Chron.com

In a stunning victory, former Houston city council member Letitia Plummer narrowly beat opponent Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston, in last night’s Democratic runoff race for county judge.

With the FIFA World Cup just weeks away, Houston Health Department Director Dr. Theresa Tran briefed city officials this morning over ongoing concerns of an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and what it could mean for international travel into Houston.

🚧Out with the old and in with the new? Heavy demolition is taking place right now at the old Northwest Mall, a site long connected to the proposed Houston-to-Dallas high-speed rail project. #texashighspeedrail #northwestmall #houstonnews #hounews

⛽️If you’re trying to save money on gas in Houston, where you fill up matters A LOT right now. While saving money on gas at Costco isn’t exactly a new idea, it’s definitely something worth remembering right now. #HoustonTX #HoustonGas #CostcoGas #RiverOaks #HoustonLife

Their business is one of the most popular restaurants in the city. bit.ly/4uD92ox

A devastating discovery in River Oaks is under investigation: bit.ly/49cwrVk

🤠 “This just feels really special.” Kacey Musgraves spoke to the crowd at Gruene Hall about being back in Texas during the opening of her sold-out show. The singer's new album Middle of Nowhere blends country, pop and Mexican influences: bit.ly/4d1x4lM

🎤 Kacey Musgraves told the crowd before returning to the stage for an unplanned encore of “Slow Burn” at her sold-out Gruene Hall show. When she released Golden Hour, she blended country with pop, disco and more. It quickly became one of the genre’s biggest crossover successes: bit.ly/4tp21GU

🎶 A new song, live in one of Texas’ most iconic venues. Kacey Musgraves performed “Everybody Wants to Be a Cowboy” at a sold-out show at Gruene Hall, shortly after releasing her album. The singer sold out three shows almost instantly, with tens of thousands trying to buy tickets: bit.ly/4f72I3M

Tributes are pouring in online for the five victims of a small plane crash travelling from Amarillo to New Braunfels late Thursday evening, killing all on board. The victims were a part of a pickleball team travelling for a weekend tournament: bit.ly/4d9SehP

✨ A viral fashion brand lands in Houston The TikTok-famous fashion brand drew hundreds of Gen Z shoppers to the Galleria last Saturday for the opening of Edikted, a trendy LA street-style shop.

Bolton Walters, was one of the several sets of parents who painfully recounted harrowing details of what his eight-year-old daughter experienced in the early morning hours of July 4.

One of the directors of Camp Mystic has offered a tearful apology to the families of the 25 girls and two teen counselors killed in the 2025 Texas flood bit.ly/4ukdiJq

They followed the law. Just not how it was intended. After Texas required Ten Commandments posters in classrooms, some teachers are using creative ways to comply while pushing back: bit.ly/4tE64jy What do you think of how some teachers are responding? #Texas #Education #Teachers #Policy #News

Could a high-speed train actually be coming to Houston? bit.ly/4tCk5y0

The mural has hung in the Student Center South for more than 50 years. bit.ly/4cIweKB

Houston council passes ICE changes amid confusion. bit.ly/493p9mF

Houston council passes ICE changes amid confusion. bit.ly/4cHkdVC

🍸 A Tito’s store that doesn’t sell vodka? That’s exactly what you’ll find in Austin. The retail shop is full of merch and even welcomes dogs, but there’s one thing you won’t be able to order or buy once you walk inside. There’s a workaround, but it comes with a catch: bit.ly/4tY1snS

Popular Brazilian influencer confirmed as athlete who died at Ironman Texas bit.ly/48KABU9

The last time the NRA's annual convention came to Houston, it elicited protests. Now? Not so much. bit.ly/4mDfSYg

"You're playing politics with our officers." bit.ly/4mAdxgH

"You're playing politics with our officers." bit.ly/4mAdxgH

"This is a crisis situation." bit.ly/4mrFqr0

Curb appeal takes on new meaning with this listing. bit.ly/4803Ulm

🐂We all need to make a late night Target run sometimes

Who else is cringing at the gas pump? 🙋🏻

Houston City Council approved a 12-5 ordinance limiting Houston Police Department cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, removing a 30-minute wait requirement during traffic stops tied to immigration warrants and requiring regular reporting on ICE contact.

