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☆ Oregon is giving homeless young people $1,000 a month to get back on their feet. Here's how it's going.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

As state leaders scramble to address the problem, one solution is showing some promise: Give those young people $1,000 cash every month, no strings attached. AdvertisementSo far 120 young people across the state are receiving the direct cash payments, the report says. Participants receive payments of $ 1,000 a month. AdvertisementThe Baltimore Young Families Success Fund , for example, gives young parents in the city $1,000 a month. In Denver, the city recently extended a basic income program offering some residents up to $1,000 a month after participants reported increased housing security .

Persons: —, Anjala Huff, Huff, Tonaeya Moore, Austin, Sen, Paul Bettencourt Organizations: Service, Business, The Oregon Department of Human Services, DHS, Baltimore Young Locations: Oregon, Multnomah County, Portland, Maryland, Denver, Iowa , South Dakota , Arizona, Texas, Harris County, Houston

CNN —The body of Audrii Cunningham, an 11-year-old girl who disappeared while on her way to school in Texas, was found Tuesday in the Trinity River, according to Polk County Sheriff Byron Lyons. In 2007, he was convicted of enticing a child in Brazoria County, Texas. Sheriff: McDougal took part in search for AudriiMcDougal had joined in the search efforts for the missing girl, the sheriff told CNN earlier Tuesday. “Some of the witnesses have even said that he was in the community and knocking on doors … asking have they seen her,” the sheriff told CNN. McDougal lives in a trailer on the family’s property and sometimes took Audrii to the bus stop, the sheriff said.

Persons: Audrii Cunningham, Byron Lyons, “, ” Lyons, Shelly Sitton, Don Steven McDougal, ” Sitton, ”, Audrii, Sitton, ” McDougal, Audrii’s, Lyons, McDougal, ” Elic Bryan, Bryan, ” Bryan, Audrii McDougal, “ I’m, didn’t, Steve Almasy, Raja Razek, Carroll Alvarado Organizations: CNN, Texas Parks & Wildlife Locations: Texas, Trinity, Polk County, Harris County, Brazoria County , Texas, Brazoria County, Lake Livingston

☆ Suspect Don Steven McDougal in Texas girl’s death is family friend who was supposed to take her to bus stop, authorities say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The suspect is already in custody after being arrested Friday night on unrelated aggravated assault charges, according to the sheriff’s office. McDougal, a friend of Audrii’s father, lived in a trailer on the family’s property and sometimes took the girl to catch her school bus in the neighborhood, according to Lyons. Investigators located Audrii’s remains using cell phone records, video analysis and information from McDougal, Lyons said. In 2007, he was convicted of enticing a child in Brazoria County, Texas. Amid the anxiety and uncertainty of Audrii’s disappearance, her mother said she now understands the pain of the parents of missing children who she had only ever heard about on the news.

Persons: Audrii Cunningham, Audrii’s, Don Steven McDougal, McDougal, Shelly Sitton, Byron Lyons, Lyons, Lyons doesn’t, ” Lyons, Audrii, “ I’m, ”, “, ” McDougal, ” Elic Bryan, Bryan, ” Bryan, Brent Hawkins, “ There’s, ” Matthews, didn’t, Matthews, ” CNN’s Caroll Alvarado, Andy Rose, Jillian Sykes, Rosa Flores, Sara Weisfeldt, Holly Yan Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Livingston –, Livingston Independent School, Facebook, KPRC Locations: Texas, Polk County, Trinity, Harris County, Livingston, Houston, Don Steven McDougal Polk, McDougal, Lake Livingston, Brazoria County , Texas

☆ Arizona Republicans call basic income payments 'unearned,' introduce a bill to ban them
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Republican lawmakers in Arizona have introduced a bill to ban guaranteed basic income programs. Arizona state lawmakers introduced a bill that would ban any municipality or county from making payments to a person as part of a guaranteed basic income program. Numerous cities across the country are experimenting with guaranteed basic income programs either through local initiatives or nonprofits. Guaranteed basic income programs are less politically fraught than a universal basic income, though they aren't without critics. Other places, like Harris County, Texas — which includes Houston — have also used COVID-19 funds for guaranteed basic income programs .

