Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated during a 30-day period that runs from September 15 to October 15. The theme for this year is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.” To learn more about this year’s theme, visit the website of the National Council of Hispanic Employment Program Managers ..read more

The Barber of Little Rock is a compelling short film about the efforts of one man, Arlo Washington, to help address the racial wealth gap ..read more

Get ready, Houston! New courts are coming to town. Beginning on September 1, 2024, Houston will be home to the newly established Eleventh Business Court Division. Proposed by House Bill 19 in 2023, the business courts are special trial courts designed to resolve complex commercial business disputes ..read more

As the summer comes to an end, Houstonians are once again gifted with the yearly return of Houston Restaurant Weeks (HRW). This annual event fosters a fun way for the community to help in the fight against food insecurity. From August 1st to September 2nd, diners can visit restaurants around the city and order a special HRW menu. Participating restaurants will then donate a portion of the profits to the Houston Food Bank. The idea of HRW is to “Dine Out and Do Good”. And the initiative certainly has done good. In the 20 years that HRW has operated, it has raised $18.8 million, providing 56.4 m ..read more

On Friday, July 5th, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a 6-3 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises et. al. v. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, et. al. (2024) that overturned a 40-year legal precedent known as Chevron deference. In the days that followed, headlines were filled with the sentiment that administrative law had met its demise ..read more

Photo by Levi Guzman on Unsplash It’s not too difficult a nut to crack, but Texans are nuts about pecans. And who can blame them? A slice of pecan pie with a scoop of Blue Bell® Homemade Vanilla on top is just about as Texan as one can get. We all know it and so does the Texas Legislature. Through the action of the legislature, the pecan has gained a place of honor in the long list of state symbols. It is represented by the state tree, the state health nut, and, of course, the state pie. So, how does something become a state symbol here in the Lone Star State? It all begins with the Texas Leg ..read more

The following storm and disaster recovery resources are now available for those affected by Hurricane Beryl in Houston and Harris County. Call 2-1-1 (Texas) or 3-1-1 (Houston) for immediate assistance for emergency needs, such as food, clothing, and housing. PDF from Ready Harris: English | Spanish Visit Ready Harris for information about crisis cleanup, reporting and managing damage, and accessing resources. This includes the Crisis Cleanup Line, which can be reached at 832-509-2977 for Harris County residents. Find designated cooling centers located in Houston and Harris County by viewing t ..read more

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be everywhere these days. Casual dining restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s, have tested the use of AI in their drive-thru lanes (and have since dispensed with them). Businesses, such as Microsoft, have begun using customer services bots at their call centers. While the rise in the use of AI brings with it many advantages, such as increased efficiency and productivity, it also carries some distinct disadvantages like unemployment concerns, hallucinations, and bias. There are also very real societal risks associat ..read more

This blog post was originally published on June 06, 2019, and was last updated on June 06, 2024. Today, we remember the sacrifices of the brave men and women who served our country in World War II. On June 6, 1944, more than 150,000 troops composed of U.S. and allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France to fight the forces of fascism. (see Army.mil Features: D-Day). Today, 80 years later, we honor those troops who fought for the very existence of democracy across the globe. The invasion of Normandy, named “Operation Overlord,” was the culmination of months of planning and prepara ..read more

June 1st marked the 50th anniversary of a life-saving innovation, the Heimlich Maneuver. This technique, introduced in 1974 by an American thoracic surgeon named Dr. Henry Heimlich, was devised to clear airway obstructions and prevent choking in humans. Dr. Heimlich’s article, “Pop Goes the Café Coronary,” was not a peer-reviewed study. It was, at the time, a simple call to action for everyday people to try the technique on choking victims they encountered and to spread the word about its effectiveness. Based on anecdotal reports, the Chicago Daily News published an article about the method’s ..read more