Civil Rights Rollbacks at Education Department Trigger Challenges
U.S. Civil Rights Commission, 34 U.S. Senators respond
Decades of vigilant struggles and sacrifices, civil rights legislation enacted in the 1960s won federal promises to ensure that discrimination is illegal and would not be tolerated. Unfettered access to housing, voting rights, fair credit, public accommodations and more was marked and celebrated as hard-fought victories for Black Americans and other people of color. In later years, additional protections were added as amendments to safeguard the rights of the elderly, disabled, and the LGBT community.
Hundreds of Houston Community Members Will Support Annual Shrimp Boil to Raise Funds for Women Battling Breast Cancer
The Rose will host hundreds of Texans at their annual Shrimp Boil event. This celebration will focus on the women who have received life-saving care from The Rose and those who are currently battling breast cancer. Key sponsors will be in attendance, including volunteers from MD Anderson and American Credit Union.
Martha Rivera Chavis, Wife of NNPA President, Dies
Martha Rivera Chavis, the devoted wife of civil rights leader and National Newspaper Publishers Association President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., has died.
New Yates HS to Offer Unparalleled 360-degree Views of Houston
When construction of the new Yates High School is complete next year, it will offer unparalleled views of the city with Downtown Houston to the north, Texas Medical Center to the south, and the Galleria to the west.
Applications Now Open for Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2018 at Walt Disney World Resort
One hundred high school students to be selected for exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime program taking place in March 2018
High school students nationwide can now apply at DisneyDreamersAcademy.com to be among 100 selected to participate in the 2018 Disney Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE, the innovative, outside-the-classroom, mentoring program that takes place in March at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Texas Native Crowned National Pageant Titleholder
Jayda Dodd is the new Miss Black American Princess 2018
A Texas native is being thrust to a higher platform as the newly crowned Miss Black American Princess 2018. Nine-year-old Jayda Dodd’s new role was officially announced via social media by Founder and National Director of the Miss Black America Coed Pageant Candace Cooper. Jayda’s reign is effective as of July 1, 2017.
Houston Sailor serves in South Pacific aboard USS Ronald Reagan
Seaman Natalie Herrera, from Houston, stands the fantail lookout watch aboard the Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).
Father Dies Saving 5-Year-Old Son
A family is mourning the loss of a Houston father today. The father died trying to save his 5-year-old son while swimming in San Luis Pass.
Wells Fargo Names David Miree Lead Region President for Texas
Veteran business, community leader assumes responsibility for more than 10,000 team members, 664 branches and 1,213 ATMs across Texas
Wells Fargo & Company has named David Miree to the newly-created role of lead region president for Regional Banking’s Texas Region. Miree will report to Eastern Regional Banking Executive, Michelle Lee, and will be based in Houston.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Calls For Diplomacy, Not Confrontation With Qatar
Congresswoman Jackson Lee: “The situation unfolding in the Gulf requires the United States to call upon all nations in the region to demonstrate restraint and rely on diplomacy in resolving their disputes with the State of Qatar.”
True Beauty During Critical Times of Your Life
Without questioning, going through a serious illness, you learn to know what true beauty really is, as well as true love. Who's truly there, at this most critical time of your life.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Denounces Trump Administration Intrusion Into Voters’ Personal Data
Congresswoman Jackson Lee: “I absolutely oppose the Trump Administration’s efforts to obtain voters’ personal data under the guise of investigating voter fraud.”
Council Member Dave Martin's District E Newsletter - July 2017
As we head further into summer, my City Council colleagues and I continue to fight for district projects in the City of Houston's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). Since being sworn into office, I continue to see, year after year, the amount of tax dollars for CIP projects allocated inequitably across the 11 council districts. This year's proposed plan, which was given to city council members late last week, shows a total of 7% of all CIP dollars going towards District E, doubling the amount of CIP dollars we received last year. Last year District E only received 3% of the total CIP dollars distributed among Council Districts.