Persons: —, Bill, Andrew Yang, Lupe Diaz, Diaz, John Gillette Organizations: Republicans, Service, Republican, Arizona, Phoenix City Council, Phoenix New Times, Houston, Lawmakers Locations: Arizona, Iowa, South Dakota, Denver, Phoenix, Harris County , Texas, Texas, . South Dakota

☆ Austin gave people $1,000 a month with no strings attached. One participant said the money helped her get by — but she's still struggling to get housed.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

As a participant in the Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot , she received $1,000 monthly for a year between August 2022 and August 2023 to help her “survive more comfortably,” she said. Though, the program didn’t fix all her issues and she hasn’t gotten back on her feet after losing her job. AdvertisementThe Austin program and a new program in Harris County , home to Houston, have been met with resistance from politicians who allege these programs are unconstitutional. Joining the Austin Basic Income PilotNairns said she learned about the Austin Basic Income Pilot through another organization called the Austin Area Urban League, which helps low-income families. While still receiving payments, she was laid off at Austin Mutual Aid, losing her housing and car the same day.

Persons: —, Jessica Nairns, She’s, ”, hasn’t, ” Nairns, “, Austin, Ivanna Neri, Neri, ” Neri, Nairns, wasn’t, “ I’m Organizations: Service, Business, Austin, Urban Institute, Austin Mutual Aid, Austin Area Urban League, ” Locations: Austin, City of Austin, Texas, UpTogether, Washington, DC, Harris County, Houston, Dallas, Ohio

☆ Sheriff’s Deputies Shoot Woman Inside Friend’s Home in Houston, Authorities Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Houston woman was shot in her friend’s apartment this month by sheriff’s deputies who responded to a report of a break-in and fired repeatedly into the home, according to a statement and body camera footage released by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The women were startled when, after 2 a.m., the deputies began pounding on the door, according Mr. Crump. Fearing an intruder, Ms. Pouncy picked up her legally registered firearm and, shortly after, was struck by five bullets, he said. Emergency medical workers took Ms. Pouncy to a hospital for treatment, the sheriff’s office said. While the nature of her injuries was unclear, Mr. Crump said in his statement that she was recovering.

Persons: sheriff’s, Eboni Pouncy, Ben Crump, Pouncy, Crump Organizations: Sheriff’s Office Locations: Houston, Harris

☆ Shooting Reported at Houston Church Led by Joel Osteen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-11 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | More About Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Houston Police Department was responding on Sunday afternoon to reports of a shooting at a Christian megachurch in Houston that is led by the televangelist Joel Osteen, it said on social media. The details were unclear, but Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of Harris County said on social media that a shooter was believed to have been shot by law enforcement. “We continue to assist in a methodical/thorough search of the complex,” he said. It was unclear whether anyone else had been injured. She said she ran into a smaller room where she sheltered with about 10 other people, including a child.

Persons: Joel Osteen, Ed Gonzalez, ” Organizations: Houston Police Department Locations: Houston, Harris County

HOUSTON (AP) — Police in Texas said Sunday that they were responding to a possible shooting at the Houston megachurch run by prominent pastor Joel Osteen. In a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, Lakewood Church said there was “an active situation involving shots fired” at the church. “That is all the information we have at this time. Please pray for Lakewood and our community,” the church said. Jodi Silva, a Houston police spokeswoman, said officers were responding to the church but she did not have any additional information.

Persons: Joel Osteen, ”, Jodi Silva, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, “ Organizations: HOUSTON, — Police, Houston, Twitter, Lakewood, Harris County Sheriff Locations: Texas, Lakewood, Harris County

☆ When Mental Health Treatment Becomes a Political Identity
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( J. David Goodman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As a rising young Democratic star and the top elected official of Harris County, the most populous in Texas, Lina Hidalgo surprised many people last summer when she announced that she had checked herself in at a residential mental health clinic for serious depression. She had been struggling privately for years, even as she stepped forward assertively to preside over Houston’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and help residents throughout the county deal with flooding and a devastating winter freeze. Then, during a brutal re-election fight in 2022, her mental state worsened. Aides were aware that something was wrong — there were missed campaign events, and shortness with staff members — but few knew just how dire things had become. “I remember feeling really suicidal, and saying to David, my boyfriend, and to my therapist at the time, ‘We have to do something,’” Ms. Hidalgo said.

