Monique Welch-Rutherford

Of course, thank you for all the program support!

This Texas County Is the Deadliest Place in the U.S. for Black Mothers to Give Birth Health care advocates struggle to figure out why this Texas county has some of the nation’s highest rates of maternal and infant mortality.

For @capitalb.bsky.social and the @chjreportinghealth.bsky.social , I dug into why this crisis is so severe — and what’s being done to protect Black mothers and babies.

Read the story:
🔗 capitalbnews.org/black-matern...

This Texas County Is the Deadliest Place in the U.S. for Black Mothers to Give Birth Health care advocates struggle to figure out why this Texas county has some of the nation’s highest rates of maternal and infant mortality.

When Moriah Ballard told me, “I think I’ve cried all the tears I can cry in this lifetime,” she was remembering the son she lost in 2019.

Her grief is not isolated. Black women in Harris County face maternal and infant mortality rates that exceed state and national averages.

What to consider before donating to a breast cancer cause or charity People donate billions of dollars to breast cancer research every year, but there are a few things people need to consider when they do.

With over 1,200 U.S. breast cancer nonprofits vying for attention, supporters face a growing dilemma: how to ensure their time, money and energy make the most impact. Here’s what to consider before you donate this October in my latest for @straightarrownews.bsky.social san.com/cc/what-to-c...

The Washington Post Fired Me — But My Voice Will Not Be Silenced. I spoke out against hatred and violence in America — and it cost me my job.

Some personal news:

I've been fired from the Washington Post in the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Thread incoming.

substack.com/@karenattiah...

Houstonians: What is your experience with maternal health care as a Black Woman? Capital B, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to uncovering important stories about how Black people experience America today, wants to hear from Black women who are planning to give birth or hav...

Why are Black maternal and infant mortality rates so disproportionately high in Houston/Harris County? I’m seeking input from Black birthing people in the area for @chjreportinghealth.bsky.social with @capitalb.bsky.social If interested, share your experience here: bit.ly/birthhou

Hurricane Katrina Displaced a Generation — and Led to a Renaissance in Houston The survivors have left a lasting imprint on the city’s identity, launching businesses, revitalizing neighborhoods, and preserving a sense of home.

great story from my friend @moniquewelch.bsky.social about how Hurricane Katrina pushed Black New Orlenians into Houston - and helped start a cultural renaissance in Houston
capitalbnews.org/houston-katr...

so late to seeing this omg, but thanks Gwen!

Why is mahjong’s popularity exploding in Houston and across the US? SAN correspondent Monique Welch-Rutherford explores the growing popularity of Mahjong, a game with origins dating back to the 16th century.

Mahjong is exploding right now in Houston and the U.S. — particularly the American version. I set out to see why in my latest for @straightarrownews.bsky.social, observing a workshop at the Chinese Community Center, where they teach the traditional Taiwanese version. san.com/cc/why-is-ma...

Hurricane Katrina Displaced a Generation — and Led to a Renaissance in Houston The survivors have left a lasting imprint on the city’s identity, launching businesses, revitalizing neighborhoods, and preserving a sense of home.

They not only share on the moment their lives changed forever, but also the indelible mark they left on Houston.

Check out my latest for @capitalb.bsky.social with photos from Douglas Sweet Jr to see just what impact the "Nawlins" have had on Houston. capitalbnews.org/houston-katr...

Hurricane Katrina Displaced a Generation — and Led to a Renaissance in Houston The survivors have left a lasting imprint on the city’s identity, launching businesses, revitalizing neighborhoods, and preserving a sense of home.

As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina nears, I spent some time reflecting on one of the most catastrophic and costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, with a few of those, some 250,000 New Orleanian evacuees who found refuge in Houston after being displaced.

NIH Autism Research Funding Down 26% Under Trump, Analysis Shows HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wants to get to the bottom of surging autism rates, but a new analysis finds that the Trump administration has cut funding for such research by double digit...

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wants to get to the bottom of surging #autism rates, but a new analysis finds that the Trump administration has cut funding for such research by double digits. #disabilities

Here one day, gone the next: OST/South Union residents furious over removal of community mural The community had a hand in the development of the mural before it was constructed, but now feels blindsided by its sudden unannounced removal.

I’m incredibly proud of this piece, knowing how much it means to the people who entrusted me with their stories and how much pride the community had in the mural. Please take a moment to read it today: houstonlanding.org/here-one-day...

That trust embodies what Houston Landing and I became known for: being a reliable voice for the community and bringing attention to stories that might otherwise go untold.

