Monthly Archives: May 2025

Saturday video break: AV Undercover is back

Very good news. Since 2010, AV Club has been inviting artists to cover songs from a list chosen by our readers. Once a song has been chosen, it’s crossed off the list for that season, leading to fewer and fewer … Continue reading

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Measles update: It would help if the people with measles stopped traveling while sick

I don’t know what else to say. An El Paso resident’s two-day visit to Austin has prompted a warning from city public health officials, after the person was confirmed to have measles. The person was in Austin from April 25 … Continue reading

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The tariff effect on chocolate

Chocoholics beware. For weeks, businesses across the U.S. have scrambled to plan for President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs. That includes two Houston Heights dessert shops. Pudgy’s Fine Cookies and Underground Creamery at 1010 N Shepherd Dr. have been on edge as news about Trump’s “Liberation … Continue reading

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Renaissance Festival to be sold

There’s always drama with this thing. A Grimes County District Judge has ruled the the Texas Renaissance Festival must be sold, ending a two-year legal battle over the popular festival. Judge Gary W. Chaney of the 506th state District Court … Continue reading

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Did vouchers play a role in the May school board elections?

Interesting hypothesis from the Chron. Several conservative candidates with right-wing support lost their bids for Houston-area school boards Saturday night, a change that some experts said could reflect dissatisfaction with the current state of national politics. Even though school boards … Continue reading

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Fort Worth ISD could be subject to takeover

Look out. The Texas education commissioner is now officially weighing his options for Fort Worth ISD after a now-closed school triggered the state’s school intervention law. In a May 5 letter to Superintendent Karen Molinar and board President Roxanne Martinez, … Continue reading

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Buc-ee’s settles with Duckees

Peace has broken out. Buc-ee’s, Texas’ favorite beaver-branded convenience store has reached a settlement with a Duckees, a Missouri company peddling duck-branded snacks and gas that it alleged was a copycat, according to court records. The lawsuit, filed in November, … Continue reading

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Tanking the economy has its costs

Sorry, Donald. For the first time, President Donald Trump has a negative approval rating in Texas over his handling of the economy, according to a new poll. The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Politics Project survey, released Wednesday, found … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The kids are fighting at Second Baptist

Such a shame. In May 2024, Pastor H. Edwin “Ed” Young told his congregation that he was resigning from his leadership post at Second Baptist in Houston, ending his 46-year tenure as one of America’s most influential and charismatic pastors. … Continue reading

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The CenterPoint weather stations

Good, I guess. CenterPoint Energy plans to install a network of 100 weather stations across its 12-county service territory in the Greater Houston area before hurricane season kicks off on June 1, the company announced Monday. The weather stations are … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 5

The Texas Progressive Alliance remembers when 100 days didn’t feel like 100 years as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Measles update: Who needs research?

I’m very sorry to say that we once again have to talk about RFK Jr and his continued quest to make us all sick and stupid. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s motto is “ Make America Healthy Again,” … Continue reading

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Mayor Whitmire releases his 2026 budget

I’m still trying to figure this out. Mayor John Whitmire proposed a $7 billion budget Tuesday for fiscal year 2026, closing a projected $220 million deficit without implementing new fees or taxes for residents. The proposal pulls $3.03 billion from Houston’s general fund, … Continue reading

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Who’s really using Polk Street?

The people who would be most affected by a proposed street closure are trying to quantify the effect of said closure. Armed with clipboards, pencils and determination, a group of volunteers gathered early Wednesday morning at intersections around the George … Continue reading

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There’s a lot of Dems looking at the Senate race

From the inbox, from Thursday’s “Texas take with Jeremy Wallace” newsletter. The more endangered U.S. Sen. John Cornyn looks in early polling against Ken Paxton in the GOP primary, the more Democrats are buzzing. While a Democrat has not won … Continue reading

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More on the May elections

In my first post, I promised I’d look for a recap of the school board races from Franklin Strong. Here he is. That was a drubbing. I’ve been covering Texas school board elections for seven cycles, and as I have documented over and over again, book … Continue reading

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Energy Transfer blames the driver for that fire

