HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Families across Houston ISD woke up on Tuesday morning to a letter about bus route changes.
According to the letter sent to parents, the district is cutting dozens of bus routes for the upcoming school year.
The district said it decreased the number of bus routes from 508 in the 2023-2024 school year to an estimated 423 routes in the 2024-2025 school year.
HISD says the more than $50 million spent in the past to transport roughly 9,000 zoned and choice students to school is not sustainable.
Choice students elect to attend a school other than the one they are zoned to. The school choice program allows families to choose from hundreds of neighborhood and specialty school options via a single application, according to HISD.
The 85 bus routes that were cut will mostly impact students in the school choice program.
HISD plans to reduce total transportation costs by $10 million this upcoming school year.
Superintendent Mike Miles’ budget passed in a late-night five-to-four vote. As part of his plan, one-third of the funds will go toward the 130 “NES” schools.
Just last month, the district passed its $2.1 billion budget.
HISD cuts have been a hot topic. ABC13 reported in the past that 1,500 positions were eliminated across the district.
As part of the $10 million in total transportation cost reduction, HISD says streamlining routes will save an estimated $3 million. Additional cost savings will reportedly come from improving the way the district dispatches and manages buses.
Student bus stops will now be within a three-mile radius of the student’s home, HISD said. The radius was previously two miles.
The district said families should learn their new route before the end of July.
According to HISD, this change will also reduce the time spent in transit for students and maximize time spent learning.
HISD claims the average student ride time will be reduced from one hour and 45 minutes each way to one hour and 15 minutes.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Torrential downpours from tropical moisture are possible through Thursday, so we are on Weather Watch for the possibility of street flooding.
We saw heavy rain come down across parts of SE Texas Monday with some spots seeing over a half a foot of rain. That again will be a possibility in parts of SE Texas for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Multiple rounds of heavy downpours expected this week could trigger Flash Flood Warnings, especially Wednesday and Thursday.
We will start off Tuesday with rain near our coastal cities and that will move farther inland as we head closer to midday. The storms will continue marching northward and eventually fizzle out in the evening. The early onset of rain will keep highs capped in the mid-to-upper 80s.
It would be a good idea to pad in extra travel time wherever you go this week in case you have to slow down during heavy rain or find an alternate route due to a flooded roadway.
What should I know about the Weather Watch Days Tuesday through Thursday?
This is the time period with the highest levels of tropical moisture, which steadily increase through Thursday and then quickly decline Friday through Sunday. A stationary front is also parked nearby, allowing for potentially slow-moving downpours. This is when street flooding and flooding of low-lying/flood-prone areas could be a concern in communities that experience heavy rain. The Weather Prediction Center has put almost all of southeast Texas at slight risk for flooding during this time, and an upgrade to a moderate risk is possible for Wednesday through Thursday morning. Some of the heaviest showers could produce rainfall rates over 3″ per hour. There are also signs that an area of low pressure may spin up west of Houston Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and if confidence in this scenario grows, it will greatly increase the threat of sustained heavy rainfall and warrant an upgrade to an ABC13 Weather Alert Day.
How much rain are we expecting this week?
We are expecting 5 to 7 inches of rain to be common south of I-10 with 3 to 5 inches of rain to be common north of I-10. Locally higher amounts are possible with some locations picking up over 10 inches of rain for the week. Because the rain will be falling in multiple waves, these totals should be mostly manageable for our watersheds. Bayous, creeks, and streams will likely be running high by week’s end.
Will these storms bring any severe weather?
Severe weather looks unlikely at this time, but a few storms could potentially grow strong enough to also bring gusty winds. The main concern this week will be street and area flooding from heavy downpours.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
Right now, we’re tracking plumes of Saharan dust, so no tropical development is expected over the next seven days. In fact, one of those plumes could reach us late in the week to help bring rain chances back down, even if only for a day or so. We are seeing signs that the tropics could come back to life the first week of August. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for the latest on what’s happening in the tropics.
The United States Secret Service director told Congress on Monday the attempted assassination against former President Donald Trump was the “most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades” and took full responsibility for the lapses in security that day.
