Tag Archives: Arizona

Is Ted Cruz ever going to feel some pressure about abortion?

Posted on April 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

News item #1: Whatever happens in Arizona in November, we got a preview of the difficulty Republican candidates will have in states where high-stakes ballot initiatives literally put abortion on the ballot. Shortly after Arizona’s high court ruled that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A brief robotaxi update

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Cruise is back on the streets, but with human drivers for the time being. Cruise has announced that it’s resuming tests for its fleet of self-driving taxis in Phoenix, Arizona , though not with passengers just yet. The autonomous vehicle … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

County leaders defend Uplift Harris

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the passion and intensity in this response, but overall it does not leave me feeling optimistic about the outcome. Harris County leaders are defending their new guaranteed income program after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office sued to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Secretaries of State and AI

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I sure hope our SOS is ready for this. A false call from a secretary of state telling poll workers they aren’t needed on Election Day. A fake video of a state election director shredding ballots before they’re counted. An … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Secretaries of State and AI

Are we talking hockey in Houston again?

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It appears we are. Billionaire restaurateur and casino magnate Tilman Fertitta sees a professional hockey team as the next building block for the downtown Houston economy. The owner of the National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets and the Golden Nugget casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The PAC-ACC Conference?

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This stuff is getting weird, y’all. The four remaining Pac-12 schools still aboard for next season — California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State — have options if they are looking for another conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference is exploring … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The PAC-ACC Conference?

RIP, PAC 12

Posted on August 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. The landscape of college sports continues its drastic change. The Pac-12 Conference is down to only four schools remaining as the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and the University of Utah announced Friday they are leaving to join … Continue reading →

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

Colorado to return to the Big XII

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s about to be the Big XIII, not that they will ever call it that, nor stay at that number. But it’s my blog and I can call it as I see it. The University of Colorado will leave the … Continue reading →

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

Big XII remains “open” to more expansion

Posted on June 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe they’ll eventually call themselves the Big XVI. The Big 12 is open to further expansion, commissioner Brett Yormark said Friday, as the league prepares to welcome four new members, including the University of Houston, on July 1. Expansion was … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Big XII remains “open” to more expansion

Another path to hockey in Houston

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

If not expansion, then relocation. The Arizona Coyotes have taken yet another blow in their hopes of finding a long-term home in the Phoenix area. As a result, speculation has renewed about whether the desert’s potential loss could become Houston’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Another path to hockey in Houston

Anti-mifepristone order still paused

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

SCOTUS needs a couple more days. The Supreme Court extended its stay on lower court rulings on mifepristone until Friday just before midnight, meaning that the drug will remain accessible and available at least until then. The order, written by … Continue reading →

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

Anti-mifepristone litigants respond to SCOTUS appeal

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today we find out what SCOTUS will do. The anti-abortion doctors who first brought the case seeking to get mifepristone yanked from the markets filed a reply brief Tuesday, starting the clock on the Supreme Court’s response. It’s the latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anti-mifepristone litigants respond to SCOTUS appeal

SCOTUS pauses that anti-mifepristone ruling

Posted on April 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A brief timeout. The Supreme Court granted the Department of Justice’s emergency request to temporarily halt lower court rulings that would have reimposed restrictions on mifepristone that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had lifted in recent years. The stay … Continue reading →

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

Tuesday mifepristone update

Posted on April 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

First things first, that lawless ruling from the wingnut Texas judge has been appealed. The U.S. Justice Department on Monday asked a federal appeals court to keep the abortion pill mifepristone on the U.S. market as litigation plays out, days … Continue reading →

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

We await what’s next with mifepristone

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

“Everything is on the table”, whatever that ultimately means. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said the administration is willing to do whatever it takes to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, after a federal judge in Texas suspended the … Continue reading →

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

Mifepristone access banned and expanded

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

So as you might have heard, this happened on Friday. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of abortion drug mifepristone nationwide Friday, including in blue states with robust abortion protections. The … Continue reading →

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

Oklahoma Supreme Court upholds abortion rights

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest, for obvious reasons. A divided Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned a portion of the state’s near-total ban on abortion, ruling women have a right to abortion when pregnancy risks their health, not just in a medical emergency. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Oklahoma Supreme Court upholds abortion rights

