Tag Archives: El Paso

Measles update: Maybe I should call this the “RFK Rampage update”

Posted on June 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Wednesday eight new members to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent vaccine advisory committee, some of whom have been critics of shots — especially during the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, coronavirus, Dallas County, Dawson County, Denton County, Donald Trump, El Paso, Gaines County, Houston, Lamar County, Lubbock, measles, New Mexico, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Tarrant County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, The Lege, US Department of Health and Human Services, vaccinations, Yoakum County | 1 Comment

Measles update: There’s nowhere to go but down

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What a depressing headline. Amid a widespread decline in childhood measles vaccination rates since before the COVID-19 pandemic across the United States, a study published Monday found that coverage can vary substantially within a state. Looking at county-level data in 33 states, researchers at … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, coronavirus, Dawson County, Denton County, Donald Trump, El Paso, flu, Gaines County, Houston, Lamar County, Lubbock, measles, New Mexico, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Tarrant County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, The Lege, US Department of Health and Human Services, vaccinations, Xavier Becerra, Yoakum County | Leave a comment

SCOTx gives Paxton another crack at Annunciation House

Posted on June 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton can move forward with his efforts to gather records from El Paso’s Annunciation House to investigate his claims that the migrant shelter network was harboring undocumented immigrants, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday. “We … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Annunciation House, border, Catholic Charities of Dallas, El Paso, First Liberty Institute, Greg Abbott, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Ruben Garcia, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid | Comments Off

Measles update: Never forget who RFK Jr is

Posted on May 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

He’s a liar. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his “Make America Healthy Again” Commission report harnesses “gold-standard” science, citing more than 500 studies and other sources to back up its claims. Those citations, though, are rife with errors, from broken links to misstated … Continue reading →

What’s next for Aurora’s driverless trucks

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Expansion coming soon. Autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora Innovation plans to expand on the success of its first driverless commercial launch and add night driving to its operations. Aurora said Thursday that in the second half of 2025, it will … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged Aurora, Dallas, driverless cars, El Paso, Houston, I-10, I-20, I-45, Kodiak Robotics, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Transportation Research Group, Phoenix, Texas, trucks | Comments Off

Measles update: El Paso the exception

Posted on May 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Weird. As soon as measles started spreading in West Texas, El Paso health officials began preparing schools and day care facilities for the day the virus would inevitably arrive. But now that it’s here, it’s not kids who are making … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Atascosa County, Brewster County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, coronavirus, Dawson County, Donald Trump, El Paso, Gaines County, Hays County, Houston, Lamar County, Lubbock, measles, New Mexico, RFK Jr, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, The Lege, vaccinations, Yoakum County | Comments Off

Five DAs sue Paxton over new reporting requirements

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them good luck. Five Texas district attorneys are suing Attorney General Ken Paxton in two separate lawsuits filed Friday over new rules that would give the state’s top law enforcer meticulous access to their office’s records. The two … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged Attorney General, Bexar County, Dallas County, El Paso, Harris County, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Texas, The Lege, Travis County | Comments Off

Measles update: Maybe we really are slowing to an end

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t get much slower than that. Texas health officials reported only one new case of measles on Friday, the smallest increase since the outbreak began four months ago. The latest update from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Austin, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brazoria County, Brown County, Carson County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Eastland County, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, Hardeman County, Hockley County, Houston, Kaufman County, Lacey Hull, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Midland County, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, The Lege, Upshur County, vaccinations, Yoakum County | Comments Off

Pour one out for the Houston Landing

Posted on May 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

CityCast Houston sends off the non-profit local news organization that deserved better. The Houston Landing made a huge splash when it launched as a local non-profit newsroom in 2023. But this week, it’s closing down. So, what went wrong? Host … Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Tagged El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Houston Landing, journalism, San Antonio | Comments Off

Measles update: The wastewater still has something to tell us

Posted on May 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. An outbreak detection program found the presence of the measles virus in samples of Houston wastewater in early January 2025, before cases were reported, new findings show. The findings were possible because almost three years earlier, a team … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Austin, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brazoria County, Brown County, Carson County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Eastland County, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, Hardeman County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Kaufman County, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, RSV, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Upshur County, vaccinations, wastewater, Yoakum County | Comments Off

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

Posted on May 10, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

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 →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Austin, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brazoria County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Eastland County, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, Hardeman County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, RSV, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Upshur County, vaccinations, Yoakum County | 1 Comment

Measles update: Who needs research?

