Thumbs up: Leadership comes from the top, and Houston is lucky to have a civic leader like Council Member Julian Ramirez pushing back against bizarre fear-mongering about Islam. The former prosecutor organized an event outside City Hall on Tuesday to formally designate March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” — an admirably brave move given that Ramirez ran for office with the backing of many Republican groups and politicians who now treat Muslim Texans with a fearful loathing that betrays our state’s motto: Friendship. Thank you, Ramirez, for doing right by our city.
Thumbs up: More local bravery was on display this week as local Boy Scout Devon Champenoy received Scouting America’s highest award for heroism after he saved an assistant scoutmaster from drowning during a 2024 whitewater rafting excursion in North Carolina.
Thumbs down: Put away the Clutch City signs, because it looks like Houston is back to being Choke City again. On Thursday night, the University of Houston fell to Illinois on home territory. Most teams would count making the Sweet Sixteen as a great year, but for the Coogs it was still a disappointing end to an exciting season featuring freshmen who are now likely NBA-bound. There’s always next year.
Thumbs down: And the Astros were beat by the Los Angeles Angels 3-0 in their home opener on Thursday, but we all know who the real opponent was: whoever decided to close the roof at Daikin Park. A real fireball by Yordan Alvarez that seemed destined for a home run ended up bouncing off the retractable ceiling and landing beyond the foul pole. The Chronicle’s Sam Warren reports that the ball was destined to reach 349 feet, enough for a home run, had the roof not been in the way. Why — we must ask — on a beautiful March day, a rare moment of comfortable outdoor weather in Houston, during an afternoon game, on Opening Day, would anyone think it was a good idea to keep the roof closed? What’s the point of spending money on a retractable roof if it remains closed on this day of all days? We’re calling it now: The season is cursed.
Thumbs up: The return of baseball also means the return of Astros players in HEB commercials. We’re enraptured by Triangulo de Tortilla and hope that this salsa-focused soap-opera ad continues all season long complete with comas, evil twins and new varieties of queso.
Thumbs twiddled: At least it’s better than a fight with the Rodeo. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo grabbed some online attention after she posted photos from her junket trip to Europe — specifically a photo of her and legendary football Coach Roberto Martinez making what seems to be starry-eyed gazes at each other. As one Facebook commenter put it: “Why does this look like an awkward prom pic?” Or, to quote another: “Find you a woman who looks at you like she looks at HLSR dirt.”
Thumbs up: If the stars at night seem big and bright, watch out! It might be a meteorite. A fireball spotted over the Houston area last weekend sent a shard of interplanetary rock through the ceiling of a home near George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The Chronicle’s Jarrod Wardwell reports that five other meteorites were found in Collins Park in Spring, and NASA says that others could be scattered across the region.
Thumbs down: Plenty of other folks up near Bush were probably wishing for a space rock to the head as they endured four-hour waits in security lines that stretched up to a mile long. As we write this, the Senate has passed a bill to fund TSA but now a right-wing rump in the House refuses to vote for it because they want more ICE funding to be added. Is that really the right priority?
Thumbs up: Thank you, Delta Air Lines, for doing your part to convince our Washington politicians to do their jobs. Amid the partial government shutdown, the company is suspending its dedicated flight assistance service for members of Congress, which includes airport escorts and so-called red coat services. Maybe being forced to wait in security lines like an equal member of society will change some hearts and minds up in Washington. Barring that, perhaps some serendipitously inconvenient cancellations and seat changes that force the hold-out representatives to sit next to crying babies, sick passengers and anyone who watches videos on their phones without headphones.