HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The public is invited to Houston City Hall on Monday to pay their respects to late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
Jackson Lee died on July 19, just over a month after announcing her diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.
She was 74.
The City of Houston will celebrate late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee with a series of remembrance events, starting Monday.
Jackson Lee is lying in state in the rotunda from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m.
At about 9:15 a.m., a short program featuring Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Jackson Lee’s family, faith leaders, and other dignitaries began. Then, a short procession from the steps to the inside of City Hall followed, where hundreds lined up.
“This is a celebration,” Whitmire said. “God does not allow us to choose when we lose a loved one, or friend, or colleague. But he does allow us to celebrate their lives, and pay our respects, and honor them.”
Lee’s casket arrived draped in the American flag.
“Sheila Jackson Lee invested her everything into our Houston and even to the world. I think with the passing of her, it really just signals our new obligation as citizens of Houston, even myself to carry the legacy forward,” her former aide, Jason Dawkins, said.
President Joe Biden is also expected to pay his respects later Monday.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A precautionary evacuation was triggered after what officials called a ‘ground collapse’ at a Memorial-area condo community.
Houston Fire Department crews responded to the incident at 405 Sutherland Terrace Place at about 8:30 a.m.
ABC13 spoke to a man whose parents were inside who said the house started to shake. When his parents looked outside, a giant hole was in front of their home.
Nearby resident Rick Mckee said he was in shock. “That’s a big hole,” he said. “That’s a really big hole.
The department shared the following images of the collapse.
A total of eight homes were evacuated as a precaution, HFD said.
HFD Captain Beau Moreno explained that a cistern held flood water in this area. With the amount of rain in Houston and surrounding areas, it had a catastrophic failure.
There were no injuries reported.
In a recent update, building engineers are out assessing the damage.
“It’s not a sinkhole,” Moreno said. “This is definitely a man-made structure under the ground designed to hold flood water in this area.
Since the collapse happened on private property, Houston Public Works said the community is responsible for the repairs. The neighborhood is part of Memorial Green Homes.
ABC13 reached out to the community contact point, but we are still waiting to hear back.
SAN DIEGO — Marvel Studios kicked off its return to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel that included news about the next two “Avengers” films and surprise guests.
Among the surprises: Robert Downey Jr. would return to Marvel’s films, but not as Iron Man. He’ll play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in one of the upcoming “Avengers” movies.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said that due to this weekend’s success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now topped $30 billion in box-office earnings. In a nod to a scene in the movie, a choir sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” released Thursday, has already broken one record and could shatter more in its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course ahead for the MCU, revealing Ford’s character in the next “Captain America” film and revealing “Avengers: Secret Wars and “Avengers: Doomsday” as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series.
Feige said all the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming “Avengers” movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the “Avengers” franchise through its sprawling storyline capped by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.
The session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels. Feige is being joined by several special guests, including stars of upcoming Marvel titles like “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” and “The Fantastic Four.”
The cast of “Captain America: Brave New Wold” – Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Rameriez, Giancarlo Esposito and Anthony Mackie – joined the stage first and teased details about the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will be playing the villain, Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.
The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the movie on the big screen, which revealed that President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Ford, is hoping to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson. It also showed Ford’s character transform into the Red Hulk. Ford himself joined the panel after fans were treated to clips from the movie and flexed his muscles to the roaring crowd.
The cast and director of “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” also surprised fans with a short clip from the movie. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour (in full costume and speaking in character as the Red Guardian at first) stormed the stage and shared some more details about their characters.
The film is slated to be released in May 2025.
The final film teased at the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The movie will begin filming on Tuesday in London, Feige said.
He said the film will hit theaters in almost exactly one year in July 2025.
Following a video director Matt Shakman created specifically for Comic-Con that featured the cast in full ’60s glory, he and Feige revealed the official title of the film, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
Marvel already took over Hall H on Thursday with an electric panel celebrating “Deadpool & Wolverine,” in which the audience was treated to a full screening and surprise guests joining stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on stage.
The mounting enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con was reflected across the country as the fans rushed to see it in theaters, securing the film as the new record holder for the Thursday preview for an R-rated movie. The comic book film sold an estimated $38.5 million worth of movie tickets from preview screenings Thursday.
