Tag Archives: Donald Trump

Why is HPD calling ICE so much more often now?

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We deserve some answers. Houston police officers have called federal immigration agents on civilians over 100 times since President Donald Trump took office in January — a jump of more than 1,000% from any of the previous five years, according to public records obtained … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A brief recap of the whole rainbow crosswalk situation

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Let me see if I’ve got this right: Greg Abbott gets his knickers in a twist over the recently-repainted rainbow crosswalk on Westheimer at Taft, after having been spun up about it by some online wingnuts. These crosswalks are no … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The latest UH/Hobby poll has some red flags for Republicans

Posted on October 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

First, the headline stories, which don’t interest me much. Ken Paxton and John Cornyn are effectively tied in the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate, with 34% of voters backing Paxton and 33% supporting Cornyn. 22% support Wesley Hunt. Jasmine … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wesley Hunt says he’s running for Senate

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, entered the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Monday, complicating an already contentious race between two of the biggest names in Texas Republican politics. Hunt, a close ally of President Donald Trump, has laid the groundwork for … Continue reading →

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

A brief news roundup from the current redistricting trial

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What the label says, three news stories I could find that had coverage of the redistricting trial. From the Trib. When Texas first proposed redrawing its congressional map earlier this summer, critics decried it as a political power-grab to appease … Continue reading →

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

UT considers accepting a protection racket

Posted on October 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Choose very carefully, y’all. The Trump administration has asked the University of Texas at Austin to agree to a “set of operating principles” — which reportedly include adopting a stricter definition of gender, a five-year tuition freeze and a cap … Continue reading →

Posted in National news, School days | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on UT considers accepting a protection racket

The state of mosquito research

Posted on October 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting stuff. Under a microscope, a mosquito can look stunning. Their blue-green iridescent scales, purple bands, and attractive spotted wings shimmer—dazzling enough to forget, for a moment, the insect lives to take a sip of your blood. Mosquitoes range … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The state of mosquito research

Redistricting trial 2.0 begins

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off. This week, a trio of federal judges will consider whether Texas can use its new congressional map in the 2026 election, marking the first legal test for the districts produced by a summer of intense partisan clashing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Redistricting trial 2.0 begins

The National Weather Service is basically broken

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s being held together by duct tape and twist ties, and it’s all the fault of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, all those Project 2025 assholes, and every cowardly Republican in Congress. Some National Weather Service staffers are working double shifts … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

State files its response to the redistricting lawsuit

Posted on September 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re playing the oldies, not the new tune that the Trump Justice Department tried to woo them with. Texas officials acknowledged in a new court filing that the Justice Department’s rationale this summer for pushing them to redraw the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State files its response to the redistricting lawsuit

Home Depot is watching you

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Beware the surveillance cameras. Hundreds of AI-powered automated license plate reading cameras paid for by Lowe’s and Home Depot and stationed in the hardware stores’ parking lots are being fed into a massive surveillance system that law enforcement can access, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Home Depot is watching you

Bobby Pulido officially in for CD15

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Our main target to flip next fall. Tejano musician Bobby Pulido is running for Texas’ 15th Congressional District, he announced Wednesday, giving Democrats their best — and potentially only — opportunity to flip a Republican-held seat in 2026. Pulido, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Bobby Pulido officially in for CD15

The redistricting litigation strategy

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what we’ve got. Outgunned in the national redistricting war, Democrats are launching a multipronged legal battle to try and prevent GOP gains ahead of next year’s midterms. It stands to be a grueling, lengthy and costly process for Democrats … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The redistricting litigation strategy

A brief note about a poll

Posted on September 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This poll. Only one-third of Texas voters approve of the GOP-led effort to redraw the state’s congressional map, according to a recent statewide poll, which found that independent and Democratic voters overwhelmingly opposed the mid-decade redistricting and would rather give … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A brief note about a poll

Another look at Waymo’s robotaxi approach versus Tesla’s

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good long analysis here. A month after Tesla launched a trial robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June for select fans, CEO Elon Musk told investors that the company’s driverless taxis would likely be available to “half the population of … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

