AV H -Town Headlines
HPD officer fired after racist video still has active peace officer license, TCOLE says
Former Houston Police Officer Ashley Gonzalez, who was terminated after a video surfaced showing her using racial slurs, still holds an active peace officer license, according to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. As of now, there are no criminal charges against Gonzalez, and her license status is separate from her termination by HPD. Records show Gonzalez was involved in at least 33 arrests of Black defendants from 2024 to 2026, with 15 cases listing her as the arresting officer. The District Attorney’s Office is currently reviewing cases involving Gonzalez to assess any potential impact on those cases.
Spirit Airlines Doomed By ‘Recent Geopolitical Events’
Spirit Airlines says “a massive and sustained increase in fuel prices” forced the carrier to ground its fleet. Court papers filed Monday show the airline pointed to “recent geopolitical events” as a factor behind the shutdown, but it did not specify the nature of those events. According to the filings, “it became clear on Thursday that sufficient incremental liquidity would not be found, and that there were no longer any viable paths to a restructuring or continued operations.” Now the budget carrier is requesting the authority to “take necessary steps to wind down its fleet operations.” Spirit ceased operations early Saturday morning.
Report: Cell Phone Bans Haven’t Improved Test Scores
New research shows that banning cell phones in schools has improved student mental well-being, but it hasn’t improved test scores. The nonprofit National Bureau of Economic Research looked at thousands of schools and found that grades and attendance haven’t improved. About two-thirds of the states have laws limiting the use of cell phones on campus in some form or another.