Persons: Lina Hidalgo, assertively, David, ’, Ms, Hidalgo Organizations: Democratic Locations: Harris County, Texas

☆ Texas state lawmaker criticizes 'universal basic income' programs: 'We can't just hand out money like popcorn on street corners'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Texas state senator said a Texas-based basic income plan will "hand out money like popcorn." State Sen. Paul Bettencourt asked the state attorney general to declare it unconstitutional. Bettencourt's request came on the same day that the program — called Uplift Harris — started taking applications. The Uplift Harris program plans to provide eligible households in Harris County, which includes Houston, $500 a month for up to 18 months. "We just can't hand out money like popcorn on street corners to people that walk by," Bettencourt told Fox.

Persons: Sen, Paul Bettencourt, —, State Sen, Harris —, Bettencourt, Fox, Harris, Menefree, Bettencourt's Organizations: Service, Republican, American, Plan, Houston Chronicle, Fox News, Texas, Houston Public Media Locations: Texas, Houston, State, Harris County, Harris

☆ Austin experimented with giving people $1,000 a month. They spent the no-strings-attached cash mostly on housing, a study found.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A guaranteed basic income program in Austin gave people $1,000 a month for a year. AdvertisementA guaranteed basic income plan in one of Texas's largest cities reduced rates of housing insecurity. Austin was the first city in Texas to launch a tax-payer-funded basic income program when the Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot kicked off in May 2022. On average, program participants spent more than half of the cash they received on housing, the report's authors wrote. Harris County, which includes Houston, earlier this month launched a guaranteed basic income program that gives low-income residents up to $500 a month.

Persons: —, Austin, Taniquewa Brewster, KXAN, it's, Sen, Paul Bettencourt, Bettencourt, Tonaeya Moore Organizations: Service, Austin, Urban Institute, Washington DC, NBC, Houston Chronicle, Baltimore Young Locations: Austin, Texas, City, Washington, Houston, Harris County, United States, Baltimore

☆ Austin experimented with giving people $1,000 a month. They said they spent the no-strings-attached cash mostly on housing.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewPeople who received guaranteed basic income in one of Texas' largest cities reported reduced rates of housing insecurity. Austin was the first city in Texas to launch a taxpayer-funded guaranteed-income program when the Austin Guaranteed Income Pilot kicked off in May 2022. On average, program participants said they spent more than half of the cash they received on housing. While Austin was the first city in Texas to test a guaranteed-income program, it's now not the only one. AdvertisementAnd in Denver, a basic-income program that gives some people up to $1,000 a month was recently extended after participants reported increased housing security .

Persons: —, Austin, Taniquewa Brewster, KXAN, it's, Sen, Paul Bettencourt, Bettencourt, Tonaeya Moore Organizations: Service, Business, Austin, Urban Institute, NBC, Houston Chronicle, Baltimore Young Locations: Texas, City of Austin, Washington, DC, Houston, Harris County, United States, Baltimore, Maryland, Denver

☆ A guaranteed basic income program in Minneapolis found that even after a year of giving recipients $500 a month, they weren't working any less
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe city of Minneapolis is experimenting with a guaranteed basic income program, and the preliminary results are promising. Minneapolis has provided $500 monthly payments with no strings attached to 200 low-income families for the last year. Flint, Michigan — for example — recently opened enrollment for a basic income program for pregnant mothers, giving them a lump sum during pregnancy and $500 a month for their baby's first year of life. In Iowa, two Republican state representatives are pushing legislation to ban basic income programs, Business Insider reported. A lawmaker in Texas, meanwhile, called a newly launched basic income program in Harris County, which includes Houston, unconstitutional.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Minneapolis, Denver, Flint , Michigan, In Iowa, Texas, Harris County, Houston

☆ Denver's Basic Income Project has been so successful it's getting more funding and an extension
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Denver Basic Income Project just got an extension and more funding. The Denver Basic Income Project, which now provides monthly payments to 800 of the city's lowest-income households, announced it is extending its runtime for another six months. Many cities around the United States are experimenting with basic income projects to alleviate homelessness and support their most vulnerable residents. AdvertisementBut while basic income plans have largely shown success, not everyone is in favor of them, and many programs have drawn the ire of conservative lawmakers. "I am proud to endorse the Denver Basic Income Project and its vital role in our ongoing efforts to address homelessness and improve the lives of our residents."

