Tag Archives: New York

Buzbee versus Diddy

Posted on October 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The man stays busy. Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on Tuesday afternoon announced plans to bring more than 100 lawsuits in multiple states on behalf of people claiming they were sexually abused or exploited by media mogul Sean Combs. None of … Continue reading →

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

“The Shows That Got Away”

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

What are your great musical regrets? If you’ve been going to live music concerts for any length of time, you know the pain. The pain and misery of knowing a performer or band is coming to town, thinking about going … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Converting empty downtown office space into residences

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Something to think about. Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic and may never fully recover. The conversion push is marked by an emphasis on affordability. Multiple … Continue reading →

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

Harris County settles Juul lawsuit

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee announced a settlement of the county’s lawsuit against e-cigarette company JUUL Labs, Inc. over claims that JUUL deceptively marketed its products to children. The county received the second largest settlement for … Continue reading →

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No 2024 DNC for Houston

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. The Democratic National Convention told Houston officials this week the city will not host Democrats’ national convention in 2024. Mayor Sylvester Turner’s office confirmed Thursday that Houston no longer is in the running. The snub leaves New … Continue reading →

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Texas will get a lot from the Inflation Reduction Act

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks, Biden! Texas’s clean energy sector is expected to be one of the largest beneficiaries of the climate and health care legislation President Joe Biden has signed into law, according to estimates released by the White House Wednesday. Over the next … Continue reading →

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UIL still nixes NIL

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry, Texas high school athletes. You’re still not getting paid. Even if state lawmakers change legislation to allow high school athletes in Texas to profit off their name, image and likeness, the University Interscholastic League may not be ready to … Continue reading →

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New variants being detected

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Got to keep an eye on that. Two new omicron subvariants that health officials say are contributing to a COVID uptick in New York State have been identified in Houston, according to researchers at Houston Methodist. Genome sequencing efforts within the hospital system have … Continue reading →

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Using the Texas model to protect voting rights

Posted on February 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some blue state needs to do this. In the midst of the ongoing debate over Republicans’ siege on voting rights in states they control, here’s an unconventional suggestion: Democratic state legislators should take a page from the Republican playbook and … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Austin Bills?

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Maybe they’re negotiating. But in any negotiation, the negotiators need to be willing to act in order to have any credibility. As to the negotiation between the Bills and Buffalo that has begun with the Bills wanting … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

We’re #2!

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More people have died of COVID in Texas than any other state except California, as Texas surpasses New York’s total. Texas has passed New York to become the state with the second-most COVID-19 deaths, a feat experts say was driven … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Here come the young people

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just sitting here waiting for the Census data. Garima Vyas always wanted to live in a big city. She thought about New York, long the destination for 20-something strivers, but was wary of the cost and complicated subway lines. … Continue reading →

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Census apportionment numbers are in

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Texas will gain two seats in Congress, which is one fewer than had been expected based on population growth estimates. Texas will continue to see its political clout grow as it gains two additional congressional seats — the most of … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Harris County Attorney sues Juul

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee filed a lawsuit Thursday in California state court against e-cigarette company JUUL and several of its executives. Harris County is the first governmental entity in Texas to join the nationwide fight … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Show me your vaccine papers!

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Wiat, wrong papers. Forget I just said that. Gov. Greg Abbot issued an executive order early Tuesday banning state agencies from requiring “vaccine passports” to enter public spaces or receive public services. The passports, either digital or printed, would verify … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

Postal service update

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder, destroying the US Postal Service has real effects on real people. Delays in mail sorting and processing are leaving Houston-area businesses, brides and voters wary of the coming months. Whether it’s essential medication, ballots or important letters … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

We’re still not doing great with the Census

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still time, but we have a lot of work to do. Despite an extended deadline, local government cash infusions and grassroots campaigns to improve Houston’s 2020 census response rate, almost half of Houston households are still missing from the … Continue reading →

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

Have we gone from “concerned” to “alarmed” yet?