“The Secret Service’s solemn mission is to protect our nation’s leaders. On July 13th, we failed,” U.S. Secret Service Director Kim Cheatle testified before the House Oversight Committee. “As the Director of the United States Secret Service, I take full responsibility for any security lapse. We are fully cooperating with ongoing investigations. We must learn what happened.”
In her first hearing before Congress, Cheatle also told the committee that she will move “heaven and earth” to ensure what occurred on July 13 will never happen again.
“Our mission is not political. It is literally a matter of life and death, as the tragic events on July 13th remind us of that,” she said. “I have full confidence in the men and women of the Secret Service. They are worthy of our support in executing our protective mission.”
This is yet another consequential week for the Secret Service, which is tasked with providing security to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Washington, D.C., something the director has been focused on while also overseeing the security in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention.
Cheatle is facing a grilling before the House Oversight Committee over how her agency handled security around the attempted assassination of Trump.
She has faced calls from multiple Republicans and at least one Democrat to resign after the former president was targeted at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Lawmakers on the House Oversight and Governmental Affairs Committee are going to press Cheatle on what went wrong, what the Secret Service knew and when they knew it.
The hearing room was packed, with standing room only, as opening statements were given by chairman James Comer, ranking member Jamie Raskin and Cheatle. House Speaker Mike Johnson was also in attendance.
Cheatle will also face questions about whether her agency denied former President Trump’s security detail resources it has requested in the two years before Saturday, as first reported by The Washington Post, something her agency initially denied but then admitted over the weekend.
In a statement to ABC News, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said, “In some instances where specific Secret Service specialized units or resources were not provided, the agency made modifications to ensure the security of the protectee. This may include utilizing state or local partners to provide specialized functions or otherwise identifying alternatives to reduce public exposure of a protectee.”
“The American People have lots of questions, and they deserve answers,” the Republican chairman, Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, said on “Fox News Sunday” when asked about Monday’s hearing.
In a rare bipartisan statement, the committee’s top Democrat, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, had joined Comer in demanding that Cheatle testify after the Department of Homeland Security asked that her appearance be delayed, resulting in Comer issuing a subpoena.
“Americans have many serious questions about the historic security failures that occurred at the campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle must appear before the House Oversight Committee without delay on Monday, July 22 to answer our many questions and provide the transparency and accountability that Americans deserve and that are at the foundation of our government,” they wrote.
The DHS inspector general has opened three separate investigations into what went wrong, the FBI is currently leading a criminal investigation and House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged congressional resources for a separate investigation.
As the head of the agency, Cheatle said it was her responsibility to investigate what went wrong and ensure that it does not happen again.
“The buck stops with me,” she told ABC News Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas in an exclusive interview last Monday. “I am the director of the Secret Service, and I need to make sure that we are performing a review and that we are giving resources to our personnel as necessary.”
Cheatle has been in Milwaukee the past week overseeing security for the Republican National Convention and met with the former president last Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
“Secret Service is not political,” she told ABC News. “Security is not political. People’s safety is not political. And that’s what we’re focused on as an agency.”
Republicans also signaled they would question her about past statements that promoting diversity in the agency was a top priority.
DHS pushed back against criticism of women in Trump’s security detail.
“In the days following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, some people have made public statements questioning the presence of women in law enforcement, including in the United States Secret Service,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other senior leaders wrote in a statement. “These assertions are baseless and insulting.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Get ready for a wet week! Multiple rounds of showers and storms, some heavy, are on the way this week and could lead to street flooding. Tuesday and Wednesday are Weather Watch days due to the street flooding threat.
We are starting off your week mostly dry Monday morning but rain chances should climb heading into the afternoon. With the slow storm motion, street flooding will be a possibility. 1-3″ of rain will be possible with any storm that pops up Monday. More rounds of widespread rain are anticipated through your work week. Temperatures should only rise into the upper 80s/low 90s.
What should I know about the Weather Watch Days on Tuesday and Wednesday?
