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schools
Three Houston-area moms sue over Ten Commandments in schools. They say it violates Texas’ own laws
A 2025 state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms was upheld last spring by a federal appeals court. Now it's being challenged in a state-level court in Harris County....
safety
Man accused of Houston sexual assaults spanning nearly 20 years
Phillip Serf is accused in four assault cases, but police believe there may be more victims.
News
ACLU files $10 million claim over alleged abuse at South Texas immigration facility
A permanent resident who was deported to Trinidad and Tobago last year is seeking $10 million from the Trump administration, claiming he was subjected to medical neglect and abuse while being held in a South Texas immigration facility....
safety
DNA testing leads to arrest of man suspected in Houston sexual assaults over decades-long period
Phillip Cerf, 62, has been charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault for alleged crimes committed between 1996 and 2016.
parks
Recall of pool toys expanded over possibility of impalement
The expanded recall involves thousands of Sloosh Dive Sticks sold online at Amazon, Temu, Target, Wayfair, and Shein.
Local
John Oliver goes after Buc-ee’s: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the week
The Houston Matters panel of non-experts weighs in on stories from the week’s news and decides if they’re good, bad, or ugly.
safety
National emergency declared in Spanish enclave of Ceuta after some 60,000 migrants from Morocco cross border
A national emergency has been declared in Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the tip of Africa, after some 60,000 migrants from Morocco crossed the border over the past several weeks....
parks
Timeline: Cold front sparks showers and storms in Houston this weekend
Saturday morning, a line of showers and storms approaches far northern communities, bringing downpours and gusty winds into Madisonville, Huntsville, and even Trinity. As the line of rain moves south into the afternoon, it has the potential to lose steam as they move near Houston...
News
New poll gives Talarico slight lead over Paxton, shows governor’s race tied
A new poll from FOX News shows Democratic candidate James Talarico with a slight advantage over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a contentious Senate race that remains extremely close as November inches closer....
News
Scientists discover 'demon' cavefish tucked away in Alabama cave
Researchers have uncovered a new species of blind cavefish hiding in one of the most studied cave systems in Alabama.
safety
178k heated blankets, throws recalled after multiple reports of fires
Thousands of heated blankets and throws have been recalled after over two fires and multiple burn or electrical shock injuries.
library
Houston Public Library to preserve Lorenzo Salgado Araujo memorial
The memorial on Canal Street to remember the loss of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo will be moved ahead of the repaving of Canal Street.
business
Study accuses Amazon, Walmart of deceiving shoppers with false 'Made in USA' claims
AI shopping assistants can often detect when "Made in USA" product labels are falsely labeled, but Amazon and Walmart are not using that technology to crack down on the listings, according to a new study....
government
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....
News
Texas is banning several THC products. Find out what will still be legal on July 31.
Although several synthetically derived cannabis products will be banned on July 31, delta-9 THC products will still remain legal.
Local
Houston-based oil companies reap massive profits as U.S. and Iran fighting drives energy prices higher
Exxon Mobil on Friday reported doubling its second-quarter profits to $14.53 billion, up 105% from the same time a year ago, while Chevron nearly quadrupled its profits to $12.07 billion....
News
The Trump administration has undercut the U.S. asylum program. These 3 charts show how
A new rule for asylum applications adds to the bevy of changes under the Trump administration to the core program for those fleeing persecution in their home countries....
Local
Elderly couple found dead in Cypress home in apparent murder-suicide: HCSO
Harris County officials are investigating a possible murder-suicide scene after a son found his parents dead in their home near the Cypress area.
News
THC ban begins (July 31, 2026)
On Friday's show: We get details on Texas' new ban on certain THC products, which begins today. And we break down The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the week....
parks
The summer recruiting grind never stops
More than 50 offensive and defensive linemen took part in two summer football camp sessions at Texas Southern University’s Durley Field Complex, each hoping to catch the attention of head coach Cris Dishman and his staff. But for many athletes, the camp was simply another stop in...
parks
Prison Fellowship offers hope to Houston kids
More than 300 Houston children of incarcerated parents will spend Saturday at the MI3 Center for a free basketball camp featuring a speaker who has lived on both sides of a prison sentence. Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree Sports Camp returns to Houston on Aug. 1, pairing a free da...
Local
And the Blackest ice cream flavor is…
Chocolate. Vanilla. Cookies and cream. Mint chocolate chip. Coffee. Rocky road. Ask Black Houstonians to name their favorite ice cream flavor, and you’ll get plenty of answers. But ask them which flavor is the “ Blackest ,” and one response rises above the rest. Butter pecan. For...
