Kyle McClenagan

More than 21,000 Harris County voter registration applications are still pending ahead of November election | Houston Public Media The county isn’t alone in having a voter registration backlog this year. Fort Bend County reported having a similar backlog of roughly 22,000 applications, just last week.

With the November election less than a month away, there were over 21,000 Harris County voter registration applications still pending as of Thursday, according to the county.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Department of Homeland Security weighs in on shooting of youth baseball coach near Houston | Houston Public Media The federal agency characterized the Sept. 21 shooting, in which a coach was injured by an apparent stray bullet in Katy, as an "act of terror." But the Waller County Sheriff's Office has not indicate...

DHS characterized the Sept. 21 shooting incident, in which a coach was injured by an apparent stray bullet in Katy, as an “act of terror.”
But local authorities have not indicated that the shooting was targeted.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Humanitarian parole sought for family of young U.S. citizen with brain cancer who was deported to Mexico | Houston Public Media Representatives with the Texas Civil Rights Project say they submitted humanitarian parole applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for the girl's parents and her older sister, accomp...

Elected officials and civil rights advocates continue their efforts to bring home an 11-year-old U.S. citizen and brain cancer patient who was deported along with her family earlier this year while attempting to travel to Houston for treatment.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Houston Mayor John Whitmire postpones ‘State of the City’ address due to Hilton workers’ strike | Houston Public Media Whitmire's address was originally scheduled to he held at the Hilton Americas-Houston on Sept. 25. He said Thursday it's been postponed "indefinitely" as workers at the downtown hotel are in their sec...

Whitmire’s address was originally scheduled to he held at the Hilton Americas-Houston on Sept. 25.

He said Thursday it’s been postponed “indefinitely” as workers at the downtown hotel are in their second week of a strike. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Fleet Week Houston: Mayor Whitmire, Navy officials discuss plans for November event From Nov. 5-12, active-duty military ships — accompanied by U.S. Navy sailors, U.S. Marines and members of the U.S. Coast Guard — will be docked near La Porte for a celebration that will include ship tours, military demonstrations, air shows and educational programs.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire was joined by U.S. Navy Rear Adm. John Hewitt in downtown on Tuesday as the city plans to welcome more than 1,000 sailors this fall as part of the city’s first Fleet Week. 

The Houston Avenue bridge keeps getting hit by motorists. There’s a plan to replace it | Houston Public Media The bridge's monitoring system has recorded 68 "strike incidents" this year, including two last week, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. As part of a $400 million project to elevate ...

The Houston Avenue bridge, which has repeatedly been struck by motorists passing underneath it over the years, will likely be demolished and relocated in 2027 as part of a TxDOT project to elevate I-10 near White Oak Bayou.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Hilton Americas-Houston workers go on strike in demand of higher wages | Houston Public Media According to data from the Houston First Corporation, Houston hotels experienced a 7.7% increase in occupancy and a 15.5% increase in revenue in 2024. However, as of July 2025, Houston’s hotel revenue...

Hundreds of hotel staff at the Hilton Americas-Houston continued their strike on Tuesday in demand of higher wages.

"The reason I'm doing it is because I make $16.50 an hour. It's not enough to pay my bills."

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Ousted Montgomery County library director sues county judge, commissioners for alleged discrimination | Houston Public Media Rhea Young said she decided to file the lawsuit because she believes her termination was in retaliation for not wanting to segregate and limit access to books that contain LGBTQ+ themes or ideas.

Young told @houstonpublicmedia.bsky.social she decided to file the lawsuit because she believes her termination was in retaliation for not wanting to segregate and limit access to books that contain LGBTQ+ themes or ideas www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/edu...

Former GOP Harris County Judge candidate Alex Mealer declares bid for redrawn 9th Congressional District | Houston Public Media Mealer is so far one of two local Republicans to announce a run for the 9th Congressional District, which Texas lawmakers have redrawn along with other districts in the Houston area and across the sta...

Alexandra del Moral Mealer narrowly lost to Lina Hidalgo in the 2022 race for Harris County Judge.

She is now running for the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Calls for pedestrian safety renewed after Houston ISD student hit by driver on Westheimer | Houston Public Media After a 15-year-old Lamar High School student was struck and injured while crossing a street near his campus, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city would construct a pedestrian-activated traffic s...

