I’d love to speak with someone who was in the room years ago when US policymakers decided to charge women higher tariffs than men for fashion. ‘Pink tariffs’, they call them. The US is the only nation that charges gender-based tariffs on apparel, I’m told by global trade experts, none of whom seem to know why, nor how they started. It’s been going on for decades — since at least… Read more »

A young Houston woman’s death has put an increased focus on Texas's abortion laws just days before the general election. On Wednesday, investigative news outlet ProPublica published the story of Josseli Barnica. According to the report, the 28-year-old Houston mother was 17 weeks pregnant with her second child when she suffered a miscarriage. However, when she got to the HCA Houston… Read more »

Just days before the election, both parties are intensifying their efforts to sway voters on priority issues. In Texas, the state’s abortion restrictions and women’s reproductive rights are a hotly debated topic in this election cycle. A group of Texas Democrat lawmakers, doctors and women's reproductive rights advocates held a news conference in response to… Read more »

Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Houston) reiterated her push to fund a shortfall in federal disaster relief funds at Axios Houston's event on clean energy yesterday. State of play: Earlier this month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency revealed it does not have enough funding to cover the rest of the hurricane season, even before the catastrophic Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf of… Read more »

September is National Preparedness Month, a reminder for everyone to be prepared for emergencies and disasters so they can keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe. This year, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7) is co-chairing National Preparedness Month, with a special focus on ensuring the AAPI community is prepared for disasters. Rep. Fletcher announced the theme for… Read more »

As Congressional Co-Chair for National Disaster Preparedness Month, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher calls on Asian American communities to prepare for disasters. She serves as co-chair of FEMA National Preparedness Month. This year, FEMA is focused on preparing Asian American communities for disasters. She called on the public to prepare for disasters in advance. The following toolkits are… Read more »

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Alief Independent School District is receiving $7,900,000 through EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program. This significant award which is made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help the school district purchase 20 electric emission-free school buses to replace diesel operated school buses. EPA… Read more »

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee died in Houston late Friday at the age of 74. Jackson Lee, who was running for a 16th term, announced in June that she'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She had a reputation as a firebrand and a prominent voice on civil rights and progressive issues. Sheila Jackson Lee was a force in American politics. Born in Queens, New York, she was… Read more »

HOUSTON – Local and federal leaders gathered at Belen Community Center in Harris County Precinct 4 to address the pressing needs of over 1.3 million residents left without power during an oppressive heatwave after Hurricane Beryl. Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones started the news conference by highlighting the collaborative efforts to secure additional funds and resources… Read more »

The Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority / City of Houston TIRZ 20 is pleased to announce that it has worked in coordination with the City of Houston to secure $5.78 Million in federal grant appropriations for the Civic Core Campus project. The project is an effort to redevelop and expand the Southwest Multiservice center in Southwest Houston at Hillcroft Avenue and High… Read more »