Nearly 350 Houston retirees still waiting on buyout payments
| September 9, 2025
Houston City Council member Edward Pollard is demanding accountability as nearly 350 of the 1,000 city workers who took early retirement buyouts are still waiting for their pension payments months after they were promised.
The buyout program, launched to help close a $330 million budget shortfall, offered lump-sum payouts of 25% of annual salary to eligible employees. The employees were promised the payments within 60 days of their May 1 retirement.
Pollard has expressed growing concern over the city's handling of the program, and wants a timeline from Mayor John Whitmire’s administration on when the retirees will be paid. He questioned the mayor during an Aug. 27 city council meeting.
Houston hotel workers strike for living wage
| September 5, 2025
Workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston went on strike on Monday to demand higher wages and better working conditions.
The hospitality workers, represented by Unite Here Local 23, are negotiating a new contract with the hotel giant to replace one that expired on June 30. The workers want to increase wages to at least $23 per hour, and improve their schedules and workloads.
Houston City Council wants public feedback. They got an earful.
| September 5, 2025
The Houston City Council is experimenting with evening sessions to make it easier for people to speak out at their meetings—and they did.
Texas colleges could see fewer international students amid Trump immigration crackdown
| September 5, 2025
dei | EDUCATION | EXCO-Player | HIGHER EDUCATION | IMMIGRATION | local politics | old texas | public education | TEXAS
Public universities throughout Texas could lose thousands of international students (and millions of dollars) this fall thanks to the Trump administration.
Ken Paxton wants your kids to recite the Lord’s Prayer in school
| September 5, 2025
A new Texas law allows public schools to create a designated prayer time for students, and Attorney General Ken Paxton wants to make sure it’s used to promote Christianity.