Monthly Archives: July 2026

Protect Victor Salgado

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This should be obvious. The attorney representing the brother of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is asking a federal judge to seal her client’s court case and release him from immigration detention, saying he could face retaliation as a key witness in … Continue reading →

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Campaign finance complaint filed against Plummer

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. A complaint filed with the Texas Ethics Commission accuses Letitia Plummer, the Democratic nominee for Harris County judge, of seven campaign finance violations, including improperly paying a family member, according to a document obtained by the Houston Chronicle. It’s unclear who … Continue reading →

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July 2026 campaign finance reports: Statewide candidates

Posted on July 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s July of an election year – which is to say, it’s July – so you know what that means: Campaign finance reports! You can just feel the excitement in the air, can’t you? I’m going to do a thorough … Continue reading →

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Meet Greg Abbott’s data center sugar daddies

Posted on July 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Always follow the money. The backlash to the Texas data center boom has Gov. Greg Abbott caught between some of his most dependable donors and his most reliable voters. Several of the Republican governor’s most generous financial backers are increasingly … Continue reading →

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How was the FIFA World Cup for Houston’s restaurants?

Posted on July 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It was okay. Kind of depended on where they are. For months, Houston restaurant owners prepared for a World Cup windfall, with some people comparing the tournament’s expected economic impact to hosting seven Super Bowls. Now, with Houston’s seven World Cup games … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 19

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

“Netflix and its copycats forgot why network TV, even with declined ratings, reigns supreme. Sometimes, all we want is 26 episodes of something, with a weekly release and a guaranteed new season the next year.” “Men found ‘Love Island.’ Then … Continue reading →

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Independent candidates update

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the San Antonio Report: Of the many candidates who originally filed their intention to run for office without a party affiliation this year, only a handful managed to collect enough signatures to get their name on the November ballot. Among them … Continue reading →

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Mexico begins taking legal actions related to ICE

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if this comes to anything. Mexico formally requested that U.S. state attorneys general criminally investigate cases of migrants who have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or during raids, the Mexican government said Tuesday. The request follows … Continue reading →

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TxDOT’s proposal for Austin-San Antonio passenger rail

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m actually kind of impressed. It still seems like a longshot, for reasons explained in the article, but it also feels like the most plausible and realistic scenario I’ve seen. If improvements are made to existing rail tracks between San … Continue reading →

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A small bit of insight into the mind of Cornyn voters

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

What will they do? For months, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn battered each other in a nasty and expensive race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Texas. Now that Paxton has emerged victorious, GOP leaders from … Continue reading →

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New SOS appointed

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

He’s some guy. Robert Howden, a senior adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott, will be Texas’ interim secretary of state, Abbott announced Friday. Howden is a longtime Texas politico who worked for GOP governors going back to Bill Clements, serving as … Continue reading →

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Rainbow Pride banners

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Our crosswalk replacements. Where Montrose’s rainbow crosswalks once stood, new rainbow banners will serve as indicators of LGBTQ+ pride. In October, the city removed the neighborhood’s iconic rainbow crosswalks to comply with Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to remove “non-standard surface … Continue reading →

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Another ICE roundup

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Houston vowed to curb ICE cooperation. Police still waited hours for agents. Houston police officers have spent hours at a time on traffic stops involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since President Donald Trump took office last year – nearly six times longer, on average, … Continue reading →

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Camp Mystic moves lawsuits against it to federal court

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Camp Mystic’s owners have successfully moved a wrongful death lawsuit filed by six families from Texas state court to federal court, arguing the case is tied to the camp’s ongoing bankruptcy. The move adds another layer of uncertainty to five … Continue reading →

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Autonomous vehicles and drunk driving

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Can you be arrested for driving an autonomous vehicle while drunk? Short answer is Yes. SAE International, a standards-setting association, has grouped modern vehicles into different levels of automation. Most cars on the road today are Level 0 vehicles, which … Continue reading →

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Still waiting on the Rangers (who are now finally coming)

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

They don’t seem to be keen to get involved in the investigation of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s death at the hands of ICE. The Texas Rangers have denied a request by Houston-area Democrats to investigate the deadly shooting of Lorenzo Salgado … Continue reading →

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Complaint filed against Paxton for alleged illegal voting