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

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 →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brazoria County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Eastland County, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, Hardeman County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, Upshur County, vaccinations, Yoakum County | 3 Comments

Measles update: We can’t escape the main character

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

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 →

Measles update: The liars keep gaining

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard out there for the facts. While the most serious measles epidemic in a decade has led to the deaths of two children and spread to 27 states with no signs of letting up, beliefs about the safety of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brazoria County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, vaccinations, Yoakum County | 1 Comment

Measles update: Now in Collin County

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Sure hope this is an isolated case. A middle school student in Collin County has tested positive for measles, health officials confirmed Wednesday, the first reported case in a child in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year amid an outbreak … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brazoria County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, vaccinations, Yoakum County | 3 Comments

Measles update: Hello, Montana

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Put another state on the board, Johnny. Montana is the ninth U.S. state to have an active measles outbreak. The U.S. was up to 800 cases of measles nationwide on Friday. Texas is driving the high numbers, with an outbreak centered in West Texas … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Bailey County, Ben Edwards, Borden County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, vaccinations, Yoakum County | Comments Off

Measles update: RFK Jr sucks

Posted on April 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, here’s something else to worry about. As Texas battles against its largest measles outbreak in decades, immunization data obtained by Houston Landing shows that more than 1,000 kindergarten and seventh grade … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Borden County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Collin County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, HISD, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Michigan, Midland County, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, vaccinations, Yoakum County | Comments Off

Measles update: More on how we’ve done this to ourselves

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the Associated Press: The measles outbreak in West Texas didn’t happen just by chance. The easily preventable disease, declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, ripped through communities sprawling across more than 20 Texas counties in part because health departments were starved of … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Arizona, Austin, Borden County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Fort Bend County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, Hockley County, Houston, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, Midland County, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Randall County, Reeves County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, vaccinations, Vitamin A, Yoakum County | Comments Off

Measles update: Time for another moment of perspective

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the Friday numbers. The measles outbreak centered in the South Plains region of Texas grew to 541 cases across the state on Friday, according to health officials. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that 56 have … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Andrews County, Austin, Borden County, Brown County, Centers for Disease Control, Cochran County, Colorado, coronavirus, Dallam County, Dawson County, Donald Trump, Ector County, El Paso, Erath County, Fort Bend County, Gaines County, Garza County, Hale County, Hockley County, Houston, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Kansas, Lamar County, Lubbock, Lynn County, Martin County, measles, Mexico, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Randall County, RFK Jr, Rockwall County, Terry County, Texas, Texas Department of State Health Services, vaccinations, Vitamin A, Yoakum County | Comments Off

Measles update: Another needless death

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We have to start with some bad news. An 8-year-old girl with measles died Thursday morning, the second known measles-related death in an ongoing outbreak that has infected nearly 500 Texans since January. Her funeral was Sunday at a church … Continue reading →

TEA can release 2023 A-F accountability ratings

Posted on April 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. A judge ruled Thursday that the Texas Education Agency can release its 2023 A-F school accountability ratings for the state’s public school districts, overturning a previous injunction issued in response to a lawsuit from more than 120 districts. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, School days | Tagged 15th Court of Appeals, El Paso, Fort Worth, HISD, lawsuit, Mike Miles, Mike Morath, schools, standardized testing, Texas, Texas Education Agency, The Lege | 1 Comment

El Paso’s wastewater recycling plant

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Dealing with our state’s water needs will require lots of different types of solutions. By 2028, El Pasoans will begin receiving water from a $295 million advanced water purification plant that will convert treated wastewater into drinking water, the first … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged climate change, conservation, Corpus Christi, desalinization, drought, El Paso, Houston, recycling, SWIFT, Texas, Texas Water Association, Texas Water Infrastructure Network, The Lege, wastewater, water | 1 Comment

Lawsuit filed over elimination of ICE’s sensitive locations policy

Posted on February 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I wish them luck. Twenty-seven churches and organizations — some with ties to Texas’ Jewish and Christian faith communities — are suing the Trump administration over the elimination of ICE’s sensitive locations policy. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, Feb. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Donald Trump, El Paso, Homeland Security, ICE, immigration, Latino Christian National Network, lawsuit, Texas | Comments Off