The “Deadpool & Wolverine” success woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and assuaged worries about its box-office underperformance in late 2023. The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the launch of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million.
Odds of development on a tropical wave moving towards the Caribbean are now up to 40%. Some forecast models fade this system out entirely, while others strengthen it and curve it north before making it in to our neck of the woods. We’ll keep our eyes on it through the week ahead, but as of now it is not a high concern to us in Southeast Texas.
July 27 9 a.m.
We’re watching a tropical wave moving towards the Caribbean that has a 30% chance of development over the next 7 days. Some forecast models are strengthening this into a named storm, but there is low confidence in whether or not that will happen, and essentially zero confidence in any eventual specific landfall destination. For now it’s just a potential storm that we’ll be keeping an eye on.
July 25 1 p.m.
The National Hurricane Center has identified a new tropical wave for potential development over the next 7 days. There is no specific threat to Texas from it at this time, but we’ll continue to monitor it for you just in case.
Paris Olympics organizers apologize for controversial opening ceremony tableau
PARIS (AP) — Paris Olympics organizers apologized Sunday for any offense caused by a tableau during the opening ceremony that evoked Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” The scene, featuring LGBTQ+ icon DJ Barbara Butch flanked by drag artists and dancers, aimed to celebrate diversity but drew criticism from religious conservatives. The French Catholic Church and other religious groups expressed their disapproval, calling the segment disrespectful to Christianity.
The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, and Paris 2024 spokesperson Anne Descamps emphasized that the intention was to celebrate community tolerance and inclusion. Descamps expressed regret for any offense caused, reaffirming their goal of promoting love and unity.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The 18-year-old mother accused of placing her newborn baby in a plastic bag and throwing him in a dumpster appeared in court Friday.
Details about Walmart, Aldi vegetable recall The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this week that Ohio-based Wiers Farm Inc., has expanded its earlier recall to now include additional produce that may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
More than a dozen staple summer vegetables, including cucumbers, green bell peppers, and parsley, have been voluntarily recalled due to possible listeria contamination.
In cooperation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), Wiers Farm Inc., said in the FDA recall that its investigation into these vegetables came after reports by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDARD). This expansion is in response to that investigation. Products involved in this expanded recall were packed between July 5-12 (2024). Wiers Farm Inc. is committed to implementing all measures necessary to fully resolve this situation.
As of time of publication, the agency said there have been no illnesses or consumer complaints reported.
Walmart listed the produce recall on its website with a link that directs customers to the announcement from Wiers Farm and the FDA.
In tandem with the original recall, Aldi issued its own recall notice for customers on Monday, alerting shoppers in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia who may have purchased Freshire Farms jalapeños, green peppers and green beans.
“ALDI puts the safety and integrity of the products it sells first. If customers have products affected by this recall, they are advised to discard it immediately or return it to their local store for a full refund,” the company stated. “ALDI sincerely regrets the inconvenience and concern caused as a result of this recall.”
Recalled vegetable product information
Bulk items sold individually or by the pound at various retailers in impacted states Anaheim peppers Cilantro – sold in bunches Cubanelle peppers Cucumber – whole Green beans Green Bell Pepper Habanero peppers Hungarian Wax peppers Jalapeno peppers Mixed Vegetable Box (shipped to Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio Foodbanks only) Mustard Greens – sold in bunches Pickling Cucumber Plain Parsley – sold in bunches Poblano peppers Serrano peppers Tomatillos
Click here for additional distribution information from the FDA on the above produce products.
Aldi Freshire Farms Bagged Green Beans – 16 oz bag Freshire Farms Bagged Jalapenos – 8 oz bag
Where recalled vegetables were sold According to the FDA, the affected produce was sold at select Walmart stores in 15 states: CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA, and WV.
Produce impacted by the same voluntary recall was also sold at Aldi stores in five of those same states: KY, NY, OH, PA and WV.
What to do with recalled vegetables purchased from Walmart, Aldi
As with any recalled products, the company has urged customers not to eat and to discard any potentially affected produce.
Consumers with questions about this recall may contact Wiers Farm, Inc. directly by phone or email.
