Convenience Big Store: Needville falls to California in the big game

🔍 Need to Know

Needville falls to California in Little League title game

California hit two home runs to beat Needville in the championship game. The Texas team plays in the tournament's third-place game Sunday.

Downfall of United Memorial Medical Center

The Houston hospital became a national symbol of the battle against COVID-19. Now, it eyes new ownership after a series of lawsuits.

Urgency grows on opioid epidemic's front lines

Data shows the overdose death rate in Harris County rose more than 80 percent from 2018 to 2022, with fentanyl accounting for a greater percentage of deaths.

HISD has zero teacher vacancies

Superintendent Mike Miles says the district will be starting the year with all educator spots filled as nearly 190,000 students return to classes Monday.

Crackdown helped tame Bissonnet Track

Much of the street prostitution that garnered the neighborhood's international reputation has fizzled out, according to Houston officials.

🗳️ Politics

Impeachment witnesses detail AG's behavior

Former employees say Attorney General Ken Paxton talked about money frequently and was susceptible to outsider influence.

Houston schools face new state laws

Texas lawmakers passed several new laws affecting education this year. Here's a look at the policies on vaping, library books and police staffing.

💼 Business

Oil companies bet big on carbon management

Exxon Mobil, Occidental, Chevron and others are investing tens of billions of dollars in building up carbon management systems.

Texas Instruments is found all over

Calculators are actually only a small part of TI's business today, although they are the product most famliar to many consumers.

Taylor: Teen social media influencer makes bank

Ryane Roy, a 14-year-old with a sunny smile, preppy clothes and fun teen dances, is running a serious business, writes Michael Taylor in The Smart Money.

🖼️ Get Out

Dream home designed around Venezuelan art

Alejandra Rincon and her family bought a Memorial-area home and built a modern house that's a showcase for art and great furniture.

'Blue Beetle' deserves a celebration

The film is not purely a superhero movie like Spider-Man. It's a rich commentary about Mexican American culture.

Original Pho Binh Trailer closes

Founded in 1983, the Vietnamese restaurant's popularity led to multiple locations in Houston where it is considered among the city's best pho purveyors.

🏀 Sports

Astros pitcher sharpens skills

Framber Valdez displayed renewed focus as he kept the Detroit Tigers hitless through seven innings on Friday.

Biles grabs lead at U.S. championships

Simone Biles posted a total of 59.300 points, ahead of Shilese Jones at 56.550. Skye Blakely was third at 55.700 at the U.S. women's gymnastics championships.

Pairing of UH, QB looks like an ideal fit

Former Texas Tech starter Donovan Smith, whose victories included a double-OT win over the Cougars last year, made it a preseason mission to bond with new teammates.

Determined to make the cut

The Texans' preseason finale Sunday in New Orleans is a last chance for players on the bubble to make an impression.

📝 Opinion

Mini-scandals aren't HISD's biggest news

While the Houston media cover Superintendent Mike Miles and "scandalettes," they're missing the big news — merit pay for teachers.

Katy ISD is targeting LGBTQ students

School board policies and proposals breach student rights and discriminate against LGBTQ+ students, one student writes.

Fentanyl crisis needs a big response

Unintentional overdose has become the leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 45. One man is fighting the fentanyl crisis one free Narcan box at a time.