Beauty School Dropouts

According to the EPA, Texas has more chemical facilities with the potential to harm more than 100,000 people than any other state. Texas has 100 such plants; the next closest, California, has 58.

There is, however, apparently a solution in the works. Greenpeace claims that chemicals such as phosgene "could be made and used with a just-in-time process that would eliminate the need for the bulk storage and transport in railcars, which make this facility high-risk."

Last year, according to Greenpeace, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would force high-risk chemical plants to use safer processes. The bill is now in the Senate.
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DOING IT DAILY

There is a ton of stuff each day on the Houston Press blogs; you’re only getting a taste of it here in the print edition. Head to blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs (or “/rocks” or “/eating” or “/artattack”) and under “Tools” on the top-right side of the page, use the “categories” drop-down menu to find these stories:

Sports

The NFL and college football seasons began, much to the relief of everybody everywhere. We tracked and analyzed the Texans, Coogs and Owls. The World Cup came to Houston, in the form of FIFA officials trying to determine if we're worthy of hosting a few games in 2018 or 2022. We offered five reasons why we are, indeed, worthy.

Crime

A 15-year-old walked in on his mom having sex with his friend, after she got the friend liquored up. Not something that will be laughed about on Mother's Day, probably. Gory details emerged on an HPD cop's rape of a handcuffed woman in custody. And in the Worst Confessions file, a guy admits he was high on meth, but would not have sexually abused that kid if it had been a girl.

Political Animals

A West U councilman was caught in a TABC sting for selling beer to an underaged buyer, but it's okay because he simply made a math mistake in figuring out the kid's age (he said). Tomball had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to address the illegal-immigration issue on behalf of all America, but common sense prevailed. And former District Attorney Carol Vance backed out of a book-signing appearance because of looming protests by death-penalty activists.

Art Attack

In honor of Tropical Storm Hermine, the first near-miss of the season, Art Attack revisited the five worst Hollywood storm movies, all misses in our book. We hit opening night of the Alley Theatre's A Behanding in Spokane, wishing it was weirder and less heavy-handed. And we took an early look at well-known Houston artist Nestor Topchy's years-in-the-making art show, unveiled at a one-night-only party/exhibit, which took place at a funeral home last Saturday night.