Five Astros Named to American League All-Star Team
Altuve, Correa, Springer elected as starters while Keuchel and McCullers Jr. get in via player vote
Major League Baseball announced tonight that second baseman Jose Altuve, shortstop Carlos Correa, outfielder George Springer, left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel and right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. have been named to the 2017 American League All-Star Team. Altuve, Correa and Springer were elected to start the game via the fan vote at second base, shortstop and in the outfield, respectively. Keuchel and McCullers Jr. were named to the game via a combination of the Player Ballot and Major League Baseball’s Office of the Commissioner.
USAA and Frost Join National Mobile Payment Network to Fight Venmo
Two of San Antonio's largest financial institutions have plugged into a national virtual wallet network that enables customers to transfer money without fees. USAA Federal Savings Bank, Frost Bank and more than two dozen other big players in the financial sector plan to join the network, called Zelle, by the end of the month.
Avenida Houston to Add New Restaurant Concept, Major Exhibition Planned
Six months after its initial debut, the downtown district known as Avenida Houston continues to expand with the announcement of a new restaurant and entertainment concept and upcoming attractions.
Comcast and Charter Reportedly Talking with Sprint to Offer Wireless Service
Sprint’s merger talks with T-Mobile are temporarily on hold while the carrier mulls over a number of potential deals with the United States’ two biggest cable companies, Comcast and Charter, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Houston Native Serves in Norwegian Sea Aboard USS Ross
Fire Controlman 2nd Class Luis Moreno, from Houston, mans a .50-caliber machine gun aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) as the ship transits the Norwegian Sea June 29, 2017.
Life Insurance Isn’t Always About Death; It’s Also A Retirement Tool
Many Americans view life insurance policies as a key part of their financial planning. But they tend to think in terms of how the insurance will benefit their survivors after they are in the grave – not how it might benefit themselves while they are very much alive.
Houston Could Renovate Astrodome
The Oilers last played in Houston in 1996, and their stadium, the Astrodome, was declared unfit for occupancy in 2009. But the Astrodome, as dilapidated as it is, still stands in the parking lot of NRG Stadium.
Black Cowboy Museum Now Open in Fort Bend County
A new museum in Rosenberg hopes to connect visitors with the rich history of the black cowboy.
Macy’s Got Your 6 Charity Event Drives Funds for Military Veterans
Macy’s invites customers to celebrate July 4th and five years of giving back to America’s veterans with a fundraising event that benefits the veteran organization Got Your 6. From Wednesday, June 28 to Tuesday, July 4, customers can give $3 at the register at any store or on macys.com, and as a thank you receive a 25 percent off savings pass for select regular-priced and sale items or 15 percent off select regular-priced and sale jewelry, home and sale/clearance watches*.
Black Lawmakers Urge Uber to Diversify Its Leadership
A coalition of black lawmakers wants Uber to diversify its top ranks. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus sent a letter to the embattled ride-hailing company, urging Uber's board to consider African American candidates for its top post after CEO Travis Kalanick was forced to step down last week.
Suffers No More: Houston Band The Suffers Celebrate After Stolen Van Replaced
Houston band The Suffers had its tour van stolen recently, according to an Instagram post from the group.
J.D. Power Names Fort Wayne Assembly Highest Quality in the Americas
General Motors Fort Wayne Truck Assembly plant today earned the prestigious J.D. Power Gold Plant Quality Award and was recognized as delivering the highest-ranked automotive manufacturing quality in the Americas in 2017.
Former NBA Player Marcus Camby Sued Over Nephew’s Drowning
Former NBA player Marcus Camby has been named defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit over the drowning of his 9-year-old autistic nephew in a pond on Camby's Houston-area property last Thanksgiving.
Texas Gives the Green Light to Racial Profiling
A judge in San Antonio heard opening arguments on a lawsuit against Senate Bill 4, a law passed in Texas last month that is the single biggest attack on immigrants this country has seen in decades.
Texas Hispanics Behind Half of State’s Growth Since 2010
The state’s population is still booming, and Hispanic Texans are driving a large portion of that growth.
Wal-Mart, Costco Will Outperform in Face of Amazon
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corporation benefit from key advantages that will allow their shares to outperform even as the broader retail industry struggles with the headwinds created by the rise of Amazon.com, Inc. as noted by a broker dealer with Cowen & Co. and reported on by Barron's.
