Author: CNN Newsource

By Jeff Capellini, Marcia Kramer, Alexa Herrera

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    NEW YORK CITY (WCBS) — New York City’s Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 on Thursday night in favor of a rent freeze, a decision that will impact millions of residents.

The outcome was another indication of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political power, as one of his campaign promises was to freeze rent.

“Historic victory for New York City tenants” The vote attracts a lot of attention every year from landlords and the city’s more than 2 million rent-stabilized tenants. The last time there was a rent freeze was under Bill de Blasio’s administration in 2020.

The decision impacts one-year and two-year leases starting between Oct. 1, 2026, and Sept. 30, 2027.

“This is a historic victory for New York City tenants. After reviewing the data and hearing from New Yorkers across the city, the independent RGB has delivered a freeze on one-year leases, and the first-ever freeze on two-year leases in our city’s history. This is the relief that working people across our city deserve,” Mamdani said in a statement.

“I’m grateful for the board members’ thoughtful consideration of the data, including tenants’ ability to pay, cost of living and building operating costs. I’ll continue working to deliver a more affordable city by building and preserving affordable housing, lowering building operating costs like insurance, and ensuring tenants know their rights,” he added.

Landlords seethe, call vote “absolute farce” Rent Guidelines Board member Christina Smyth wrote in a letter posted on LinkedIn earlier Thursday that she was resigning, effective immediately, citing Mamdani appointing the majority of the Rent Guidelines Board members.

“This rebuilt board was required to deliver a rent freeze. Everything since has been theater. The hearing, the reports, the public comment, the data. None of it was ever going to change the result,” she wrote, in part, adding, “I resigned today because this process is broken. I have had no problem in the past with my vote being on the losing side. It has already happened during my five-year tenure. I cannot in good conscience validate a process I believe is completely unjust. Owners and tenants deserve better.”

Ann Korchak, board president of the Small Property Owners of New York, blasted the Rent Guidelines Board’s decision to even hold a vote, let alone freeze rents.

“This vote was an absolute farce. The RGB may have technically met its quorum requirements, but proceeding with one of the most consequential rent votes in recent times with half of its owner representation undermined the balance and fairness of this process. The vote should’ve been postponed until a new owner representative could be appointed,” Korchak said in a statement, in part. “The resignation of the only principled RGB member and the board’s only meaningful advocate for small owners validated our greatest fear, that the majority Mamdani-appointed RGB would cave to the political demands of City Hall. On top of being an owner voice short, this is an egregious violation of the RGB’s legal mandate to set rent adjustments based on the math of its own research, not on political influence. There is no practical or legal justification for this outcome.”

Earlier in the day, Mamdani insisted that whatever decision the Rent Guidelines Board made would be fair and impartial and based on the merits.

“This Rent Guidelines Board is an independent board that has been conducting a process over the last many months that includes both fact finding as well as testimonies,” Mamdani said.

RGB had proposed a potential increase Back in May, the Rent Guidelines Board put a 0% increase on the table, setting a preliminary range of 0-2% hikes for one-year leases and 0-4% for two-year leases.

The panel is supposed to be independent, but with six of the board’s nine members appointed by Mamdani, tenants were hopeful the outcome would be in their favor.

Residents argued their wages cannot keep up with the rent and that past increases didn’t go towards building repairs or improvements.

The Legal Aid Society issued the following statement on the decision to freeze rents:

“We commend the Board for their vote tonight to freeze the rent for the more than 2 million New Yorkers who currently reside in rent-stabilized housing. Numerous reports and data released by the Board over the past several weeks have proven unequivocally that tenants have reached a breaking point, with rising inflation, unemployment, New York’s skyrocketing cost of living, and eviction rates underscoring the urgent need for relief.

“Tonight’s vote is a lifeline that will provide much-needed stability for thousands of low-income and working-class rent-stabilized tenants facing the threat of eviction and displacement after four consecutive years of rent increases under the previous administration.

“At a time of historic unaffordability across the five boroughs — marked by an increased cost of living, low citywide vacancy rates, and record-breaking market-rate rent prices — a rent freeze is a prudent, evidence-based response to the challenges facing tenants across the five boroughs.”

Landlords warned against freeze The real estate industry warned of severe implications that would come with a rent freeze.

Landlords said it would will make it difficult to keep up with rising taxes, utilities and repairs, leading to worse conditions for renters.

“The Rent Guidelines Board ignored its own data and made a terrible decision tonight. Older rent-stabilized buildings are already struggling under rising operating costs, yet the Board chose to disregard those realities. This decision will mean less investment in maintenance and repairs, accelerating the deterioration of the housing stock that millions of New Yorkers call home. Tonight’s vote may be politically popular, but it will make New York’s housing crisis worse,” said James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.

