The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1605: The Rush to Height

Episode: 1605 The brief race to build very tall buildings: 1885 to 1931. Today, the brief day of the first skyscrapers.
Summary by The Houston Editorial Desk · Based on reporting by Dr. John Lienhard, Houston Public Media · · 1 min read

Episode: 1605 The brief race to build very tall buildings: 1885 to 1931. Today, the brief day of the first skyscrapers.
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Episode: 3389 In which Carlo Antonio Testore's violins and other stringed instruments show him to be a different kind of Luthier. Today, a luthier teaches us a lesson.

This article was written by Aaliyah Amos and originally published by Word in Black A short, rhyming kindergarten verse that ended with a simple “I love you,” was Kelvin “KJ” Marshall’s first step into poetry. Fifteen years later, Marshall, now 22, understands how that same art form is something d...

The good news is that the Texas Southern 2026 football schedule is complete, and it’s official as of Saturday afternoon. You can’t make this up. Yeah, the season kicks off in a little over a month, but at least the Tigers now know the stadiums they will call home this year. In normal circumstance...

A new grant is set to help Black families in Houston’s Kashmere Gardens neighborhood safeguard their homes and pass on generational wealth, thanks to a $300,000 award to Texas Southern University’s Earl Carl Institute for Legal & Social Policy. The funding, provided by the Rockwell Fund, will sup...

If James Talarico wants to become the first Democrat to win a Texas U.S. Senate seat in more than three decades, the road runs through Harris County and Houston. The tension was palpable during a town hall meeting Talarico held at the Kingdom Builders Center on West Orem Drive on the day of the F...

A landmark Supreme Court ruling handed down on June 25 is sending shockwaves through Houston’s Haitian community, and advocates say the consequences will be felt far beyond that community. In a 6-3 decision in Mullin v. Doe, the court’s conservative majority ruled that the president has virtually...
Surveillance video obtained exclusively by KPRC 2 News Reporter Corley Peel, appears to show the man accused of intentionally setting an apartment building on fire, moments before it burst into flames, killing his own brother and injuring several others, including a 3-year-old boy. Matthew Atwate...

Authorities have charged a man with murder and arson after an apartment fire in Spring. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said one person was killed, and 13 others were hurt, including 3-year-old Atlas. His family says he suffered burns to 95% of his body and is expected to remain hospitalized f...

Residents say all they've gotten from Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones' office is lip service.
Tonight’s Forecast: Tonight will stay warm, muggy and buggy, with mostly clear skies and temperatures only falling into the upper 70s to lower 80s. Winds will remain light, so it will still feel sticky through the overnight hours. Tuesday’s Forecast: Tuesday will be dangerously hot, with mostly s...
Tropical Storm Bertha has formed in the eastern Gulf. Bertha will move northwest, bringing high surf, and gusty winds along the Gulf Coast. For southeast Texas, the center of circulation doesn’t arrive until Friday. The big question is how big the impacts will be from Bertha in southeast Texas. R...
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher’s office says an 18-year-old Bellaire High School student who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Houston’s Hobby Airport has been released from detention. Teachers and friends identify the student as Alim Garipov, an 18-year-old origina...

The price of hundreds of Canadian goods could soon go up dramatically as the Trump administration reveals massive new tariffs against the United States’ second-largest trading partner.

Tropical Storm Bertha has formed in the Gulf of America.

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman has asked Klein ISD, Tomball ISD, Spring ISD, Aldine ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and Humble ISD to adopt policies prohibiting unregistered electric motorcycles on school property.
A Spring Branch homeowner repeated flooding events in recent years have left him living in constant fear every time heavy rain moves into the Houston area. Standing along a drainage ditch in the 2200 block of Bauer Drive, Paul Braddock points to what he says is the source of the problem. Accordin...
The Houston area and its neighboring counties continue to monitor cyclospora cases as the FDA pulls back on part of its investigation into a multi-state outbreak linked to shredded iceberg lettuce. The agency says a Taylor Fresh Foods sample that initially tested positive turned out to be a false...
A routine traffic stop over a turn signal and dim license plate lights ended with a Montgomery County woman being arrested. Now, an unredacted sheriff’s office policy obtained by KPRC 2 is raising new questions about whether the deputy followed required procedures. 40-year-old Elizabeth Kim was a...
Singer and actress Christina Wells first burst onto the national stage nearly a decade ago when she showcased her larger-than-life voice on America’s Got Talent. Since then, the Houston-based mom and grandma has appeared in dozens of productions in the Houston area, including her critically accla...

Five people died after entering an Ohio river to rescue a swimmer who was struggling in the water.

Three men were arrested following a motorcycle pursuit in Harris County last week, officials said.

Alaska wants to seize a bush pilot's Cessna after a passenger on a flight to a dry community was caught with a six-pack of beer.

A new price comparison of 15 grocery store staples found that this retailer had the cheapest overall basket, beating Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons.

Two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks were identified on Monday — the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

Harris County authorities have made an arrest following a deadly apartment fire that occurred early Monday morning.
Summer grilling doesn’t have to be intimidating, and Katherine Salom is on a mission to prove it. The Houston native and creator behind Girl Gone Grilling has built a social media following of more than one million across platforms by sharing approachable recipes, practical grilling tips and show...

The Houston Police Department recently released its first mandatory report on coordination with U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Houston Public Media obtained additional documents shedding light on the stories behind the data.

AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS STORY HAS BEEN MOVED HERE.

The agency charged with managing the Texas power grid said it is preparing for both high heat and a possible tropical storm to put pressure on the system this week.
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The storms killed at least two people and prompted disaster declarations covering dozens of counties.
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Most polling shows Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate, in a statistical dead heat against his Republican rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Researchers show that the costs of going over the posted speed limits do not appear to outweigh the time saved by speeding.

A heat advisory has been issued for Houston and several Southeast Texas counties on Tuesday. Here's what it means and why you should take precautions.

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.

Hundreds of homes and businesses were damaged by last week's floods in the Texas Hill Country, and while recovery is underway, dangerous conditions remain across Central Texas as floodwaters continue moving downstream.
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