California Attorney General Bans State Travel to Texas
California's attorney general blocked state-funded travel to Texas and three other states in response to what he considers anti-LGBT rights laws enacted this year.
Carfentanil Seizure Brings Opioid Epidemic to Houston
The Houston Forensic Science Lab says a drug seized on June 7th — field-tested as methamphetamine — turned out to be carfentanil.
Texas Children’s Hospital Ranked Among Best in US
Our own Texas Children's Hospital is being recognized as one of the top children's hospitals in the country, according to a new list from U.S. News and World Report. TCH is number four, behind hospitals in Boston, Philadelphia and Cincinnati.
The Houston Health Department Bureau of HIV/STD Prevention and Walgreens Kick Off National HIV Testing Day
The Houston Health Department Bureau of HIV/ STD Prevention (HHD) kicks off National HIV Testing Day with Walgreens and media sponsor 97.9 The Box to encourage Houstonians to get free HIV testing, get the facts about HIV, and get involved with the strategy to prevent it, June 27-29, 2017 at 5200 Westheimer Rd. Houston, TX 77056.
Lifting Up Houston
They said it couldn’t be done; but in Houston, we always get it done. Houstonians came together and achieved historic pension reform, lifting one of two significant barriers to progress in our city.
Woman Opens First Ever Black-Owned Grocery Store in Compton
36-year old Kia Patterson is the owner of the first ever Black-owned grocery story in Compton, California. She is an independent owner of a Grocery Outlet franchise, and the whole city is celebrating her success. But she didn't do it just for the money; she says wants to provide fresh and better food choices at affordable prices for people who live in predominately Black and low income neighborhoods.
Capital City Black Film Festival to Honor Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Winner Louis Gossett, Jr. at the Festival’s 2017 Opening Night Gala
Two World Premieres – “Breaking Brooklyn” and “The Reason” – Featuring Louis Gossett, Jr., Will Be Screened at the Festival
The Capital City Black Film Festival (CCBFF) today announced that Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy winner Louis Gossett, Jr., will be honored at the film festival’s Opening Night Gala on Thursday, August 17, 2017, at the Austin Convention Center. This year marks the Festival’s 5th Anniversary of showcasing the best in Black independent film from the brightest minds in filmmaking.
Serena Williams Embraces Motherhood on Cover of Vanity Fair
According to colorlines.com, Serena Williams recently paid homage to the famous Vanity Fair cover of a nude, pregnant Demi Moore, by having the same photographer, Annie Leibovitz, shoot her recent pregnancy cover in a similar pose (the hand on that hip though – all Serena). Leibovitz also shot all of the story’s photos, including black-and-white images of Williams with Alexis Ohanian, her Armenian-American fiancé who co-founded Reddit.
Economic Development Mission Led by Mayor Turner Exceeds Expectations
Mayor Sylvester Turner’s vision for Houston as a high-tech innovation hub took several steps forward after a successful economic development and trade mission to Israel recently. A private meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked a discussion regarding healthcare data mining and personalized medicine. Meetings with the minister of Energy and Infrastructure and the mayors of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheba and Al-Bireh focused on Smart City management, energy connections, cyber security and tourism.
Governor Abbott Applauds Sen. Bettencourt, Rep. Dennis Bonnen’s Intention To Author Property Tax Reform Legislation
In the upcoming special legislative session, Sen. Paul Bettencourt and Rep. Dennis Bonnen will author legislation to reform property taxes in Texas. This is one of 20 items that Governor Abbott previously announced will be added to the special session agenda. Governor Abbott issued the following statement expressing his appreciation for the hard work of Sen. Bettencourt and Rep. Bonnen, and the strong support of Rep. Richard Raymond, on this legislation.
Greater East End Management District Acquires New Weapon in Fighting Graffiti and Blight
The Greater East End Management District's (GEEMD) Graffiti Abatement Program has a new state- of-the-art machine for removal of graffiti and tagging on commercial properties. The new equipment saves time and operating costs leading to greater efficiency and more sites treated. According to Martin Chavez, Director of Constituent Services and Public Safety at GEEMD, "The new technology allows us to remove graffiti in a fraction of the time compared to the old way. To illustrate, at one location that would have taken 14 man hours, we removed the vandalism in one hour."