“Many of us are operating housing that are well over 100 years old and the reality is that the quality of the housing is impacted and the quality of life is impacted when we can’t keep up with the operating expenses,” Korchak added.

While the vote may be popular with tenants, experts say the long-term impact may cause more problems than solve them.

“We have a housing crisis, not just a rent crisis, but we’re going to have a housing supply crisis as well. And that may only get worse if we don’t find ways to keep these buildings standing and operating in a decent condition,” said Jake Krimmel, senior economist at realtor.com.

Andrew Ramos contributed to this report.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Houston Style Magazine Staff

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    June 25, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Harris County, TX, June 25, 2026, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced today that she will donate 250 World Cup tickets to Harris County kids with the help of trusted nonprofit partners including the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Houston, Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston, and Harris County Precinct 1 community partners.

The tickets will give kids from every precinct across Harris County a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a World Cup match, experience the culture of the different teams, and be a part of a historic moment in their community.

“Having the World Cup in Harris County has been a dream come true for me. It never occurred to me that the World Cup would come to my town, let alone that I would be in a position where I could help other folks have this experience, too. I wish I’d been able to purchase even more tickets, but what I was able to do was commit $41,250 of my campaign funds for around 250 kids to go to attend the Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia World Cup match tomorrow at Houston Stadium. This has been a really beautiful effort with the private sector, nonprofits, and government coming together so quickly to support kids. We are going to see a game that the whole world loves, and we can’t wait!” said Judge Hidalgo. photo

Judge Hidalgo distributed 95 tickets to Interfaith Ministries, 65 tickets to the Boys & Girls Club and Harris County Precinct 1 community partners. The majority of the Interfaith Ministries recipients are children from refugee families. Harris County Precinct 1 community partners include organizations that service multiple areas in Harris County, and the Boys & Girls Club recipients include kids from Spring Branch to the Heights.

For more information on Judge Hidalgo: cjo.harriscountytx.gov

For more information on Interfaith Ministries: imgh.org

For more information on FIFA World Cup 2026 Houston: fwc26houston.com

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

By Francis Page Jr.

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    June 25, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Downtown Houston is about to get a little softer, a little dreamier, and—dare we say—a whole lot more “sit down and breathe” fabulous.

This summer, the Plaza at Avenida Houston will welcome Horizon, a new interactive art installation designed to transform the city’s bustling entertainment campus into a calming, imaginative escape. Opening July 4, 2026, and running through September 7, 2026, the free public experience invites visitors to step inside a glowing, egg-shaped dome, take a seat, gently rock, and activate a custom blend of light and sound.

Yes, Houston, this is art you can sit in. And in a city that moves fast, builds big, and celebrates loudly, Horizon arrives with a simple but powerful invitation: slow down.

Created by artist Olivier Landreville in collaboration with sound and light designer Serge Maheu, Horizon blends sculpture, movement, sensory technology, and public imagination into one serene urban experience. Six dome-like structures will be placed along the Plaza at Avenida Houston, located between the George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green Park. Together, they will create a playful pathway of pause—one that encourages Houstonians, convention visitors, families, downtown workers, and weekend wanderers to reconnect with wonder.

photo

The experience is beautifully simple. Visitors enter the dome, settle into the interior chair, and begin to rock gently. That motion activates a poetic response of light and sound, creating a personal moment that feels part meditation pod, part futuristic porch swing, and part Houston-sized daydream. It is the kind of installation that makes children curious, adults nostalgic, and Instagram feeds instantly more interesting.

For Houston First Corporation, the arrival of Horizon continues a thoughtful commitment to making world-class cultural experiences accessible in public spaces. HFC, which operates the George R. Brown Convention Center and promotes Houston as a premier national and global destination, is again partnering with Creos and Init, two internationally recognized creative companies known for bringing interactive installations to cities around the world.

That partnership matters. Public art has a unique way of turning everyday places into shared community experiences. It does not require a ticket, a tuxedo, or an art-history degree. It simply asks people to show up, participate, and feel something. In that spirit, Horizon becomes more than a seasonal attraction. It becomes a civic gesture—an open invitation for Houston to gather, relax, reflect, and play.

And the location could not be better. Avenida Houston already sits at the crossroads of tourism, dining, sports, conventions, green space, and downtown energy. With Discovery Green next door and the George R. Brown Convention Center anchoring the campus, the Plaza is one of Houston’s most visible front porches. Adding Horizon gives visitors another reason to linger before dinner, after a convention session, during a family outing, or while exploring the heart of the city. photo

For Houston Style Magazine readers, this installation also reflects something deeper about Houston’s creative identity. Our city is not merely a place of business, medicine, energy, food, and sports. Houston is a city of imagination. It is a place where culture does not sit behind velvet ropes—it spills onto sidewalks, plazas, parks, murals, stages, and neighborhoods.