With this rainy forecast, Tuesday and Wednesday stand out for being the days where rain could be the most widespread across Southeast Texas and the heaviest. The stationary front will park right over the region each day, allowing for potentially slow-moving and heavy rains. This is when street flooding and flooding of low-lying/flood prone areas could be a concern in areas that experience those heavy rains. The Weather Prediction Center has put almost all of Southeast Texas in its slight risk for flooding both days as well. Some of the heaviest showers could produce rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inchesan hour.
How much rain are we expecting this week?
On average, all of Southeast Texas could easily pick up 3 to 6 inches of rain by the end of next weekend. More likely though, accumulations of 6 to 8 inches will be common. Locally higher amounts are possible too with some locations pick up 10 inches of rain for the week. Most of this rain will be falling in multiple waves, so these totals should be manageable for our watersheds. But bayous, creeks and streams will likely be running high by week’s end.
Will these storms bring any severe weather?
Severe weather looks unlikely at this time, but a few storms could potentially grow strong enough to also bring gusty winds. The main concern this week will be street and area flooding from heavy downpours.
What are you tracking in the tropics?
Right now, we’re tracking plumes of Saharan dust, so no tropical development is expected over the next seven days. In fact, one of those plumes could reach us late next week to bring rain chances back down, even if only for a day or so. We are seeing signs that the tropics could come back to life the first week of August. Head to our daily Tropical Update page for the latest on what’s happening in the tropics.
Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump held a campaign rally in Grand Rapids with his running mate, J.D. Vance, marking their first appearance together.
Trump, donning a flesh-colored bandage on his ear, used the rally to target Vice President Kamala Harris, who is expected to be the Democratic candidate following President Joe Biden’s sudden exit from the race. Trump’s campaign aims to link Harris to the administration’s immigration and economic policies, which they argue have led to voter dissatisfaction.
“Harris will be easier to beat than Joe Biden would have been,” Trump said to CNN after Biden’s announcement.
Trump’s campaign is focusing on tying Harris to Biden’s immigration policies, blaming them for the increase in illegal crossings at the southern border. Additionally, they plan to criticize the economic situation, highlighting voter concerns over high food and fuel costs and rising interest rates.
“She’s the co-pilot of the Biden vision,” an anonymous Trump adviser stated during the Republican National Convention, where Trump was officially nominated.
Trump’s supporters at the rally got a preview of his likely attacks on Harris. “I call her laughing Kamala. You ever watch a laugh? She’s crazy. You can tell a lot by a laugh. She’s crazy. She’s nuts,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party faces uncertainty in determining their next steps, with no guarantee that Harris will become the nominee despite Biden’s endorsement. If nominated, Harris, a 59-year-old Black and Asian-American woman, would present a stark generational and cultural contrast to Trump.
Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau suggested that Harris could energize younger voters and people of color, demographics that Biden struggled to engage. With her background as a prosecutor and former California attorney general, Harris is expected to effectively challenge Trump in the public sphere.
Republican strategist Chip Felkel warned against underestimating Harris, noting her potential appeal to various voter segments. Recent polls indicate a competitive race, with Harris and Trump tied at 44% each in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on July 15-16.
Trump’s campaign, which had anticipated Biden’s potential withdrawal, is ready to redeploy resources to counter Harris. Despite Harris’s potential to attract diverse voter groups, Republican consultant Jeanette Hoffman believes her association with Biden will hinder her campaign.
MAGA Inc CEO Taylor Budowich stated that the group has prepared research on various potential Democratic candidates and is ready for any outcome in the evolving race.
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign event at Westover High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on July 18, 2024. (Photo by Allison Joyce / AFP) (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images)
In his letter, Biden called Harris an “extraordinary partner” and said choosing her to serve as vice-president was “the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year.”
In a statement on Twitter/X, Harris said: “I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country.
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said on X.
Here is Kamala Harris’s full statement:
On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country. His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many Presidents who have served two terms in office.
