Monthly Archives: September 2022

Your omicron booster will be ready this week

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll be getting mine. Most Texans will be eligible in the coming days for a second round of Covid-19 booster shots after updated vaccines got final federal approval this week. The new doses, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, are designed to … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for September 4

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So what would a dragon smell like, anyway? “An Afghan family slowly adapts to life in Austin a year after the Taliban takeover”. “The Case for the 16-Year-Old Vote”. “Voters in Florida’s panhandle will choose this November between two of … Continue reading →

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A different poll about abortion in Texas

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting and encouraging, but I’m not sure I buy it. One year after Texas implemented what was then the most restrictive abortion law in the country, a majority of Texas voters are expressing strong support for abortion rights. In a … Continue reading →

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More evidence of misdemeanor bail reform’s success

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Lower costs, fewer wrongful incarcerations and guilty pleas, less recidivism. What more do you want? Fewer misdemeanor defendants went on to commit crimes in Harris County after federal litigation in 2017 aimed at curtailing the jailing of low-income people charged … Continue reading →

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We keep on building homes in the floodplains

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s how we roll. When Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston region with a deluge of rain, one of the places where the water escaped its bounds was near a Spring Branch floodway known as Brickhouse Gully, satellite data shows. There, … Continue reading →

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Let’s protect Galveston’s red wolves

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They’re one of the cooler things about Galveston. The coyotes that roam Galveston Island are quickly becoming famous. The animals are the subject of dedicated social media pages and their silhouettes have been emblazoned on T-shirts. Earlier this year, they … Continue reading →

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Investigating abortions is Houston’s “lowest priority”

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

So says Mayor Turner, and I’m glad to hear it. Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday that investigating abortions under the state’s near-total ban is the city’s “lowest priority” when it comes to crime. Turner said the city would continue to … Continue reading →

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Of course the redistricting lawsuit trial will be delayed

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

All we ever get is delays. The legal fight over the shape of Texas political representation for the next decade won’t be decided until next year after a federal panel agreed Tuesday to delay a trial over new political maps. … Continue reading →

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“Scamilton” church apologizes

Posted on September 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Missed this last week.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Door McAllen Church (@doormcallen) The Door McAllen church released a statement this morning apologizing for their production of ‘Hamilton’, in which they altered lyrics … Continue reading →

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Data For Progress: Christian 44, Warford 40 (RRC)

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The race for Texas Railroad Commission is up for grabs this November, with voters looking for change and Democratic nominee Luke Warford in a statistical tie with incumbent Wayne Christian. A new poll from Data for Progress shows Democratic … Continue reading →

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Harris County approves the option of suing Comptroller over baloney “defunding” claim

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday authorized a pair of private law firms to sue Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who accused the county of defunding law enforcement last week, forcing a halt to consideration of its $2.2 billion budget. … Continue reading →

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Abbott weasels on raising the minimum age to buy an assault weapon

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Typical. Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that it would be unconstitutional to increase the minimum age to buy assault-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old — a key proposal Uvalde parents have called for after an 18-year-old gunned down … Continue reading →

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Another story about driverless trucks on I-45

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The driverless trucks start coming and they don’t stop coming. Waymo will partner in coming weeks with manufacturer Daimler Truck to put self-driving 18-wheelers on the road, further expanding the technology company’s autonomous testing between Dallas and Houston. The big … Continue reading →

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Harris County officially gets its $750 million from the GLO

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

With hopefully more to come, as well as something for Houston. Harris County Commissioners Court unanimously approved an agreement Wednesday with the Texas General Land Office to receive $750 million in federal flood mitigation funding, and called on the agency … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit over Uvalde public information

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This all really is ridiculous. The Texas Tribune, along with a group of other news organizations, filed a lawsuit Monday against the city of Uvalde, the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office and the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District asking a judge … Continue reading →

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Pension reform law reinstated by appeals court

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A win for the city. A state appeals court on Tuesday tossed out a ruling that jeopardized part of Houston’s pension reform plan, reversing a victory the firefighters’ pension board had scored in late 2020. The Houston Firefighters’ Relief and … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of August 29

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, we’re going to squeeze one more reference to “no confidential information in the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly roundup” before we (maybe) move on to another intro topic.

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People who live in crime-filled houses should not throw stones

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Local idiot megachurch pastor Ed Young recently said some typically ignorant and politically-charged things, which has people justifiably upset. Not the first time for him, either. I have better things to do than think about Ed Young, so let me … Continue reading →

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