Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Sore loser election contest lawsuit trial concludes

Up to the judge now. Attorneys made their closing arguments Thursday in a case aimed at throwing out Harris County’s November election results, the first to go to trial out of 21 pending lawsuits brought by defeated Republican candidates in … Continue reading

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Fair For Houston gets its item on the ballot

Glad to see it. The city of Houston is one step closer to potentially reshaping its relationship with the influential Houston-Galveston Area Council after officials verified Thursday that a charter amendment campaign had met the threshold for appearing on the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Amtrak seeks partnership with Texas Central

Hey look, a sign of life! The largely stalled initiative to construct a high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas is up and running again. Amtrak and Texas Central, the Dallas-based company behind the long-planned project, announced Wednesday they are exploring … Continue reading

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Grand jury empaneled in Paxton case

Well, well, well. Federal prosecutors have seated a grand jury in San Antonio and called witnesses close to suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to testify, two sources with knowledge of the investigation told the American-Statesman. The purpose of the … Continue reading

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Jack Christie enters the Mayor’s race

Sure, why not? Former At-Large Councilmember Jack Christie launched a campaign for Houston mayor on Wednesday, making a late entry into an increasingly crowded race to lead the city for the next four years. Christie, a Republican, launched a website … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Dispatches from Dallas, August 11 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, two big local stories: an update on the Dallas ransomware saga and a nationally-breaking saga about a … Continue reading

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On bringing DPS troopers to Houston

I have some questions. Call in the troopers. That’s one of state Sen. John Whitmire’s plans for reducing crime in Houston, which voters consistently have rated as one of their top concerns. A similar partnership with the Texas Department of … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Harris County gets another $18 million in VW settlement money

I hadn’t realized this was still going on. Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee announced Monday that the county will receive at least $18 million as part of a settlement with Volkswagen tied to the automaker’s emissions diesel scandal. The settlement … Continue reading

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The PAC-ACC Conference?

This stuff is getting weird, y’all. The four remaining Pac-12 schools still aboard for next season — California, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State — have options if they are looking for another conference. The Atlantic Coast Conference is exploring … Continue reading

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 7

The Texas Progressive Alliance has begun its Unindicted Co-Conspirator Watch as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Constable Precinct 1 sexual harassment lawsuit goes forward

I’m rooting for a settlement. A lawsuit against Harris County alleging that female Precinct 1 constable deputies were picked for undercover vice operations where they were molested and traumatized will move forward after a federal judge recently ruled against a … Continue reading

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Lots of people were affected by that Dallas ransomware attack

Not great. Computer hackers accessed the personal information of at least 26,212 Texans in a ransomware attack on the city of Dallas, according to an official disclosure made public Monday, three months after the breach. The city’s notice to the … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math, The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Travis Scott and the Apple contract

Gotta say, this doesn’t look great. Houston police investigating the 2021 Astroworld concert disaster determined that a contract between Travis Scott and Apple required him to finish his set in order to receive a $4.5 million payment, according to a … Continue reading

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More motions to dismiss the impeachment charges

Ken Paxton’s billionaire sugar daddies sure are getting their money’s worth from his attorneys. Attorneys for suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a flurry of motions over the weekend that seek to dismiss additional articles of impeachment, arguing that the … Continue reading

Posted in Scandalized!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Judge Hidalgo takes leave of absence for depression

I wish her well. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has taken a temporary leave of absence to receive in-patient medical treatment for clinical depression, according to a statement from her office Monday. The statement notes she has been at an … Continue reading

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

How to confuse a driverless car

Hilarious. Self-driving cars have met their match in the form of the humble traffic cone. If you’re on TikTok, you may have seen what I’m talking about: a viral video of San Francisco activists disabling autonomous Cruise and Waymo vehicles … Continue reading

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Once again with the non-filers

Same story in July as in January. A dozen candidates running for elected positions at Houston City Hall failed to file required campaign finance reports in July, continuing a sloppy reporting period for the slate of candidates hoping to lead … Continue reading

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So what exactly is the role of the Board of Managers?