Democratic AGs file lawsuit to ease access to mifepristone

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Good, albeit a bit confusing at this point in time. A dozen Democratic state attorneys general have opened a new front in the legal war over mifepristone, the “gold standard” medication used in the majority of all US abortions. In a federal lawsuit filed … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Democratic AGs file lawsuit to ease access to mifepristone

Big XII now looking to expand

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Probably a good idea to try, as a defensive measure if nothing else. The Big 12’s next step is clear after the early exit of Texas and Oklahoma was agreed upon Thursday night. The conference now plans to aggressively pursue expansion in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Big XII now looking to expand

Look to the state legislatures for the next frontiers in forced birtherism

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The state of Texas will of course be on the forefront of this, but it will surely follow examples from other states as well. As statehouses across the country prepare for next year’s legislative sessions — most for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Look to the state legislatures for the next frontiers in forced birtherism

The professional vote-deniers are out there

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They’re probing the systems for weaknesses, a line that reminds me of the velociraptors in the original Jurassic Park. Except that the ‘raptors were sleek and efficient predators, while these guys are basically Pennywise with canned scripts and a huge … Continue reading →

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

Nuro keeps on expanding in Houston

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Someone must be using these services. I’m not, but someone must be. Houstonians will soon be able to get completely autonomous delivery of their dinners, groceries, and more thanks to a new 10-year partnership. Uber Technologies, Inc. and Nuro have … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Nuro keeps on expanding in Houston

UIL still nixes NIL

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Texas high school athletes. You’re still not getting paid. Even if state lawmakers change legislation to allow high school athletes in Texas to profit off their name, image and likeness, the University Interscholastic League may not be ready to … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on UIL still nixes NIL

Yes, mask mandates work

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise, but data is always nice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new studies Friday that show enforcing masks in schools helps reduce the spread of COVID-19. One study looked at data from schools in Arizona’s … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

So we have a fraudit

Posted on September 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What a load of crap. The Texas secretary of state’s office announced late Thursday that it has begun a “full forensic audit” of the 2020 general election in four Texas counties: Collin, Dallas, Harris and Tarrant. But the statement from … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Feds officially investigating Texas mask mandate ban

Posted on September 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday launched a civil rights investigation into Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in schools, making Texas the sixth state to face a federal inquiry over mask rules. The investigation will focus … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Feds officially investigating Texas mask mandate ban

Feds take first steps in the mask mandate fight

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Coming attractions. The U.S. Department of Education is opening civil rights investigations to determine whether five states that have banned schools from requiring masks are discriminating against students with disabilities, the agency said on Monday. The department is targeting Iowa, … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Sure, let’s have a fraudit here in Texas

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

What could possibly go wrong? Republican House members are seeking a forensic audit of the November election results, but only in Texas’ largest counties that mostly went for Democrat Joe Biden. Legislation filed by Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, requires … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sure, let’s have a fraudit here in Texas

SCOTUS takes another knife to the Voting Rights Act

Posted on July 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The red carpet for voter suppression has been rolled out. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld two Arizona voting restrictions that a lower court had said discriminated against voters of color. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the opinion in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Abbott’s border wall

Posted on June 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have many questions about this, but for this post I will limit myself to three. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that Texas will build a border wall along the state’s boundary with Mexico — but provided no details on … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Census apportionment numbers are in

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Texas will gain two seats in Congress, which is one fewer than had been expected based on population growth estimates. Texas will continue to see its political clout grow as it gains two additional congressional seats — the most of … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

The Big Lie

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I was glad to see the Chron run a week-long series of editorials on The Big Lie of “voter fraud”, and how the Republican Party has been pushing it for a lot longer than 2020, and how it has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Are people leaving the Republican Party?

Posted on February 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some people are, in at least some states, if you go by voter registration data. In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the phone lines and websites of local election officials across the country were jumping: … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Will Spring Training start on time?

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, maybe not. Less than a month before pitchers and catchers are set to report, the Cactus League released a letter it sent to Major League Baseball in which it called for spring training to be delayed, a move it … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Will Spring Training start on time?