U.S. Congress

Puerto Rican Violence Affects Houston as Population Continues to Swell

Don Teo has lived in Houston since 1959. He still maintains a slight Puerto Rican accent, but his life -- now in retirement, five years after selling the Tex-Chick restaurant he founded 33 years ago -- is here in Texas. But even Teo, much like the employees still working at Tex-Chick, cannot escape ... More >>

The Battle Against the Keystone Pipeline

Environmentalists and landowners battle to stop the Keystone XL pipeline and its load of crude from flowing across Texas rivers and aquifers.

Returning War Contractors Face Second Battle, Against AIG

Whatever your role in the U.S. war effort, if you were injured overseas, at least you'd be covered back home, right?

Early Victorian Houston and Texas: Suicide City for the Elite

Houston Babylon, the feature coming out this week, dissects a few of the creepiest and most chilling events in Houston history. In coming up with four of those tales, we stumbled over many more -- too many to fit the print edition. All this week we'll bring you some extra, online-only stories. Che ... More >>

As Presidential Campaigns Rage And Famous Mayors Stump, Where's Annise Parker?

Last weekend, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro was a busy guy. He was all over California, meeting with President Barack Obama, hanging with George Clooney, and getting loads of national face time. Across the country, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg poured loads of money into the U.S. Senate candi ... More >>

Six HPD Officers To Be Honored By Governor For Above-And-Beyond Services Rendered

Governor Rick Perry will honor six Houston police officers tomorrow for the service they gave the public, service that left them wounded from gunshots or other actions. The officers will receive the Star of Texas Award, which "were created to honor and commemorate selected first responders who made ... More >>

GOP Senate Favorite, David Dewhurst: Worst. Campaigner. Ever.

Things have not gone as planned for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. This was supposed to be easy. He had the experience, he had the supporters and he had the money. Lots and lots of it. Not to mention, he was running against some guy named Ted Cruz in the primaries -- who? By all accounts, Cruz doesn't eve ... More >>

City CM Helena Brown Never Visited Any South Korean Airlines On Publicly-Funded Trip To Asia

Houston City Council Member Helena Brown issued a press release Wednesday touting her recent trip to Asia, which she funded with $11,000 in public money, as a "successful business trip" -- but it's become clear her journey to Asia was anything but, and, in fact, completely different than the city's ... More >>

Louisiana Senate Votes to Beg Roger Goodell to Unsuspend Saints Players and Coaches

Let me preface what I am about to say by noting that I love the State of Louisiana. I don't think I've ever had a bad trip to the state. It's one of my favorite places to visit, complete with otherworldly cuisine, ultra-accessible alcohol and gambling, and unintentional comedy galore. In short, I a ... More >>

State and EPA Battle Over Fracking, Flaming Well Water

When Steve Lipsky blamed fracking for turning his water well into a flamethrower, he set off an epic battle between the EPA and Texas.

American Parasite

Mitt Romney's years at Bain represent everything you hate about capitalism.

Brinson's "Tebowin'" Puts Christianity Under Center

Rocks Off is fascinated by Tim Tebow for the simple fact that he is one of the most divisive figures we have seen in the last decade. He parts the Red Sea of public opinion, like Obama does the U.S. House of Representatives.  One doesn't need to live in Denver to understand this. Simply, scro ... More >>

Craig James for Senate! The Campaign Begins (w/ VIDEO)

He does have one very good reason to vote for him...​I'm not a big politics guy. I don't like to talk politics on my radio show (EVER), I don't like to talk politics in social situations (People take it too personally), and I don't spend any of my free time studying the issues (I spend my free ... More >>

12 Music Business Predictions for 2012

Photo by Robert Bejil​Where were we? Oh yeah, crystal ball and prophesies. You ready for this? OK. What follows is a list of events we expect to befall the music industry in 2012. Yes, these are etched in stone and should be regarded as gospel. Full prophetic titillation ahead.