There’s more than one way to make voting harder

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is such a bad idea. After years of using a touchscreen machine to mark their ballots, voters in at least three Texas counties will be asked instead to make their selections directly on the paper ballots, by hand, starting … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Missouri gets in the mid-decade Trump redistricting game

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From The Downballot. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe has summoned lawmakers for a special session beginning on Wednesday, during which he wants them to adopt a new congressional gerrymander that would flip Missouri’s 5th District from blue to red. Democrats, however, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Missouri gets in the mid-decade Trump redistricting game

The “Trump Burger” story

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I suppose we must make note of this. The thing about Trump Burger is that it was always irresistible, even for those who would rather eat just about anywhere else. The restaurant is what its name suggests: A burger joint devoted to … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, glorious food, La Migra | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We have been so lucky to avoid hurricanes so far

Posted on September 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Because the response would be the bigger disaster. Employees at the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrote to Congress on Monday warning that the Trump administration had reversed much of the progress made in disaster response and recovery since Hurricane Katrina … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We have been so lucky to avoid hurricanes so far

By the way, COVID is still out there

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just FYI. Covid cases are climbing again this summer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s forecasting model estimates that infections are growing, or likely growing, in most states. While the agency is reporting low levels of the virus in wastewater nationally, some … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on By the way, COVID is still out there

How Trump made the measles outbreak worse

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Everything Trump touches dies. As measles surged in Texas early this year, the Trump administration’s actions sowed fear and confusion among CDC scientists that kept them from performing the agency’s most critical function — emergency response — when it mattered … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How Trump made the measles outbreak worse

Fighting healthcare cuts was a winner

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good to know. The Trump administration’s cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of a state, according to a KFF Health News analysis. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fighting healthcare cuts was a winner

The scramble begins

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Barring judicial action that I have said I don’t expect, the new Congressional map will be in place for the 2026 election. That means that a lot of people who are not now in Congress will be gearing up to … Continue reading →

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

Doggett will not challenge Casar if new map passes

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

For the best. Congressman Lloyd Doggett on Thursday said he would end his 52-year political career and stand aside for fellow Austin Democrat Greg Casar in the 2026 primary if Republicans’ new redistricting plan is upheld in court, a bombshell … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Doggett will not challenge Casar if new map passes

California passes its redistricting plan

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed bills Thursday setting up a high-profile special election this fall, when voters will decide whether to approve the party’s plan to gerrymander California’s congressional map. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the legislation shortly … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

House passes redistricting bill

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I was going to put this as the last item in the earlier post, but I didn’t want to change that post’s title and I also didn’t want to gloss over that this happened. We knew it was going to … Continue reading →

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

And they’re back

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Quorum time again. Texas House Democrats announced they would return to Austin Monday, ending a two-week walkout over a GOP mid-decade redistricting plan and paving the way for the map’s passage. “We killed the corrupt special session, withstood unprecedented surveillance … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on And they’re back

Special Session 2: [Insert dumb sequel name here]

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As promised/threatened. With the Texas House still frozen by Democrats’ absence from the state, Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday called a second special session to begin less than two hours after the Legislature gaveled out the first overtime round. The … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

How’s that economy doing?

Posted on August 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not great! All signs point to a slowdown of the Texas economy as job growth slows, construction declines and inflation ticks up, according to a Monday report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The report on the Fed’s recent … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The end (of the quorum break) is near

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And getting nearer. The House Democrats who fled Texas to block GOP redistricting appear likely to return in the coming days, according to a press release they issued Thursday. The caucus said its members will return if Republicans follow through … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The end (of the quorum break) is near

So when might the quorum busters return?

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Before I address that question, here’s an important bit of business to resolve. Illinois courts will not force Texas Democrats back to the state, a judge ruled Wednesday, dealing a blow to Attorney General Ken Paxton and House Speaker Dustin … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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

Still no quorum

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sitting here waiting for the Supreme Court to take up those ridiculous quo warranto actions by Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton and have been hesitant to start writing something for fear that I’ll have to trash it and start … Continue reading →

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

Comparing the districts

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

As I write this on Sunday, there’s a lot we don’t know about how this saga ends. I feel confident saying that at some point there will be a quorum and a new map will be passed. Beyond that is … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments