Tag Archives: El Paso

Paxton throws a fit over being slowed down by Republican judges

Posted on August 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

There sadly isn’t a good straight news (non-paywalled) story about this, but Raw Story has a decent summary. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took to X on Wednesday to rage against state appeals court judges after they paused discovery in … Continue reading →

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

Beto scores a win against Paxton

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. An El Paso judge this week temporarily stopped Attorney General Ken Paxton from prosecuting former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s political group, Powered by People, after Paxton moved to block the organization from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Beto scores a win against Paxton

Everything happens on Tuesday

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, remember when I said yesterday that there was still no quorum and not much had happened? That was then, this is now. The Supreme Court will take its sweet time in deciding on those quo warranto filings to expel … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Quorum break Day 5 roundup: Help an ideological enemy out?

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hilarious. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin Burrows are asking an Illinois court to enforce arrest warrants against Democratic lawmakers who have left the state to delay passage of a GOP-backed congressional map. Burrows issued civil arrest … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Some lessons learned from the measles outbreak

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. As the number of Texas measles cases tied to a West Texas outbreak slows to a trickle, South Plains public health director Zach Holbrooks remembers the call from a colleague in an adjacent county six months ago that … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some lessons learned from the measles outbreak

There’s a map

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The special session gavels in tomorrow and there’s a new proposed Congressional map, but before we get to that let’s look at the lay of the land going into the session. On Monday, state lawmakers held a call with U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

There will be more measles outbreaks

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This one may be coming to an end, but the underlying conditions for it aren’t going away. Texas appears to be past the worst of its largest measles outbreak in 30 years, but the state will be vulnerable to future outbreaks … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on There will be more measles outbreaks

Appeals court upholds “Death Star” law

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Bad, though not yet actually damaging. Two years after a district court declared that a new state law diluting the policy-making power of blue urban areas was unconstitutional, an appeals court on Friday overruled that decision. Texas lawmakers in 2023 … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Appeals court upholds “Death Star” law

Re-redistricting watch: El Paso in focus

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a big surprise. President Donald Trump’s request that Texas Republicans seek to create five new congressional seats for the GOP in an upcoming special legislation could involve redrawing boundaries in El Paso, a website focused on Congress says. Diluting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Re-redistricting watch: El Paso in focus

Measles update: There’s good news and there’s bad news

Posted on July 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The good news. Texas health officials on Tuesday said the county at the center of the state’s measles outbreak is no longer classified as an outbreak county. The Texas Department of State Health Services reported no new cases of measles … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: There’s good news and there’s bad news

Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. A Texas law that would deputize state and local police to question and arrest people they suspect of being in the country illegally was blocked once again. The law would also authorize local judges to … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

Measles update: Yes, there are still new cases being reported

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still a thing. The Texas Department of State Health Services says three new measles cases have been detected in the last week in connection to an outbreak in West Texas. The state has been tracking case numbers since the … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: Yes, there are still new cases being reported

Counties get temporary restraining order on prosecutor reporting requirements

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good, but we’ll see how long it lasts. A Travis County Judge temporarily blocked the enforcement of a new rule requiring prosecutors in counties with 400,000 or more residents to turn over data on active and closed criminal cases to … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Counties get temporary restraining order on prosecutor reporting requirements

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: There’s nowhere to go but down

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTx gives Paxton another crack at Annunciation House

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 →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What’s next for Aurora’s driverless trucks

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: El Paso the exception

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 , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Five DAs sue Paxton over new reporting requirements

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: Maybe we really are slowing to an end

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 , , , , , | Comments Off on Pour one out for the Houston Landing

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: The wastewater still has something to tell us

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 →

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

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: Hello, Montana

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: RFK Jr sucks

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: More on how we’ve done this to ourselves

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: Time for another moment of perspective

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 →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Measles update: Another needless death

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 , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment