A new Home Depot Foundation poll and local reporting show Texans waiting far longer to rebuild after disasters because trained tradespeople are scarce. Industry groups say expanded training and policy fixes are needed.

More than 500 people gathered on Galveston’s Seawall on Sunday to protest federal immigration enforcement after two controversial Minneapolis shootings. Organizers said the turnout marked a sharp jump from earlier local actions.

Texas pushed the deadline to Feb. 23 for SNAP replacement claims after January’s winter storm. Approved benefits should appear on Lone Star Cards within two business days.

Houston districts are installing AI monitoring software on school devices to flag self-harm. Students and privacy advocates say the alerts often misfire and erode trust.

Houston joins national "ICE Out" protests against immigration enforcement practices, with local events including a boycott and a student walkout. Two fatal ICE shootings in Minneapolis have intensified calls for change.

Rice students at Rice University launched ICE Map, an interactive tool that aggregates news‑reported ICE arrests and detention inspection reports after enforcement sweeps rattled Southeast Houston.

TEA data show more than 212,000 Texas students with dyslexia were in special education last year — a more-than-600% rise that’s straining districts’ staffing and budgets.

Houston students face cold classrooms due to heating issues at several HISD campuses post-winter freeze. Wheatley High, under TEA scrutiny, is among those with disrupted learning conditions.

UHD President Loren J. Blanchard will step down April 30, 2026, to assume the presidency at Cal State Long Beach on May 1, ending a nearly five‑year tenure.

South Houston ordered Going Above and Beyond to vacate city property by Feb. 6, a move volunteers say could halt weekly distributions that feed hundreds.

The Houston Housing Authority will ask its board to rebrand as Housing Alliance HTX while moving ahead with redevelopment and voucher conversions. Advocates worry the change could cloud accountability.

Schools in the Houston area are reopening after a freeze, with most resuming classes, but some are delayed due to issues like water leaks, per KHOU and FOX 26 reports.

Houston-area schools close due to an incoming winter storm, prompting safety precautions amidst extreme cold warnings and icy conditions. Community schedules are disrupted as families and institutions brace for the impact.