Bittersweet to see my final @houstonlanding.bsky.social piece publish today. This story began as a tip from someone who attended one of our events. She had struggled to get anyone to pay attention to her concern—the removal of a beloved community mural —but believed I would handle it with care.

Honored to be among this esteemed list of journalists including many of my @houstonlanding.bsky.social colleagues to win a Texas Managing Editors award for my specialty reporting on people with disabilities, a group often ignored by news media 🤩
www.texasmanagingeditors.org/2025/04/26/t...

Buffalo Soldiers National Museum faces funding uncertainty as DOGE scales back federal agencies Houston's Buffalo Soldiers National Museum became the unlikely target of government cuts once a small federal agency put its entire staff on leave.

I was elated to hear this amazing news for such a deserving institution at a time when I could use a reminder of why I pursued this work.

Please make time for this great read today with beautiful photos from Antranik Tavitian houstonlanding.org/funding-unce...

Shortly after it published, the museum heard from a past donor of their intent to renew their funding after reading my story. Though my next move is uncertain and may look different, one thing is clear: my commitment to diverse communities is invaluable & my impact is undeniable.

Since the news of our closing, I've continued to fulfill that commitment to the community and my latest story on the looming funding uncertainty that many local museums like the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum have given federal cuts, is an example of that.

Although the @houstonlanding.bsky.social is coming to an end soon, that doesn't mean we've stopped fulfilling our mission to serve the community, and it certainly doesn't mean I'm going to stop fulfilling my divine purpose: serving diverse communities.

Hegseth Set Up Signal on a Computer in His Pentagon Office The app facilitated communications in a building where cell service is poor and personal phones are not allowed in some areas.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had the consumer messaging app Signal set up on a computer in his office at the Pentagon so that he could send and receive instant messages in a space where personal cellphones are not permitted, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

New home, same care: Former Texas Children’s midwives join Woman’s Hospital of Texas Titi Otunla was part of the Texas Children’s layoffs. Now she and others have landed at the Women’s Hospital of Texas’ new midwife practice.

When Texas Children's Hospital suddenly cut its midwifery group last year, Titi Otunla, was concerned she wouldn’t have another place to practice. But her legacy providing women’s care quickly landed her a new home in my latest for @houstonlanding.bsky.social houstonlanding.org/new-home-sam...

‘Doulas of Discernment’: How a Black midwife is training Houston’s birth community Midwife DeShaun Desrosiers drew from her own traumatic birth experience to inspire her mission of training birth workers of color to become doulas.

I enjoyed observing a doula training led by a Houston midwife who’s made it her mission to ensure women of color are represented in birth work. Her training became so popular it attracted @marchofdimes.bsky.social as a sponsor. My latest @houstonlanding.bsky.social houstonlanding.org/doulas-of-di...

National Geographic Society taps Houston archaeologist to lead Black heritage trees project Alicia Odewale, University of Houston professor, will spearhead a two-year project that chronicles Black heritage and resilience by mapping trees.

This is good news for Houston, and Black history stories across the globe. Learn about it in my latest for @houstonlanding.bsky.social houstonlanding.org/national-geo...

I was just saying to @uh.edu professor Alicia Odewale that I wasn't even sure if she's been in Houston six months yet before making her mark to document its Black history. This grant opportunity from the National Geographic Society to map Black Heritage trees is the latest example.

‘We want to build back better’: SHAPE Community Center taps community for input as it rebuilds after fire Third Ward residents came out to help form the vision for the future SHAPE center after it was decimated in a fire.

SHAPE Community Center leaders know that building back better after a tragic fire will take time and money. They also know they’ll need the community’s help to do it. So they called on the community to help them imagine what better looks like in my latest houstonlanding.org/we-want-to-b...

New Self-Deportation App, Closing Polk Street, & Cancer Screenings - City Cast Houston It’s the Friday News Roundup! We’re diving into Houston’s biggest ICE operation yet under the new Trump administration a...

Always a good time whenever I’m on City Cast Houston This week Laura Isensee and I talk everything from cancer screenings in the Fifth Ward and rising security threats at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center. Check it out here: houston.citycast.fm/podcasts/new...

Instead they’ll rely on staff and increased patrols from unarmed park rangers first before escalating to the Houston Police Department in my latest with an assist from José Luis Martínez for @houstonlanding.bsky.social t.co/Kt1j1uRBej

But even after speaking before the @houmayor the city is adamant that they will not, and cannot afford to prioritize this facility over others.

Their ultimate ask is for a security guard to protect the disabled, a vulnerable community they say may not be able to defend themselves. It could cost the fourth largest city in the world roughly $120,000 a year.