HISD board unanimously approves controversial bible-infused Bluebonnet curriculum
HISD board members unanimously approved the use of the bible-infused Bluebonnet Learning curriculum.
Magnolia News
Government
Houston’s financial outlook revised to ‘stable’ by S&P Global Ratings, Mayor Whitmire says
S&P Global Ratings has revised the City of Houston’s financial outlook from negative to stable, a move Mayor John Whitmire says reflects the city’s recent efforts to strengthen its finances.The revised outlook comes about two years after S&P changed Houston’s outlook to negative,...
Does Fort Bend County have a judge? It depends on who you ask
Despite questions over whether he is still the Fort Bend County judge, Daniel Wong and two commissioners voted to keep him on. Two other commissioners argued the vote was illegal....
Fort Bend County Commissioners walk out of meeting over Daniel Wong dispute
A dispute over whether Daniel Wong can legally continue serving as Fort Bend County judge brought county business to a brief standstill Thursday after two commissioners walked out of a Commissioners Court meeting, leaving the court without enough members to proceed.The standoff s...
Federal judge halts Trump’s election executive order seeking to create a federal voter list
A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot.U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, sided with a coalition ...
Harris County appoints Marcus Stuckett as new Flood Control District executive director
Harris County Commissioners Court on Thursday unanimously appointed Marcus Stuckett as the new executive director of the Harris County Flood Control District, making him the first African American to lead the agency.The appointment comes two weeks after former Executive Director ...
Key inflation gauge jumps to 3-year high in latest sign of affordability challenges
The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge rose to a new three-year high in May as gas prices peaked, a sign rising costs could pose political problems for President Trump as midterm elections near. The Commerce Department said Thursday that consumer prices rose 4.1% in May ...
The Latest: Senate Republicans reject war powers resolution after Trump berates them at meeting
Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump over opposition to his war in Iran held a late-night vote Wednesday to try to appease him, rejecting a war powers resolution a day after a similar measure passed.Trump harangued GOP senators face-to-face earlier in the...
2 Newsletter: Class is in session - Texas SBOE to vote today on big curriculum changes
Good morning, Houston.☀️Happy Friday Eve! Hope you’re easing into the day (and the heat) with an extra sip of coffee, or tea, or milk, or whatever you’re drinking this morning.We’re in Austin today. The Texas State Board of Education is expected to make a decision on proposed cha...
Senate Republicans reject war powers resolution after Trump berates them at Capitol meeting
Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump over opposition to his war in Iran held a late-night vote Wednesday to try to appease him, rejecting a war powers resolution a day after a similar measure passed. Trump harangued GOP senators face to face earlier in th...
Mamdani's success in New York tests Democratic Party's willingness to change
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stepped into the national spotlight this week as an ascendant political force within the Democratic Party. Democratic leaders aren't so sure that's a good thing.As progressives cheered across the nation, some of the most powerful Democrats in th...
Parents concerned after Bluebonnet curriculum was spotted on HISD board agenda
While classrooms are quiet because of summer break, some HISD parents say they won't be silent during Thursday night's board meeting.
Harris County Flood Control Director possible pick sparks rift among commissioners over process
A sharp division has emerged within the Harris County Commissioners Court on the eve of a discussion to appoint a new head for the region's embattled Flood Control District....
Trump's showdown with Republican Sen. Cassidy: Inside the blow-up on Capitol Hill
“Would you really like to know?” Sen. Bill Cassidy asked President Donald Trump.Just hours after refusing to sign a bipartisan housing bill that Republicans hoped would boost their election-year prospects, the president was attending a private lunch Wednesday with the Senate GOP....
Houston Rodeo chairman details vision for $300 million expansion, says Reliant Park remains organization’s home
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s planned $300 million expansion represents more than just a new facility — it’s a long-term investment in youth, agriculture and the future of the organization, according to Chairman of the Board Wesley Sinor.Speaking with KPRC 2’s Michael Ho...
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD approves $1.2 billion budget amid $80.9 million projected deficit
The Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Board of Trustees adopted a $1.25 billion budget and staff compensation plan for the 2026-27 school year in a 6-1 vote during its regularly scheduled board meeting June 22. Trustee Christine Kalmbach cast the lone dissenting vote.The general fund budget ...
Colombia's vote may reshape the Amazon's future as political winds shift across Latin America
The rise of Abelardo de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer set to be Colombia's next president, is raising questions about whether political shifts underway across Latin America could reshape the future of the Amazon rainforest.The Colombia election result comes as Peru appea...
Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote
The Constitution "does not grant the President any specific powers over elections," the judge wrote.
