We're almost to the weekend, folks. Happy Thursday! ⛅ Temperature check: High of 88; low of 61. Chronicle Meteorologist Justin Ballard's insight: Summerlike warmth will make a comeback in Houston as the week progresses, with highs topping out near 90 degrees by Friday afternoon. Read more here. |
 | Yasmeen Khalifa
Audience Engagement Producer
yasmeen.khalifa@houstonchronicle.com |
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Today we're talking about critics saying the Texas GOP is slow to denounce antisemitism... |
If you read one thing: The fallout from an influential GOP activist's meeting with a well-known white supremacist has deepened divisions among Texas Republicans and, some say, highlighted the reluctance of party leadership to denounce antisemitism. What sparked the division? The state party, run by former state Rep. Matt Rinaldi, has wrestled for a month with accusations that the organization rushed to affiliate with a new group of young Republicans despite evidence that members had posted and liked antisemitic content online.
Those claims were put in sharper focus last week when the Texas Tribune reported that Jonathan Stickland, the now ex-president of the deep-pocketed Defend Texas Liberty PAC, met for more than six hours with Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist who has praised Adolf Hitler and denied that the Holocaust occurred. What has happened since the meeting? Stickland was quietly removed from the PAC's website on Tuesday night, nine days after the story was published, and it's unclear whether he still has a role within the group.
The events have sparked an uproar among Texas Republicans, and some — including Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan — are calling on other conservatives to return campaign donations they received from the PAC.
The Fuentes meeting has also brought renewed attention to members of the fledgling young Republicans group who have socialized with him, and the organization's president announced on Friday that those people were no longer affiliated.
Meanwhile, Rinaldi's foes within the party are renewing calls for a change in leadership over what they see as a tolerance for antisemitism. The pressure builds on months of infighting within the Texas GOP ahead of the 2024 election cycle. Read Cayla Harris' story here. |
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Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle |
- Thousands protest attacks on Gaza outside Houston's Israeli embassy. Protesters said the protest was motivated by a Tuesday explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of people.
- Texas testing new feral hog poison in race to control invasive species. A blood thinner was effective in killing off the invasive crop-destroying hogs in a weeks-long process.
- Bicycling boomed in Houston during the pandemic, but will it last? Data suggest renewed enthusiasm to ride bicycles could be sustained in the years to come.
- Crime is down in Houston compared to 2022, but still a major issue on campaign trail. Crime is down in Houston compared to 2022, HPD Chief Troy Finner told City Council Wednesday, but candidates and constituents still list it as a top issue. Some city officials take issue with that.
- As Texas lawmakers consider private school vouchers, do they work? The current proposal in Texas would allow parents of schoolchildren to apply for access to $8,000 that they could spend on private school tuition or other expenses.
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Ken Ellis / Houston Chronicle |
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Susan Barber / Houston Chronicle |
Friday: Hocus Pocus Pops: The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion's Halloween event offers spooky yet fun music by the Houston Symphony, a Goblin Parade and prizes. Dressing up in costumes is highly encouraged. Oct. 20, 6 p.m. $25 and up.
Saturday: - Houston Filipino Street Festival: The event celebrates the Philippines and local Filipino culture with traditions, live performances, street food and more at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. Oct. 21, noon-7 p.m. $17 and up.
- Tacolandia: The outdoor taco sampling event features Houston's best tacos, drinks and live music at the Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park. Oct. 21, 4-7 p.m. $35 and up.
Sunday: - ARToberFest: The two-day festival showcases the works of over 120 artists from across the country. The event brings more than 8,000 people through Galveston's historic downtown cultural arts district. The festival will be on Postoffice Street. Oct. 21, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Oct. 22, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $5
Find more things to around Houston this weekend here. |
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Earlier today, the digital team over at the Houston Chronicle had a conversation about how we thought the Astros would do in Game 3 of the ALCS. We all agreed we thought it was going to be a win because "it's just in the air." We very well could've jinxed the whole thing. It's a good thing we were right, or I wouldn't be telling this story. Yasmeen Khalifa yasmeenkhalifa@houstonchronicle.com |
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