Persons: it's, —, Mark Donovan, Donovan, Dia Broncucia, Justin Searls, Tonaeya Moore, Mike Johnston, Johnson Organizations: Service, Income, Colorado Trust, Center for Housing, Homelessness Research, University of Denver, Baltimore Young, Denver Locations: Denver, United States, Baltimore, Texas, Harris County, Houston, Iowa

☆ Texas man sues Macy’s and Sunglass Hut parent over wrongful arrest linked to facial recognition
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A Texas man is suing Macy’s and the parent company of Sunglass Hut after the two companies allegedly relied on error-prone facial recognition technology to falsely accuse him of armed robbery. “They were misled by Sunglass Hut and Macy’s and the reason why Murphy was jailed is because of the actions of these companies. In 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union challenged Detroit’s police department over what the group described as the first known wrongful arrest involving facial recognition. Facial recognition concernsFor years, civil liberties and privacy experts have warned of the risks of overly casual facial recognition use or an overreliance on the technology, and the possibility that algorithmic bias could lead to misidentification, racial discrimination or other unintended consequences. The FTC has similarly moved to restrict Instagram-parent Meta from using facial recognition technology, which Meta has challenged in court.

Persons: CNN —, Macy’s, Harvey Murphy Jr, Murphy’s, Murphy, ”, Daniel Dutko, “, EssilorLuxottica didn’t, EssilorLuxottica, Dutko, ” Dutko, Sunglass, “ We’re, they’re, ‘ We’ve, Meta Organizations: CNN, The Washington Post, Houston police, Department of Motor Vehicles, Houston, American Civil Liberties Union, Office, Federal Trade Commission, Aid, FTC Locations: Texas, Sunglass, Harris County, Houston, Sacramento , California, Harris, EssilorLuxottica, Michigan, Detroit

Three people were killed overnight Sunday after a gathering in a short-term rental turned deadly near Houston, Texas. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies responded to an emergency call around 2:15 a.m. at a suburban neighborhood in Katy, Texas, just 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Houston. Gonzalez estimated about 10 to 20 young people were gathered at a short-term rented home before the shooting started. When the first deputy arrived, two people had already died at the scene and another person would later be confirmed dead at a hospital. The victims are thought to be in their 20s, but no exact ages or identities were confirmed Sunday morning.

Persons: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, ” Gonzalez, Gonzalez Organizations: Harris County Sheriff Locations: Houston , Texas, Harris County, Katy , Texas, Houston

☆ Republican lawmakers in Iowa seek to block guaranteed basic income programs, calling them 'insane'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRepublican lawmakers in Iowa are pulling out all the stops to block guaranteed basic income plans they described as "socialism on steroids." Guaranteed basic income programs typically offer no-strings-attached cash to certain groups, like the poor or new mothers. Universal basic income, its like-minded cousin, offers cash to entire populations regardless of income. Numerous counties and cities, many of them in red states, across the United States have been experimenting with guaranteed basic income plans. Holt called basic income programs an "attack on the work ethic in this country."

Persons: —, Steve Holt, Skyler Wheeler, Holt, Wheeler, Tonaeya Moore, It's, Moore, Joe Biden's, Nalo Johnson, Johnson, MINCOME, Evelyn Forget, Forget Organizations: Service, Business, The Gazette, Baltimore Young, Tax, Iowa Health Foundation, Gazette Locations: Iowa, United States, Texas, Harris County, Houston, Cedar Rapids, Flint , Michigan, Canada, Canadian

☆ Texas senator says the plan to give poor residents a $500 guaranteed basic income is unconstitutional
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Guaranteed basic income is similar to universal basic income except it targets a particular group. Similar programs to the one in Harris County are being adopted in cities all over the country. The Uplift Harris program plans to provide eligible households in Harris County, which includes Houston, $500 a month for up to 18 months. "They are not a Home Rule city," Bettencourt told Houston Public Media. Uplift Harris provides guaranteed basic income to households in the zip codes with the highest poverty rates in Harris County, according to the program's website.

Persons: —, Sen, Paul Bettencourt, Harris —, Bettencourt, I've, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee Organizations: Service, Business, American, Plan, Houston Chronicle, Houston Public Media, Harris, Harris County Attorney Locations: Texas, Houston, Harris County

CHANNELVIEW, Texas — For nearly 20 years, Texas environmental regulators have kept a disturbing secret. AdvertisementTexas Community Health News; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality"Any exposure to a carcinogen increases your risk of developing cancer. AdvertisementTim Doty, a former TCEQ mobile air monitoring expert, at the industrial edge of River Terrace Park in Channelview, Texas. In fact, the agency rarely fines companies that violate Texas air pollution laws. Mark FelixHoneycutt's toxicology division soon took an even more dramatic step to weaken Texas' benzene guidelines.

