
2 Texas schools break into TIME’s top global university rankings
by Sam Cohen
| February 19, 2026
Affordability | celebration | college | CULTURE | EDUCATION | EQUALITY | HARDGATE | HIGHER ED | HIGHER EDUCATION | LIFESTYLE | Local news | NATIONAL NEWS | Rice University | schools | TEXAS | Texas A&M | TEXAS HISTORY | TEXAS POLITICS | University of Texas at Austin
TIME Magazine’s 2026 list of the World’s Top Universities included three Texas schools. Here are the 2 that made the Top 50.

Two-centuries-old Black cowboy artifacts on display in Texas City Museum
by Sam Cohen
| 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.

How a railroad changed everything: Exploring the history of Houston’s Asiatown
by Sierra Rozen
| February 13, 2026
asian American | asiatown | chinatown | Community | CULTURE | food & drink | food and drink | HARDGATE | HOUSTON LEAD STORY | HTX | HTX-hardgate | 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 […]

NASA’s Artemis II mission plans to take astronauts further than they’ve ever been
by Sam Cohen
| February 12, 2026
astronauts | CULTURE | HARDGATE | LIFESTYLE | nasa | NATIONAL NEWS | space | TEXAS | Texas Lead Story
It’s been over 50 years since astronauts have experienced the Moon’s gravitational pull. Apollo 17 accomplished the feat in December 1972, and now, a new group is set to follow in their footsteps this March. NASA’s Artemis Program—named after the Greek goddess Artemis, who is often depicted as representing the Moon—was designed to help create a permanent lunar presence.

“I have been here too long”: Read letters from the children detained at ICE’s Dilley facility
by ProPublica
| February 11, 2026
2025 southern smoke festival | arts | child detainees | children | CIVIL RIGHTS | Community | deportation | DHS | Dilley Immigration Processing Center | FAMILY | HARDGATE | ICE | IMMIGRATION | LIFESTYLE | Local news | locals | mental health | mental health issues | national politics | News | south texas | teens | TEXAS | TEXAS POLITICS | The Department of Homeland Security
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end in sight.