Fort Bend Commissioner Grady Prestage says Daniel Wong no longer has authority as interim county judge
Fort Bend County Precinct 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage says he will preside over Thursday’s Commissioners Court meeting after county officials concluded that Daniel Wong’s appointment as interim county judge expired following the dismissal of the civil lawsuit that led to his ap...
Progressive candidate concedes Colombian presidential election to Trump-endorsed outsider
Progressive candidate Iván Cepeda on Wednesday conceded Colombia’s presidential election to Abelardo de la Espriella, a conservative outsider who was endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.Election results showed de la Espriella, a businessman and lawyer who had never run for of...
New York sweep by Israel critics shines light on a fraught issue for Democrats
When Varun Venkatesh cast his ballot in New York’s primary this week, he thought about “a good litmus test for me as a voter.” He wanted to know what the candidates are doing for the Palestinian cause. The 27-year-old Brooklyn resident decided to support Claire Valdez, who was ba...
Texas lawmakers want fixes to statewide voter registration system ahead of midterms
This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here.Texas lawmakers on Tuesday asked the Texas Secretary of State’s Office for assurances that ...
Philippine devotees honor St. John the Baptist with a mud-covered display of faith
Hundreds of Catholic devotees wrapped themselves in dried banana leaves and covered their bodies with mud on Wednesday in the Philippine village of Bibiclat, taking part in a display of faith honoring St. John the Baptist. The Taong Putik, or Mud People, festival is held annually...
Kingston Flemings, Chris Cenac Jr., Selected in 2026 NBA Draft First Round
University of Houston point guard Kingston Flemings and forward/center Chris Cenac Jr. became First-Round picks with their selections during the 2026 NBA Draft inside Barclays Center on Tuesday night.Flemings was taken with the #8 overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks while Cenac was...
Fort Bend County Interim Judge Daniel Wong no longer legally county judge, commissioner says
Fort Bend County Interim Judge Daniel Wong is no longer legally the county judge, according to Commissioner Dexter McCoy.
Houston, Austin in consideration for NHL expansion franchise
The National Hockey League has taken a major step toward expanding into Texas, with Houston and Austin emerging as the leading candidates for a new franchise.Following Tuesday’s NHL Board of Governors meeting in New York, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced the league has app...
TribCast: What a new secretary of state could mean for Texas elections
Longtime public official Jane Nelson is stepping down as Texas’ top election officer later this summer, after more than three years at the helm. As rumors swirl about who Gov. Greg Abbott will appoint as the next secretary of state, TribCast dives into the challenges Nelson has f...
National Hockey League seeking expansion in Houston and Austin as potential targets
The expansion will be discussed at the NHL board of governors meeting in New York this week.
The Latest: Primaries bring out voters in New York, Maryland, South Carolina and Utah
The latest round of primary elections gets underway Tuesday in four states: Maryland, New York, South Carolina and Utah.The midterm elections in November will determine control of both chambers of Congress and will also see the election of dozens of governors and other state and ...
NHL exploring Texas expansion opportunities in Houston and Austin, AP source says
The NHL is exploring potential expansion to Texas with Houston and Austin among the possibilities, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Tuesday.The league's Board of Governors had their annual post-Stanley Cup Final and pre-draft meeting on Tuesday...
Senate is set to vote again on a war powers resolution to halt the Iran conflict
For the 10th time, the Senate will vote on a war powers resolution to block U.S. military action against Iran as lawmakers warily watch President Donald Trump's efforts to resolve a conflict that the administration launched on its own and now needs Congress to fund.The outcome Tu...
Tucker Carlson says he'll no longer support the Republican Party
Longtime conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said on a podcast that "there's no chance I would support the Republican Party" ahead of the November midterm elections....
From peace talks to Pennsylvania: President Trump to visit Mack Truck facility in Macungie, Pa.
Trump's trip to the Allentown-area business comes as he works to try to put the Iran conflict - and the higher gasoline prices it caused - in the rearview mirror as November midterm elections draw closer....
As Native American boarding schools project ends, survivors describe feeling honored and restored
Hundreds of Indigenous people have testified. They’ve sobbed, cursed and laughed in spite of it all. Many told stories about their time in boarding schools that they’ve kept inside for decades, finally able to begin recovering from childhood trauma.An oral history project led by ...
Texas Democrats look to rally behind their ticket, draw national attention at state convention
After a contentious primary, Texas Democrats will host their state convention in Corpus Christi this week and look to rally the party behind their ticket ahead of what they hope will be a midterm election that turns a cascade of seats blue.In what’s being billed as the largest ga...
Britain left the EU 10 years ago. Its politics has been an unruly mess ever since
Brexit fractured the European Union, and broke British politics.The U.K. is about to get its seventh prime minister since June 23, 2016, a decade ago Tuesday, when the country voted 52%-48% to leave the EU after more than four decades of membership. Conservative Prime Minister Da...