Persons: Loren Hopkins, Hopkins, Mark Felix, TCEQ, AirToxScreen, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, Menefee, Tim Doty, Doty, Solv, He'd, Glenn Shankle, Kelly Keel, Todd Riddle, Riddle, Lopez, Joe Lopez, Dora, Joel Lopez, Randy Lopez, It's, Joel, Felix Benzene, wildcatters, Houston —, Forbes, Lorenzo de Zavala, Alison Cohen, Cohen, Tim Doty's, Houston Mayor Bill White, Shankle, Michael Honeycutt, Valerie Meyers, Meyers, Mark Felix Meyers, Richard Hyde, John Sadlier, Ryder, Hyde, hadn't, Russell Allen, Matt Baker, Jacintoport, Cloelle Danforth, Public Health Watch —, Danforth, Mark Felix Honeycutt's, Eric Schaeffer, Schaeffer, Honeycutt, Jim Tarr, polluters, upended, Mark Felix Fracking, Barnett, Glenn Shankle —, —, Rick Perry, Perry, Sadlier, David Bower, misstep, Baker, Bower, Michael Burgess, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Mark Felix Meanwhile, Randy, That's, Carolyn Stone, Stone, Carolyn Stone's, Mark Felix The, Cynthia Benson, Benson, Mark Felix Tim Doty, Mark Felix K, Jordan Gass Organizations: Public Health Watch, Texas Commission, Environmental, American Petroleum Institute, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S . Navy, Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, General, Health, Public Health, Rice University, Environmental Protection Agency, Texas Community Health, AirToxScreen Harris County Attorney, polluters, Mark Felix Public Health, TCEQ, Solv, Mark Felix Public Health Watch, myelodysplasia, Houston, Oil, Gas Watch, Texas, Houston Ship, University of California, Houston Mayor, ., . Texas Community Health, NASA, Exxon Mobil, Public, Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, Management, Civil, Air Alliance Houston, Republican, Fort, United, Texas toxicologist, EPA, Texas Tribune, Google, Land Office, . Geological Survey, National Oceanic, Firefighters, U.S . Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Channelview, Improvement Coalition, Health Watch, San Jacinto, K, Texas Legislature, Solv Group, Services Locations: , Texas, Texas, Houston, Channelview's Jacintoport, San Jacinto, California, Jacintoport, Channelview , Texas, AirToxScreen Harris County, Channelview, Harris County, United States, North Channelview, Gulf, Terrace, Joel's, Houston , Texas, Spindletop, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Port of Houston, San Francisco, . Texas, That's, polluters, lacquers, Dallas, Fort Worth, Fort Worth City, Austin, Round, Minnesota, Galveston, U.S

HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas attorney has been accused of using work-related visits to a county jail to smuggle in legal paperwork laced with ecstasy and synthetic marijuana to inmates over the past several months, authorities announced Monday. Ronald Lewis, 77, was arrested on Friday after arriving at the Harris County Jail in Houston to visit an inmate, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said at a news conference. Other attorneys are also suspected of smuggling drug-laced paperwork into the jail but “we don’t think it’s actually widespread,” Gonzalez said. We’re going to make sure we investigate it fully and hold them accountable.”Gonzalez said the county jail is like others around the country that have seen an increase in overdoses. The county jail has had at least 18 inmate deaths this year, some of them believed to be drug-related.

Persons: —, Ronald Lewis, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Lewis, Gonzalez, Jay Wheeler, Wheeler, “ We’re, ” Wheeler, ” Gonzalez, “, “ There’s, ___, Juan, Lozano Organizations: HOUSTON, Harris County Sheriff, State Bar of, Investigations, Security Division, Authorities, Texas Rangers Locations: Texas, Harris, Houston, Harris County, State Bar of Texas

His decision came months after a two-week trial in August in which no GOP voters came forward to testify they were unable to vote because of the problems. The ruling is a blow to efforts by GOP leaders in Harris County to overturn November 2022 election results in 17 other local contests. Elections have been scrutinized for several years now in Harris County — which has nearly 5 million residents, most of whom are Latino or Black. The lawsuit was the first filed over Harris County’s November 2022 election results that went to trial. Harris County in recent years has become a recurring target of new Texas voting rules and restrictions passed by GOP lawmakers.

