Tag Archives: Dallas

The rainbow crosswalk replacements

It’s something. Forced to remove rainbow crosswalks under a state edict to erase “political” messages from their streets, some Texas cities are finding new and colorful ways to celebrate Pride and their LGBTQ+ communities. In El Paso, street lamps have … Continue reading

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New robotaxi service coming to Houston next year

Maybe you’ve already seen their vehicles around. More autonomous vehicles are expected to hit the roads in Houston next year. Ridesharing giant Uber announced that it plans to roll out its premium robotaxi service in the Bayou City in mid-2027. … Continue reading

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Where are the Tesla robotaxis?

Not on the streets. Elon Musk, in trademark fashion, has made grand promises about Tesla’s Robotaxi efforts. Before he launched the service last summer, he proclaimed that over 1,000 of the self-driving cabs would be roaming the city streets “within … Continue reading

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SCOTx tosses cable franchise fees lawsuit

Sheesh. Texas Supreme Court justices say they won’t decide whether two state laws give an illegal discount to telecommunication companies — because the nearly 60 cities challenging the statutes in a lawsuit shouldn’t have sued the state of Texas in the first … Continue reading

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Good luck getting a Tesla ride

The wait times are terrible. When Tesla announced an expansion of its robotaxis to Dallas and Houston last month, some investors touted momentum for CEO Elon Musk’s mission to transform the electric-vehicle maker into an AI-powered, driverless-tech giant. Reuters reporters … Continue reading

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How cities can help mitigate floods

Fascinating. A new study on rain events in Texas could help reduce urban flood risks and improve planning for extreme weather. The Texas A&M Urban Flood Study found that cities can actually change the weather, depending on the type of … Continue reading

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No Waymos this weekend

News you might be able to use. Waymo has suspended service in Houston and other Texas cities since heavy rain is expected to hit the region over Memorial Day weekend and the company’s self-driving vehicles have struggled to navigate flooded … Continue reading

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Who’s coming to the FIFA World Cup?

Not as many people as we thought, it would seem. The World Cup only comes around every four years and regularly draws millions of spectators from across the globe. But expectations of a rush of international visitors and an accompanying … Continue reading

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Goodbye, Northwest Mall

Hello, maybe, the long-awaited high-speed rail terminal. Crews have begun the process of demolishing the old Northwest Mall with the hope that the location near the 610 Loop and U.S. 290 will one day become a train station, according to … Continue reading

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The cost of hosting the FIFA World Cup

The economics are hard to understand. When Texas dedicated $22 million to host the 2017 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons, state officials expected a return on their investment. But a state analysis after the … Continue reading

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Council amends ICE ordinance

What a waste of time. Houston City Council amended its recently approved policy limiting police officers’ interactions with federal immigration agents after Gov. Greg Abbott’s office threatened $114 million in city grants, despite some council members saying the changes will dilute … Continue reading

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Tesla robotaxis arrive in Houston

And in Dallas. Tesla’s Robotaxi service has taken to the streets of Houston. In a brief statement Saturday, April 18 on its X social media account, Tesla Robotaxi says the autonomous rideshare service just launched in Texas’ two biggest metro areas — … Continue reading

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Who wants to listen to the lawyers about the HPD/ICE ordinance?

Not Mayor Whitmire, who already has the surrender documents drawn up. Mayor John Whitmire says the city must walk back its new policy limiting Houston police officers’ cooperation with federal immigration agents after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to pull $114 million in grants … Continue reading

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Possible reconsideration of HPD/ICE ordinance pushed to next week

Okay. Mayor John Whitmire has delayed Houston City Council’s vote on whether to revoke its new policy limiting the police department’s interactions with immigration agents after Gov. Greg Abbott’s office extended the city’s deadline to make a decision as he threatens to pull $114 million in … Continue reading

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Whitmire waffles on ICE ordinance

Pathetic. And predictable. Mayor John Whitmire last week joined his City Council colleagues in voting to limit Houston police officers’ interactions with federal immigration agents, but now says the city must “correct” its policy after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to … Continue reading

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Here come the WalMart drones

Look, up in the sky… A fleet of drones is taking flight across the greater Houston region today, as Walmart launches its first drone delivery service in the city. The retail behemoth is partnering with Wing, a drone delivery company … Continue reading

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Council passes ordinance to limit HPD’s interactions with ICE

Good. Houston City Council approved a proposal from three city council members limiting Houston police officers’ cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Wednesday, with Mayor John Whitmire in support. The proposal by Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Edward … Continue reading

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Council HPD/ICE ordinance mostly moves forward

Good. A proposal to change the way Houston police officers work with immigration agents looks set to move ahead with two of its three original provisions after the City Attorney’s office rejected one of them, saying it would have violated … Continue reading

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So how do first responders handle autonomous vehicles?

