Michael King, The Austin Chronicle Journalist Profile

Articles

European Union Court Rejects Mercedes' G-Wagon Trademark

Mar 26, 2025 | thefashionlaw.com | Michael King |Douglas Stuart

In a recent decision that underscores the European Union Intellectual Property Office (“EUIPO”)’s rigorous standards for graphical distinctiveness, the European Union General Court dismissed Mercedes-Benz Group AG’s appeal, thereby, affirming the EUIPO’s refusal to register a figurative trademark depicting an off-road vehicle – specifically, the silhouette of Mercedes’ popular G-Wagon SUV – climbing a hill.
Point Austin: Death March of the Barbarians

Feb 3, 2025 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

The emperor has no clothes, no wisdom, and no moral center From 2005-2020, now-retired Austin Chronicle News Editor Michael King wrote about city and state politics from a progressive perspective in his weekly column, “Point Austin.” We’re pleased to bring back his column whenever he’s inspired to tackle the state we’re in. Is this the way an empire begins to die?
Other Voices: As election looms headwinds brewing for private equity healthcare dealmaking

Sep 25, 2024 | opalesque.com | Allen Grunes |Michael King |Matthias Knab

By: Allen Grunes, Michael King | Brownstein Hyatt Farber SchreckAs this fall's election approaches, headwinds have been brewing in DC and state legislatures for private equity health care dealmaking, many of them with bipartisan support.
Point Austin: Doug Greco’s Campaign Odyssey Turns to Federal Court

Sep 19, 2024 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

Doug Greco (left) and Mayor Kirk Watson You wouldn’t think current mayoral candidate Doug Greco and former City Council Member Don Zimmerman would have much in common. Zimmerman is a hard-right ideologue who proclaims an aggressive creed of muscular Christianity. He also explicitly rejects any tolerance for LGBT rights such as same-sex marriage, which he has described as akin to legalized pedophilia.
Point Austin: Pretend It’s a City

Aug 6, 2024 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

Farewell to Chris Riley, an honorable man Chris Riley in 2011 The equanimity with which he faced his imminent death – “I feel very much at peace with dying,” he told reporter Jack Craver last month – was very much in keeping with Chris Riley’s clear-eyed approach to life. The former City Council member passed away too young, at 60 years, yet had succeeded in doing more good for his home town than most of us will manage over decades more.
Texas Lockstep | Michael King

Jun 17, 2024 | thebaffler.com | Michael King

When the Republican-controlled Texas House voted overwhelmingly in May of 2023 to impeach Republican Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, long-simmering tensions among competing factions of the state Republican Party turned into open warfare. The more conservative state Senate came to Paxton’s rescue and, shortly after a Paxton defense lawyer shouted “the Bush era in Texas ends today!” Paxton was acquitted.
Point Austin: The Abbott and GOP Project Is an Exercise in Brute Political Cynicism

Jun 12, 2024 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

Fear-mongering about the border is just the tip of the iceberg From 2005-2020, now-retired Austin Chronicle News Editor Michael King wrote about city and state politics from a progressive perspective in his weekly column, “Point Austin.” We’re pleased to bring back his column whenever he’s inspired to tackle the state we’re in. The recent pardoning of murderer Daniel Perry concluded an extraordinary episode of cynical hypocrisy from the professed Party of Law and Order, headed in Texas by Gov.
Point Austin: Everything Old Is New Again

May 4, 2024 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

The long, honorable history of students “disturbing the war” A protester arrested last week From 2005-2020, now-retired Austin Chronicle News Editor Michael King wrote about city and state politics from a progressive perspective in his weekly column, “Point Austin.” We’re pleased to bring back his column whenever he’s inspired to tackle the state we’re in. Is it time to start quoting Dylan again?
Point Austin: The Never-Ending Story

Feb 20, 2024 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

A photo from the DOJ's Critical Incident Report of a text from an injured teacher at Robb Elementary School If you hope to wedge a mass shooting into U.S. national headlines, it helps if the massacre coincides with a football championship celebration. If you consider that an exaggeration, I invite you to spend an hour perusing the Gun Violence Archive, the ongoing, nonprofit, heroic effort to catalog all the gun violence that takes place on any given day in America. As of Feb.
Dan Patrick’s denunciation of the House decision to impeach confirms entire trial was tilted in Paxton’s favor

Dec 14, 2023 | austinchronicle.com | Michael King

Dan Patrick’s denunciation of the House decision to impeach confirms entire trial was tilted in Paxton’s favor A.G. Ken Paxton at a May 23 press conference before his impeachment trial September 5: The Paxton legal circus will continue into 2024, and A.G. Ken Paxton's impeachment process was more of a season than a date, but we're pinning it here on Sept. 5, the day his impeachment trial began in the Texas Senate.