News & Politics
June 15, 2021
David Leebron Regrets Nothing
The Rice University president recently announced his retirement after eighteen years of advances and controversies.
True Crime
June 14, 2021
Pecos Jane Has a Name
The young woman who mysteriously drowned in the Ropers Motel pool in 1966 might have remained anonymous forever, if not for cutting-edge genetics, old-fashioned genealogy—and the kindness of a small West Texas town.
Art
May 25, 2021
Would the Real Toeflop Please Stand Up?
The prolific graffiti writer has tagged his or her (or their) name across Houston, Austin, and beyond, as followers and police sift through clues about the artist's identity.
Border & Immigration
May 1, 2021
Ed Gonzalez Has Spent Years Fighting ICE. President Biden Just Nominated Him to Run the Agency.
The Harris County sheriff has been overshadowed by more-vocal Houston officials, but he’s earned a reputation as an effective reformer.
Being Texan
April 29, 2021
A 90-Year-Old Texan Has Some Advice for Willie Nelson on His 88th Birthday
Aging isn’t for the faint of heart, but Carlene knows what matters.
Arts & Entertainment
December 21, 2020
Chopin Versus the Coronavirus: Classical Music Is Helping Houston Patients Heal
Being hospitalized during the pandemic is lonely and dehumanizing. In live, virtual, one-on-one performances, Houston Symphony musicians give the sickest patients a few minutes of peace.
Best Thing In Texas
December 16, 2020
The Best Things in Texas, 2021: Lina Hidalgo and Chris Hollins
In Harris County, two public officials fought off legal challenges to hold a successful election in the middle of a pandemic.
Politics & Policy
December 15, 2020
Meet the Three Texas Judges Trump Named to the Fifth Circuit
Young and ideologically aggressive, James Ho, Andrew Oldham, and Don Willett are already making their mark on the nation’s most conservative appellate court.
Art
November 20, 2020
At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, an Impressive New Exhibition Space Opens Amid Hard Times
After decades of planning, the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building will open this weekend as a showcase of modern and contemporary art.
News & Politics
November 18, 2020
A Bad Cop’s Best Friend?
One morning in late January 2019, Rhogena Nicholas texted a prayer to her mother, Jo Ann Nicholas, just as she did every day. A widow in her eighties, Jo Ann could no longer make the four-hour drive from Natchitoches, Louisiana, to visit her daughter and her son-in-law, Dennis Tuttle, at
Books
November 13, 2020
A Riveting New Photo Book Shares Vulnerable Portraits of the Football Team That Inspired ‘Friday Night Lights’
Thirty years after Buzz Bissinger’s bestseller chronicled the Permian Panthers’ 1988 season, these black and white photos are as compelling as ever.
Politics & Policy
September 24, 2020
Drive-through Voting. 24-Hour Polling Places. Finger Condoms. Welcome to Election 2020 in Harris County.
After some Houstonians had to wait in six-hour lines to vote in the March primary, new county clerk Chris Hollins is determined to help every eligible Houstonian cast a ballot this fall.
News & Politics
September 16, 2020
On Texas Campuses, Student-Run Newspapers Have Become Crucial Sources of Coronavirus News
Front pages once filled with stories about football games and student politics are now dedicated to tracking the latest test results, reporting on breaches of social distancing guidelines, and pressing university administrators for more transparency.
Art
August 11, 2020
A Houston Photo Exhibit Captures the Sense of Solidarity From the Pandemic’s Early Days
The Houston Center for Photography asked people around the world to submit images taken during lockdown. The resulting online show ranges from the mundane to the sublime.
Business
July 13, 2020
Is Your Business Violating Coronavirus Protocols? This Facebook Group Will Expose You
"Shame is a powerful tool," says Kelly Ingram, the founder of Houston's COVID—Call Outs Group.
Texas History
July 7, 2020
Remembering Reginald Moore, the Activist Who Uncovered Sugar Land’s Dark Past
The discovery of a convict graveyard in 2018 vindicated decades of research and activism Fort Bend County had ignored.
Politics & Policy
June 4, 2020
The Hero Myth of Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo
He has become a national celebrity for publicly supporting the George Floyd protests. But Acevedo’s record is decidedly less progressive than his rhetoric.
Politics & Policy
May 15, 2020
The Hunt for a Leaker at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office
While the rest of Houston’s legal community was adapting to COVID-19, DA Kim Ogg was determined to find who leaked an internal document.
News & Politics
May 6, 2020
How the Editor of a Small East Texas Newspaper Won a Pulitzer Prize
Palestine writer Jeff Gerritt’s no-holds-barred editorials shined a spotlight on the record number of people dying in Texas jails.
Politics & Policy
April 3, 2020
Struggling Texas News Outlets Try to “Keep the Ship Afloat in the Apocalypse”
Layoffs, furloughs, closures: news organizations across the state face a moment of reckoning.
News & Politics
March 26, 2020
“This Is a Matter of Survival”
Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta on pandemics, mass furloughs, and why he’s not selling his yachts.
Health
March 23, 2020
How Hurricane Harvey Prepared Houston for the Coronavirus
We’re going to need that same neighborly, can-do spirit to get us through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Music
March 6, 2020
Houston’s Cezanne Jazz Club Heads Downtown
After being evicted from its former location, one of the state’s premier jazz venues is set to reopen in the heart of the theater district.
Politics & Policy
February 19, 2020
Criminal Justice Reform Moves Pretty Fast. Just Ask Harris County DA Kim Ogg.
Four years ago, Ogg won election by promising to reform the county’s justice system. Now she’s getting primaried by two of her former prosecutors, who say she hasn’t done enough.