Houston-based astronaut and Artemis II commander Reid Weisman took a moment to show off his era-inspired friendship bracelet moments before starting the crew's lunar flyby. The bracelet and hand-heart gesture, both symbols among Taylor Swift fans, are said to be a nod to his two daughters.

“...I will tell you, teleporting is no fun." bit.ly/4sxFkjn

Some Houston drivers are already feeling the pinch more than others. bit.ly/4v6R1zP

After 40 years, the Texas Killing Fields case finally sees movement. bit.ly/4sNPHAv

"She has embarrassed this commissioners' court." bit.ly/3Pz1MuF

Up to 24 TSA agents are on the way to Houston. bit.ly/4sBsr8r

Houston Humane Society marked a monumental moment Tuesday as they celebrated the opening of a major veterinary expansion, located about two miles apart from the standard Humane facility. Leaders say the expansion will help the nonprofit increase low-cost animal care by 30%.

🔥An explosion has rocked one of Texas' largest oil refineries: bit.ly/4spLQJw

The difference is buried in a spending bill. bit.ly/4d623im

ICE agents deployed at Houston airports amid TSA crisis: bit.ly/4bHkebw

✈️ This is what travelers are dealing with at George Bush Intercontinental Airport right now. Lines are stretching outside Terminal C, with people waiting just to get inside. Unpaid officers warn the system is being pushed to the brink: bit.ly/4dEk6fF

Councilmember Alejandra Salinas filed a new ordinance this week that directly conflicts with a policy announced last week by Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz on how local law enforcement should handle immigration warrants.

🛍️Come one, come all for the tote! Trader Joes began selling their beloved Spring miniature tote bags this morning in Houston, with much of the supply already dwindling at their Montrose location when Chron walked out ten minutes after the store opened. #houston #traderjoes #traderjoestote

"Public safety remains the top priority." bit.ly/4bQ6axL

🛍️Blick twice and you will miss 'em! bit.ly/4lyH5dX

💸Texas money talks at the Houston Rodeo Houston Rodeo donors shelled out $4 million over the weekend, including a record $1 million for the Grand Champion Lamb presented by a Seagraves middle school student, and $525K for Grand Champion artwork by a Pasadena Memorial High School senior.

"Law enforcement and the Rodeo are actively monitoring social media." bit.ly/474MrI9

⚾ “Back to his rightful home.” For Roy Mease, seeing the bronze statue of his son again at Kipper Mease Sports Complex was a moment he was not sure would happen. Kipper Mease died in a car crash in 1982 at just 20 years old after playing baseball at Sam Houston State University.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz provided a public update on Wednesday after a new immigration policy took effect requiring officers to give federal agents thirty minutes to respond when they come across an individual with an active immigration warrant.

🚨New immigration policy effective immediately. During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Police Chief Noe Diaz and Houston Mayor John Whitmire outlined a new approach for local officers when coming across individuals with administrative immigration warrants.

🏫 Fort Bend ISD votes to close seven elementary schools: bit.ly/4bkxKBY

TSA lines are still hours-long—but PreCheck just reopened. bit.ly/4dcXQsZ

The reporter is no longer with the TV station. bit.ly/4rl5wNt

🫣The scandals persist, and so do these two members of the GOP.

🎮️Video games as the real deal? Texas Gov. Greg Abbott reposted and then deleted a video on X that appeared to show an American battleship shooting down an Iranian plane. The clip was identified as footage from the WWII video game “War Thunder.”

"It was an honor to have known him." bit.ly/3MISyed

Some forecasts suggest oil could top $100 a barrel. www.chron.com/news/houston...

He was "proud to be a Red Raider and a Texan...he showed up for the people around him." bit.ly/4bjrjQA

⚠️A Waymo vehicle was seen blocking first responders early Sunday morning after a shooting that left three people dead and 14 hospitalized at Buford's bar on West Sixth Street.

Texas State Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons told Chron that Houston ISD’s school closures should be viewed in the broader context of state takeovers affecting multiple school districts across Texas.

DHS made no public disclosure of Martinez's death for 11 months. bit.ly/3N3LLvH

Houston ISD’s board trustees, a group of eight elected representatives, plead with the state-appointed Board of Managers to halt the vote on the proposed closure of 12 schools in Houston, including 8 in Northeast Houston.

Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles declines a request from Councilmember Edward Pollard to appear before Houston City Council to answer questions over the proposed closures of 12 HISD campuses, a decision trustees are expected to vote on tonight.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan received the Legion of Merit during President Trump's State of the Union address for rescuing 165 people in the July 4 Texas Hill Country flooding that killed more than 130 people.

➡️A Houstonian receives a call out during President Donald Trump's annual State of the Union speech.

🏫After Houston ISD announced rounds of school closures, Fort Bend ISD officials are considering similar actions amid declining enrollment and a growing budget deficit.

"It seems like something that you see depicted in movies." bit.ly/4cGLw44

"I urge all Texans in Mexico to follow guidance of U.S. officials." bit.ly/3MqOvDf

➡️Frisco, Texas is now at the center of a national H-1B visa debate. In recent weeks, viral social media posts have claimed mass H-1B visa fraud tied to Frisco’s growing Indian population. #Frisco #h1bvisas #texasnews #friscocitycouncil #dallasnews

🫣So, why are local election workers livestreamed 24/7? bit.ly/4qNE8Hx

The network feared retaliation over a little-used "equal time" rule. bit.ly/4rrbYTW

As Harris County heads into the 2026 Primary Election, Chron sat down to address some common misconceptions that swirl during election seasons.

📬️Harris County, your votes for the 2026 Primary Election begins today. Each party will pick their candidate to head to the general election in November.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's Office released its report Friday. bit.ly/4tBxN4C

"We must make responsible and tough decisions." bit.ly/4rhnilz

🎤"If somebody wants to work with me to fix and improve Houston, I will go anywhere, anytime," said Houston Mayor John Whitmire during the 2026 State of the City Address: bit.ly/46AErOA

"If you're a parent, this should make your stomach drop." bit.ly/4bHxvTk

Does anyone else remember reading the Guinness World Record books as a kid? bit.ly/461GzPg

🚗Harris County toll roads brings in an approximate $800 million to $1 billion annually from drivers, but how is all that money divvied up? bit.ly/4aoR5BD

✨️ If you know, you know

🍎SNAP benefits are widely misconceived... Earlier this week, Chron sat down with Dr. Katherine Byers, government relations officer for Houston Food Bank, to learn more about their efforts to boost awareness around food assistance.

🪧“We had to do something.” Students across multiple Houston-area school districts staged walkouts to oppose nationwide immigration enforcement and mass deportation. #aliefhighschool #woodlands #oakridge #icewalkouts #houston #texas

⚽ A senior season interrupted by ICE: bit.ly/45UgMs9

Is the city of Houston at fault? Or TxDOT? bit.ly/4qVeRvX

Residents from the small North Texas City of Hutchins gathered in front of City Hall on Wednesday as city leaders conducted a closed-door meeting regarding a proposed ICE detention facility that could hold up to 9,500 migrants.

🧊 "We're going to get an ICE detention facility before we get a grocery store!"

www.instagram.com/chron_com/?l...

🍎 New SNAP rules could impact food access for some Texans.

🗺️ Fear in Houston led to something bigger: bit.ly/4c1sk0t A Rice University project is now tracking ICE activity nationwide.

📍 Want to see ICE activity mapped out? Two Houston students built a map tracking ICE raids nationwide: bit.ly/4br33N3

🦦 This is not something you see every day in Central Texas. A Texas real estate agent spotted four river otters swimming together in a Hill Country ranch lake near Waco.

Organizers gathered at City Hall to protest ICE. www.chron.com/politics/art...

🗣️ Hundreds of Houstonians packed City Hall Tuesday night, calling for an end to ICE’s presence in Houston and pushing back on how the meeting was handled: bit.ly/4blKSsd

A top attorney, an ex-Lakewood Church staffer and a seasoned pilot are being remembered. bit.ly/4qJNe8Z

🧊Who is ICE putting out on the streets? Last week, Chron sat down with freelance journalist Laura Jedeed, who went to an ICE career fair in Texas and was surprisingly offered a tentative job offer despite an incomplete background check.

✈️ New recordings reveal chilling final moments of a private plane tied to Houston based lawfirm: bit.ly/3LZGqVw

📍 Houston officials outlined freeze preparations during a briefing that revealed more than weather concerns: bit.ly/4qEurMs