Convenience Big Store: Is RodeoHouston's lineup too country?

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Tim McGraw, Cody Johnson and Chris Stapleton are performing at the 2026 Houston Rodeo.

Is this year's Houston Rodeo lineup too country? Attendance numbers say yes.

Country music will always belong at RodeoHouston -- it's the backbone of the event. This year, it's also the rib cage, the collarbone and most of the skeleton, writes music critic Joey Guerra.

Food

Executive Chef and owner Arnaldo Richards poses for a portrait inside Picos restaurant, which is marking its last holiday tamale season ahead of its planned closure, in Houston, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025.

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio, Houston Chronicle

Leading Mexican restaurant Picos said it would close. Now, it will move instead.

Arnaldo Richards' pioneering restaurant, which helped introduce Houstonians to regional Mexican food, will stay within Upper Kirby. Read More

Photo by: J.R. Cohen

Pizzitola Heritage BBQ shows that joint names often evolve with the barbecue

The restaurant's roots go all the way back to 1935 when it was Shepherd Drive Bar-B-Q. Read More

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Politics

Construction workers walk past a monument of the Ten Commandments outside the Capitol, Thursday, June 20, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Paul Weber)

Photo by: Paul Weber, Associated Press

160 Texas faith leaders urge schools to reject prayer policy under new state law

A new state law requires school boards to vote on establishing a period of prayer and "reading of the Bible or other religious text" at public schools. Read More

Lina Hidalgo says it's too early to oust treasurer accused of burglary

The embattled treasurer was arrested and charged with misdemeanor burglary of a vehicle Dec. 28. She was previously charged with driving under the influence and twice violated her bond conditions. Read More

Is censorship occurring on your college campus? We want to hear from you.

We want to hear from Texas students and faculty about how their college campuses are handling controversial topics in the classroom. Read More

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Opinion

A woman dances with a Venezuelan flag as Venezuelans and supporters celebrate in the parking lot of Mi Querencia Latin Market off Westheimer Parkway in Katy after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle

Venezuelans thank Trump for ousting Maduro. They're also terrified. | Opinion

Mari has hope for Venezuela. Stubborn, defiant hope — even as she sees echoes of Maduro's playbook here in the United States, writes columnist Regina Lankenau.