Politics & Policy
January 21, 2020
Meet the Texas Congresswoman Serving as Impeachment Manager
Freshman Sylvia Garcia of Houston, one of the first two Hispanic women to represent Texas in Congress, is among the seven House members prosecuting President Trump.
Sports
January 16, 2020
Houston Sports Teams Are Cursed. This Week Proves It.
The Astros’ cheating scandal, coming on the heels of the Texans’ meltdown in Kansas City, is a low point in the city’s long history of sports failure.
Politics & Policy
December 11, 2019
Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Councilman
Rapper Brad Jordan, better known as Scarface from the Geto Boys, is running for Houston City Council. And he might actually win.
Politics & Policy
December 5, 2019
How Houston Is Leading the Way on Keeping Poor Defendants Out of Jail
In a landmark legal case, Harris County has agreed to release the vast majority of misdemeanor arrestees instead of locking them up. But reformers aren’t done yet.
News & Politics
November 29, 2018
Texas A&M Says Howdy to the Army Futures Command
General John Murray and his staff recently got their first chance to size up the research possibilities in College Station.
Texas History
November 28, 2018
Barack Obama and James Baker Show Houston Crowd the Art of a Bipartisan Discussion
The former president held a conversation with former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, with whom he found much common ground.
News & Politics
November 26, 2018
A Chat With New UT System Chancellor James Milliken, Who Arrives at a Tumultuous Time
Bill McRaven’s successor is already facing calls to lay off administrators and redefine the system’s mission.
Art
November 19, 2018
In Dallas, Ida O’Keeffe Could Finally Escape Georgia’s Shadow
Georgia O'Keeffe's talented younger sister was forgotten by art historians. A new exhibit in Dallas aims to shed light on her work.
Sports
November 18, 2018
The Power Issue: Simone Biles Is Putting Global Fame in Service to the #MeToo Movement
The world-champion gymnast from Spring is taking misogyny to the mat.
The Culture
November 18, 2018
The Power Issue: Renu Khator Is Working Nonstop to Turn a Commuter School Into a World-class University
The University of Houston chancellor can’t stop, won’t stop.
Politics & Policy
November 7, 2018
Photos from the Ted Cruz Election Night Watch Party
At Houston's Post Oak Hilton on election night, supporters gathered to cheer and celebrate their candidate.
Art
November 2, 2018
The New Menil Drawing Institute Completes a Major Makeover
The $40 million building is the most significant addition to the Menil campus in decades.
Politics & Policy
November 1, 2018
Harris County Clerk Removes Soros Attack From Website After Accusations of Anti-Semitism
Stan Stanart was pressured by County Judge Ed Emmett to take down the inflammatory image and language.
Texas History
October 30, 2018
Sugar Land May Relocate Skeletal Remains of African American Inmates Against Advice of Task Force
After discovering the convict cemetery in March, the city appointed a panel of stakeholders. Now it’s ignoring their recommendation.
Politics & Policy
October 4, 2018
Donald Trump Jr. Comes to Texas to Stump for Dad’s Old Rival Ted Cruz
The president's son tell supporters that Cruz and his father have patched things up since the contentious 2016 presidential campaign.
The Culture
September 28, 2018
Tilman Fertitta is All in on Cryptocurrency
The Houston billionaire discusses accepting Bitcoin at his luxury car dealership and accepting a cryptocurrency company as a Houston Rockets sponsor.
Art
September 21, 2018
The Menil Collection Reopens With Fresh Look and New Galleries
After six months of renovations, the Houston cultural institution is back.
News & Politics
September 19, 2018
An Alum Asks: Just How Generous Is Rice’s New Financial Aid Policy?
A second-generation Owl argues that his alma mater should consider returning to the days of free tuition.
News & Politics
August 24, 2018
Austin’s New Army Futures Command Marks ‘Biggest Reorganization of the Army Since 1973’
Top Army brass emphasized the need for innovation, while Austin Mayor Steve Adler tried keeping it weird.
News & Politics
August 24, 2018
Harris County May Have Violated Federal Election Law, Expert Says
The National Voter Registration Act prohibits removing ineligible voters from voter rolls within 90 days of a federal election. That’s just what the Harris County registrar tried to do.
Texas History
August 1, 2018
As First Anniversary of Harvey Approaches, Online Museum and Archive Set to Debut
In a city notorious for neglecting its history, two new initiatives aim to preserve memories of the storm.
Sports
July 27, 2018
‘Astroball’ Shows Us How the Astros Won It All—and How They Might Do It Again
Ben Reiter’s new book offers a comprehensive account of how the Astros became the next American baseball dynasty.
Texas History
July 20, 2018
For Local Activist, Discovery of Sugar Land Cemetery for Convict Laborers Was No Surprise
The Richmond resident warned Fort Bend ISD of the presence of graves, but no one listened—until they started finding human remains.
News & Politics
July 19, 2018
U.S. Army Mirrored Amazon’s HQ2 Search Tactics in Choosing New Futures Command Location
The Army chose Austin, citing its entrepreneurial culture and incentives from UT.
Border & Immigration
June 29, 2018
Battle Over Houston Child Detention Facility Heats Up
Austin nonprofit Southwest Key wants to open a facility for immigrant children in Houston’s East End. Mayor Sylvester Turner has other ideas.
News & Politics
June 12, 2018
Larry Faulkner Returns to the University of Texas as Interim Chancellor
The former University of Texas at Austin president, who takes over from retiring Chancellor William McRaven, discusses the state of the system.