Houston advocates and officials are calling for safer pedestrian crossings after a teen was injured by a driver while crossing a street near his school.

"When it comes to public safety, we can’t just say, ‘Well, that driver messed up. Shame on them.'"

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Houston ISD’s overall ‘B’ rating means district is ‘extraordinarily close’ to ending state takeover | Houston Public Media “We’re looking for an assurance that the multi-year unacceptable academic performance is a thing of the past. That may occur as soon as next year, given the progress that we’ve seen,” said Texas Educa...

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath said HISD campuses could reach the rating requirements needed to end the state takeover as early as next year.

However, other metrics would also be required to end the state's oversight of the district.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/edu...

Texas A&M researchers use radioactive material to help protect African rhinos from poachers | Houston Public Media The idea of the Rhisotope Project is fairly simple: insert a small radioactive metal rod into the horn of a rhino to deter poachers from attempting to cut it off, and help identify illegally poached h...

You may have seen the videos of researchers injecting radioactive material into African Rhino horns to help protect them from poachers.

Turns out there's a Texas connection.

A&M's nuclear dept. helped with the research to ensure the animals' safety. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Trump Burger co-owner in Houston could be deported after ICE arrest | Houston Public Media An ICE spokesperson said the agency would enforce immigration law "regardless of what restaurant you own or political beliefs you might have."

Houston Trump Burger owner could face deportation.

ICE said it would enforce immigration law “regardless of what restaurant you own or political beliefs you might have.”

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Teachers union sues Houston ISD over performance-based pay raises | Houston Public Media The lawsuit claims the school district is illegally distributing funds and failing to follow a state law requiring salary increases for teachers based on experience.

A local Teachers' union has filed a lawsuit against Houston ISD for its plan to distribute state-funded teacher raises based on performance rather than experience. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/edu...

Houston Public Media loses $4.4M in previously allocated federal funding over next two years | Houston Public Media The rescission package proposed by President Donald Trump and approved by Congress claws back nearly $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides annual federal funding to ...

Houston Public Media will lose $2.2 million annually for the next two years — or nearly 10% of its annual operating budget — after Congress voted to rescind $1.1 billion in previously approved federal funding for public media. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Palestinian man with U.S. immigrant visa released after nine-day detention at Houston airport, attorney says | Houston Public Media In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not provide a reason for the detention of 22-year-old Muhanad J. M. Alshrouf and said a visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S.

A Palestinian man with an immigrant visa was released after being held for nine days at IHA in Houston.

His attorney said immigration officials gave no reason for the detention.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Senate candidate Colin Allred criticizes redistricting efforts, flood response during visit to Houston | Houston Public Media Allred, a former congressman from Dallas, is one of two Democrats to have announced their runs for the Senate seat occupied by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a Republican who is facing a primary challenge fro...

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Colin Allred criticized the state's response to the deadly floods in the Texas Hill Country and condemned Gov. Greg Abbott's call for mid-decade redistricting.

He spoke at a rally Thursday night in Houston's Fifth Ward.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

New meteorologist-in-charge appointed for National Weather Service’s Houston-Galveston office | Houston Public Media As of Tuesday, the Houston-Galveston office listed 11 vacancies on its website, including the position Matt Moreland will soon take over.

Several months after the meteorologist-in-charge at the National Weather Service's Houston-Galveston office opted for early retirement, NOAA has appointed a replacement.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Exxon’s appeal over $14.25 million penalty for Baytown air pollution | Houston Public Media According to plaintiffs Environment Texas and the Sierra Club, $14.25 million is the largest penalty issued in a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought by citizens. ExxonMobil must pay the penalty to the feder...

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from ExxonMobil today regarding the company's $14.25 million penalty for 16,000+ Clean Air Act violations at its Baytown facility. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Parents sue Houston ISD in federal court for allegedly using their child’s preferred pronouns | Houston Public Media While HISD does not have any policies related directly to gender identity and preferred pronoun use, several Houston-area school districts — Fort Bend ISD, Cy-Fair ISD and Katy ISD — have passed contr...