Mamdani and AI industry flex political power in New York, plus more to watch in Tuesday's primaries
Two opposing factions in the artificial intelligence industry square off in a Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tests his political clout by backing fellow democratic socialists. And President Donald Trump, after two of his chosen candid...
South Carolina voters will choose between 2 Trump-backed candidates for governor in runoff
South Carolina voters return to the polls Tuesday to finalize the Republican nominee for governor in a runoff election that has become a bruising grudge match between two of the state's leading politicians.President Donald Trump initially endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette over stat...
Chaos erupts on American Airlines flight as unruly passenger allegedly bites fellow traveler midair
An American Airlines flight descended into chaos Sunday morning after a passenger was accused of biting another traveler and attempting to fight others onboard....
Judge blocks feds from using immigration database to check voter eligibility
This coverage is made possible through Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting access. Sign up for Votebeat Texas’ free newsletters here.A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration’s overhaul of an immigration ver...
Has controversial home demolitions stopped illegal dumping?
Mayor Whitmire claimed it was a fair use of the money because the buildings were attracting illegal dumping and clogging ditches, but critics worried it could set the city up for legal repercussions....
Why cruises are the hottest ticket this summer - expert tips & where to go
Summer travel is in full swing, and cruises are one of the season’s biggest draws. Travel expert Jeanenne Tornatore joined Houston Life to explain why more Americans are choosing to set sail, what’s new onboard this year and how some sailings are marking America’s 250th anniversa...
Judge blocks Trump administration’s database to check citizenship, personal information
A federal judge has ruled that a revamped federal tool that state election officials have used in their efforts to identify illegally registered noncitizen voters is unlawful and cannot be used....
Judge blocks use of federal database to check citizenship, saying it could wrongly purge voters
A federal judge on Monday ruled that a recently revamped version of a federal tool central to the Trump administration’s election integrity strategy is unlawful and can no longer be used.U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan sided with advocacy groups that argued the rec...
Supreme Court reinstates murder conviction in case of Etan Patz, missing New York City boy
The Supreme Court on Monday reinstated a murder conviction in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz.The justices, by a 6-3 vote, granted an appeal from New York prosecutors who had urged them to undo a federal appeals court decision that overturned the verdict. The three...
Which Bible passages are in Texas' proposed student reading list? Here's what the selections reveal
The chosen readings, to be voted on soon by the State Board of Education, draw heavily from Christian perspectives.
Alan Greenspan, economist, former Federal Reserve chairman, dies at 100
Former chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, Alan Greenspan, died on Monday at the age of 100.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in South Carolina’s state primary runoff
Two of South Carolina’s top officeholders will compete one-on-one for the Republican nomination for governor in a primary runoff election on Tuesday. Voters will also select nominees for a handful of congressional races and other contests in which no candidate received a majority...
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in New York’s state primary
Democratic nomination contests for New York’s seats in the closely divided U.S. House take center stage Tuesday in a state primary where relatively few of the state’s top officeholders will appear on the ballot.One incumbent who is not up for election but has emerged as a key fig...
More Bible stories in public schools, changes to history lessons before Texas education board today
Texas students may soon attend social studies and reading classes that minimize racial, geographic and cultural diversity while emphasizing the Bible. The State Board of Education has two pivotal votes slated for this week that would usher in these changes: one on a rewrite of Te...
Britain's economic woes fuel discontent with Brexit a decade after historic vote to leave EU
Simon Boyd’s firm makes prefabricated steel structures on the south coast of England and ships them to customers as far away as Ghana and Barbados. Mike Hawes represents Britain’s carmakers as the head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.The business leaders were on...
New York's congressional candidates make final case in last day before primary
New York's congressional candidates have a final chance to make their case Monday on the last full day of campaigning before a primary election in which an ascendant progressive left is taking on establishment Democrats.The races have become bellwethers of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's ...
Trump-endorsed de la Espriella holds slim lead in Colombia's election as his rival challenges vote
A polarized Colombia gave conservative political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella a razor-thin lead in a runoff election that will be challenged in the coming days by the ruling party’s progressive candidate.De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer who earned U.S. President ...
Colombians vote in a presidential runoff that pits an outsider against a progressive
Deeply divided voters in Colombia are choosing the country's next president in a runoff Sunday that pits a progressive against a conservative outsider, with both candidates tapping into fears of a renewed internal conflict in the country.Their choice is between businessman and la...
Correction: Election 2026-Democratic Socialist Mayors story
In a story published Jun. 19, 2026, about Democratic socialists, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was endorsed by the Chicago chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. He was not....