This story raised more questions than it answered for me. A viral image from the March 1 shooting in downtown Austin — an autonomous vehicle blocking an ambulance from reaching the scene where a gunman fatally wounded three people and … Continue reading

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Zoox coming to Dallas

From last week. I’m curious to see how it goes. Amazon’s self-driving unit Zoox plans to start testing its autonomous vehicles in Dallas and Phoenix, the company announced Monday. To start, Zoox will deploy a “small number” of its retrofitted Toyota Highlander SUVs, with a human … Continue reading

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Waymo arrives in Houston

As anticipated, and for a select group for now. Some riders can start boarding Waymo self-driving cars in Houston and two other Texas cities Tuesday, marking the latest launch for the nationwide fleet of robotaxis. The driverless vehicles debuted in … Continue reading

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Dallas still needs to remove its rainbow crosswalks

They’ve tried to delay it but are probably running out of road. The Texas Department of Transportation gave Dallas until Jan. 31 to remove its decorative crosswalks, which include LGBTQ+ rainbow and Black Lives Matter designs, according to a memo … Continue reading

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San Antonio rainbow crosswalk appeal denied

Not a surprise. The Texas Department of Transportation has denied the City of San Antonio’s request to keep the pride district’s rainbow crosswalks after Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to remove “any and all political ideologies” from Texas streets. In an Oct. 8 news release from … Continue reading

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Here’s your World Cup schedule for Houston

Make your plans, if you’ve got the money to buy a ticket and aren’t grossed out by their Trump-pandering. Houston learned it was hosting games in the 2026 World Cup way back in June 2022. Now, we finally know the … Continue reading

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The rainbow crosswalk ban comes for student artwork

Every day and in every way, this gets dumber and dumber. Two crosswalks painted by students in Bedford will be removed this month, in line with a new Texas state policy banning “non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly support … Continue reading

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Waymo coming to Houston, Zoox doing demos in San Francisco

A twofer here, beginning with the local news. You may have spotted Waymo’s self-driving cars across Houston since the company began testing in the city earlier this year. Now, the autonomous ride-hailing service is preparing to take off the training … Continue reading

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Tesla robotaxis are coming to Houston

Eventually. Real Soon Now. When Elon gets around to it. Tesla plans to bring its driverless robotaxi service to Houston, following CEO Elon Musk’s announcement that safety drivers will be phased out in Austin by the end of 2025. Musk … Continue reading

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San Antonio and Dallas to fight the rainbow crosswalk ban

Good for them! San Antonio has formally asked the Texas Department of Transportation to approve an exemption allowing the city to keep its rainbow-colored crosswalks at North Main Avenue and East Evergreen Street, arguing that the intersection has become safer … Continue reading

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Where the rainbow crosswalk ends

This is deeply stupid and deadly serious at the same time. At the intersection of North Main Avenue and West Evergreen Street just north of downtown San Antonio, semi-faded rainbows connect each street corner in place of standard, white crosswalks. … Continue reading

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“Death Star” lawsuit filed in Dallas

Welp. Two years after state lawmakers passed a sweeping law aimed at preventing Texas cities from adopting progressive policies, that law may finally get its first major test. Three Dallas residents sued the city in Denton County District Court Wednesday … Continue reading

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Michelin 2.0

They’re back, with more stars. The Michelin Guide announced its picks for top Texas restaurants at the Wortham Theater Center Tuesday night. Last year, 15 Texas restaurants earned a Michelin star, including six in the Houston area. Michelin recognized 117 restaurants in total last year. Stars … Continue reading

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Harris County sues over Solar For All funds

Good. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee filed a lawsuit Monday contesting the Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $400 million in solar energy grants earmarked for Texas-based organizations. The federal funding, part of a $7 billion Biden-era program known as Solar for All, was meant … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, September 20 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 budget news from across the region, the repercussions of the Charlie Kirk murder in the … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, September 5 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: it’s budget season for the cities and counties, with some facing hard choices and others dropping tax … Continue reading

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