If you read one thing...

Crowdfunding push begins for 'massive' memorial statue of Charlie Kirk in Montgomery County

The Houston-area event planner said a "massive, beautiful memorial statue would be the perfect way to honor him and keep his legacy alive."

Top Stories

Photo by: Melissa Phillip, Staff Photographer Houston strip club empire behind Bombshells, Rick’s Cabaret indicted in $8M tax fraud, bribery case New York Attorney General Letitia James called the Houston business a “multimillion-dollar criminal tax fraud and bribery scheme.” What to Know: What prominent restaurants and strip clubs are a part of RCI's flashy empire?

Photo by: Matt Zdun How is your credit score impacting your insurance costs? Search our map. Having a medium or low credit score can mean paying thousands of dollars more in home insurance every year in Texas. See which ZIP codes face the highest credit penalties.

Photo by: National Hurricane Center Tropical Storm Gabrielle forms in Atlantic. Where is it headed? Here’s the latest on the forecasted path, timeline for growth and how it is taking shape.

Photo by: Yi-Chin Lee, Staff Photographer Tony Earls trial: Testimony begins over 2022 death of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez. Alvarez was shot when Earls fired at a vehicle he thought was carrying someone who robbed him at gunpoint.

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle Parents say son might be alive if Houston restaurant staff had called 911 A Houston restaurant staff carried a man outside and left him on a sidewalk after he passed out. They assumed he was homeless and didn't call 911. Now his family is grappling with why.

Food

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer Houston Chronicle Top 100 event will feature the city's best restaurants and chefs The lineup includes Truth BBQ, BCN, Mimo, Maximo, Camaraderie, Xochi, Street to Kitchen and more. Read More   Photo by: J.C,. Reid, J.C. Reid Southern Living ranks Houston-area BBQ spots to South's best 50 See which local favorite earned the highest spot of any Houston-area restaurant, at No. 19. Read More

Politics

Photo by: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle

Climate activist Bill McKibben to Houston: It’s solar’s time to shine.

McKibben said solar power’s rapid growth is good news, even if it could be bad news for Houston’s petrochemical-reliant economy.

Read More

Texas Youth Summit prepares for record turnout, more security after Kirk's death

A conservative youth summit being held near Houston this weekend is now expecting a record crowd as the event plans to dedicate part of the program to the life of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Read More

DPS watchdog investigating crash that involved agency director's son

The son, a trooper named Freeman Hunter Martin, remains on active duty three months after injuring a bystander during a high-speed chase in Austin.

Read More

Opinion

Photo by: Sharon Steinmann, Houston Chronicle

Houston avoids LA's immigration spectacle — and gets something worse | Editorial

Every Houstonian should reject immigration raids that terrify children into asking whether the people with badges are “good," and forces their older sister to say not right now.

Read More

Are the Texas A&M Aggies afraid of academic freedom? | Opinion

Is Texas A&M too afraid to stomach the free exchange of ideas? The firing of an English professor shows they've been cowed by Trump and Gov. Abbott.

Read More

Lina’s lessons for Texas Democrats | Editorial

She’s at the end of her time in office, and what does she have to show for it? More modernized local government, perhaps, but now those grand progressive plans are being rolled back. Her successors are running on overturning her prized accomplishments. Apparently being popular with progressives just wasn’t enough — even if she did earn her place in the history books. 

But enough about Kathy Whitmire. 

The parallels between Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston’s first woman mayor are hard to ignore for longtime politicos. Both maintained surprising popularity despite facing a shrieking white-hot sphere of pure rage from the conservative establishment. Both saw their leg