The Houston
Government
No-knock warrants, marijuana enforcement — Houston voters could rewrite the rules this fall
Houston City Council is preparing to decide whether to let voters weigh in on two hot-button policing issues this fall. A vote is expected Wednesday on whether to place both measures on the November ballot. The proposals — which made it onto the council agenda after activists say...
Parents warned about dangerous fake squishy toys that can cause serious burns
Parents are being warned about potentially dangerous fake and counterfeit squishy toys that could pose serious risks to children. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the warning Aug. 5, also reiterating its concerns about a viral social media trend encouraging chil...
Harris County constables will make $305,000 next year, a 129% increase since 2024
It comes a year after some commissioners -- previously titled the 'GOP 3' by Hidalgo -- championed a law enforcement pay parity initiative that raised constable salaries by 62% from the previous year and exacerbated a multi-million dollar budget deficit....
OP-ED: ‘The Trusted Messenger’ and the Black Vote
By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper Chairman of the Board of Directors, NNPA BlackPressUSA Newswire It is a well-established fact that the Black Press is and always has been the “Trusted Messenger” of the Black community. With that being said, i...
Reporter’s Message: $25M for Black voters, PVAMU quantum pipeline, SNAP rollback
Talarico’s Houston promises loom large James Talarico is leading in the polls. Now comes the harder test: follow-through. Credit: Getty Images In recent weeks, Democratic Congressional candidate James Talarico has opened up a five-point lead over Republican candidate Ken Paxton i...
Houston Trump voter says ICE detained his fiancée at Bush Airport: “I didn’t vote for that”
A Houston-area business owner who voted for President Donald Trump says he supported removing dangerous criminals from the United States. Now, he is fighting the administration he supported after immigration officers detained his fiancée at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. J...
Harris County DA’s investigation into fatal ICE shooting gets $2.5 million boost from commissioners
The longtime Houston man's death drew national attention and raised questions surrounding the incident -- which federal authorities said happened when he attempted to run over an ICE agent with his vehicle....
Daniel Wong expected to stay in contested Fort Bend County judge role through November election
Wong is the Republican nominee for county judge and is facing Dexter McCoy, one of two Democratic commissioners who have boycotted commissioners court meetings since June. That leaves quorum questions as budget and tax rate discussions approach....
Lina Hidalgo’s proposed tax-rate hike for Harris County education programs fails for the second year in a row
The rejection came almost one year after commissioners voted against Hidalgo's first penny-tax proposal and said the county judge's efforts to pass the measure to support a slate of education programs disrupted decorum as she brought a group of children to the meeting in 2025....
Rep. Chuck Edwards ends campaign after ethics committee cites inappropriate conduct
North Carolina Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards announced Wednesday that he is ending his reelection campaign, two days after the House Ethics Committee recommended he be censured....
Black Houstonians warn: Support for Democrats cannot be assumed
Black voters remain the Democratic Party’s most consistent and reliable voting bloc nationwide. Credit: Tannistha Sinha/Defender For years, Black voters in Houston have served as the Democratic Party’s most reliable voting bloc , yet many feel their community’s needs have been le...
Texas county accused of changing voting maps after primary elections
Voting rights groups say Galveston County plans to use new precinct maps in November after holding March primaries under older boundaries.
Rice University will expand its free tuition program to students whose families earn up to $200K per year
Starting in the fall of 2027, the private university in Houston also will offer free mandatory fees and room and board for students whose families earn less than $100,000 annually....
British citizen living in Katy faces sentencing for illegally voting in U.S. election
A British citizen living in Katy admitted to illegally voting in the 2020 federal election, officials say.
James Talarico accused Ken Paxton of voter fraud. His own voter registration is raising questions
After hitting his GOP foe for voting under an address where he no longer lived, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica found the Democratic Senate candidate also appears to have done so....
Gov. Abbott orders review of proposed data centers as AI boom raises questions about Texas power grid, water use
As artificial intelligence fuels a rapid expansion of data centers across Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is ordering a closer review of proposed projects before they are allowed to connect to the state’s electric grid. The governor’s directive requires the Public Utility Commission of T...
Proposed Galveston Bay desalination plant clears initial TCEQ review, enters public comment period
Residents have 30 days after July 24 to submit public comments to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or request a public meeting about the Bayshore Desalination Facility before officials make a final decision on the project's wastewater discharge permit....
Latino voters could decide key races in Texas. They’re still weighing their options
Conversations at the UnidosUS conference in Austin revealed growing frustration over housing costs, food prices and immigration enforcement as Democrats and Republicans compete for one of the country's fastest-growing voting blocs....
Black Texas voters favor Talarico, but frustration with Democrats runs high
A poll released Monday shows 79% of Black voters support James Talarico, while just 12% support his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Houston students retrace Civil Rights history on Freedom Tour
Every summer, a group of Houston-area teenagers boards a bus before sunrise and spends a week retracing the roads of the Civil Rights Movement. The Freedom Tour, an immersive week-long journey organized by the Expose Excellence Youth Program, takes students to the cities where Bl...
Former Texas Rep. Kay Granger, trailblazing Fort Worth mayor, dies at 83
Former U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, Fort Worth's first female mayor, has died at 83.
Pope Leo finally addresses his Black ancestry and slavery
Since his election last year, Pope Leo XIV sidestepped one of the most unexpected questions to emerge from his historic election: Is the first American pope also Black? Now, in his clearest public comments yet, the first American-born pope has acknowledged the complicated family ...
Black Houston voters say trust will decide Senate race
As Texas’ U.S. Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton intensifies, Black voters say their support will hinge on more than party labels. At a recent Houston community forum, attendees shared what will determine their vote and whether either candidate has done enough to ...
Senate unveils spending bill that avoids shutdown before election
A new short-term federal spending bill was unveiled Sunday that would fund federal agencies into early December and prevent lawmakers up for reelection from facing voters in the midst of another government shutdown battle....
Texas issues cease-and-desist over border wall work near Big Bend
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham issued cease-and-desist letters to federal entities after a contractor cleared more than a mile of state-owned land near Big Bend for border wall construction without written permission....
State finds some registered Texas voters were wrongly flagged as potential noncitizens
The secretary of state told counties to immediately reinstate any Texans who were removed from the voter roll despite showing DPS proof of citizenship....
Hello Houston (July 30, 2026)
Today: We learn about the creation of a synthetic cell, talk with Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis about the county’s budget, hear a conversation with Houstonian playwright Cris Eli Blak, and more....
Senate panel delays vote on Blanche AG nomination as key Republicans, including John Cornyn, withhold support
The Senate Judiciary Committee had been expected to vote Thursday on whether to advance Blanche’s nomination to the full chamber.
French man discovers 5 dead babies hidden in boxes in his home after argument with wife: prosecutors
The man discovered remains believed to belong to five newborns hidden inside cardboard boxes in his home after his partner gave birth at home and was taken to a hospital, according to prosecutors....
Fort Bend County postpones cadet graduation after state inspection finds documentation, compliance issues
The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement found compliance issues at the Gus George Law Enforcement Academy with student attendance records, required paperwork, and internal checks to ensure the academy was meeting the state’s training requirements....