It is a profound honor to serve as his Vice President, and I am deeply grateful to the President, Dr. Biden, and the entire Biden family. I first came to know President Biden through his son Beau. We were friends from our days working together as Attorneys General of our home states. As we worked together, Beau would tell me stories about his Dad. The kind of father—and the kind of man—he was. And the qualities Beau revered in his father are the same qualities, the same values, I have seen every single day in Joe’s leadership as President: His honesty and integrity. His big heart and commitment to his faith and his family. And his love of our country and the American people.
With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.
I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination. Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party—and unite our nation—to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.
We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.
President Biden announced on Sunday that he will not seek reelection and has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the upcoming election.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden posted on the social platform X. “My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made.”
Biden continued, “Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”
Biden’s initial announcement that he would not seek reelection spurred speculation about the party’s future. However, his endorsement of Harris provides her a significant advantage in the race to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
Harris has several advantages: she was part of the winning ticket in 2020, received millions of votes in this year’s primaries, has been campaigning in swing states, has been a prominent advocate for abortion access, and is the only other candidate with access to the Biden-Harris campaign’s substantial war chest.
Several lawmakers had already expressed their support for Harris if Biden chose not to run. Skipping over the first woman and first woman of color elected vice president could provoke political backlash within the party.
It remains unclear if Harris will face any challengers for the nomination or if the Democrats will push for an open convention or a rapid primary before the Democratic National Convention begins on August 19 in Chicago.
Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign faced significant challenges and ended before the Iowa caucuses, raising questions about her ability to develop a winning message. Additionally, Republicans are expected to target her role as the “border czar” and tie her to ongoing issues like inflation that have affected the Biden administration.
GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) — Authorities fear at least three people may still be inside a car that was driven off Pier 21 in Galveston early Sunday morning.
According to Lt. Jeff Banks, the Galveston Police Department received a call about a vehicle that drove through the chain and into the water at 21st Street and Harborside Drive around 1 a.m.
Investigators arrived and learned at least one man, identified as the driver, escaped and told police that there were still three others inside.
Banks said he estimates the water is about 20 to 30 feet deep.
Port of Galveston Police and the U.S. Coast Guard joined the search using helicopters, boats, and dive teams. As of 6:15 a.m., Banks told ABC13 that they had located the vehicle, but it was still underwater.
Crews had to wait for several cruise ships to pass before they could begin their efforts to retrieve the car. Banks said they have not confirmed if additional people are inside the vehicle. If they are, the outcome is likely grim since the car has been underwater for hours.
Galveston PD said the driver was transported to the hospital, where investigators are interviewing him. They are still working to find out the cause and whether the driver was intoxicated at the time of the incident
Calls from some Democrats in Congress for President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential election have raised questions about how his Democratic replacement would get on the November ballot across the country. State law suggests a new nominee wouldn’t have much of a problem doing so in Texas if the party acts soon.
The two major parties have until Aug. 26 to submit the names of their presidential candidates for the Texas ballot, giving Democrats five weeks to make changes.
The Texas election code states that the Texas Secretary of State can certify a political party’s replacement nominee for president or vice president if the original nominee withdraws, dies or is declared ineligible by the 74th day before the presidential election day, which is Aug. 23 this year, if the party’s state chair submits the replacement nominee no later than 5 p.m. of the 71st day before the election day, which is Aug. 26.
This means if Biden drops out of the presidential race against Donald Trump, the Democratic Party could select a new nominee during its national convention on Aug. 19-22 just in time for the nominee to appear on the Texas ballot.
Biden on Friday vowed to return to the campaign trail next week, according to The New York Times, and Vice President Kamala Harris reassured donors that she and Biden would win the election. This is despite earlier reports that Biden was listening more seriously to the concerns about his candidacy.
The longer Biden waits to withdraw, the harder the logistics of replacing him on the ballot become, according to Votebeat.
Even though Election Day isn’t until Nov. 5, election officials across the country also have to account for state election deadlines and for voters, including members of the military, who will be voting by mail and need additional time to receive and return their ballots. For example, Maricopa County in Arizona said that its ballots need to be finalized by Aug. 22, Votebeat reported.
In Texas, counties manage the printing of their own ballots and include the names of the candidates given to them by the secretary of state, according to Votebeat.
