Courier Houston

Plus: Meet me in person! Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! National Voter Registration Day is tomorrow, which is a great reminder to check your voter registration status! We have a handy toolkit so that you can make sure you’re prepared for what will be on the ballot this time around.  We’ll…

Plus: Nearby cities are stopping Flock Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! A few weeks ago, I talked to you about the AI-driven initiative powering some new local schools. It turns out that private schools aren’t the only place where AI is “leading” education in Houston.  Imagine if your children’s public school…

Plus: Houston has America’s 2nd-richest suburb Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! If you happen to see a group of naked people biking down Polk Street this weekend, don’t panic. It’s a protest.  Houston’s World Naked Bike Ride is coming back for its 15th year this Saturday. Cyclists will be stripping down…

Plus: Garden Oaks Theater future sealed Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! We’ve been talking about the proposed demolition of Garden Oaks Theater lately, particularly as activists entered their last window to save the landmark from being scrapped last week.  Garden Oaks Theater once showed world famous classic films like “Jaws,” with…

Plus: Say adiós to this Houston staple Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Last week, I told you that President Trump was expected to visit NASA to honor the Artemis II crew. Now, his Houston visit is in the books—and it included a new US space academy, a moon-bound plaque and a…

Plus: Turkey Leg Hut is back, y’all Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Texas is the mother of all invention—that’s the saying, right?  The inventor behind the digital watch, who just passed away, is a testament to that, and he’s leaving behind a remarkable North Texas legacy.  George Thiess founded Electro/Data, a…

Plus: Will Houston absorb the Woodlands? Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! In the last few newsletters, I’ve been talking to you about HISD’s failing schools and TEA-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles’ subsequent salary bump. You told me that he didn’t deserve his pay raise, and some of you even wrote in to…

Plus: Why is Trump visiting NASA? Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! In a newsletter earlier this month, I told you about a theater in Houston at risk of demolition and the ongoing efforts by Arthouse Houston organizers to save it. Well, those efforts are in their final week as the Aug.…

Plus: Their pastor held them hostage Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Rent is already expensive enough. Now imagine finding out you’ve been overpaying because your landlord was going behind your back to overcharge. Local apartment landlords have been accused of doing just that.  One of the Rice Village area properties listed…

Plus: Robots teach your children Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! In Monday’s newsletter, I asked you if HISD’s TEA-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles deserved the $231,000 raise he received after several F ratings of local schools were released. You overwhelmingly said “no. You’re not the only Houstonians feeling this way.  Increasingly, Houston…

Plus: 🪦Local burger icon dies Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Get your telescopes ready because we’re in for a crimson red show on Aug. 27. Next week, a deep partial lunar eclipse will reveal a blood moon over Houston as the moon sinks into Earth’s shadow for three hours.  The next…

Plus: HISD gets F’s, Mike Miles gets a raise Share with a friend     Hello, Houston! With the first week of school over, parents are looking to local districts to see an improvement in their children’s learning for the 2026-2027 school year.  Many were disappointed to hear that following Houston’s Texas Education Agency (TEA)…

Plus: HISD teacher in tears over students 😢 Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! The Stonewall Inn is still operational in Greenwich Village, New York City. (Anna Raj/Courier HTX) It’s finally time for Houston Pride this weekend after the rescheduling of the event earlier this summer due to inclement weather. Houston Pride…

Plus: 🎓A $10K ticket to Rice Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! August is National Black Business Month, and in Houston, there’s no shortage of Black-owned shops, restaurants, and establishments to celebrate with.  One of Houston’s most iconic Black-owned businesses is Provost Studios, an 80-year-old photography business that captured generations of Houstonians…

Plus: 💸 Your tax dollars pay for naps Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Let’s talk about some weird things happening in the Houston area.  👮 A Houston man is facing prison for threatening the governor’s office over anime (yes, that’s right—over a cartoon).  👀 Keep your eyes peeled for this strange,…