Symptoms, side effects of listeria monocytogenes
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, listeria can cause severe illness “when the bacteria spread beyond the gut to other parts of the body” after a person consumes contaminated food. Those at higher risk include pregnant people, those aged 65 or older, or anyone who has a weakened immune system, the CDC says.
“If you are pregnant, it can cause pregnancy loss, premature birth, or a life-threatening infection in your newborn,” the CDC states on its website. “Other people can be infected with Listeria, but they rarely become seriously ill.”
According to the CDC, anyone infected with listeria may experience “mild food poisoning symptoms” such as diarrhea or fever, and many recover without antibiotic treatment.
JD Vance has had a difficult week, and some Republicans aren’t hiding their frustration.
Despite momentum after former President Donald Trump named him as his running mate, the Ohio senator started receiving unwanted attention after old clips resurfaced of him calling some Democrats “childless cat ladies” and suggesting parents should have more political power than non-parents.
Vance’s change of fortune also collided with the rise of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has broken fundraising records and is on a glide path to receiving the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden bowed out of the race. Harris — who would be the first Black and South Asian woman president and is running a campaign with the unofficial slogan “we’re not going back” — has made the contrast with the Trump-Vance ticket even more stark.
It’s all starting to get some Republicans worried — and frustrated. Some, like Arizona Republican operative Chuck Coughlin, conceded that Vance has had a “tough week.”
“Nothing like a baptism by fire,” Coughlin said.
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro bluntly questioned whether Trump should have picked Vance, saying on his show: “If you had a time machine, if you go back two weeks, would [Trump] have picked JD Vance again? I doubt it.”
Other Republicans also wondered aloud if the Trump campaign had truly anticipated the tidal wave of resurfaced comments, book writings and remarks that would come with picking a 39-year-old, recently elected senator who had grown up online and was firmly seated on the right of the Republican Party.
“Of the people that were mentioned as finalists, he had the most risk, because he had never been vetted nationally,” said Bill McCoshen, a Republican strategist in Wisconsin. “Doug Burgum ran for president, he had been vetted, mostly. Marco Rubio has run for president, he had been vetted. JD Vance hadn’t. So there was risk in the pick. And we’re going to see over the next 102 days how he stands up to the bright lights of a national campaign.”
One House Republican lawmaker suggested those vetting concerns weren’t just coming from the pundit class.
“Find me one publicly elected official in the Senate who is pushing JD Vance other than Mike Lee,” said the Republican lawmaker, who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. “I’ll wait.”
Since Harris began her presidential campaign, Democrats have begun to go on offense against Vance, and polls suggest these attacks are beginning to take a hit. Vance averages a net favorability rating of negative 5 percent across all polls, lower than any vice presidential nominee in history, CNN analyst Harry Enten said this week — a lower figure than former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, perhaps the most infamous GOP running mate pick.
Vance’s favorability was underwater by 3 percentage points in two polls of a Harris-Trump race released this week by the New York Times/Siena College and NPR/PBS News/Marist College — the latter of which found that 28 percent of registered voters hold a favorable view of Vance, while 31 percent viewed him unfavorably. Forty-one percent were unsure or have not heard of him, the Marist poll found.
The lawmaker accused Donald Trump Jr. of pushing Vance as a means of securing a legacy for the former president. Instead, Republicans have mounting worries after a week of resurfaced clips of Vance calling Harris and other Democrats “childless cat ladies” and suggesting parents should have more political power than non-parents.
The Harris campaign, in response to Vance’s comments, issued a statement titled “Happy World IVF Day To Everyone Except JD Vance.” Even actress Jennifer Aniston, who does not have children, weighed in: “Mr. Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day. I hope she will not need to turn to IVF as a second option. Because you are trying to take that away from her, too.”
Critics also highlighted Vance’s authoring of the foreword to an upcoming book by Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation who has advocated for a “second American revolution” he hopes will remain “bloodless.” Roberts is the head of Project 2025 — a far-right policy blueprint from which Trump has fought to distance himself.
In a review of the book, Vance wrote: “We are now all realizing that it’s time to circle the wagons and load the muskets. In the fights that lie ahead, these ideas are an essential weapon.”