The kind of people we’re going to need to win back

Posted on February 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

So be careful when you encounter them. On a recent windy, cold afternoon in [El Paso], dozens of people gathered at a park for an immigrant rights demonstration to denounce the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Some held signs reading: “Immigrants … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, La Migra | Tagged Donald Trump, El Paso, Election 2024, immigration, Texas | 3 Comments

SCOTx hears Paxton’s appeal of the Annunciation House case

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A big one. The Texas Attorney General’s Office told sometimes skeptical Texas Supreme Court justices Monday that El Paso’s Annunciation House migrant shelters are harboring undocumented immigrants and can’t use Catholic religious beliefs as a legal justification for its actions. … Continue reading →

My quadrennial warning to be careful with charts and percentages

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From City of Yes: The sun came up Wednesday morning, but for many, no doubt, our proverbial American “shining city on a hill” had lost some of its luster. While the presidential election results have disappointed many city dwellers, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Bexar County, Dallas County, Donald Trump, El Paso, Election 2020, Election 2024, Harris County, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, President, Tarrant County, Texas, Travis County, turnout | 1 Comment

November 2024 early voting Day Two: On average

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Reading this story gave me an idea for how to talk about early voting so far compared to 2020. The first day of early voting for El Paso County’s general election drew 31% fewer voters than the record-setting 2020 race. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged absentee ballots, Bexar County, coronavirus, Donald Trump, early voting, El Paso, Election 2008, Election 2012, Election 2016, Election 2020, Election 2024, Harris County, Kamala Harris, Tarrant County, Texas, turnout | 2 Comments

Another immigration nonprofit sues Paxton

Posted on September 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He just can’t quit harassing them. An El Paso nonprofit that provides legal services to immigrants and migrants has filed a lawsuit that attempts to block an investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has increasingly targeted groups on … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Annunciation House, Attorney General, Donald Trump, El Paso, immigration, Joe Biden, Ken Paxton, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, lawsuit, Rochelle Garza, Ruben Garcia, Texas | Comments Off

Water, water, everywhere

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All due to leaks. Texas’ most populous cities lost roughly 88 billion gallons of water last year because of aging water infrastructure and extreme heat, costing them millions of dollars and straining the state’s water supply, according to self-reported water … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged Austin, climate change, Congress, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, San Antonio, stimulus, Texas, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Water Fund, water | 1 Comment

Another Paxton attempt to harass a migrant shelter halted by a judge

Posted on July 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

How much do you have to hate migrants to keep doing this? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton cannot depose the leader of a McAllen migrant shelter, a Hidalgo County judge ruled Wednesday. District Judge Bobby Flores’ decision shuts down attempts … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Annunciation House, border, Catholic Charities, El Paso, Hidalgo County, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Norma Pimentel, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid | Comments Off

Paxton appeals Annunciation House ruling

Posted on July 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Totally expected, which doesn’t make it any less despicable. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will appeal an El Paso district judge’s ruling that blocked his efforts to close the Annunciation House networks of shelters for migrants crossing the border. “For … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged 15th Court of Appeals, Annunciation House, border, Business Court, Catholic Charities of Dallas, El Paso, Greg Abbott, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Ruben Garcia, Supreme Court, Texas, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops | 1 Comment

Judge rejects Paxton’s bullying against Annunciation House

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good. An El Paso district court judge has denied Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s efforts to shut down the Annunciation House network of migrant shelters in El Paso, saying the state was harassing its employees and guests. In a pair … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged Annunciation House, border, El Paso, immigration, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Ruben Garcia, Texas, Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops | Comments Off

Annunciation House hearing

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This one is on the merits, to determine if Ken Paxton has any evidence to support his outlandish claims that the religious charity is engaged in “human trafficking”. An El Paso judge will rule within two weeks on the attempt … Continue reading →

Uplift Harris remains on hold

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Doesn’t look good for them. The Supreme Court of Texas ruled against Harris County’s guaranteed income program Friday, continuing to block the county from sending checks to participants. In an opinion written by Justice James D. Blacklock, the court said … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged 14th Court of Appeals, Attorney General, Austin, Christian Menefee, El Paso, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Ken Paxton, lawsuit, Lina Hidalgo, San Antonio, Supreme Court, Uplift Harris | 1 Comment

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