Monthly Archives: July 2016

East End former KBR site sold again

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten all about this. When a sprawling tract of land lining Buffalo Bayou east of downtown hit the market three years ago, some of Houston’s most prominent observers of urban development put forth ideas about what could be done … Continue reading →

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Building a better mosquito trap

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I love this story. Harris County officials are teaming up with tech-giant Microsoft to find and research mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus or other mosquito-borne diseases, the county public health department said Tuesday. As part of “Project Premonition,” … Continue reading →

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Paxton petitions for national injunction against transgender bathroom directive

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This guy, I swear. Plunging further into the politics of public school bathrooms, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday expanded his federal lawsuit against an Obama Administration directive instructing schools not to discriminate against transgender students, saying he wants … Continue reading →

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

From the “You can dish it out but you sure can’t take it” files

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Poor baby. After years of Texas trying to lure businesses away from other states, New York has struck back — with an ad that paints the Lone Star State as unwelcoming and discriminatory to the LGBT community. The two-minute ad … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Harrisburg overpass update

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Progress. Right now the East End light rail line stops a few blocks short of the Magnolia Transit Center on Harrisburg. Metro was going to build an underpass at the Hughes Street railroad crossing, but cancelled those plans because of worries … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of July 4

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance celebrates another birthday for America as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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More on the SD13 race

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: In the span of a month, a Texas Senate seat will have been vacated and effectively filled, an unconventional turn of events that has Houston Democrats scrambling to replace one of their most venerated legislators. The highly … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

With friends like these

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Who needs to worry about legal bills? Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, facing federal and state securities fraud charges, is getting more than a little help from his friends to foot his growing legal bill. The Republican accepted more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Scandalized! | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I-45 onramp closures coming

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Texas Department of Transportation will close the Houston Avenue southbound and Allen Parkway eastbound entrance ramps to I-45 southbound on Friday, July 8 to begin construction on new ramps that will improve traffic flow and enhance … Continue reading →

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Appeals court reverses Ashby damages award

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s kind of amazing to me that the Ashby Highrise saga is still a newsmaker. In a major ruling that could stymie future legal challenges against developers, a state appellate court has reversed a key portion of the 2014 judgment … Continue reading →

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Three polling-related observations

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This story is about the tough spot that Donald Trump is putting professional Latino Republicans in. I have no sympathy for any of them, of course, but what caught my eye in this article was this little nugget: “I’m not … Continue reading →

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Fort Worth adopts minimalist rideshare regulations

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Months of work redrafting the city’s vehicle-for-hire ordinance wrapped up Tuesday night when the Fort Worth Council approved new rules that require transportation companies only to register with the city. The approach chosen by Fort … Continue reading →

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Stop the “Save America’s Pastime Act”

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Pay minor league players a livable wage, I saw. When you think of overpaid athletes rolling in the dough at the expense of others, baseball players in the minor leagues are not usually the first people that come to mind. … Continue reading →

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More options for glass recycling

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Through a new partnership with Strategic Materials Inc., North America’s largest glass recycler, the City of Houston is able to offer residents a more convenient way to recycle glass. “Since the removal of glass from the City’s … Continue reading →

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

Weekend link dump for July 3

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

“And so we meet again. I know I’ve said this before, but this time I mean it – this is easily, without question, the worst New York Times marriage announcement to date.” How not to get sued over your Star … Continue reading →

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State finally releases abortion data

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s exactly what you’d expect. The Texas Department of State Health Services has released the state’s 2014 abortion data after weeks of allegationsthat the agency had been intentionally withholding the numbers. The 2014 data is significant because it is the … Continue reading →

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District appeals court declines to reconsider Paxton indictment

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Kenny. A state appeals court Thursday rejected Attorney General Ken Paxton’s motion to reconsider its June 1 ruling that upheld criminal charges against him. The two-sentence order from the Dallas-based 5th Court of Appeals gave no reason for the … Continue reading →

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Mississippi anti-LGBT law struck down

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This definitely has consequences for Texas. A federal judge stopped Mississippi’s controversial “religious freedom” law Thursday night, minutes before it was set to take effect. In a opinion that cited scripture and Mississippi’s segregationist past, U.S. District Court Judge Carlton … Continue reading →

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Saturday video break: Light of Day

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping my cred as someone who listens to new music, here’s Aubrie Sellers: I was Not A Fan of country music for a looooong time. I think the main reason for that is that my initial exposure to country was … Continue reading →

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SD13 nomination process update

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Two possible candidates have taken themselves out of the running. State Rep. Garnet Coleman and former City Councilman C.O. Bradford have decided not to run for Rodney Ellis’ state Senate seat, citing a desire to retain seniority in the state … Continue reading →

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No athlete should go to the Olympics if they don’t want to

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Spare me. It’s like a Draymond Green kick straight to your special place. The world’s grandest athletic stage, providing a public platform for the greatest basketball stars alive to unite for a single cause. Cherished history and untouchable names – … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Uptown BRT will be ready in 2019

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

A little later than originally expected. Construction might be set to start soon on dedicated bus lanes down Post Oak through the Uptown area, but the latest projections don’t have riders on the lanes for nearly three years. Despite earlier … Continue reading →

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Hempstead landfill fight still not over

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As with all things, it ain’t over till it’s over. Green Group Holdings recently purchased the 723-acre parcel where the company had planned to build the landfill before the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality turned down the project. The move … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Ladies’ night, part 2

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Gonna take awhile to get through all these. 1. Doubt – Amanda Mair 2. Polly – Amanda Palmer 3. Thank You For The Music – Amanda Seyfried (from “Mamma Mia!”) 4. Winter Wonderland – Amy Grant 5. The Leader – … Continue reading →

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Maldonado and Jordan win court nominations

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Last night at the quarterly Harris County Democratic Party County Executive Committee meeting, HCDP precinct chairs selected the nominees for the two newly-created judicial positions. It was a long meeting – it took some time to sign all the precinct … Continue reading →

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Council approves proposed finance law changes

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That was easy. City Council approved changes to Houston’s campaign finance law Wednesday with no discussion, effectively doubling contribution limits per general election cycle and boosting the amount many candidates can reimburse themselves for personal loans. The revisions, which go … Continue reading →

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Montgomery County Judge suspended for road bond allegations

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This just keeps getting better. A state commission has suspended Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal without pay after a grand jury charged him with violating Texas’ open meetings law while developing a bond package for new and improved roads. The … Continue reading →

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Plastic bag litigation update

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This could be a big deal. Is a plastic bag a container? Does the definition of “solid waste management” include litter control? If a state appeals court answers yes to both of those questions, regulations on plastic bags in several … Continue reading →

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