“I’m a little surprised they didn’t vet him as thoroughly as they should have, or if they did, did they not know he was writing the foreword to Kevin Roberts’ book,” said a Republican strategist and veteran of multiple presidential campaigns, granted anonymity to speak freely. “So, you’ve got Trump trashing this Project 2025, and Vance writing the foreword.”
And that’s not to mention the countless memes suggesting Vance had intimate relations with a couch in his youth following a disinformation post on social media, made worse by the fact that the Associated Press published an article with the headline “No, JD Vance did not have sex with a couch,” then retracting it because the story “didn’t go through our standard editing process,” according to AP spokesperson Nicole Meir.
Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder referred POLITICO to reports that Vance rallies this week had reached capacity and news reports on the seven-figure fundraising events he held.
Vance was picked during an entirely different phase of the presidential race — the Biden-Trump matchup of just a week ago — as a way to energize a base that was already strongly unified behind Trump rather than pick up any new constituencies, experts said.
“Vance was not a political pick,” said Joshua Novotney, a Republican political strategist in Pennsylvania. “He was not chosen to get a leg-up in some area, he was chosen as someone who Trump trusted and wanted to serve with.”
Contenders for the Democratic veepstakes have gone on the offensive against Vance, too. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear slammed the “Hillbilly Elegy” author as a “phony,” saying “he ain’t from here” and accusing him of writing his memoir to “profit off our people.” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said “people like JD Vance know nothing about small town America,” adding: “none of my hillbilly cousins went to Yale.” And Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he’d met a lot of people like Vance at Harvard “who would say whatever they needed to to get ahead.”
Despite Vance’s arguably awful week, Trump has insisted he has no regrets picking the Ohio senator, telling Fox News on Thursday that he wouldn’t have picked differently had he known Harris would take the top of the ticket.
“He is essentially for the worker. He has seen the worker be horribly abused and taken advantage of and he is for the worker,” Trump said, describing the message of Vance’s book as one of the main reasons he picked the Ohio senator.
Yet strategists said the fringes of that “Hillbilly Elegy” message are making it even harder for Vance to benefit Trump on the electoral map.
“He’s Tucker Carlson’s boy right now, and that represents a certain segment of the base of the Republican Party,” Coughlin said. “I just don’t see how that projects to somebody who can grow the base, particularly if he’s stumbling over his own words.”
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A new tally shows 36 people lost their lives because of Hurricane Beryl across the state, 34 of whom died in the Houston area.
The latest deaths happened in Fort Bend County, where at least four people died from overheating.
Meanwhile, Centerpoint Energy apologizedfor where it fell short and shared its plan to improve. The company’s initial assessment showed room for improvement in three main areas: resiliency, communication, and community partnerships.
Texas Energy and Power Newsletter author Doug Lewin joined Eyewitness News to analyze Centerpoint’s action plan and discuss other possibilities to keep the power on. Lewin said their plan is a start, but it has some holes.
Lewin believes community meetings should be ongoing instead of limited, and he has also written about and advocated for a system that pays utilities for performance. Companies could also be penalized when they don’t meet standards.
Lewin said the industry needs real change and doubts it will result from the Public Utility Commission’s investigation into Centerpoint’s response to Hurricane Beryl.
Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine joins Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool in Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated new movie that opens July 26 in movie theaters across the U.S.
Here’s what we know about the upcoming film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
When does “Deadpool & Wolverine” hit the big screen?
“Deadpool & Wolverine” hits theaters July 26.
The film is directed by Shawn Levy and written by Levy, Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick and Zeb Wells.
What is “Deadpool & Wolverine” about?
In pure Deadpool fashion, the official synopsis for “Deadpool & Wolverine” calls the film Marvel Studios’ “most significant mistake to date” and pokes fun at how “synopses are so f—— stupid.”
The official description reads: “A listless Wade Wilson toils away in civilian life. His days as the morally flexible mercenary, Deadpool, behind him.”
“When his homeworld faces an existential threat, Wade must reluctantly suit-up again with an even more reluctantlier… reluctanter? Reluctantest? He must convince a reluctant Wolverine to…” it continues, before trailing off.
Long story short? Deadpool and Wolverine are teaming up to save the world — and perhaps the multiverse, as previews have teased.