Best of all, Horizon is free to experience, making it an inclusive summer destination for residents and visitors alike. From Fourth of July celebrations through Labor Day weekend, Houstonians can step into this glowing retreat and let art do what art does best: surprise us, soothe us, and remind us that beauty belongs in public.

So, this summer, when the downtown heat starts acting brand new and your calendar feels louder than a marching band on parade, head to Avenida Houston. Find a dome. Take a seat. Rock gently. Let the lights rise. Let the sound surround you.

Houston’s horizon is glowing—and it is inviting everyone in. Event Details What: Horizon Interactive Art Installation When: July 4, 2026 – September 7, 2026 Where: The Plaza at Avenida Houston, between George R. Brown Convention Center and Discovery Green Park Cost: Free and open to the public More Information: Visit Houston First Corporation at houstonfirst.com

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

By Francis Page Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    June 25, 2026 (Houston Style Magazine) — Sound the alarm, cue the choir, and tell the culture to put on its Sunday-best sparkle: ESSENCE’s Black Women in Music is officially back. After last taking center stage in 2018, the beloved celebration returns during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans, bringing with it the kind of star power, sisterhood, and soul-shaking excellence that only ESSENCE can gather under one fabulous roof.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Anthony Anderson, the private luncheon will honor four women whose fingerprints are not merely on the music industry — they are pressed into the blueprint: Brandy, Kandi Burruss, Missy Elliott, and Mona Scott-Young. Together, they represent the singer, the songwriter, the producer, the mogul, the visionary, and the woman behind the curtain making sure the curtain rises on time.

photo Anthony Anderson Courtesy of Essence

Launched in 2010, ESSENCE Black Women in Music became part of the brand’s larger celebration of Black women’s brilliance, standing proudly alongside signature platforms such as Black Women in Hollywood, Black Women in Business, and other cultural tributes that remind America of a simple truth: when Black women move, industries follow.

This year’s return to New Orleans feels especially fitting. The Crescent City is not just a destination; it is a drumbeat. It is jazz in the pavement, gospel in the balconies, second-line rhythm in the air, and ancestral memory dressed in festival colors. During ESSENCE Festival weekend, New Orleans becomes the cultural capital of Black joy — a place where business cards, church fans, designer heels, brass bands, and family reunions somehow all make sense in the same sentence.

photo Brandy Courtesy of Essence At the heart of the celebration is Brandy, affectionately known as “The Vocal Bible.” For more than three decades, the Grammy Award-winning singer, actress, and producer has delivered harmonies so layered they deserve their own zip code. From her groundbreaking television presence to her unmistakable influence on modern R&B, Brandy’s artistry remains both classic and current. Her recent arena run with Monica on The Boy Is Mine Tour proved what longtime fans already knew: the voice still reigns, and the audience still rises.

photo Kandi Burruss Courtesy of Essence

Then there is Kandi Burruss, the quiet storm who became a full-fledged empire. As a member of Xscape and the Grammy-winning songwriter behind TLC’s “No Scrubs,” Burruss helped shape the soundtrack of a generation. But she did not stop at the studio door. She expanded into television, Broadway, entrepreneurship, restaurants, production, and brand-building with the confidence of a woman who understands that ownership is the real encore.

photo Missy Elliott Courtesy of Essence

Missy Elliott, already honored by ESSENCE in 2018, returns to the spotlight as one of music’s most fearless architects. Rapper, producer, songwriter, performer, visual futurist — Missy did not simply bend genres; she took them to the beauty shop, gave them a fresh cut, added rhinestones, and sent them back into the world walking differently. Her videos changed what music could look like. Her production changed what rhythm could feel like. Her influence still echoes across generations of artists who learned that weird, bold, brilliant, and Black could also be platinum.

photo Mona Scott Young Courtesy of Essence

And behind many culture-shifting moments stands Mona Scott-Young, the media mogul and Monami Entertainment powerhouse whose impact stretches across music, television, talent management, and entrepreneurship. From helping guide the careers of Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, Tyrese, and others, to building the Love & Hip Hop franchise into a reality television phenomenon, Scott-Young has long understood the business of visibility. She helped turn backstage strategy into front-page power.

For Houston Style Magazine readers, this celebration lands close to home. Houston knows the power of Black women in music — from gospel sanctuaries and HBCU bands to R&B stages, spoken-word rooms, church choirs, and business boardrooms. ESSENCE’s tribute is not just about celebrity. It is about cultural labor, creative ownership, and the women who keep turning rhythm into revenue, storytelling into legacy, and visibility into victory.

While the luncheon itself may be private, the message is public and powerful: Black women are not supporting characters in the music industry. They are the melody, the arrangement, the executive producer, the distributor, the tour manager, the brand strategist, and, when necessary, the person reminding everybody that the mic was never theirs to hand out in the first place.