Our Overuse of Pain Medications Threatens Our Health
Our nation faces its deadliest drug epidemic ever. For years, Americans overestimated the benefits of opioids and underestimated the risks. Many people became regular users of these narcotic pain killers, often quite innocently, with a prescription from a doctor after surgery or an injury or as treatment for a chronic condition. Few thought their growing dependence on the pain killers would lead to addiction.
ZooMobile Comes to Kingwood for the July 4th Festival
Houston City Council Member Dave Martin is excited to announce that on Tuesday, July 4, 2017, Kingwood will host, for the very first time, the Houston Zoo's ZooMobile at the July 4th Festival at Town Center Park, located at 8 Main Street Kingwood Town Center, Kingwood, Texas 77339. The Town Center Park activities will begin at 2:00 p.m., however the Houston Zoo's ZooMobile will not arrive until 4:30 p.m. with an expected departure time of 6:30 p.m.
Emmy Nominated Comedian Performs in Houston
Film/TV actor and stand up comedian Tim Meadows will appear at the Joke Joint Comedy Showcase July 7-8
Tim Meadows has appeared on stage and screen for more than two decades and will now be sharing his comedic talent with Houstonians on July 7th and 8th at the Joke Joint Comedy Showcase.
FX Launches "Snowfall" Screening Tour
Series premieres Wed, July 5 at 10/9c
Last week, FX Networks kicked off a national word of mouth screening tour to promote their new drama series "Snowfall.Last week, FX Networks kicked off a national word of mouth screening tour to promote their new drama series "Snowfall."
Houston Symphony Presents The Music of Prince
The Houston Symphony will celebrate the massive pop music contributions of Prince at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 15, with a performance of his iconic and eclectic smash hits, complete with a full rock band and lead vocalist.
Rockets Acquire Nine-Time All-Star Chris Paul
Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has acquired guard Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for guard Patrick Beverley, forward Sam Dekker, forward Montrezl Harrell, guard Darrun Hilliard, guard DeAndre Liggins, guard Lou Williams, forward Kyle Wiltjer, a future first round pick, and cash considerations.
Blink Health Giving Away $10 Million Worth Of Free Diabetes Medications
Patients Who Create An Account on Leading Prescription Drug Savings Platform Blink Health Will Receive a Free, One-Year Supply of Three Most Prescribed Generic Type-2 Diabetes Medications: Metformin,
Blink Health, America's leading prescription drug savings platform, recently launched a program to help #TreatType2 diabetes by committing to give away $10 million worth of diabetes medications. People living with diabetes who create an account on Blink Health's website or free mobile app, starting today, will receive a free, one-year supply of the three most commonly prescribed generic medications for type-2 diabetes: metformin, glipizide and pioglitazone. The program will also cover these three medications for existing Blink Health patients who use them.
Applebee’s® in Texas Offer Margaritas for a Buck – “DollaRitas” – for the Month of July
Applebee’s Restaurants in Austin, Dallas, Houston and East Texas Set for Month-Long Promotion with a
As the saying goes: Everything is Bigger in Texas; yet in July, the price of a margarita at participating Applebee’s in The Lone Star State is about to get smaller in a big way.
Food Network Relaunches Skill On the New Amazon Echo Show
Updated skill featuring recipe visuals and videos debuts today
No need to get your hands—or your device—dirty in the kitchen. Food Network has updated its popular Alexa skill for the new Amazon Echo Show, making it easier for users to get inspired, explore what they’re in the mood for, and enjoy recipe videos and preview images that enhance the value and enjoyment of their cooking experience.
Queen + Adam Lambert's VR the Champions to Premiere Globally on Universal Music Group's Vrtgo VR Platform
VR THE CHAMPIONS Compatible on Owl Viewers by Brian May
Legendary English rock band QUEEN + Adam Lambert today announced the launch of their first-ever live-concert VR experience. VR THE CHAMPIONS, in full 360 degree 3-D, will premier to a global audience through VRTGO, Universal Music Group’s VR platform.