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We’re getting there. With cases of the coronavirus surging to record levels in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott recommended Tuesday that Texans stay home as much as possible and for the first time moved to allow the tightening of two kinds … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

We still have no idea how many people have been infected

Posted on April 12, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

There’s just a real lack of testing being done. Six times in three weeks, Marci Rosenberg and her ailing husband and teenage children tried to get tested for the new coronavirus — only to be turned away each time, either … Continue reading →

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How other states are handling the Census

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Better than we’re handling it. So cities and states with big immigrant populations — like California and New York City — are supplementing the Census Bureau’s efforts like never before, allocating money to outreach groups that can go to communities … Continue reading →

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Some Census shenanigans short-circuited

Posted on July 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The head, it spins. In a scalding order that called the Justice Department’s motion to change lawyers “patently deficient,” a federal judge in Manhattan on Tuesday blocked the move by the Justice Department to withdraw several of its attorneys from … Continue reading →

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

Yeah, we spoke too soon about the Census citizenship question

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s maximum chaos time. The Justice Department affirmed Friday that it still is pursuing a path for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, according to a filing in federal court in Maryland. The filing followed statements earlier in … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Bankrolling the anti-vaxxers

Posted on June 30, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is why we can’t have nice things. A wealthy Manhattan couple has emerged as significant financiers of the anti-vaccine movement, contributing more than $3 million in recent years to groups that stoke fears about immunizations online and at live … Continue reading →

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Census citizenship question stopped for now

Posted on June 28, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

“For now” being the key point. The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold the Trump administration’s plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census form sent to every household, saying it had provided a “contrived” reason for … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

How secure is the future of ridesharing?

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Just a couple of recent stories that got me thinking. Item One: Uber’s business model isn’t all there: While there’s optimism about elements of the core business, the company lost more than $3 billion on operations in 2018, revenue growth slowed … Continue reading →

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A second win for plaintiffs in Census citizenship question lawsuit

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all up to SCOTUS now. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross acted in “bad faith,” broke several laws and violated the constitutional underpinning of representative democracy when he added a citizenship question to the 2020 Census, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. In finding … Continue reading →

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

MALDEF Census lawsuit in court

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Census lawsuit #2. In a federal courtroom in Maryland on Tuesday, lawyers representing the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Senate Hispanic Caucus and several Texas-based nonprofits that advocate for Latino and Asian residents will set out to convince U.S. District … Continue reading →

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Plaintiffs win in Census citizenship question lawsuit

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Very good news. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration’s plan to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census, with an opinion that found the move by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross violated the Administrative Procedure Act. Furman’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Trump administration seeks to dismiss MALDEF lawsuit over Census citizenship question

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s hard to keep all these Census lawsuits straight. As multiple court fights over the addition of a citizenship question to the once-a-decade census heat up, the Trump administration is working to keep several Texas groups representing Latino and Asian … Continue reading →

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Census lawsuit proceeds

Posted on July 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge in New York on Thursday allowed a lawsuit challenging the addition of a citizenship question to the Census to move forward. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman’s decision rejected the Trump administration’s request to dismiss the lawsuit, … Continue reading →

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Census lawsuit may proceed

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. A federal judge said Tuesday that there was a “strong showing of bad faith” by the Trump administration in adding a controversial question about US citizenship to the 2020 census. The judge hinted that he would allow the case to move forward … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Multiple cities and states sue over Census citizenship question

Posted on April 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Seventeen states, the District of Columbia, and six major cities sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over the addition of a controversial new question about US citizenship to the 2020 census. This is the third major lawsuit against the administration’s action, after California and the NAACP sued last week, … Continue reading →

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This is why you don’t politicize disaster relief, Senator

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s pretty simple, really. People come before politics. Many New Yorkers and New Jerseyans serving in Congress have, for nearly five years now, kept a list of names handy to roll out at a moment’s notice. They call it “the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hurricane Katrina | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

In defense of hyperloops

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Eric Holthaus at Grist writes in defense of Elon Musk’s hyperloop idea in general, and the proposal for a New York to Washington, DC hyperloop plan in particular. Assuming hyperloop costs of $100 million per mile, and tunneling costs of … Continue reading →

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