AV: H-Town Headlines
- Majority of Americans oppose having data centers in their communities due to noise concerns.
- Houston faces its largest budget deficit, with disputes over causes and solutions.
- Forecasters predict a slightly below-average hurricane season in 2026.
(Houston, TX) — A new poll found that 65-percent of Americans don’t a data center in their community, and a big part of that is the noise. University of Houston Professor Ed Hirs has visited one of these facilities. He says there are air conditioners and water pumps used to cool the super computers inside. The poll found that only 35 percent of those surveyed are either “very excited” or “somewhat excited” about the advances in artificial intelligence that data centers bring.
Houston Controller, Mayor Disagree Over Projected Budget Shortfall
(Houston, TX) — Houston City Controller Chris Hollins and Mayor John Whitmire are at odds over the city’s budget deficit. As the end of the fiscal year approaches in June, Hollins estimates the shortfall at 174 million dollars, the largest in the city’s history. He says runaway overtime and overestimated property tax revenues are two of the main problems with the budget. Whitmire says his administration plans to balance the budget without raising taxes, largely by eliminating “waste, fraud and duplication.”
Forecasters Call For Slightly Milder Hurricane Season In 2026
(Houston, TX) — The first major forecast of the upcoming hurricane season says storm activity is expected to be slightly below average overall. Colorado State University researchers released their 2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast on Thursday, as they do every year prior to the start of the season on June 1st. The forecast calls for 13 named storms, six hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. An average season produces one more storm in each of those three categories. The forecast says El Niño will partially offset the effects of warm sea-surface waters.
Police: Splendora HS Teacher Cuts Herself, Falsely Blames Student For Attack
(Splendora, TX) — A Splendora High School teacher has a court date this morning after reportedly making a false claim that a student attacked her on Thursday. School resource officers responded around 8:45 a.m. when Nicole Truelove reported that a student had cut her with a sharp object. The campus was placed on lockdown, resulting in a large law enforcement response. Investigators say Truelove injured herself and lied about being attacked. Montgomery County deputies arrested her for filing a false report and tampering with evidence.
House Moves To Enforce Fines Against Runaway Democrats
(Austin, TX) — The Republican-led House Administration Committee meets in Austin today to discuss the fines levied on last summer’s runaway Democrats. Dozens of Democrats broke quorum and fled the state to obstruct a vote on congressional redistricting. The chair of the committee notified most of the Democrats in January that each of them owes a seven-thousand-dollar fee for being absent, plus another two-thousand to reimburse the state for the cost of bringing them back to Austin. So far, all of the Democrats have failed to pay up. .
Astros Visit Mariners Tonight
(Seattle, WA) — The Astros are looking to snap a four-game losing skid. Houston visits the Seattle Mariners tonight at T-Mobile Park. Right-hander Tatsuya Imai is slated to start opposite Seattle righty Emerson Hancock. Imai is 1-and-0 with a 4.32 ERA through two starts this season. The Astros will enter at 6-and-7.
Rockets Defeat 76ers For Eighth Straight Win
(Houston, TX) — The Rockets notched their eighth straight win with a 113-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Toyota Center. Kevin Durant paced Houston with a game-high 29 points while Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. finished the contest with 19. The Rockets are sitting fifth in the West at 51-and-29. They host the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.
DOJ Opens Investigation Into NFL Subscription Costs
(Washington, DC) — The Justice Department is investigating whether the NFL has forced fans into paying too much in subscription fees to watch games. That’s according to multiple reports. Many of the league’s games are now broadcast on streaming platforms like Prime Video and Netflix after years of games airing on broadcast TV. The DOJ is looking into antitrust and anticompetitive tactics related to games airing on the platforms. It all comes after Utah Senator Mike Lee requested in a letter to the FTC last month that there should be a review of the league’s streaming platform exemptions and look into whether there was a violation of the Sports Broadcasting Act.