Plus: Can Houstonians save this historic theater? Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! One of the most inspiring things about this city is that we’re a place of changemakers: people who are working to better the lives and circumstances of those around them, whether that’s in hospitals saving lives, on the street…

Plus: 😵 Broken neck sparks Harris County lawsuit Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! We’re coming up on National Book Lover’s Day, and I’m nothing if not a bibliophile. In fact, I love reading so much, I’ve been teaching evening summer classes to Houston middle schoolers on some of the books I…

Plus: Cy-Fair ISD under fire Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Even though school is back in session on Aug. 10, that doesn’t mean summer fun has to end. I’ve been making weekend trips to Galveston lately, trying to soak up the heat that I know I’ll be missing soon enough. The…

Plus: This garden visitor is a good sign Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Today is National Mutt Day, and Aug. 1 marks the universal birthday for shelter dogs and the start of “Dogust,” or National Dog Month.  This week also marks the one-year anniversary of finding my dog on a Houston…

Plus: Houston rent came for your childhood Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! It’s a hot one, and it’s only going to get hotter. A heat advisory has been issued for Houston with triple-digit days ahead, which has me looking for ways to cool off. My preferred method of beating the heat…

Plus: Houston’s skyline is changing Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! I’m not one for celebrity drama, but I’m still feeling torn by celebrated actor Sam Neill’s passing a few weeks ago. The love the “Jurassic Park” star gave me for dinosaur movies is undying, and I’m looking forward to seeing “The…

Plus: Ditch forgetfulness with this workshop Share with a friend     Good morning! As Tropical Storm Bertha passes through (hopefully without any damage to Houston), one thing is for sure—my garden is finally getting the water it needs to withstand this grueling Texas heat.  I’ve been feeling less guilty filling my watering can up…

Plus: Tropical Storm Bertha is barreling toward Houston Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! We’re celebrating National Hammock Day today, and if there’s anything I’m ready for, it’s to relax in one of Houston’s many parks. If you’re wanting to spend time outside—in a hammock or on a hike—we have a list…

Plus: Best ice cream to cool off this July Share with a friend     Good morning, Houston! Yesterday, we celebrated National Ice Cream Day, but everybody knows that indulging in a cold, sweet treat can’t be relegated to once a year, especially in this Texas heat. Luckily for you, we have a Houston ice…

Plus: These pups are ready for adoption Share with a friend     Good morning! I’m Anna Raj, your new HTX newsletter editor, and I’m thrilled for this newsletter to hit your inboxes! I’m a lifelong Texan and proud Houstonian, and I have big love for the folks on my block in Third Ward and…

Plus: A long-vacant hotel gets a second chance Share with a friend     Good evening, Houston. An ICE shooting Tuesday left a 52-year-old father dead and his family and community grieving. The demand for answers has been constant, while the city’s response has been less clear. Mayor John Whitmire first said HPD couldn’t investigate…

And these Houston newborns are dressed for the occasion. Share with a friend     Good evening, Houston. Houston’s FIFA fever is officially reaching nursery-level cute. As World Cup excitement takes over the city, some of Houston’s newest residents are already dressed for the occasion: A limited number of babies born at Houston Methodist hospitals…

Y’all: Are these Texas stereotypes true? Share with a friend     Good evening, Houston. Flags are everywhere right now: México, Argentina, Deutschland, Curaçao, and dozens more hanging from light poles and inside bars as Houston gets closer to its first World Cup match. That’s the thing about football (yes, football; don’t fight me on…

Plus: Houston repped at Scripps National Spelling Bee Share with a friend     Hey, Houston. If you don’t get excited when the Scripps National Spelling Bee is on, you’re missing out. Houston is a sports city, and spelling bees are absolutely a sport: Olympic-level spellers spending countless hours prepping for the main stage, calmly…

Plus: Three art giants land at MFAH Share with a friend     Hey, Houston. Memorial Day weekend is here, and so is some pretty awful weather. Flood watches are in effect for much of Southeast Texas through Monday evening, so for some folks, the safest way to spend the long weekend might be staying…