It’s getting hard to tell. Two months into the job, HISD’s new state-appointed school board has largely avoided the limelight since replacing the district’s elected trustees, making few extended comments in public and betraying no animosity within the group. The … Continue reading

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

RIP, PAC 12

Wow. The landscape of college sports continues its drastic change. The Pac-12 Conference is down to only four schools remaining as the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and the University of Utah announced Friday they are leaving to join … Continue reading

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Weekend link dump for August 6

The worst possible ending that a fan could dream up for Stranger Things is pretty damn dark. “About a decade ago, Tesla rigged the dashboard readouts in its electric cars to provide “rosy” projections of how far owners can drive … Continue reading

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Judge grants order allowing exemptions to anti-abortion laws

Some late Friday breaking news. A Texas judge on Friday issued a temporary exemption to the state’s abortion ban that would allow women with complicated pregnancies to obtain the procedure and keep doctors free from prosecution if they determined the … Continue reading

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Yeah, COVID’s on the rise again

We’re in a much better place overall now, but do exercise caution and get your damn shots if you haven’t already. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere. Infections are rising in Texas and Houston for the fourth summer in a row, with many … Continue reading

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Houston is a finalist for the 2028 RNC

Whoopie. Houston is a finalist to host the 2028 Republican National Convention and a decision is expected to be made later this month, officials with Houston First Corp. said Thursday. The local government corporation, which markets and operates the city’s … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, The making of the President | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Checking in on the sore loser election contest lawsuit

It’s a lot of the same old song. Attorneys pored over Harris County voter records in a downtown courtroom Tuesday afternoon, arguing over the validity of thousands of ballots cast nearly nine months ago. It was the first day in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Special ed is part of the HISD takeover, too

Just a reminder that fixing special education was also part of the TEA takeover mandate for HISD. How’s that going so far? Well, the parents of the special ed kids say they’re not seeing much of anything as yet. For … Continue reading

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More requests for DOJ asked to investigate shady migrant flights

Massachusetts gets aboard. Cape and Islands District Attorney Rob Galibois is officially joining hands with California and Texas officials who have asked US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland to help  investigate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s scheme to transport immigrants to Martha’s … Continue reading

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Ken Paxton’s long-awaited first day in court

Literally years in the making. Impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton moved a small step closer to trial Thursday on long-delayed felony securities fraud charges, though both sides agreed his Senate impeachment trial looms large as a factor. Meeting briefly in … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Lawsuit filed against anti-drag bill

The lawsuit count increases again. LGBTQ+ Texans and advocates filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday to block a new state law that criminalizes some drag shows — and other performances — if they occur in front of children. Senate Bill 12, … Continue reading

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Dispatches from Dallas, August 4 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 another grab bag: Texans, and specifically North Texans, with J6 arrests and convictions; the return … Continue reading

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July 2023 campaign finance reports: HISD

Previously: Congress SD15 City of Houston, part 1 Harris County City of Houston, part 2 City of Houston, part 3 City of Houston, part 4 City of Houston, part 5 January finance reports for HISD trustees are here. There is … Continue reading

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Ken Paxton has a day in court today

Now he gets to deal with those almost-decade-old state securities fraud charges against him. And we may even get a trial date! All eyes will be on the Harris County Criminal Courthouse when impeached Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears … Continue reading

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Gag order? What gag order?

It doesn’t count if I’m fundraising, right? Suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton is fundraising off his upcoming impeachment trial and characterizing the rare political event in a way that appears to be a direct violation of the gag order established … Continue reading

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized!, That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Texas blog roundup for the week of July 31

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with Professor Joy Alonzo as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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July 2023 campaign finance reports: City of Houston, part 5

Previously: Congress SD15 City of Houston, part 1 Harris County City of Houston, part 2 City of Houston, part 3 City of Houston, part 4 January finance reports for city of Houston candidates are here. This is at long last … Continue reading

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