make such an ask of this SCOTUS sure is a jaw-grinding experience. Lobbying groups representing Facebook, Twitter, Google and other tech companies filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading →

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

“Silver loading”

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I did not know this. The latest state to take strong action to improve affordability in its ACA marketplace is … Texas? […] But let me explain some background details first. Below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (that … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

2022 primary runoff Day One EV report: Lots of mail ballots

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

No news story yet as I write this, so let’s just jump right in. Here is the Day One EV report for the primary runoffs. Note that there are only five days of early voting in the runoff – as … Continue reading →

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

Primary checkup

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Let me start this post off by once again noting that I cannot find any reporting, like at all, about how many mail ballots were rejected for the May elections. Just nothing. It’s as if interest in the subject by … Continue reading →

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Dallas gender affirming care unit can reopen

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news for transgender kids and their families. A Dallas-based program that offers mental health services and hormone treatments to transgender children may resume the therapy for new patients for the first time since November, after a judge on … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bad news for the crazy ants

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They have found a mighty foe. Several years ago, staffers at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco, Texas, noticed a new type of invasive ant species. Tawny crazy ants were so aggressive that they were driving birds out of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 15

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

“The case against the Supreme Court of the United States”. “So the $35 sculpture you got at an Austin Goodwill was looted from a museum during WWII. Now what?” A delightfully bonkers story that the reporter had apparently needed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

SCOTx ponders the questions the Fifth Circuit asked it about SB1

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like there’s not that much in dispute, but there’s always something. Texas Supreme Court justices questioned during oral argument if they should answer certified questions from a federal appeals court about challenges to an election law that created penalties … Continue reading →

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

How much is Greg Abbott sweating right now?

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I hope it’s a lot. It should be a lot. With temperatures soaring statewide, Gov. Greg Abbott is scrambling to reassure Texans he’s closely monitoring the state’s shaky electric grid as other GOP officials vow to get back to work … Continue reading →

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

Early voting for the May 24 primary runoffs starts tomorrow

Posted on May 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

You know the drill. Primary runoffs are on, with early voting going on this week, Monday to Friday May 16 to May 20. Because it’s a runoff, you only get those five days. Voting happens from 7 AM to 7 … Continue reading →

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SCOTx issues mixed ruling on transgender child abuse investigations injunction

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll just have to see what happens next. Texas’ child welfare agency remains blocked from investigating the family of a transgender teen that sued the state in March, but can once again investigate other families that provide gender-affirming care after … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Treasury Department opens investigation into Abbott’s use of federal funds for border mission

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good, though I have a hard time believing there will be any real consequences. Gov. Greg Abbott’s use of COVID-19 relief dollars to support his border security mission has come under scrutiny in Washington this week as questions grow about … Continue reading →

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

Are road signs that warn about highway fatalities a danger?

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Could be. Driving along Texas highways, drivers will likely see electric signs that provide real-time traffic alerts, weather information or unique public safety announcements. While these signs are designed to increase public safety, new evidence suggests that one type does more harm than good. A recent … Continue reading →

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Is that San Antonio airport tunnel really going to happen?

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Reality check: In March, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority unanimously approved a feasibility study for a proposal from billionaire Elon Musk’s Boring Co. to build subterranean “public transit” from the San Antonio International Airport to downtown. At the meeting, RMA … Continue reading →

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