This summer in New Orleans, ESSENCE is not simply hosting an event. It is staging a homecoming for excellence — and honoring four women who made the culture louder, richer, wiser, and undeniably more stylish.

More info go to: essence.com/essencefestival2026

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Kierra Lee
KIELEESTYLE@GMAIL.COM
4096658446

By Marisa Sardonia

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    ASHEVILLE, North Carolina (WLOS) — North Carolina has the highest estimated rate of venomous snakebites per capita in the United States, according to a 2026 national analysis.

According to data analysis from playcasino.com and information from WorldPopulationReview.com, the Tar Heel State ranks above every other state, with an estimated 856 venomous snakebites per year and a rate of 18.79 incidents per 100,000 people.

Overall, Texas has the highest count of estimated venomous snakebites, topping 1,400 per year, but North Carolina ranks higher when population adjustments are made, per WorldPopulationReview.com.

The top 10 states with the highest estimated rate of venomous snakebites are as follows:

North Carolina: 18.79 incidents per 100,000 people Arkansas: 17.19 incidents per 100,000 people Texas: 14.70 incidents per 100,000 people Georgia: 13.44 incidents per 100,000 people West Virginia: 11.29 incidents per 100,000 people Mississippi: 10.83 incidents per 100,000 people Louisiana: 10.25 incidents per 100,000 people Oklahoma: 8.85 incidents per 100,000 people Arizona: 7.83 incidents per 100,000 people South Carolina: 7.72 incidents per 100,000 people

North Carolina is home to a variety of venomous snake species, including copperheads, cottonmouths, three kinds of rattlesnakes, and the rare eastern coral snake, according Carolinas Poison Center. Copperheads are the most common venomous snake in North Carolina and can be found in wooded areas and suburban neighborhoods all across the state.

What should I do if I am bitten by a snake? Signs and symptoms of a snake bite vary, but can typically include puncture marks, bleeding, redness, swelling or bruising, and pain or tenderness around the wound, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After a snake bite, a person may experience nausea and vomiting, a rapid heart rate, a weak pulse, trouble breathing or seeing, and muscle twitching.

If a snake bites you, stay calm and get to a safe distance away so you are not at risk of being bitten again. If you can, take a picture of the snake from a safe distance to help medical professionals determine the species.

Call 911 or seek emergency medical care immediately. You can also call North Carolina Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for first-aid guidance.

Safely remove any tight clothing, rings or watches to avoid swelling. Gently wash the bite with soap and water, and cover the bite with a clean dressing if you are able.

What not to do if a snake bites you (Source: CDC):

Do not pick up or handle the snake, or try to trap it Do not wait to receive medical attention Do not apply a tourniquet or tight bandage Do not attempt to suck the venom out of the wound Do not apply ice to the wound Do not take pain relievers like aspirin or ibuprofen, as they can thin the blood

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By WABC Staff

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    MASSAPEQUA, New York (WABC) — A Nassau County woman who is accused of stabbing a man to death as he slept in his Massapequa home appeared in court on Wednesday.

Friends and family of 28-year-old Robert Carragher packed the courtroom and were very emotional as 22-year-old Kristin Sculley faced a judge.

Many cried, and a woman even yelled out, ‘rot in jail.’

Carragher was stabbed in the neck and died in his father’s arms after collapsing.

“The absolute worst nightmare you can think of, picture for anybody it’s the absolute worst nightmare you can think of,” a family member said.

According to prosecutors, Sculley knew the victim for many years and in the early morning hours on June 1, she allegedly got a knife from her purse and plunged a switchblade into his neck as he was in bed sleeping.

The 28-year-old went up the stairs screaming for his parents’ help and bled to death on the kitchen floor, according to police.

“It’s now a matter of what circumstances caused a 22-year-old woman, 105 pounds, to take the life of a 28-year-old man,” attorney Dennis Lemke said.

Scully was later located in the basement laundry room near the victim’s bedroom.

Lemke, the 22-year-old’s attorney, claims that Carragher was her drug supplier and says Sculley acted in self-defense.

“She gave a statement to the police, in which right away she indicated that she was being sexually assaulted and was given some type of drug and she woke up and he was on top of her trying to abuse her,” Lemke said.

The two had conversations that show they had a romantic relationship and that night she spent hours in his room watching tv, according to prosecutors.

Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly released a statement saying in part,”Kristin Sculley was welcomed into the victim’s home as a trusted acquaintance, yet she retrieved a knife from her purse to allegedly carry out this brutal attack. No family should ever have to endure the nightmare that the victim’s parents experienced as their son died in their arms.”

Supporters of Scully were also in the courtroom. Many who were there for Carragher applauded as the judge did not set bail.

She will remain behind bars as the case moves forward.

Sculley pleaded not guilty to murder. If convicted, she faces 25 years to life in prison.

The 22-year-old is due back in court on July 24.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.