Two Houston ISD parents have filed a lawsuit against the district after teachers and staff allegedly continued to use their child's preferred pronouns despite requests from the parents not to do so.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed 26 bills. Here are the reasons why | Houston Public Media Some of the proposed laws rejected by Abbott, including a ban on hemp products containing THC, will be the focus of a special legislative session he has called for July 21.

I read all 26 of Gov. Abbott's veto proclamations so you don't have to.

While SB3 got a lot of attention, he also vetoed 25 other bills.

Here is a comprehensive list. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

METRO begins pilot program in Houston to lower bus shelter temperatures | Houston Public Media In the aftermath of a Houston Public Media investigation about dangerously high temperatures at Houston bus stops, the region's public transit provider is rolling out perforated shelter panels in an a...

METRO has begun rolling out new bus shelters in select areas of Houston as part of its pilot program to lower temperatures and better protect riders from the heat. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

CenterPoint Energy reaches $3.2 billion resiliency plan settlement with Houston-area cities | Houston Public Media The agreement, which is pending approval by the Public Utility Commission of Texas, would reduce CenterPoint's resiliency expenses over the next few years, resulting in fewer costs passed along to cus...

CenterPoint Energy has reached a settlement agreement with several Houston-area municipalities to spend $3.2 billion over the next several years as part of its systemwide resiliency plan.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/inf...

‘This is triage:’ Houston’s National Weather Service office has nine vacancies as nationwide hires resume | Houston Public Media The weather service has lost 600 employees nationwide this year due to firings, early retirement offers and federal deferred resignation offers, according to a union representative.

Houston's National Weather Service has nine vacancies as the Trump administration grants a temporary exemption to hire 126 employees nationwide.

"This is triage; this is just like battlefield medicine. All we're doing is plugging up the wounds."

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Bill to limit Harris County’s authority over surplus toll road funds dies as legislative session ends | Houston Public Media Harris County commissioners lobbied against Senate Bill 2722, which would have given 30% of the county's surplus toll road funds to the City of Houston. But one commissioner said Monday he was open to...

A contentious piece of legislation that would have required Harris County to send 30% of its surplus toll road funds to the City of Houston will remain in legislative purgatory after failing to reach a vote by the full Texas House.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Houston ISD student’s death prompts new Texas law that will fund safer railroad crossings | Houston Public Media Senate Bill 1555, which was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott last weekend, was filed after the death of Sergio Rodriguez — a 15-year-old Houston ISD student who was struck by a train while walking ...

A new Texas law, prompted by the death of a Houston ISD student in December, will create a multimillion-dollar grant program for safer railroad crossings. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Houston building with George Floyd mural demolished days before fifth anniversary of his murder | Houston Public Media It's unclear why the building, at the intersection of Elgin and Ennis streets in the Third Ward, was torn down.

A mural of George Floyd on Elgin St. was torn down last week.

My colleague Sarah Grunau and I spoke with the man who had been living in the home before it was demolished.

www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Texas Renaissance Festival founder George Coulam found dead in Grimes County home | Houston Public Media Coulam's death comes two weeks after a judge ruled his popular festival north of Houston must be sold. A group of prospective buyers sued in 2023 after a $60 million deal fell through.

"At this time, we ask for respect and privacy for Mr. Coulam’s family and the extended Texas Renaissance Festival family as they grieve."
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Katy ISD students call for repeal of book and gender policies following school board election | Houston Public Media James Cross’ May 3 victory against school board president Victor Perez, who had championed conservative policies regarding gender identity and library materials, means a majority of the seven-member b...

After the May election, Katy ISD students urged the school board to repeal its book & gender policies.
"I am young, but I am also my own person. I am smart enough to know that anyone who limits my self-expression does not have my best interests in mind."
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...

Prospective Texas Renaissance Festival buyer plans to continue event, attorney says | Houston Public Media Earlier this week, a Grimes County Judge ordered the owners of the Texas Renaissance Festival to sell its property and assets after siding with a prospective buyer who sued after a $60 million deal fe...

The prospective buyer of the Texas Renaissance Festival, who sued after a 2023 deal fell apart, plans to continue the annual fall event, according to his attorney.

He wants to buy Ren Faire because his family is invested as a vendor for the festival.
www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/new...