Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

We’re just not allowed to have close elections anymore

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

That’s my takeaway from this. A judge’s decision to order a new election in a close Harris County race from 2022 is putting election officials statewide on notice: Any type of error — large or small — has the potential … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Firefighter settlement officially approved

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The legalities are mostly over, but there are still a bunch of items to handle. A state district court judge has signed off on a settlement between the city of Houston and the firefighter union, clearing one obstacle for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lone Star Rail revival

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe now is finally the time. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai and Travis County Judge Andy Brown have jointly launched a committee of political heavyweights to explore the decades-old idea of connecting Austin and San Antonio via passenger rail. The … Continue reading →

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

Primary runoff day is tomorrow

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reminds voters that Tuesday, May 28, is Election Day for the Primary Runoff Elections. Voters can cast their ballots in person at one of the more than 300 vote centers in Harris … Continue reading →

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More on the senior living situation

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing what the city does about this. Reyes and his neighbors at Independence Hall are among thousands of low-income and disabled seniors in Houston left to rely on their landlords for an organized response to last … Continue reading →

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Another “extremely active hurricane season” forecast

Posted on May 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up. With the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season starting in less than 10 days, the nation’s top weather agency on Thursday released its most pessimistic forecast to date, giving this year an 85% chance of having an unusually high number … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 26

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

“It’s hard to believe today, when the vast majority of Americans support it, but just 20 years ago the issue of same-sex marriage divided the country and drove voter turnout.” “We were robbed of a Daisy Jones & The Six … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 1 Comment

Final EV totals for the May 2024 primary runoffs

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your final EV totals for the May 2024 primary runoffs. I’ll go ahead and break out a chart, as per tradition: Party Mail Early Total ============================== Dem 11,534 16,421 27,955 GOP 662 1,861 2,523 Again, one must remember … Continue reading →

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Uvalde parents sue Daniel Defense again

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’m rooting for them. Several Uvalde families are suing Daniel Defense, the gun company whose AR-15 style rifle an 18-year-old gunman used to kill 19 children and two teachers and injure several others at Robb Elementary two years ago, lawyers … Continue reading →

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

Last Astroworld wrongful death suit settled

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not unexpected, at least to me. The family of the youngest concertgoer killed at the 2021 Astroworld Festival has settled with rapper Travis Scott, Apple, LiveNation and other companies on the heels of similar agreements in other fatality lawsuits, a … Continue reading →

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A holiday weekend HISD roundup

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This will be a basic linkdump. I’ll start here. The Houston ISD Board of Managers appears to have moved forward late Thursday with the termination of Herod Elementary School Principal Jessica Berry, who declined to resign in the district’s recent … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

HART trouble

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not great. Harris County paused its Holistic Assistance Response Teams on Wednesday after Commissioners Court failed to reach an agreement on whether to pay the vendor operating the program. At issue is a $270,000 payment to Disaster Emergency Medical Assistance … Continue reading →

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Not just Fertitta wants a hockey team here

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Do tell. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has company when it comes to bringing a pro hockey franchise to Houston. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Tuesday that the league has received interest from other parties about a team in Houston. “Tilman … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Uvalde parents sue DPS officers

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I hope they can get this to a courtroom. I fear that “qualified immunity” will stop them beforehand. Relatives of 17 children killed and two kids injured in Texas’ deadliest school shooting are suing Texas Department of Public Safety officers … Continue reading →

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

The HD146 runoff

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve avoided writing about this for as long as I could, but it needs to be talked about. That Senate Bill 14 would pass was not in doubt. The legislation, which would bar gender-transitioning care for children and teens, had … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Is anyone still defending Mike Miles?

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Anna Eastman is out. As a former Houston ISD parent and school board member, I initially encouraged Houstonians to be open to the state takeover and its potential benefits for our kids. I know firsthand that many things in HISD … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Dispatches from Dallas, May 24 edition

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

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 election news; deaths and their aftermaths in the Tarrant County Jail; Dallas city charter updates; … Continue reading →

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You say “de-REY-cho”, I say “de-REH-cho”

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

If only we could have called the whole thing off. A heat dome in Mexico contributed to Houston’s rare derecho event on May 16, when deadly and destructive winds whipped Southeast Texas, leaving eight dead and much of the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On “bold things” for mobility

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Mayor John Whitmire started a noontime discussion about transportation in the region by saying he was “fired up” about the opportunity to improve the city’s mobility and infrastructure. […] 2. “I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

That other high speed rail line update

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Keep on moving. Transportation planners in North Texas continue their efforts to bring high-speed rail to the area, a system that would link Dallas and Fort Worth via Arlington and push south to Houston. The North Central Texas Council of … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of May 20

Posted on May 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes everyone affected by the recent storms a full and fast recovery as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Of course no one likes the Texas Medical Board’s proposed abortion guidance

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This was never a viable path forward. It was and is doomed to fail. When Sarah Harrison addressed the Texas Medical Board at a virtual hearing Monday, she added her name to the growing list of Texas women who have … Continue reading →

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

The senior living situation

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This story hit me in a couple of ways. Ever since the power went out Thursday night from the devastating storm that hit Houston, Brian Cotten has been living on water and peanut-butter sandwiches in his sweltering apartment at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Debris collection time

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Today, the City of Houston’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWMD) will initiate the first pass of storm debris collection for single-family homes and neighborhoods affected by the Derecho Storm on Thursday, May 16, 2024. Several city departments, … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Primary Runoff early voting, Day One: First of two runoffs

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t plan to follow the early voting totals on a day by day basis for the primary runoffs. I’ll at least have the final totals in addition to Day One, and I may have one more in there if … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Meanwhile, in Gillespie County…

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Bless their hearts. The hand count of thousands of Republican primary election ballots in Gillespie County is on track to cost taxpayers more than double the wage costs of the 2020 Republican primary, according to records obtained by Votebeat. Public … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

City Council versus HISD

Posted on May 21, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I doubt they can do anything, but I’m happy to watch them try. One year after the state takeover of Houston Independent School District, some City Council members are urging Mayor John Whitmire to take a more proactive approach in … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Power by Wednesday?

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As of 5 PM Saturday, CenterPoint said that 447K customers were still without power, which is about half of the original total from Thursday night. The hope is that 90% of all customers will have power by Wednesday. Which, given … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Early voting to proceed mostly as normal

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announces that early voting for the May 28 Primary Runoff Elections will start on Monday, May 20, as scheduled. Despite the challenges the county faces due to the storm on Friday, we … Continue reading →

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First look at the HISD budget

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’re up to $500 million in cuts. But we still don’t have any details. The multibillion-dollar question of how Houston ISD intends to balance its budget went largely unanswered Thursday night, with district administrators revealing few specifics about job or … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for May 19

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Tonja Stelly, the mother of the only NBA-NHL brother tandem in history. “For centuries, people have thought of parasites as nature’s villains. They often infect people and livestock. In fact, parasites are by definition bad for their hosts, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Tagged | 2 Comments

Full Fifth Circuit hears Galveston redistricting case

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Always hard to feel any optimism when these guys are involved. Conservatives on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals occasionally sounded like Fox News talking heads Tuesday as they weighed whether coalitions composed of multiple minority groups are protected under … Continue reading →

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The brain worm guy submits his petitions

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He’ll probably be on the ballot. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer, said Monday he submitted more than double the necessary petition signatures to appear on the November presidential ballot in Texas. Kennedy, the son of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

HISD school outage report

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Your school may or may not be open on Monday. Check for updates before you head out. Houston ISD reported that nearly half of its campuses are without power as of Friday and dozens have sustained wind and tree damage … Continue reading →

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