ESPN's Craig James to Run for U.S. Senate In Texas

The next senator from Texas?​Great news if you're a fan of inept political campaigns, or if you just want less awful announcing on your TV. Craig James, ESPN college football analyst who was personally involved in two ugly college football scndals of varying degrees, is running to replace Kay ... More >>

You Won't Have Ron Paul to Kick Around Anymore (Unless He Wins the White House)

Ron, we hardly knew ye.​Will the U.S. be able to survive without Ron Paul in the House of Representatives? We're about to find out. Paul's district newspaper, the Brazosport Facts, reports today that Paul will not seek re-election after almost a quarter-century in Congress. Instead, the 75-y ... More >>

Life After Rock Stardom: 7 Artists' Post-Musical Careers

naylandhouse.comFuture ordained minister MC Hammer wasn't kidding on his 1990 hit single "Pray."​Let's face it. Not everyone is cut out for - or interested in - being a sixtysomething rock star. But what type of careers awaits a retired musician? Many rock stars stay in the music industry real ... More >>

SBOE Member Lawrence Allen Doesn't Live in the District

Photo by Margaret DowningLawrence Allen (left)​Lawrence Allen Jr. might be convinced to the contrary, but the state agency that oversees redistricting confirms the seven-year member of the State Board of Education no longer lives within the boundaries of his own district. Allen is the voice o ... More >>

Women's Funding Network sex trafficking study is junk science

Schapiro Group data wasn't questioned by mainstream media.

The ALL CAPS chicas

Top Ten Celebrities This Decade Who Crashed and Burned with Video Evidence

And a partridge in a pear tree...​Last week, we gave you our list of celebrities who manage to save their careers after difficult times. This week, we go a different direction. If we have learned anything from TMZ, it's that people love celebrity scandals and the more salacious it is, the more ... More >>

FAIR-y Tales

Russell Pearce and Other Illegal-Immigration Populists Rely on Misleading, Right-Wing Reports to Scapegoat Immigrants and Terrify Penny-Pinched Americans.

DJ Premier: A Pillar Of Hip-Hop History

​Maybe it's leaving behind our twenties and embracing our thirties, but we've been so concerned with the past lately... history, that is. We've been talking to our grandmother in the last few months about her life as a young child growing up on the Texas border. You truly don't know someone b ... More >>

Our Mother of Mercy

How far did cardinal go in tearing down Ike-ravaged church?

Greenpeace Says Dow's Freeport Chemical Plant Has Lousy Security

You won't be smiling when the leak comes​Think all those toxic chemicals stockpiled at industrial plants around Houston are safe and secure? Well, think again.According to Greenpeace, the giant holding tanks and railroad cars full full of hazardous materials are ripe for disaster -- be it by terro ... More >>

Welcome to Mi Pueblito, Washington

The small-town, family-farm lifestyle that we love to celebrate is being preserved — thanks to Mexican immigrants.

Cowboy Down

Rob Krentz's family talks about the life and death of the murdered Arizona rancher.

Badlands

From Ground Zero of the immigration crisis along the Mexican border

I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): The Name Of This Blog Is I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat)

Hair Balls was glad to learn that one of our musical heroes, David Byrne, is taking on The Man; namely, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, for using the Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere" in his U.S. Senate campaign without permission. (Crist is running as an independent, but historically has belonge ... More >>

Telling New Orleans

The Wire's creator moves south in Treme on HBO.

Out of the Past

Stuck in the asylum with Martin Scorsese — head-trip Shutter Island is the good kind of insane.

No Justice

We've bailed out the banks. When do we go after the crooks behind our financial collapse?

Poor Treatment of Returning Veterans

Barack Obama and Me

It was the year 2000 and I was a young hungry reporter in Chicago covering a young hungry state legislator

Border Fence May Destroy Wildlife Habitat

U.S. Fish and Wildlife services spent $80 million to reclaim wildlife habitat in South Texas. Now Homeland Security is ready to wipe that out.

Talking Turkeys

Bring It On

Why Houston should want a nuclear power plant

Dragon Slayer

A new Republican challenger steps forth to take on Tom DeLay

Letters

Mail Call

Like It's 1999

A not-exactly-original idea (at 7 a.m., 4, 5 and 10 p.m.)

Fondle with Care

Of Life and Death

While Erica Sheppard sits on death row, penniless and convicted of a gruesome Houston murder, her cadre of elite Dallas lawyers is trying to prove that the justice system has gone fatally awry

Letters

What's Driving Miss Shelia?

With her frenetic grandstanding, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has irritated her staff, her colleagues, and even the president. she says she speaks for her constituents. But will anyone listen?

Crashing the Grand Old Party

Dolly McKenna is the GOP candidate for the 25th District. But will Republicans vote for her?

Press Picks

From the Allens to today, Buffalo Bayou has helped define the city of Houston. Now, after decades of abuse, it may finally be making a comeback as an urban resource. If, that is, we don't blow our chance.

The Poison Connection

A "gas leak" in a Matamoros chemical plant wafts a poison and paper cloud toward a corporate office in Houston

Old and In The Way

How slow turnings of tiny bureaucratic gears grind up real Texans