LATEST HEADLINES
ICE is operating in droves in Houston
| February 23, 2026
ICE is in Texas, but Houston hasn't forgotten their neighbors.
Follow @couriertexas.
Number of Texas school districts rejeting designated prayer time grows
| February 23, 2026
School districts across Texas have until March 1 to decide whether their schools will create a designated prayer and religious reading time during the school day, and an overwhelming majority are rejecting the new policy.
‘I guess it’s my time to die’ Why Black mothers in Harris County face higher risks
| February 23, 2026
In 2019, Moriah Ballard lost her son and nearly died herself at Texas Medical Center due to complications with severe preeclampsia. Her heartbreaking story is not uncommon.
A recent report from Harris County Public Health found that Black women in Harris county faced the highest pregnancy-related death rate in the US from 2016 to 2020. Click the link in our bio to learn more.
Voting early in Dallas County? Here’s everything you need to know
| February 23, 2026
Stressed about voting in the primary election? Our DFW Political Correspondent Katie Serrano is here to break it down for you.
DHS denies tuberculosis outbreak at Texas
| February 23, 2026
DHS | EXCO-Player | HEALTH | health care | ICE | IMMIGRATION | local politics | old texas | public health | TEXAS
COVID-19. Measles. Tuberculosis. This is what's happening in ICE's Texas detention centers.
University of North Texas abruptly closes exhibit of acclaimed street artist
| February 23, 2026
At his artist talk on Tuesday, Quiñonez still hadn’t received an explanation from UNT and the university has yet to release a statement.
Houston community hopes to write a different ending for historic Garden Oaks Theater
| February 21, 2026
CULTURE | development | ENTERTAINMENT | historic preservation | History | houston history | HOUSTON LEAD STORY | HTX | HTX-hardgate | LIFESTYLE | Preservation Houston | The Garden Oaks Theater
The Garden Oaks Theater in Houston is at risk of being demolished. Preservations and residents are hoping to save it in time.
Celebrating Black excellence: 7 Houstonians honored for their contributions to the city
| February 20, 2026
The Feb. 19 Black History Month Celebration, hosted by Houston City Controller Chris Hollins, honored seven Black Houstonians who have left a lasting impact on the city and the communities they call home.
OPINION: Texas froze HUB over a lawsuit. The lawsuit is gone. The freeze isn’t.
| February 20, 2026
When rules change overnight, businesses don’t make bold investments. They pull back. They stop hiring. Some stop bidding altogether. And once capable vendors leave the public marketplace, they rarely rush back. Agencies lose options, competition shrinks, and taxpayers lose price pressure.
What to know about the Texas Medical Center—aka the ‘Medical Mini-City’
| February 20, 2026
baylor college of medicine | Community | EDUCATION | HEALTH | HEALTHCARE | HTX | HTX-hardgate | medical mini city | Rice University | TEXAS | texas children's hospital | texas medical center
Welcome to the Texas Medical Center, a sprawling campus in south-central Houston just south of the city’s Museum District and rated one of the top places to visit in this city. Composed of 61 medical institutions, the Medical Mini-City, as it’s often called, has the unique distinction of being both the largest medical center and the largest life science destination in the world.
The North Texas Food Bank knows it takes a community to combat hunger
| February 20, 2026
Community | CULTURE | DALLAS | DFW | DFW Lead Story | DFW-hardgate | Empty Bowls fundraiser | FAMILY | food & drink | food and drink | food assistance | food insecurity | FORT WORTH | live entertainment | North Texas Food Bank | plano
The 26th annual North Texas Food Bank Empty Bowls Fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 26. Here are all the details.
Houston’s reality TV stars continue to shine
| February 19, 2026
Big Brother | celebrities | CULTURE | ENTERTAINMENT | Family Empire: Houston | Heart & Hustle: Houston | HTX | HTX-hardgate | LIFESTYLE | Love is Blind | My 600-lb Life | Outdaughtered | reality tv | reality tv stars | survivor
This city’s reality TV stars span every genre—from competition shows to dating dramas—proving the city breeds unforgettable personalities.
How the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo went from 2,000 people to millions of visitors in less than a century
| February 19, 2026
2026 houston rodeo | Community | CULTURE | ENTERTAINMENT | HARDGATE | HOUSTON LEAD STORY | houston livestock show and rodeo | houston rodeo | HTX | LIFESTYLE
From 2,000 attendees to millions: How the Houston Rodeo became bigger than Texas The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is known for two things: creative food combinations and a genre-diverse concert lineup that ranges from R&B to country. Of course, there’s the predictable lineup of rodeo events: barrel racing, bull riding, mutton bustin’, and steer […]
TXST’s Wittliff Collections celebrates its legacy with ’40 Objects’ exhibit
| February 19, 2026
Art | arts | celebrities | central texas | CULTURE | EDUCATION | ENTERTAINMENT | family friendly | free things to do | fun | HARDGATE | LIFESTYLE | LITERATURE | Local news | locals | News | recreation | TEXAS | TEXAS HISTORY | texas state university | THINGS TO DO | Wittliff | Wittliff museum
The “Spirit of the Wittliff in 40 Objects” exhibit includes items from Cormac McCarthy and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Here are all the details.