It’s what you’d expect them to say. In the five years before a sports utility vehicle struck Energy Transfer’s pipeline in Deer Park and caused a massive explosion and fire, pipelines operated by the company and its affiliates had been … Continue reading

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Some May election results

And then there were two for San Antonio Mayor. The race to become San Antonio’s next mayor is headed toward a partisan showdown between one candidate loved by national Democratic Party leaders and another who has close ties to the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Lottery Commission bans that thing it said it couldn’t ban

Things are going great over there. The Texas Lottery Commission unanimously voted Tuesday to ban lottery courier companies from selling tickets online amid lawmakers’ ongoing criticism of the practice. The vote was an about-face for the agency, whose officials previously … Continue reading

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Twenty years later, we’re still studying rail into Fort Bend

Everything old is new again. More than 120,000 people work at the Texas Medical Center – many of whom commute from Sugar Land and the surrounding areas in Fort Bend County. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is studying ways to help … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for May 4

Happy Star Wars Day to all who celebrate. Please enjoy this sprawling space saga of romance, rebellion, and household appliances. “Critics warned that the Biden administration put so many conditions on the grants it offered to semiconductor manufacturers that the … Continue reading

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Here’s the Mayor’s deal with HPD

Can’t wait to see what the budget looks like, because I have no idea how this is all going to work. Houston police officers will receive “the best (benefits) package in anyone’s memory,” Mayor John Whitmire said Friday, but how … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Whooping cough is way up in Texas this year

This is what happens when vaccine rates decline. Amid the worst measles outbreak Texas has seen in over 30 years, pertussis cases are spiking as well. Also known as whooping cough, pertussis is surging across Texas and the nation. Already … Continue reading

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Driverless taxis coming to Arlington

Second city in Texas to get them. Startup May Mobility plans to deploy its autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform by the end of 2025, starting in Arlington, Texas, as part of a multi-year partnership. The tie-up with Uber offers … Continue reading

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Measles update: We can’t escape the main character

No matter how much we might want to. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during a visit to Texas on Tuesday that measles deserves less attention than other chronic diseases, while downplaying the number of deaths that have … Continue reading

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

Harris County gets in on another lawsuit over federal funding cuts

Keep fighting. Harris County has filed a third lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration, challenging its overhaul of the federal government and a slew of federal workforce cuts. The county is suing along with a coalition of other local government … Continue reading

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Waymo brings its self-driving tech to Toyota

I just like to keep an eye on the driverless car scene. Alphabet-owned Waymo and Toyota on Tuesday announced a preliminary partnership to explore bringing robotaxi tech to personally-owned vehicles. “The companies will explore how to leverage Waymo’s autonomous technology … Continue reading

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UnidosUS poll of Latino voters about current events

From the inbox: UnidosUS, Voces Unidas, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Climate Power en Acción released today findings from the 2025 “First 100 Days Bipartisan Poll of the Hispanic Electorate,” the largest national bipartisan poll of … Continue reading

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Beto 3.0?

Maybe. Beto O’Rourke, a one-time Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and Texas Governor, is holding town halls across the state. It’s the kind of thing someone running for office would do. O’Rourke is not currently a candidate, but on Saturday … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, May 2 edition

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth we have: early voting turnout news for the Saturday election; local issues raised in the Lege; PACs … Continue reading

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Spring Branch ISD ruled to have violated the Voting Rights Act

And they are ordered to adopt single-member districts. A federal judge found Spring Branch ISD violated the Voting Rights Act and ordered the west Harris County district to overhaul its system so that the voices of Hispanic voters can be heard, but … Continue reading

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

The tariff effect on your homeowners’ insurance

What can’t tariffs do? President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could cause homeowners insurance premiums in Texas to rise even faster this year than they otherwise would have, a new study finds. Even without tariffs, average premiums in Texas will rise … Continue reading

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Barc-ee’s folds

This is all so weird. Back in June 2024, a canine-focused Missouri business announced itself as Barc-ee’s. Owner John Lopez told the Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, Missouri that he was hoping his 7,500-square-foot coffee shop, game yard and outdoor dog … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of April 28

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes Pete Hegseth would stop sending us those weird Signal messages as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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