Who stars in “Deadpool & Wolverine”?
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine.”Disney/Marvel Studios
In addition to Reynolds as Wade Wilson and Jackman returning as Wolverine, “Deadpool & Wolverine” features a star-studded cast.
The film features Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams and Karan Soni reprising their respective roles as Vanessa, Wade’s love interest; Peter, a member of Deadpool’s X-Force team; Blind Al, Deadpool’s quippy roommate; and Dopinder, Deadpool’s loyal taxi driver.
Newcomers to the cast are Matthew Macfadyen as Paradox and Emma Corrin as Cassandra Nova.
Emma Corwin as Cassandra Nova in Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine.”Disney/Marvel Studios
Perhaps most importantly, though, Dogpool, a canine variant of Deadpool, will also make its debut.
Director Shawn Levy promises “huge surprises” for fans
During an appearance Thursday on “Good Morning America,” director Shawn Levy said the film is about a “surprising friendship.”
“I think you can expect the funny … definitely the action and the spectacle, but I think what maybe people are expecting a little less is the warmth of this movie,” he said. “Because it really was a movie made by friends about friendship … you have these two characters who really don’t match up in an easy way, but, eventually, through a lot of conflict, find something of a surprising friendship.”
Ryan Reynold, Hugh Jackman talk about coming together for new Deadpool and Wolverine movie.
Levy also said the film was “built for audience joy” and teased that fans can expect “huge surprises.”
“I’m just thrilled that our movie’s coming out soon, and there’s huge surprises that somehow the internet has not anticipated and the world is not yet aware of,” he said cryptically. “And so, I think that’s gonna be a nice thing, all of the unexpected things.”
The director also joked that having four daughters is “like living with a focus group,” saying, “They’re always my first audience and, fortunately, they really like this movie.”
What trailers for “Deadpool & Wolverine” have been released?
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in Marvel Studios’ “Deadpool & Wolverine.”Disney/Marvel Studios
Speaking of trailers, here’s a breakdown of what fans have been shown — so far — about the film.
A teaser trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine” debuted during Super Bowl LVIII, showing Wade Wilson celebrating his birthday when the Time Variance Authority — featured heavily in the Disney+ series “Loki” — shows up at his doorstep. He’s taken to the TVA headquarters where he’s told he’s “special” and is being given the chance “to be a hero among heroes.”
“Your little cinematic universe is about to change forever,” Wade replies — later calling himself “Marvel Jesus” — as we then see him back in his Deadpool gear.
We only get a hint of Wolverine — as his shadow silhouette reveals his adamantium claws — in the final moments of the clip.
Watch the “Deadpool & Wolverine” teaser trailer here
The first official trailer dropped in April, giving fans an extended look at the dynamic between Deadpool and Wolverine as the two characters team up.
In this timeline, MacFadyen’s Paradox says Logan “let the entire world down,” and Deadpool attempts to give Wolverine a pep talk — while Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” plays — reminding him of his days on the X-Men team.
It must work, because later we see the two face off against Corrin’s Cassandra Nova, a powerful mutant and the twin sister of X-Men founder Charles Xavier — aka Professor X.
“Boys are so silly,” Corrin’s baddie says.
Watch the first official trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine” here.
The final trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine” switched things up by taking a more serious tone, diving into the more emotional moments between the two titular characters.
At one point, Wade holds up a photo to show Logan exactly who he’s fighting for, saying, “It’s only nine people, but my entire world is right here in this picture. And I have no idea how to save it alone, but you! You know how to save ’em!”
Later, we see Logan speaking to someone standing in the shadows. “Whoever you think I am … you got the wrong guy,” he says.
As the person turns around, it’s revealed to be Dafne Keen’s X-23 from “Logan” all grown up — confirming one cameo for fans. “You were always the wrong guy … till you weren’t,” she tells him.
Watch the final official trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine” here.
What films came before “Deadpool & Wolverine”?
While “Deadpool & Wolverine” is the first time Wade Wilson/Deadpool is officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it isn’t the first “Deadpool” film.
Two previous installments, 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2018’s “Deadpool 2,” have delighted fans on the big screen.
