The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn announced Tuesday.

Juneteenth is already a state holiday in Texas, 46 other states, and the District of Columbia.

“The freedom of all Americans that Texas celebrates every Juneteenth should be celebrated all across the nation,” Cornyn said. “The passage of this bill represents a big step in our nation’s journey toward equality. I thank my colleagues in the Senate for their support, and my fellow Texans who have been celebrating this important holiday for more than a century.”

Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, is a member of the Senate Finance, Intelligence, and Judiciary Committees, and has been the lead author of the bill. The bill is also co-sponsored by 53 Senators, Republicans, and Democrats.

Source: www.click2houston.com

For residents of Houston’s East End, dealing with trains is a way of life.

But many said over the last several months, slow-moving trains have become trains parked on tracks, blocking traffic throughout the area for hours at a time.

Residents said often times there are multiple trains parked on tracks all around the area, leaving them boxed in and creating concerns about access for emergency vehicles.

“These are really dangerous times,” said resident Alex Luster, who recently recorded a cell phone video showing two men slide their bikes and then their bodies under an idle train. “I’ve come to work and try to go home for lunch, and four hours later it’s still parked there.”

Leighton Rush shared a cell phone video showing a train idling near his home for at least two hours.

“The arm has been down since 7:30 p.m. and it’s now 9:30 p.m.,” Rush said in the video.

Resident James Roberts admits to regularly jumping over idle trains that block the path he walks to work.

“I literally tighten my pants and tighten and my shoes because I don’t want anything to get caught in the railings. It’s very dangerous and I just hope nothing happens to me while I’m doing it, so I just go ahead and do it and get it over with,” he said.

Many residents said they’re frustrated by the lack of response from Union Pacific.

“They basically gave us an 800 number to complain,” Luster said.

Source: www.click2houston.com

Thousands of young people began summer internships Monday with more than 180 employers across the Houston area as part of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Hire Houston Youth initiative.

The paid positions allow young people, ages 16-24, to explore opportunities in the private sector, nonprofit, and government positions relevant to their interests. Positions are available in many fields of study, including retail, restaurants, transportation, healthcare, construction, nonprofit, STEM, and government.

“It is a great day in the City of Houston when young people can gain work experience like this,” said Mayor Turner. “The opportunities in the Hire Houston Youth program are about more than a summer job. These interns are getting hands-on experience with companies and organizations that will help define their future career opportunities and shape our wonderful city.”

Most of the HHY jobs are in the private sector and with nonprofit organizations. The City of Houston also offers internships in many departments, including the Mayor’s Office, Department of Neighborhoods, and the Houston Police Department.

“In the future, I want to own my own company,” said Alex Butler, a UT student who is interning in the Mayor’s Office of Communications entering his sophomore year. “I think that learning to do the communications and things like social media, press releases, and all these other things that go into communicating with the people inside and outside of your business would be really beneficial to me.

Zarah Naqvi will be attending UH in the fall, but has already begun her internship, working under the Director of Boards and Commissions.

“At my age, it’s hard to find good work experience. I thought it would be a really good experience because I see myself going into law,” said Naqvi.

The Hire Houston Youth program has reached tremendous strides, growing from 450 positions in 2015 to over 10,000 job opportunities in 2019. However, due to the pandemic, HHY transitioned to a virtual “earn and learn” program in 2020. The move allowed its participants to train and work in a remote setting. This year, the program has filled more than 5,000 positions.

A Hire Houston Youth Career and Resource fair will be held virtually on June 17, at 10 a.m. Youth can apply for jobs by visiting https://www.hirehoustonyouth.org.

Source: www.houstontx.gov

After an almost year-long closure, the Children’s Museum of Houston finally reopens its doors on June 8. And the staff can’t wait to take your kids off your hands.

“It’s glorious for us to be able to see people again,” Keith Ostfeld (aka Mr. O), the museum’s director of technology and exhibit development, tells Houstonia. “Last summer, we didn’t get to enjoy it together as much as we wanted to.”

Every Houston parent’s one-stop-shop for educational fun, the museum pivoted to virtual programming during the pandemic (it opened briefly last summer with various safety adjustments), “but it just wasn’t the same,” Ostfeld admits. “We’re so used to talking to kids and families.”

Well, the wait is over for both youngins and staffers alike. And when the museum ushers in its young learners, those excited minds will be greeted by Sights Unseen, a brand-new exhibit that delves into the science of vision—both ours and that of the creatures around us.

While Sights Unseen dives into the physics of how the human eye translates images and sees color, it also explores how animals and insects perceive the world in infrared, ultraviolet, and polarized lights, allowing them to see hues we can’t even imagine, at speeds that’d make our heads spin. Plus, the entire exhibit is bathed in black light, so prepare to get your glow on.

“It’s not your traditional exhibit,” Ostfeld explains. “The human eye is fascinating, it’s amazing, but there is a whole lot we don’t see that other animals can. So, we want to take a look—pun very intended—at all the things we can’t see.”

But that’s not all the museum has in store. It’s also launching a “Fun Summer Vibes” series that’s filled with science demonstrations and workshops, guest entertainers, and themed events, like a National Ice Cream Day celebration, a Marvel superhero day, and a princess party.

Our goal is that all summer long, every two weeks, there is a different set of activities,” says Ostfeld. “So, if you come back every other week, you are going to encounter something different.”

Source: www.houstoniamag.com