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Harris Co. Judge Lina Hidalgo, Mayor Turner subpoenaed over A.J. Armstrong’s change of venue hearing

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Harris Co. Judge Lina Hidalgo, Mayor Turner subpoenaed over A.J. Armstrong’s change of venue hearing

A variety of Houston-area lawmakers, judges, and elected officials have been called to a courtroom Monday as a hearing gets underway to help determine if A.J. Armstrong’s third murder trial should remain in or move out of Harris County.

ABC13 first reported on the rare move of having the judge, in this case, be the one to file a motion to move the case out of the county after Armstrong’s first two trials ended in hung juries.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner are two of the nine witnesses being subpoenaed to appear on behalf of Armstrong’s defense team, which is bidding to keep his third murder trial set for February within the county.

ABC13 obtained documentation Friday showing the various elected officials being called upon.

The subpoenas were served in concert with Armstrong’s lawyers filing an objection to Judge Kelli Johnson’s motion to change the venue of the trial, which would be the third such proceeding since 2019.

The defense argues that 12 fair and unbiased jurors can be found in among the diverse 4.7 million people who call Harris County home. In paperwork filed by the defense, attorneys point out previous highly-publicized local cases that gained national attention, yet stayed in Harris County for trial, like the David Temple murder case. Temple was convicted of murdering his pregnant wife Belinda in 1999, during his second trial here.

The nine witnesses are being called to testify about how diverse the county is and that it’s the best place to have a fair trial for Armstrong, who wound up with two mistrials for the murders of his parents, Dawn and Antonio Armstrong Sr. in 2016.

The list of witnesses subpoenaed includes:

  • State Rep. Gene Wu, D-House District 137
  • Ed Gonzalez, Harris County Sheriff
  • Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge
  • Sylvester Turner, Houston Mayor
  • State Rep. Ann Johnson, D-House District 134
  • Marilyn Burgess, Harris County District Clerk
  • Rodney Ellis, Harris County Commissioner Precinct 1
  • Susan Brown, Presiding Judge, 11th Administrative Judicial Region
  • Adrian Garcia, Harris County Commissioner Precinct 2

Court paperwork shows the state has subpoenaed two witnesses, who we’re told are experts in cell phone technology. It’s unclear why prosecutors have called them to testify at a change of venue hearing.

All witnesses have been told to arrive for Monday’s hearing in time for the 1:30 p.m. gavel.

Source: abc13

Houston Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Friend After Smoking Methamphetamine

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Houston Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Friend After Smoking Methamphetamine

A Houston man was sentenced to 35 years in prison this week after he was convicted of murder for shooting a friend after smoking methamphetamine, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced.

“This man was a menace who repeatedly chose to smoke meth and get violent,” Ogg said. “He threw away every second chance he was given and ended up stealing from a friend, leading to an argument resulting in that friend’s murder.”

Sean Strout, 36, was convicted of murder after four days of trial for killing 36-year-old Erron Walker on Oct. 14, 2017. He was sentenced to 35 years by a Harris County jury late Thursday.

Strout, a longtime acquaintance of the victim, went to the victim’s home with another man to socialize. Strout had been there the day before, and the victim believed Strout had stolen some money and a pair of sunglasses. The third man left as they started to argue over the stolen property.

A neighbor heard gunshots later that day and went outside to see the victim running out of his own garage as more shots rang out. Walker was fatally wounded in the altercation.

“Every witness, including the defendant, testified about what a caring and loving person the victim was — he would have given the shirt off his back to help a friend,” said Assistant District Attorney Chadwick Scott, who prosecuted the case with ADA Michael Abner, a chief in the trial bureau. “We’re proud that the jury recognized that Strout has left a trail of victims that he has impacted over the course of his life and decided to hold him accountable.”

Jurors heard that Strout was on probation for a robbery when he was arrested for murder. He had been arrested several times for drug possession and theft. While in jail awaiting trial, he was charged with assault for hitting another inmate with a sock with a weight in it. He also was charged with harassing a public official for throwing urine and feces on a corrections officer.

Some home builders are offering mortgage rates as low as 3%.

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Some home builders are offering mortgage rates as low as 3%.

Home builders are playing hardball by offering mortgage rates as low as 3% on new homes to boost buyer demand

Home builders are playing hardball by offering mortgage rates as low as 3% on new homes to boost buyer demand. So how and why are they doing that?