That office sends those names in late August, after the conventions. Military ballots go out on Sept. 21 and must be printed days ahead of that. Trudy Hancock, the election administrator in Brazos County, told Votebeat that the county’s ballots are typically finished by Sept. 10 to allow for proofing and to account for any delays.
If Biden drops out after ballots are printed, electors – the party representatives who cast their state’s votes for president in the electoral college – could vote for the person the Democratic party nominates as his replacement in states that allow it, Votebeat reported.
To win the presidency in the Electoral College, a candidate must get at least 270 votes from the 538 electors across the country. Each state gets as many electors as it has U.S. senators and representatives in Congress. In most states, including Texas, whoever wins the most votes from voters gets all the Electoral College votes for that state.
In rare instances, some electors have cast votes for someone other than their party’s official nominee, which has stirred some concerns of “faithless electors” in recent years. In Texas, a 2023 update to the state’s election code requires electors to sign an oath that they will vote for the chosen candidate.
SEATTLE — – Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead two-run homer off former Houston reliever Ryne Stanek in the seventh inning, and the Astros beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Saturday night to take sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time this year.
Stuck playing catchup through the first 3 months of the season, Houston has won six of eight to climb into first place all alone.
“It’s awesome to hear but I think it’s the same thing as month one or month two being down 10, 12 games. I think we’ve adopted the same mindset of, we’ve just got to keep winning the game at hand and playing together, and we’re a great team when we do that,” Meyers said.
Seattle lost its fifth straight – its longest losing streak since dropping six in a row in May 2022 – and fell out of first place for the first time since May 11.
“This club is going through a lot of things. It happens through the course of a season,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We’ve got guys who are struggling right now to get some traction and get it going, and they know it. They feel it. And the team in the other dugout across the way is playing very good baseball right now.”
Meyers drove a 1-2 pitch from Stanek (6-3) to right-center field for his 11th homer. Stanek opened the inning by walking Jeremy Peña, and the homer by Meyers cost George Kirby the chance at a victory after he allowed one run in six innings.
Julio Rodríguez snapped Seattle’s 14-inning scoreless drought when his two-run homer off Framber Valdez gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead in the sixth. It was his 11th of the season and Rodríguez nearly hit a second longball in the eighth off Ryan Pressly only to watch Trey Cabbage make a leaping catch at the wall in right field.
“He got me at home (in Houston) so I had to give a subtle one back to him,” Cabbage said.
It was one of two terrific defensive plays by the Astros in the eighth as Joey Loperfidoended the inning with a diving grab of Mitch Garver’s drive into the left-field corner and saved one run from scoring.
“For Joey to run that ball down, that ball is moving away from him and he stayed with it the whole way, got a great jump and dove and caught it. I mean, just two huge plays,” Meyers said.
Valdez pitched 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, four walks and struck out six. Tayler Scott (7-3) got the final out of the sixth before Bryan Abreu, Pressly and Josh Hader closed out the final three innings. Hader earned his 20th save.
“I was throwing to good locations. I think the only bad one I threw was the one Julio was able to get to,” Valdez said through an interpreter.
Kirby allowed four hits and struck out six. Houston’s only run off him came on Peña’s infield single that scored Alex Bregman in the fourth.
UNUSUAL STRIKEOUT
Houston slugger Yordan Alvarez struck out to end the first inning when he was called for a pitch-clock violation for not being ready in the box prior to a 3-2 delivery from Kirby.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: RHPs Justin Verlander (neck discomfort) and Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery) threw bullpens. Verlander threw about 40 pitches with increased intensity, while Garcia threw 15 pitches. Both are expected to throw again sometime early next week. … C Victor Caratini (hip) was expected to catch for a second straight day at Double-A Corpus Christi.
UP NEXT
Astros: RHP Ronel Blanco (9-4, 2.56 ERA) has allowed three earned runs or fewer in seven straight starts, but lost to Texas in his last outing before the All-Star break.
Mariners: RHP Bryan Woo (3-1, 2.45) will make just his second start since June 24. Woo allowed four runs in 3 1/3 innings on July 12.
