Coronavirus

Dion Goes Wandering Around the Blues [UPDATED]

Dion Goes Wandering Around the Blues [UPDATED]

Abbott Says No Vax Mandates For Private Businesses

Abbott Says No Vax Mandates For Private Businesses

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COVID Metrics Improve Across Texas As U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Pass Grim Milestone

By Schaefer Edwards
Oct 5, 2021

The United States finally hit the tragic milestone of over 700,000 COVID-19 fatalities over the weekend, solidifying the coronavirus pandemic as the most deadly pandemic in the history of our country. But thankfully, key COVID-19 metrics across the country, Texas and in the greater Houston area continue to trend downward...
Mike Barfield Comes Home. And He's Ready to Dance!

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 30, 2021

It’s the morning after Mike Barfield has played his regular Thursday night gig at the Continental Club in Austin, so he’s shaking off a bit of fuzziness. The ragweed count around his house isn’t doing his allergies any favors either. Still, he’s more than happy to be able to say...
Yes Keyboardist Geoff Downes is on a Proggy Quest

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 29, 2021

When MTV recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, the old trivia question about “What was the first video ever played on the channel?” came around again. It was, of course, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the English duo Buggles, made up of singer/bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. In 1980...
Texas COVID Deaths Surge While Hospitalizations Fall As Delta Wave Continues

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 24, 2021

As public health experts predicted all along, the quick rise in Texas COVID-19 cases from the summer’s Delta surge has finally been followed by a dramatic uptick in deaths from the virus. While there are now thousands fewer Texas hospital beds occupied by COVID-19 patients than there were a few...
This Kingfish Swims in the Deep Blues Sea

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 23, 2021

In Blues Mythology, there are few geographical locations more sacred and storied that Clarksdale, Mississippi. In the heart of the Mississippi Delta, it’s the area where many contend the music was born, fermented, and bred its earliest stars (though residents of New Orleans might beg to differ). Plus, it’s just...
Exonerated Doctor Accused Of Stealing Vaccines Sues Harris County For Over $1 Million

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 21, 2021

Dr. Hasan Gokal was fired by Harris County Public Health for allegedly stealing COVID-19 vaccine doses in December. But after he was found to have committed no crime by a local judge, a county grand jury and the Texas Medical Board, Gokal — a Pakistani immigrant — has now sued Harris County...
Trial Shows Pfizer Vaccine Safe For Kids As FDA Panel Breaks With Biden On Booster Plan

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 20, 2021

Millions of parents with young kids breathed a collective sigh of relief across the United States Monday morning, as Pfizer announced its trial of its two-dose COVID-19 vaccine found the shots were safe and effective for children ages five to 11. While full authorization for Pfizer’s vaccine in kids five...
Over 14,000 Harris County Residents Are Overdue For Second Vaccine Dose

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 17, 2021

More than 14,000 people in Harris County are overdue for getting their crucial second COVID-19 vaccine shot, despite public health officials’ attempts to persuade folks who’ve received their first shot of a two-dose coronavirus vaccine how important shot number two is in granting maximum coronavirus protection. Those under-vaccinated residents coupled...
Opera in the Heights Embarks on an In-Person and Digital 2021-22 Season

By Margaret Downing
Sep 16, 2021

The unlikely friendship between U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia has inspired an opera by Derrick Wang that will be part of the 2021-22 season for Opera in the Heights. In a hybrid season of live performance and continued digital content, OH! is partnering with the...
Rickie Lee Jones Won't Run Out of Chances

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 16, 2021

It’s common for musicians to feel that their work lets listeners into their minds, their souls, or their hearts. It’s less common that fans are invited into their actual homes. But that’s what many artists did — at least virtually — when the pandemic caused mass cancellations of tours that...
Houston Theaters Begin To Announce COVID Protocols For Start Of Fall Season [UPDATED]

By Jessica Goldman
Sep 15, 2021

When it comes to COVID-19 protocol for the fast-approaching fall season, Main Street Theater Executive Artistic Director Rebecca Udden pulls no punches. “I just couldn’t sanction having a bunch of unvaccinated people in our theater because if they’re unvaccinated they will probably pull their mask down too.” This sentiment combined...
Houston Area Leaders and Schools React As Tropical Storm Nicholas Zooms Toward Texas

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 13, 2021

As Tropical Storm Nicholas barrels toward the Gulf Coast, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner gave a brief update on the city’s preparations for what’s expected to be a heavy rain event that could cause significant flash flooding in parts of the greater Houston area. Meanwhile, several local school districts responded quickly...
(Some) Fear and (a Little) Loathing at the Texans Game

By Jesse Sendejas Jr.
Sep 13, 2021

I was wide awake at 4 in the morning on game day, a full hour before my alarm was set to buzz me into motion toward NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Over the past few seasons, many questions have circled the local NFL team. But, lying in bed...
Gordon Gano on the Violent Femmes' Reissue and Return to the Road

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 13, 2021

The Violent Femmes are just three gigs into their first live shows since the pandemic started. And singer/guitarist Gordon Gano is pretty much just picking up from where he left off. “Well, the stage is the place to be after 40 years of us doing it. In the past, we’ve...
Paxton Decides Yes He Can Sue School Districts Mandating Masks. And Does.

By Margaret Downing
Sep 10, 2021

Apparently disturbed by reports that Gov. Abbott wasn't doing anything to school districts that have been defying his order barring any of them from requiring masks, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reversed course and filed several lawsuits Friday with the promise of filing more. Although representatives of Gov. Abbott and...
HISD Keeps Masks, Will No Longer Do Temperature Checks

By Margaret Downing
Sep 10, 2021

There will be no more daily temperature checks of elementary students and visitors to Houston ISD campuses as of next Monday, Superintendent Millard House II announced today in an email message to the HISD community. "This decision was made in consultation with the medical community and education professionals. The data...
Turner Orders Mandatory COVID Tests For Unvaccinated City Employees

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 8, 2021

Amid anecdotal reports that only 50 percent or fewer of Houston Police Department and Houston Fire Department employees had been vaccinated against COVID-19, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s communications director told the Houston Press last week that Turner was still considering issuing a vaccine mandate for city employees. But during Wednesday’s...
Are Mask Rules Why HISD Has Tallied Fewer COVID Cases Than Way Smaller FBISD?

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 8, 2021

One, two, three, four — Those aren’t just the first four numbers Houston ISD’s youngest students are taught. Throw them all together in a row and you end up with 1,234, the total cumulative number of COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday afternoon among HISD students and staff members since the...
Abbott Calls Third Straight Special Session of Legislative OT For September 20

By Schaefer Edwards
Sep 7, 2021

On Tuesday evening, Gov. Greg Abbott called yet another special session of the Texas Legislature, ordering state lawmakers to head back to Austin for one more round of legislating starting September 20. Abbott’s announcement came hours after he signed Senate Bill 1 into law, the controversial set of GOP election...
Lucy Dacus Screens Her Past on Home Video [UPDATED]

By Bob Ruggiero
Sep 7, 2021

If there’s one positive outcome from the pandemic, it’s that many people have used the forced downtime to take up a new hobby or interest. A smaller group, of course, has actually stuck to it. Oh, how many sewing machines have sat lonely on dining room tables, or Rosetta Stone...

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