For starters, home builders are feeling a lot less gloomy these days, as mortgage rates dip and buyer demand picks up. Mortgage demand surged on Wednesday, with buyers rushing in to catch a dip in rates.

“There is considerable pent-up demand for people to get into homeownership,” Jason Will, senior vice president of market growth at Embrace Home Loans, told MarketWatch. The lender is based in Newport, R.I., and generated over $6.5 billion in mortgages in 2022 for 20,000 homeowners.

Some builders are upping the ante by offering very low-interest rates for buyers.

In California, Pacific Point Communities is offering a 4-bedroom home at a mortgage rate “as low as 2.75%.”

In Texas, Pulte Homes is offering a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 4.25% for single-family homes from three to five bedrooms.

And in various parts of the country, K. Hovanian is offering a fixed-rate mortgage at 4.99%.

Yet, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is at 6.04%, according to Mortgage News Daily, which is still double where it was a year ago.

By offering to bring buyers’ mortgage rates down, these home builders are

How exactly can builders offer such low rates?

Home builders have more margin built into the financial model that allows them to offer bigger concessions to homebuyers, Embrace’s Will explained.

Margin refers to the profit builders make selling a new home, after accounting for construction costs, and other expenses.

“They’re able to use [that] to finance both permanent and temporary buydowns that allow for lenders to offer lower introductory rates,” Will continued.

A mortgage rate buydown is when a seller pays to cut the buyer’s mortgage rates by a certain number of points for a set number of years (or permanently).

The process is complex on the back end. Embrace Home Loans works months in advance with a builder to “lock in” mortgage rates with a forward commitment.

Once the builder comes to the lender and says they’re expecting a set number of buyers for their units, Embrace buys options, Will explained, and locks out rates before the homes are sold.

throwing out concessions instead of cutting prices to entice buyers stuck on the sidelines.

Then these “locked” mortgages with fixed low rates are passed from the builder to the prospective buyer. “And so it’s a way of the builder being able to create a competitive advantage for themselves,” Will said.

Put simply, some builders are eating the difference between the prevailing mortgage rate and what consumers will accept, just to get inventory moving and empty homes off their backs.

“Buyer incentives were widespread and construction costs were generally high, putting downward pressure on builders’ margins,” the Dallas Fed reported in the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book survey.

Builders also lowering mortgage rates to get around reducing prices, as this can affect the value of homes that have already been sold, Will said, and also their ability to raise prices on future homes.

Economists expect mortgage rates to drop further over the course of the year. That’s no doubt good news for the many buyers who are wading back into the real-estate pool.

“We’ve seen a few quarters of stagnation while consumers have been waiting” for rates to drop, Will said. “And now we’re seeing green shoots of that — they’re beginning to get back into the market.”

Source: marketwatch

Former Harris County Clerk’s Office employee accused of buying cookies with stolen information

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Former Harris County Clerk’s Office employee accused of buying cookies with stolen information

A former employee of the Harris County Clerk’s Office and the United States Postal Service is accused of using her jobs to obtain people’s personal information and make fraudulent purchases, including to buy cookies, according to prosecutors.

Sharika Prejean, 30, of Houston, was arrested Tuesday and charged with the felonies of credit/debit card abuse and fraudulent use of identifying information of an elderly person, according to Harris County court documents, which show she was set to be released from jail Friday on a $30,000 bond.

The Harris County District Attorney’s Office alleged during a Thursday court hearing that Prejean was in possession of stolen mail when she was arrested at the county clerk’s office, where she was hired as a mailroom clerk last July. Prejean’s employment was terminated Tuesday, the day of her arrest, according to a spokesperson for the county clerk’s office.

Stephen Touchstone, the defense attorney representing Prejean, declined to comment.

The charge of credit/debit card abuse stems from an incident in September of last year, according to court documents, which show Prejean is alleged to have used someone else’s Mastercard to make purchases. Prosecutor Hector Garza said in court Thursday that Prejean allegedly bought cookies from Tiff’s Treats, among other purchases.

The other charge against Prejean, fraudulent use of identifying information of a person at least 65 years old, stems from an incident in September 2021 when she worked at a post office in Houston, according to the district attorney’s office.

As conditions for her release on bond, a judge ordered Prejean to avoid contact with the alleged victims as well as the county clerk’s office and all of its employees. She also must wear a GPS monitoring device and is ordered to remain at home between the hours of 10 p.m.-6 a.m. on a daily basis, according to court records.

Prejean’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 29.