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Love the move, don’t expect anything to come of it. The Collin County Democratic Party filed a formal complaint Tuesday against Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing him of violating state law for the past two years by reporting the wrong … Continue reading →

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Initial NTSB report says Tesla crash driver overrode self-driving mode

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. The man who crashed a Tesla into a home in Katy, killing a 76-year-old woman, overrode the vehicle’s self-driving system before the crash, according to preliminary findings released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB is … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 13

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This Texas Progressive Alliance roundup is brought to you without any interference from Gianni Infantino. Off the Kuff has written multiple times about Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, the Houston resident killed by ICE. SocraticGadfly, like many others, spent 20 minutes visiting … Continue reading →

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An ICE pause?

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. Don’t fall for any hype. The Trump administration has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to halt most vehicle stops while carrying out operations across the country, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to … Continue reading →

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HISD seems determined to ignore TEA on special ed

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno, man. Before Houston ISD can consolidate its special education services, it has to review thousands of students’ individualized education programs and meet with their families. That’s the explicit order from the Texas Education Agency, which investigated the district’s … Continue reading →

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New World screwworm versus the feral hog

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Who would win? Two of Texas’s most troublesome invasive species have much in common. They reproduce alarmingly fast, send shudders down the spines of Texas ranchers, and can traverse similar distances (about twelve miles a day). One is the feral … Continue reading →

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We have some video of ICE and Loranzo Salgado Araujo

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The NYT pieced together what we currently have. Shortly before 7 a.m. on Tuesday, immigration officers were trailing a white work van in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Houston. Minutes later, the driver had been fatally shot in his abdomen. … Continue reading →

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The data center fiasco in Taylor

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Wild stuff. The Taylor City Council was set to consider a proposed ordinance Thursday night that would temporarily ban data centers. But 15 minutes after the council meeting began, the city released a statement on its Facebook page saying council … Continue reading →

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Don’t Elon my Boca Chica

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good Lord, this is duuuuuuuumb. A federal committee rejected a proposal on Thursday to rename Boca Chica Beach in South Texas to “Cyber Beach.” The move preserves the historic name despite a SpaceX supporter’s effort to rebrand the public beach … Continue reading →

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The Hinojosa rebate

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I like this. State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, is promising to send each Texas household a $1,500 check drawn from the state’s rainy day fund if she defeats Gov. Greg Abbott this November. “The government is … Continue reading →

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Mexico to pursue legal action over ICE deaths

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what this means. Mexico plans to pursue criminal and civil action in the United States over the deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody and enforcement operations, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday. The announcement comes after an ICE … Continue reading →

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Half Price Books to return to Montrose

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And there was much rejoicing. Five years after Half Price Books left Montrose, the booksellers purchased the former Soundwaves building and plans to return in 2027. Soundwaves announced it was closing its last remaining location that sat off 3509 Montrose … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for July 12

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

“Turn off this Meta setting before someone generates AI images of you“. Or set your account to Private. “Woman Thought Date Was a ‘Jerk’ for Not Calling, but He Was Actually in a Coma After Being Attacked by a Bear … Continue reading →

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Where are the Rangers?

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

No one will say just yet. When a federal immigration officer shot and killed a 23-year-old on South Padre Island last year, the Department of Homeland Security asked the Texas Rangers to investigate. But as calls grow for an independent … Continue reading →

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TEA rejects HISD’s proposed special ed changes

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Especially good for the affected students and parents. A Texas Education Agency investigation found Houston ISD violated federal requirements for students with disabilities, forcing the district to review thousands of students’ individualized education plans before it overhauls special education. … Continue reading →

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A couple of water stories

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Story #1: Texas’ Refusal to Plan for Climate Change Created a Crisis in Corpus Christi. A decade ago, Corpus Christi’s regional water plan projected shortages as soon as 2050. The next plan, released five years later, shortened that timeline to 2030. The next plan, … Continue reading →

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Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was not ICE’s target

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Unbelievable. The 52-year-old Houston man fatally shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent earlier this week was not the target of the agency’s operation, said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, who has called for release of any video … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit rejects DREAM Act intervention effort

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Dammit. A federal appeals court on Thursday rejected an effort to defend the Texas Dream Act, leaving in place a ruling that ended a longstanding state law that allowed some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and … Continue reading →

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