Author: CNN Newsource

By Lisa Valadez

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    October 22, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) — Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee is running for Texas’ 18th Congressional District—one of Houston’s most historic seats, previously held by the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and briefly by former Mayor Sylvester Turner. With a proven record in public service, Menefee brings his legal expertise and deep commitment to justice to this new chapter. During our conversation, Menefee was both relaxed and energized, speaking passionately about his grassroots campaign and the many voters who support him—even those reluctant to see him leave the County Attorney’s Office. There, he built a reputation for protecting voting rights, combating environmental injustice, and standing up for Harris County families. He credits his capable staff for sustaining that mission as he transitions toward national service.

Bipartisan Problem-Solving and Public Health Menefee’s leadership has often crossed party lines. Working alongside Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey, he fought to block the expansion of the Hawthorn Park Recycling & Disposal Facility in Houston’s Carverdale community, a predominantly Black neighborhood, prioritizing health and environmental justice over politics. He also led Harris County’s case against e-cigarette maker JUUL, resulting in one of the nation’s largest local settlements for deceptive youth marketing.

Environmental Justice, Infrastructure, and Energy From holding polluters accountable to pushing for stronger federal oversight of industrial sites in Black and Brown neighborhoods, Menefee has been a consistent advocate for clean air and safe communities. He plans to secure federal funding to improve water systems, reduce illegal dumping, and enhance flood protection and sidewalks across underserved areas. A Houston native, Menefee embraces a balanced energy strategy—supporting both traditional oil and gas jobs and the growing renewable sector. He pledges to protect workers while preparing the region for a cleaner, more competitive energy future.

Healthcare, Housing, and Equity Motivated by personal family experiences, Menefee supports Medicare for All and policies that close the wealth gap, including a surtax on billionaires to strengthen social safety nets. His housing priorities include expanding affordable options, easing construction barriers, and bolstering the National Flood Insurance Program so Houston families can remain in their neighborhoods safely and affordably.

A Commitment to the People Menefee’s campaign centers on accountability, integrity, and results—not partisanship. “My first obligation is to the people of the 18th District,” he said. “I’ll continue listening, solving problems, and delivering for our communities.”

Menefee’s Key Priorities for the 18th District • Advocating for working families and small businesses. • Advancing environmental justice and public health. • Supporting Medicare for All and universal healthcare. • Expanding affordable housing and flood protection. • Protecting youth from predatory marketing practices. • Encouraging bipartisan collaboration on community issues. • Empowering minority-, women-, and LGBTQ+-owned businesses. • Bringing proven Harris County leadership to Washington.

Learn more at ChristianMenefee.com

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By Francis Page, Jr.

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    October 22, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) — The Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (GHWCC) once again placed Houston at the forefront of global innovation and empowerment with its annual Women in the Fast Lane of STEAM Luncheon, Style Show & Shopping Experience. The highly anticipated event blended intellect, style, and international collaboration into a dazzling display of women shaping the future across Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM).

A Global Gathering of Power and Purpose This year’s luncheon carried an extra sparkle as it welcomed international leaders from Paris, including Soumia Malinbaum, Chair of the International Women’s Chamber of Commerce (IWCoC) France Chapter. Their historic visit marked the first time IWCoC France leaders joined their Houston counterparts in person — an inspiring milestone in expanding the Chamber’s global mission. Excitement buzzed through the room as plans were discussed to bring the Women in the Fast Lane of STEAM experience to Paris next year — a powerful next step in connecting women entrepreneurs, executives, and innovators worldwide.

When Style Meets Substance Fashion took center stage, literally, as Malinbaum made her runway debut in a stunning Christian Dior Couture gown designed by Johnathan Alexander — a symbol of confidence, creativity, and cultural unity. The fashion show captivated guests with collections from Houston’s elite boutiques and designers, including Elizabeth Anthony, Frances Valentine, French Cuff Boutique, Lele Sadoughi, and M PENNER. Each ensemble reflected the strength and sophistication of women leading the way in business, science, and art. Adding a touch of hometown pride, Dynamo Diesel surprised attendees with an appearance — a nod to Houston’s global status as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Empowering the Next Generation of Women in STEAM Beyond the glitz and glamour, the event carried a heartfelt mission. Proceeds supported GHWCC programs that open doors for young women pursuing careers in STEAM through mentorship, scholarships, and leadership initiatives. Students from HISD’s Owen Elementary — proudly representing “STEAM Town USA” — joined the celebration, embodying the bright future this event helps create. “Every year, Women in the Fast Lane of STEAM reminds me how powerful women can be when we come together to lift one another up,” said Suzan Deison, Founder/President & CEO of the GHWCC and Founder of the IWCoC. “Having our IWCoC France leaders join us in Houston made this year especially meaningful — and the possibility of taking this event to Paris makes the future even brighter.”