Source: houstonpublicmedia

Arrestan a dos menores de 14 y 16 años sospechoso de asesinar a hispano de 18 años en Houston

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Arrestan a dos menores de 14 y 16 años sospechoso de asesinar a hispano de 18 años en Houston

Dos menores, de 14 y 16 años, fueron arrestados y enfrentan cargos por el asesinato de Christopher Aguilar, quien fue hallado con un impacto de bala dentro de un automóvil que se había estrellado contra una vivienda durante un intento de robo.

“Los menores podrían enfrentar cargos extras por un incidente similar de robo que ocurrió el 16 de enero en la misma área”, agregó el sheriff González.

La familia de Christopher reaccionó tras conocer el arresto de los sospechosos

“ Nos sentimos muy contentos porque ahora sí se va a hacer justicia por Chris, no queremos que esas personas sigan haciendo mal a otra gente”, dijo a Univision 45, Maira Ortega, tía de Aguilar.

Este es el segundo asesinato que la familia tiene que vivir, en 2010 la madre de Chris fue asesinada y sus seres queridos aseguran que nunca se hizo justicia, pero agradecen a las autoridades a rápida respuesta en este caso.

“ Le doy las gracias a las autoridades que han estado trabajando muy duro en este caso”, agregó Ortega.

Así fue asesinado Christopher Aguilar en Houston

El 21 de enero, las autoridades recibieron el reporte de un automóvil que se había estrellado contra una casa.

Al llegar a la cuadra 15400 de Lucky Star encontraron dentro del coche a un adolescente, que fue identificado como Christopher Aguilar, con un impacto de bala.

“Un vehículo se estrelló contra una casa, al parecer el conductor, un adolescente, recibió un impacto de bala, se escucharon balazos antes del choque”, indicó el comunicado de Ed González, sheriff del condado Harris.

En una segunda publicación González dijo que el menor había fallecido en el hospital y que se llevaba a cabo la investigación.

Piden ayuda para el servicio fúnebre de Christopher Aguilar

“ Él era un muchachito muy callado, él era muy buen niño, él no daba problemas”, aseguró Guillermina Ruíz, quien se ha hecho cargo del menor y su hermano, de 15 años, desde que su madre fue asesinada en el 2010.

Se preparan para dar el último adiós al menor, han habilitado una cuenta de GoFundMe (Funeral Expenses) para cubrir los gastos. Las honras fúnebres tendrán lugar el lunes y el martes se le dará el último adiós a Christopher.

“Es muy triste que dos niños, literalmente niños lo hayan matado, es muy triste”, concluyó Ortega.

TikTok tries to sell ‘Project Texas’ as it fights for survival in the U.S.

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TikTok tries to sell ‘Project Texas’ as it fights for survival in the U.S.

TikTok is going on the offensive in Washington, D.C., in a stepped-up effort to counter calls to ban the app in the U.S. over its Chinese ownership.

Senior executives at the popular video app and their lobbyists have been briefing members of Congress, academic researchers, think tank writers and others about a $1.5 billion effort that they call Project Texas, laying out details of how TikTok believes it can address the concerns of people who see it as a security threat, according to people who said they had been briefed and media reports about the lobbying.

Some of the details appeared Thursday on the security blog Lawfare, where two people provided a rundown of what they said they heard at one TikTok briefing last week.

Matt Perault, one of the co-authors of the blog post and the director of the Center on Technology Policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that much of the political debate around TikTok has been rooted in guesswork and that the briefing was a chance to hear the company put forward specifics.

“The debate should be grounded in the realities of the planned operations rather than in speculation about what those plans may be,” Perault said in a phone interview.

He said his center has received funding from TikTok, but that he had no view on whether TikTok’s assurances were satisfactory. He said he saw his role in the briefing as a chance to hear details that he and others could pass along to the public. Some details were also reported by The New York Times on Thursday and earlier this month by The Wall Street Journal.

TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment on its lobbying push Thursday.

TikTok is facing the most serious threat to its U.S. operations since 2020 when then-President Donald Trump tried to ban the app and lost in court. Some governors have banned TikTok on state computer networks, including at public universities; Congress last month voted to ban TikTok from federal government devices; and this week Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., resurrected the idea of a complete nationwide ban.

It’s all part of a strategy by China hawks and other TikTok critics to gradual fence in TikTok and make it difficult or impossible for people to access the app in the U.S.

And TikTok’s troubles have only deepened recently after reports about its employees surveilling journalists at Forbes and about its China-based employees accessing U.S. user data.