Persons: —, that’s, Republican Erin Lunceford, David Peeples, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, weren’t, Lunceford, Harris County’s, Tamika Craft, Harris County Republican Party’s, Harris, Brandon Rottinghaus, ___, Juan, Lozano Organizations: HOUSTON, Republican, Democratic, GOP, Tamika, Harris County Republican, Texas House, University of Houston, Twitter Locations: Texas, Harris County, Houston, Republican, Harris, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a 15-year-old last year was beaten by members of the teen's family during a courtroom melee in San Antonio, authorities said. Victor Rivas, 18, who is charged with murder in the May 2022 death of Ethan Soto, was in a Bexar County courtroom Friday awaiting a preliminary hearing when he was attacked. Four people — two men and two juveniles — were arrested and will be charged with assault and disrupting court proceedings, the Bexar County sheriff's office said. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesAs deputies responded to the commotion in Houston courtroom on Oct. 17, an inmate who was left unattended in a holding area managed to walk out of the courthouse. The Harris County sheriff's office said Thursday that the inmate had been recaptured.

Persons: Victor Rivas, Ethan Soto, Rivas, Adam LaHood, —, haven't, he'd Organizations: ANTONIO Locations: San Antonio, Bexar, Bexar County, Houston, Harris

HOUSTON (AP) — The challenges facing Houston’s next mayor are familiar to many big cities: crime, crumbling infrastructure, budget shortfalls and a lack of affordable housing. “This (new) mayor comes along at a time when the city is doing well, though the city faces issues,” said Bob Harvey, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, a local business group. They highlight what they see as Houston’s failings while touting it as an international city teeming with diversity. Others in contention are former head of Houston’s public transit system Gilbert Garcia, attorney Lee Kaplan, Houston City Councilman Robert Gallegos and former council members Jack Christie and M.J. Khan. The city’s challenges are due in part to its explosive growth over the past decade.

Persons: Houston’s, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sen, John Whitmire, ”, Bob Harvey, Houston, Sylvester Turner, Gilbert Garcia, Lee Kaplan, Robert Gallegos, Jack Christie, M.J, Khan, ” Garcia, Garcia, Greg Abbott, Troy Finner, Patrick Jankowski, Bill King, Brandon Rottinghaus, Jackson Lee, Johnny Mata, “, ” Mata, Jankowski, Harvey, ” Harvey, Juan, Lozano Organizations: HOUSTON, U.S . Rep, Texas Legislature, Texas Democrats, Greater Houston Partnership, Houston, Republican Gov, Houston Police, pothole, University, Greater Houston Coalition for Justice Locations: November’s, U.S, Houston, Texas, Houston City, Harris County, America

Greg Abbott signed a law this year that removed Harris County's elections administrator and transferred the responsibility to other local officials. Democrats who lead Harris County have acknowledged issues, including limited paper ballot shortages and machine malfunctions, on Election Day last year. Republicans cheered the findings as justification for the new laws that transferred election oversight. Another new law signed by Abbott earlier this year clears the way for Nelson's office to potentially take oversight of Harris County elections. Following the 2020 election, Texas also audited elections in Harris and three other counties, which came after former President Donald Trump falsely claimed the election was stolen and pressured Abbott to review ballots.

Persons: —, Jane Nelson, Harris, Greg Abbott, Teneshia Hudspeth, ” Hudspeth, Nelson, Abbott, Donald Trump Organizations: Democratic, Texas, Republican, Republican Gov Locations: AUSTIN, Texas, Harris County, U.S, Houston, Harris

HOUSTON (AP) — Family members of a murdered 16-year-old girl tried to attack her ex-boyfriend during a court hearing Tuesday after he had pleaded guilty to shooting her nearly two dozen times while she was walking her dog. During a court hearing Tuesday, Alvarez’s mother, Anna Machado, took the witness stand to give a victim impact statement. Video of the court hearing shows Machado finishing her statement and walking toward DeLeon, who was sitting at a table with his attorney. The uncle is quickly restrained, but DeLeon’s mother then comes and starts shoving Alvarez’s mother. DeLeon’s trial had been set to begin this week, but he decided to accept the plea agreement, prosecutors said.

Persons: —, Frank DeLeon, Diamond Alvarez, Alvarez, DeLeon, Alvarez’s, Anna Machado, Machado, “, ” Machado, DeLeon’s, ”, Kim Ogg, Juan, Lozano Organizations: HOUSTON Locations: Houston, ” Harris County

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