Courier Houston

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…

Plus: A historic Galveston bar is fighting to stay open Share with a friend         Hello, Houston. It’s easy to feel proud of Houston when you zoom out and look at all the ways this city shows up on the state, national, and global stage. The Texas Medical Center is a great…

Plus: Free Cinco de Mayo events across the city Share with a friend     Good evening, Houston! Want to escape this Houston weather? 🌧 H: 65° | 🌧 L: 55° I don’t blame you, but you might not be able to make your getaway with Spirit Airlines for much longer. The budget-friendly airline has…

Plus: Abbott’s pressure reshapes Houston policy, again Share with a friend     Good afternoon, Houston! One step forward, two steps back. ☁️ H: 88° | ☁️ L: 72° That feels like the order of things after Houston’s back-and-forth on immigration policy. After weeks of pressure and the threat of losing $110 million in public safety…

Plus: Fleet Week events, Astros, and lovebug season Share with a friend         Hello, Houston! Gov. Greg Abbott is mad at Houston—again. ⛅ H: 84° | ☁️ L: 71° The state is turning up the pressure on the city after Houston passed a new policy limiting how long police wait for ICE. State…

Plus: Parades, festivals, and weekend plans Share with a friend         Hello, Houston! What a week. 🌧 H: 78° | ☁️ L: 70° We’ve been enjoying some nice, breezy weather, so I hate to drop this on our laps, and on a Friday no less, but: hurricane season is coming. Yes, it’s two…

Plus: What’s happening around Houston this weekend Share with a friend         Good morning! Good afternoon, Houston, 🌧 H: 83° | 🌥 L: 74° There’s an expression most Southerners are familiar with: It costs nothing to be nice. Harris County Judge Nathan Milliron might be thinking about that this week after going viral…

Plus: Two Whataburger favorites are coming back Share with a friend     Good morning, Clutch City, ☀️ H: 87° | ❄️ L: 65° Of Houston’s many nicknames, this one most highlights the week we’re having. Sure, we’re not taking home the top prize in every sport, but Clutch City is about more than that.…

Plus: More Houston school closures on the horizon Share with a friend   Good morning, H-Town, ☀️ H: 76° | ❄️ L: 49° It’s been quite a week in the Bayou City. Houston hosted World Baseball Classic games (did y’all spot Italy’s dugout espresso machine?), and the Rodeo even had a political moment thanks to…