It’s not clear whether TikTok’s latest effort in Washington will make a difference, but it represents a change in strategy for TikTok as it continues multiyear negotiations with the Biden administration on a potential security agreement to allay security concerns.

“We have shifted our approach,” Erich Andersen, the general counsel of ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, told the Times.

Some of TikTok’s critics say they resent how easily the company has grown its lobbying presence in Washington by paying for top firms.

“China’s strategy is: Seduce with money and reinforce with retaliation and intimidation,” said Keith Krach, a former under-secretary of state in the Trump administration and former CEO of tech company DocuSign.

A key partner of TikTok is the U.S. computing giant Oracle, which has its headquarters in Austin, Texas, where TikTok may choose to house the data of its U.S. users. The code name “Project Texas” became public last year. Oracle did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.

Among the details disclosed by TikTok is that it will create a board of directors to oversee a new subsidiary focused on the security of U.S. data, with TikTok nominating the directors and U.S. government officials reviewing the names, according to the Lawfare blog post.

Source: cnbc

Prohibirían TikTok en EEUU, Es una amenaza de seguridad nacional

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Prohibirían TikTok en EEUU, Es una amenaza de seguridad nacional

TikTok no solo está asociada directamente al Partido Comunista Chino, sino que ha sido usada para espiar a los estadounidenses”, dijo un legislador.

Dos legisladores republicanos presentaron este miércoles en el Congreso un proyecto de ley que busca prohibir la aplicación TikTok en dispositivos en Estados Unidos.

Los congresistas Josh Hawlye, del Senado, y Ken Buck, de la Cámara de Representantes, quienes lideran la propuesta, acusan a la aplicación china de ser una “amenaza a la seguridad nacional” de EU.

“TikTok no solo está asociada directamente al Partido Comunista Chino, sino que ha sido usada para espiar a los estadounidenses”, escribió el legislador Buck en su cuenta de Twitter.

La propuesta de ley ordena al Ejecutivo bloquear y prohibir las transacciones por parte de entidades o personas estadounidenses con la empresa matriz de TikTok, ByteDance.

A su vez, pide al director de Inteligencia Nacional entregar un reporte al Congreso sobre las actividades que los legisladores consideran son una “amenaza nacional” por parte de TikTok, incluyendo presuntamente permitir el acceso del Gobierno chino a datos de estadounidenses, según informó el portal de noticias The Hill.

TikTok ha negado en el pasado los señalamientos de este tipo, asegurando que no censura contenido o da acceso al Gobierno chino a sus datos.

El pasado diciembre, el Congreso de EU aprobó una ley que prohíbe el uso de la popular aplicación de videos en dispositivos oficiales del gobierno federal.

Varios estados, como Texas, Alabama, Virginia o Tennessee, ya han hecho lo propio a nivel estatal, mientras que territorios como Indiana han presentado demandas contra ByteDance por supuestamente permitir el espionaje chino.

En 2019, y como parte de su estrategia de aumento de la presión hacia China, el entonces presidente de EU, Donald Trump, dio un ultimátum a TikTok para que traspasara sus operaciones a empresas estadounidenses si no quería ser prohibido en el país, algo que, sin embargo, no terminó ocurriendo.

TikTok tiene más de 100 millones de usuarios en Estados Unidos y se ha convertido en poco tiempo en una de las redes sociales más populares del mundo, especialmente entre los adolescentes.
Source: informador

CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON  FUGITIVE FRIDAY

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CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON  FUGITIVE FRIDAY

In an effort to keep our neighborhoods safe, Crime Stoppers of Houston and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help locating the following individuals that have active Felony and/or Misdemeanor Warrants.

Crime Stoppers may pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the location and arrest of the suspects featured. Information may be reported by calling 713-222-TIPS (8477), submitted online at www.crime-stoppers.org or through the Crime Stoppers mobile app. All tipsters remain anonymous. Only tips and calls DIRECTLY TO Crime Stoppers are anonymous and eligible for a cash reward.
The following individuals all have active warrants as of January 26, 2023 2:00 pm.