The best movies filmed in Houston, according to an award-winning filmmaker
| February 19, 2026
Boyhood | CULTURE | HTX | HTX-hardgate | movies | Paris | Pearl Harbor | Reality Bites | Shane Andries | Terms of Endearment | TEXAS | Tin Cup | Urban Cowboy
Movies filmed in Houston showcase the Texas metropolis in unforgettable ways. One acclaimed director picked the standouts.
Political Videos
Houston father demands answers about son killed by off-duty ICE agent
Texas American Federation of Teachers seeks injunction against social media investigations
‘Dangerous’ 287(g) agreements repurpose state officers as ICE agents
Houston Rep. Sylvia Garcia introduces bill targeting ICE overreach
Christian Menefee clinches Texas CD‑18 seat in runoff election
‘Caring is not weakness’: Hundreds protest ICE in Dallas
Houston schools approves magnet and Career Technical Education changes
Houstonians pack City Hall, demanding accountability for ICE violence
Inside Houston’s political tug-of-war over housing and mobility
TX Congresswoman: Unlawful searches are unconstitutional, un‑American
THINGS TO DO
LOCAL STORIES
Houston’s reality TV stars continue to shine
| February 19, 2026
Big Brother | celebrities | CULTURE | ENTERTAINMENT | Family Empire: Houston | Heart & Hustle: Houston | HTX | HTX-hardgate | LIFESTYLE | Love is Blind | My 600-lb Life | Outdaughtered | reality tv | reality tv stars | survivor
This city’s reality TV stars span every genre—from competition shows to dating dramas—proving the city breeds unforgettable personalities.
How the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo went from 2,000 people to millions of visitors in less than a century
| February 19, 2026
2026 houston rodeo | Community | CULTURE | ENTERTAINMENT | HARDGATE | HOUSTON LEAD STORY | houston livestock show and rodeo | houston rodeo | HTX | LIFESTYLE
From 2,000 attendees to millions: How the Houston Rodeo became bigger than Texas The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is known for two things: creative food combinations and a genre-diverse concert lineup that ranges from R&B to country. Of course, there’s the predictable lineup of rodeo events: barrel racing, bull riding, mutton bustin’, and steer […]
The best movies filmed in Houston, according to an award-winning filmmaker
| February 19, 2026
Boyhood | CULTURE | HTX | HTX-hardgate | movies | Paris | Pearl Harbor | Reality Bites | Shane Andries | Terms of Endearment | TEXAS | Tin Cup | Urban Cowboy
Movies filmed in Houston showcase the Texas metropolis in unforgettable ways. One acclaimed director picked the standouts.
Dallas neighbors rally for community cat protections in city’s animal code
| February 19, 2026
animal code | animals | cats | community cats | CULTURE | DALLAS | DFW | DFW-hardgate | feral cats | north dallas | pets
Dallas’s community cats are currently unprotected under the city’s animal code. Residents are trying to change that.
Two-centuries-old Black cowboy artifacts on display in Texas City Museum
| February 17, 2026
Black History Month | Community | Cowboys of Color | CULTURE | EDUCATION | ENTERTAINMENT | EQUALITY | HARDGATE | inclusion | LIFESTYLE | local | Local news | National Register of Historic Places | News | TEXAS | THINGS TO DO | TRAVEL
Thomas Caldwell was a prominent member of the Black cowboy community. Now, two of his artifacts will be displayed at Texas City Museum.
Ken Paxton sues Dallas over lack of police funding
| February 17, 2026
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the city of Dallas over alleged insufficient funding of the police department, which violates a proposition voters passed in November 2024.
How a railroad changed everything: Exploring the history of Houston’s Asiatown
| February 13, 2026
asian American | asiatown | chinatown | Community | CULTURE | food & drink | food and drink | HARDGATE | HOUSTON LEAD STORY | HTX | IMMIGRATION | LIFESTYLE
In Houston’s Asiatown community, a sign outside of grocery store Welcome Food Center encourages patrons to “shop small, eat happy.” The front doors sport signs that spell out “shop well, live well” in Chinese and English letters. Many know this community as Chinatown—but what it’s called depends on the generation of the person speaking about […]
