Convenience Big Store: RodeoHouston's 2026 concert lineup is here

January 9, 2026

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⛅ Temperature check: High of 81; low of 55. Forecast: Before temperatures snap back to what one would expect for January, we'll have to deal with the threat of severe storms.

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Good morning, Houston.

Here's what you should know to start your day:

Need to know: The U.S. House on Thursday passed legislation extending a tax credit for working class Americans under the Affordable Care Act for three years, overcoming nearly unanimous opposition from Texas Republicans.
Top of the chart: One of the most-read stories on our site yesterday was about the seven Texas charter schools that will close after the 2025-26 school year.

Here's the rest of the news.

1

RodeoHouston 2026: Tim McGraw, from left, Creed, Lizzo, Rascal Flatts and Kelly Clarkson.

Nine newcomers, three artists with Houston ties and the original 'American Idol' are RodeoHouston's highlights this year.

Tim McGraw, Creed, Kelly Clarkson and Lizzo are just some of the performers who will take the rotating stage this year. Check out the full lineup here.

When do tickets for all 21 performances go on sale? Here's everything you need to know about buying tickets, pricing and availability. RodeoHouston runs March 2-22 at NRG Stadium.

What'd you think of this year's lineup? Tell us your thoughts.

📬 One vibe. One adventure. One newsletter. If You Do One Thing is your guide to Houston weekends.

2

More than 150 Texas faith leaders urge schools to reject prayer policy under new state law.

In the letter organized by groups like the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and Christians Against Christian Nationalism, the multifaith coalition featured leaders from districts that include Houston, Alief, Fort Bend, Spring, Conroe, Katy and Humble ISDs.

3

An unspecified medical concern prompts NASA to cut an ISS mission short.

"This is unprecedented for an American mission," said Robert Pearlman, editor of the space history news site collectspace.com.

4

See the first Texas private schools approved for state vouchers.

The Texas Comptroller's Office released a map showing the private schools that have been approved to participate in the state's new $1 billion voucher program.

5

Why Houston's Avelo Airlines is ditching ICE deportation flights.

Avelo's CEO, Andrew Levy, told employees the move to work with the federal government "provided short-term benefits" but did not provide sustained revenue, according to reports.

6

United plans safety upgrades on 100 planes after a Houston flight slid off a taxiway.

NTSB records show that the United Airlines plane lacked an advanced runway alert system. Now United plans to retrofit more than 100 Boeing 737s.

7

Dan Crenshaw fires back at podcaster Shawn Ryan over insider trading claims.

Ryan has used his podcast to regularly question what he said is the Houston Republican's growing wealth since he was elected to Congress in 2018.

❓ Question of the Week

In the days since I asked you for your thoughts on President Donald Trump's recent action in Venezuela, Congressman Dan Crenshaw and County Judge Lina Hidalgo have weighed in. Here's what you said, with slight edits.

"I am delighted that Maduro is out of office and facing justice. But in the much larger picture, we are repeating the long-term failures of the early 20th century: gunboat diplomacy, imperialism, and tariffs. Those policies contributed to WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII. The wise leaders of 1945-1955 created a world order that has benefited America and the whole world for 80 years. Trump is undoing that world order." — Dan Fox

"It is a dangerous action and will open Pandora's box. Now everybody else will take this as an OK to invade countries of their choosing. China will now take Taiwan, Russia will ogle Poland and Lithuania. Finland next? This was a hasty decision. Consequences should have been considered first.
One should never forget to study history before taking such drastic action." — Lindmuth Fuller

"Regarding Venezuela, I don't think attacking other countries and destabilizing them is going to make the U.S. safer or more prosperous in the long run. It would be nice to have a president whose goal is to make clear, well-thought-out decisions in the best interest of the entire country, rather than an impulsive bully who just does things for short-term political and personal gain because no one is stopping him." — David Sadegh

🏀 Sports

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates the team's 100-97 win over the Phoenix Suns at the Toyota Center in Houston on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.

Photo by: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle

Rockets: Kevin Durant is 15 points away from passing another NBA icon, Wilt Chamberlain, for seventh in the league's all-time scoring.
Astros: The team reached deals with nine of their 11 arbitration-eligible players prior to Thursday's deadline, including ace Hunter Brown and shortstop Jeremy Peña.
Cougars: Guard Kordel Jefferson, who has played in three games this season, had knee surgery on Wednesday.

🗣️ Opinion

We want immigration laws to be enforced, but we want that enforcement to be orderly, predictable and safe for everyone involved. We want federal agents to focus on violent criminals, not separating families. This chaos makes us all less safe. Staying silent won't make us safer, writes the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board.
ICE arrests and its effect on the construction industry, and the renaming of the Kennedy Center are two of the topics on readers' minds in this batch of letters to the editor.

🎞️ Things to do this Weekend

Photo by: Gareth Gatrell, Associated Press

Get to the theaters to see "Primate," "Is This Thing On?" or "Greenland 2: Migration" as they top the list of new films hitting screens this week.
See the Chevron Houston Marathon this Sunday. Here's what to know about road closures, arrival times, parking and weather.
Check out Brandon Woody, Shaggy and the return of "The Pitt" and "Industry," which lead our list of some of the top entertainment picks this week.

Houston residents: Did your quality of life improve in 2025?

By "quality of life" we mean factors like crime, trash, road work and anything else that largely falls under local government oversight. Maybe that heavy trash lingered curbside for far too long last year. Or maybe a pothole caused a flat tire.

Either way, let us know what the city got right, or wrong, in 2025 in this survey.