Nicholas John Brown
W/M      07-08-83      5’10”/160 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1647763
DWI THIRD
Last known location: Houston Texas

Janet Louise Guerrero
W/F      10/07/80      4’10”/170 Lbs.      Bro/Haz
Warrant #: 1781502, 1781503
VIOLATION BOND/PROTECTIVE ORDER 2+ TIMES W/I
BURGLARY OF HABITATION
Last known location: Houston Texas

Hannah Rose Harris
W/F      08-08-96      5’07”/200 Lbs.      Bro/Haz
Warrant #: 1799659
THEFT AGGREGATE =>$2,500<$30K
Last known location: Cypress Texas

Edwin Reinaldo Hernandez
W/M      01-06-77      5’08”/240 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1703726
TERRORISTIC THREAT
Last known location: Katy Texas

Jada Alese Jones
B/F      10-23-00      5’05”/112 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1799292, 1799293
ROBBERY-BODILY INJURY x2
Last known location: Huntsville Texas

Younisha Guillory Jones
B/F      06-24-72      5’02”/135 Lbs.      Bro/Bro
Warrant #: 1800062, 1800545
THEFT >=2,500 <30,000 x2
Last known location: Spring Texas

Cedric Edward Sibbaluca
B/M      07-25-71      5’09”/160 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1797646
ENGAGING IN ORG CRIM ACTIVITY
Last known location: Houston Texas

Lori Machelle Swanson
W/F      01-27-71      5’03”/128 Lbs.      Bln/Blu
Warrant #: 1799717
CREDIT/DEBIT CARD ABUSE
Last known location: Houston Texas

Samuel Ronald Washington Jr.
B/M      05-15-02      6’00”/145 Lbs.      Blk/Bro
Warrant #: 1799069, 1757945
INJURY CHILD UNDER 15 B/INJURY
ASLT FAM/HOUSE MEM IMPED BRTH/
Last known location: Houston Texas

Joshua Thomas Watson
W/M      05-15-85      5’11”/172 Lbs.      Bro/Blu
Warrant #: 1799507, 1799508
THEFT >=2,500 <30,000
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF >=$2,500<30K
Last known location: Spring Texas
REPORT A TIP NOW

Shazam! Fury of the Gods

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Shazam! Fury of the Gods

La película continúa la historia del adolescente Billy Batson quien, al recitar la palabra mágica “¡SHAZAM!”, se transforma en su alter ego de superhéroe adulto, Shazam. En una épica batalla, Billy, también conocido como Shazam, y su familia luchan contra las antiguas y vengativas diosas – las Hijas de Atlas, por sus superpoderes, sus vidas y el destino de su mundo.

¡No te pierdas esta aventura llena de acción en cines el 17 de marzo de 2023!

El daño por posible tornado cerca de Houston es “catastrófico”, dice funcionario

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El daño por posible tornado cerca de Houston es &#8220;catastrófico&#8221;, dice funcionario

Los servicios de emergencia en el área de Houston informaron que atienden reportes de daños y de conductores varados después de un posible tornado que atravesó el área.

El daño estructural de un posible tornado en Pasadena, a unos 24 kilómetros al sureste de Houston, es “catastrófico”, según el jefe de la Policía local.

“En mis 25 años aquí, este es probablemente el peor daño que he visto”, dijo el jefe Josh Bruegger a periodistas frente a un refugio de animales que resultó afectado, donde dos perros sufrieron heridas.

Hasta el momento, solo se ha informado de una persona lesionada en la ciudad, dijo el alcalde Jeff Wagner, pero “hemos visto muchos daños. Hemos visto edificios que se han derrumbado”.

El jefe de policía dijo que la limpieza requerirá mucho trabajo. “Durante los próximos días, vamos a tener las manos ocupadas”, dijo.

Por su parte, el Sheriff del Condado de Harris, Ed González, dijo que su departamento “responde a una gran cantidad de automovilistas varados”. La dependencia había preparado sus vehículos de rescate de aguas altas antes de la tormenta, dijo.

También se reportan “varios camiones comerciales volcados” cerca de Beltway 8, la circunvalación alrededor de la ciudad de Houston, dijo el departamento. Además informó que algunas líneas eléctricas estaban caídas.

“Nuestros agentes y el Departamento de Bomberos están trabajando para ayudar a las personas que se resultaron inmediatamente afectadas”, tuitearon las autoridades.

Más de 113.000 clientes se quedaron sin electricidad en Texas el martes por la tarde, según PowerOutage.us.

Este martes se declaró una emergencia de tornado para el área metropolitana del sureste de Houston, donde “se observó un tornado grande y destructivo confirmado sobre el noroeste de Pasadena, moviéndose hacia el noreste a 96 km/h”, según el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional en Houston.

Otros lugares en el camino de este tornado incluyeron Deer Park, Baytown, Highlands y Channelview, según el servicio meteorológico.

Source: cnnespanol

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