A Star-Studded Celebration The event also drew a few famous faces, including Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, who joined Deison in support of Houston’s growing community of leaders and changemakers. From business icons to rising innovators, the luncheon was a testament to collaboration across borders, industries, and generations.

About the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce The Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce (GHWCC) is a powerhouse of progress, committed to advancing women through leadership, education, and advocacy. As the founding organization of the International Women’s Chamber of Commerce (IWCoC), GHWCC continues to expand its mission beyond borders — connecting women who lead, inspire, and transform their industries across the globe. For more information, visit ghwcc.org

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By Francis Page, Jr.

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    October 22, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) — Saturday, October 18, 2025 (Houston, TX) — Beneath the dazzling chandeliers of The Post Oak Hotel, compassion met action at Houston Habitat for Humanity’s annual Building a Dream Luncheon, where more than 360 civic leaders, philanthropists, and changemakers gathered to advance one mission—making the dream of homeownership a reality for every Houstonian. Guests were welcomed with uplifting music, laughter, and the comforting clink of mimosa glasses as the event celebrated Houston Habitat’s decades-long commitment to building homes, strengthening neighborhoods, and fostering generational stability. Honoring a Visionary: Joel Deretchin This year’s spotlight fell on Joel Deretchin, recipient of the 2025 Carl Umland Award, honoring six decades of visionary service in affordable housing development. From shaping policy to spearheading community initiatives, Deretchin’s work has opened doors—literally and figuratively—for families across Houston and beyond. Inspiration and Innovation The keynote address, delivered by Adrienne Goolsby, Senior Vice President of the U.S. Office and Canada for Habitat for Humanity International, electrified the room. Goolsby underscored the urgency of Houston’s affordable housing challenge, emphasizing the city’s growing demand for starter homes amid a nationwide shortage. Yet her message was one of hope: “Houston Habitat embodies gumption and ambition—the spirit that builds dreams and communities that endure.” The event was emceed by KPRC-TV2’s Danielle Guzman, whose charm guided the program seamlessly. The afternoon was co-chaired by an all-star lineup of women leaders—Crystal Allen (Transwestern), Chenee Franklin (Honeywell), and Paula Musa (Transwestern)—whose passion for community and collaboration mirrored Habitat’s mission. Stories That Build Futures The most emotional moments came as Habitat homeowners and long-time volunteers took the stage, sharing personal stories of resilience and gratitude. Each testimony was a reminder that every nail hammered and wall raised is not just construction—it’s transformation. Notable guests in attendance included Angela Blanchard, Susan Boggio, Gregg Hamson, Leela Krishnamurthy, Connie Kwan-Wong, Mike Nichols, Christie Obiaya, Paul-David Van Atta, Teresa Cox Reading, Jerre Williams, and many others who continue to move Houston forward through service and philanthropy. About Houston Habitat for Humanity Since its founding, Houston Habitat for Humanity has built more than 1,400 homes across 15 neighborhoods, including the Fifth Ward, Clinton Park, Settegast, Sunnyside, and Robins Landing. The organization also leads post-disaster home repairs—having restored over 900 homes since Hurricane Harvey—ensuring that families not only have roofs over their heads but also communities they can thrive in. With every home built and repaired, Houston Habitat continues to prove that the real foundation of Houston is its people—resilient, compassionate, and united in purpose. Houston Style Magazine Salutes the Builders of Hope Houston Style Magazine proudly celebrates organizations like Houston Habitat for Humanity that strengthen the heartbeat of our city. Their work reminds us that progress begins at home—and that every dream deserves a door, a key, and a community ready to open both.

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By Francis Page, Jr.

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    October 22, 2025 (Houston Style Magazine) — In a city that thrives on rhythm, soul, and creativity, DACAMERA is set to deliver an unforgettable evening as it presents Grammy Award-winning trumpet virtuoso Nicholas Payton live at the Wortham Theater Center on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 8:00 PM.

Known for redefining the boundaries of jazz, Payton embodies the vibrant heartbeat of New Orleans while infusing his performances with modern funk, soul, and Black American Music. His artistry pays homage to the legends—Louis Armstrong, Buddy Bolden, Al Hirt, Wynton Marsalis—yet fearlessly propels the genre into the future with his innovative sound.

A Legacy Rooted in New Orleans

Born into a family of musicians—his father, Walter Payton, a bassist, and his mother, a pianist—Nicholas Payton was practically raised on stage. Picking up the trumpet at age four, he quickly became a prodigy, practicing for hours a day and performing alongside his father in the city’s famed clubs. That early exposure shaped his distinct musical language—a blend of tradition and fearless experimentation he now calls Postmodern New Orleans Music.

Grammy-Winning Greatness

Payton’s talent has earned him widespread acclaim, including a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for his collaboration with Doc Cheatham on Stardust. His works like Dear Louis—a tribute to Armstrong—and Sonic Trance have garnered multiple nominations, while his recent features on Terri Lyne Carrington’s Grammy-winning album, “New Standards Vol. 1,” showcase his enduring versatility.