News
The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1609: Franklin’s Heat Experiment
Episode: 1609 Benjamin Franklin’s experiments in thermal radiation. Today, Benjamin Franklin thinks about theoretical and applied science.
parks
Reporter’s Message: Operation Slowdown, Black Panther, Trump 4th term?
Is Operation Slowdown effective? Two vehicles went airborne over Houston freeways on back-to-back days last week, and both incidents occurred during TxDOT’s own campaign to stop it. Operation Slowdown, the state’s annual speed-enforcement push, runs July 18 through Aug. 2 this ye...
library
Byron Canady runs Texas only Black-owned comic store
Byron Canady never set out to open the only Black-owned comic bookstore in Texas. He just wanted a place where Black nerds could see themselves on the shelves. Gulf Coast Cosmos Comics sits at the corner of Stuart Street and Emancipation Avenue in Houston’s Third Ward. It’s one o...
Local
What the Garden Oaks Theater’s Final Extension From the Wrecking Ball Really Means — Inside the Fight to Save an Iconic Piece of Houston’s Movie History
The fight to save Houston’s historic Garden Oaks Theater lives on. Arthouse Houston secured a final extension, granting the group that saved the River Oaks Theatre more time to come up with $1.6 million more needed to complete the down payment, closing costs and carrying expenses...
News
Trump claims deal reached for Hamas disarmament, Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza
President Donald Trump said Thursday that a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza.
Local
After 14 years of ICE check-ins, Houston woman is detained without a criminal history
For more than a decade, Joyce Basele reported to immigration officials as required. When the 64-year-old Houston woman arrived at an ICE field office for another routine check-in on June 18, however, she was taken into custody. “She’s literally a part of our family,” said Maureen...
Local
Leaders of new Fort Bend LULAC chapter say fatal ICE shooting in Houston accelerated its launch
Latinos make up about 25% of the growing population in the suburban county outside Houston, and that demographic is trending upward, according to the U.S. Census Bureau....
safety
Liberty County correctional officer fired following inmate’s escape from hospital
The search for Yorlan Rafael Reyes, the 31-year-old inmate who escaped July 18, remained active as of Thursday.
News
Texas’ ban on several consumable THC hemp products goes into effect Friday: What is legal and what is not?
Several months after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the Texas Department of State Health Services can reclassify the majority of hemp-derived THC as a schedule I drug, the state’s ban is set to go into effect on Friday. The Texas Supreme Court’s May ruling ended a 2021 injunc...
News
Trump says he ‘may’ pull Blanche AG nomination temporarily
The news comes as two key Republicans, including Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, are withholding their support over concerns about the Justice Department's deal with President Trump....
Local
Hello Houston – The Commuter Cut (July 30, 2026)
For our busy Houston commuters, we have – The Commuter Cut – a special 40-minute version of our show to listen to during your journey home.
government
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....
Local
The Houston Heights celebrates White Linen Night’s 20th anniversary this Saturday
This year's ticketed celebration on West 19th Street will span from Ashland to Yale streets and feature live music, food and drinks and an artisan market....
News
TxDOT permanently closing SH-146 ramp to I-45 south in Galveston County. Here’s what drivers need to know
Drivers traveling through Galveston County will soon need to plan for a major traffic change as the Texas Department of Transportation prepares to permanently close a key connector ramp as part of its ongoing I-45 expansion project. Beginning at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, the SH 14...
safety
Vehicle crashes into Menchie's Frozen Yogurt in northwest Harris County
An investigation is underway after a vehicle crashed into Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in northwest Harris County on Thursday morning, according to Constable Deputies with Constable Mark Herman’s Office. The crash happened at the yogurt shop in the 10880 block of Louetta Road. Officia...
News
Dream Con brought Black nerd culture to Texas, but to keep it, founders say support is needed
Dream Con, one of the country’s largest Black-owned pop culture conventions, is at risk of looking elsewhere to find financial support and resources.
government
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.
business
Gov. Greg Abbott cleared the way for the hemp industry in 2019. Now businesses are being pushed out
Texas will ban hemp products containing certain intoxicating cannabinoids starting July 31, and local businesses are feeling the strain — and even closing....
News
Texas could send a record four GOP women to Congress — if they make it through November
Despite sending more Republicans to Congress than any other state, Texas has elected only five GOP women to the U.S. House in its history. Redistricting and retirements could change things....
business
City contracts & minority-owned businesses (July 30, 2026)
On Thursday's show: We learn why a longstanding city of Houston program requiring some government contracts to be awarded to minority-owned businesses was ruled unconstitutional this week and discuss the ramifications....
business
With future of U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade in limbo, Texas businesses navigate choppy waters
The Trump administration announced July 1 it would not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Rising uncertainty has led businesses that depend on the trade pact to pull back on investment in Texas, experts say....