His latest album, Notes from the Zen Gangster, pushes creative boundaries further—Payton plays nearly every instrument himself, weaving layers of trumpet and keyboards into a textured, meditative soundscape.

A Night of Unfiltered Musical Alchemy

For this special Houston performance, Payton will be joined by a powerhouse ensemble: Houston native and Kinder HSPVA graduate Mike Moreno on guitar, Ben Williams on bass, and Corey Fonville on drums. Together, they promise a performance that transcends genres and expectations.

“Come with open hearts and minds ready to engage in a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we will all be part of in this room, never to be repeated again,” Payton shares. “The less you come with an expectation, the more enjoyable it will be.”

Tickets & Details

Tickets for the Nicholas Payton Quartet are available at $53.50, $68.50, and $83.50.

Reserve your seat today at dacamera.com or by phone at 713-524-5050.

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Francis Page Jr
fpagejr@gmail.com
7139275444

By Andrew Ramos, Jesse Zanger

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    New York (WCBS) — A woman was bitten by coyote on Monday afternoon in Bergen County, New Jersey.

It happened at around 1:15 p.m. in the backyard of a home at Woodcrest Drive in Woodcliff Lake, according to police.

The woman, a housekeeper, was bitten on her back and leg while she was out with the family dog. Her injuries are not life-threatening, police said, though she was very shaken up. She was taken to a nearby hospital and given a number of vaccines, and has since returned home.

“This is not very common. It’s the first time in our town,” Woodcliff Lake police Capt. Chad Malloy said.

Surveillance video of the encounter shows the dog and coyote tussling. The coyote was apparently relentless, repeatedly targeting the woman and the dog, a golden retriever.

Animal control also responded to the location.

“If you live near a wooded area, that’s when you’ve got to be more aware of your surroundings, because obviously they lurk in heavily forested areas. Keep pet food inside, don’t leave it outside, your garbage cans locked. Clear any kind of heavy brush that’s in the area, because they like to hide in that. And bird feeders that knock off seeds attract small animals, which attract coyotes,” Malloy said.

Last month, two people in nearby Saddle River were attacked by coyotes. In one of those cases, the coyote tested positive for rabies.

Any residents who see a coyote are urged to call police.

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By WDJT Staff

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    BROOKFIELD, Wis. (WDJT) — Brookfield police are seeking two suspects wanted for retail theft at Ulta.

Authorities say a male and female suspect, believed to be 18-25 years old, took $1,804 worth of products from the store on Bluemound Road around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.

The female was wearing glasses, a pink headband, pink shirt, and gray sweatpants, according to police, and the male was wearing glasses, a gray hat, brown sweater, and gray pants. They were seen leaving in a green Jeep.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the City of Brookfield Police Department.

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By Marisa Sardonia

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    RALEIGH, North Carolina (WLOS) — Republicans in the North Carolina Senate have approved a new map that redraws the state’s congressional districts, plainly stating their intent to help Republicans gain another U.S. House seat under President Donald Trump’s push to retain his party’s grip on Congress next year.

The proposed map is now headed to the House, which is expected to give it final General Assembly approval later this week.

The new map aims to shift District 1 from a swing seat to one favoring Republicans. The current 1st District covers a region that has elected African Americans for over 30 years and where some counties have majority Black populations.

The push to retool congressional district boundaries for the ninth-largest state comes amid an emerging nationwide battle between the major parties as they seek advantages in states like Texas and California ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

An Oct. 13 news release from Senate leader Phil Berger, with support from House Speaker Destin Hall, says this move “follows President Donald Trump’s call urging legislatures across the country to take action to nullify Democrat redistricting efforts.”

On Oct. 17, Trump took to Truth Social to express his thoughts on the redistricting proposal in North Carolina. Trump wrote, in part:

“Thank you to North Carolina’s incredible Republican State Legislators, who just introduced a new, fair, and improved, Congressional Map, a situation I am watching, and strongly supporting, very closely[…] This new Map would give the fantastic people of North Carolina the opportunity to elect an additional MAGA Republican in the 2026 Midterm Elections, which would be A HUGE VICTORY for our America First Agenda, not just in North Carolina, but across our Nation.”

Shortly after the North Carolina Senate approved the state’s redrawn U.S. House district map on Tuesday, Sen. Phil Berger posted to X, stating that “this new map respects the will of the North Carolina voters.”

Not everyone agrees with the GOP’s plan.

The North Carolina branch of Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization focused on protecting voting rights and fighting gerrymandering, released a statement in response to the proposal. The statement reads, in part:

“It’s an insult to the citizens of our state that lawmakers are prioritizing rigging a congressional map over meeting the needs of the people by passing a budget[…] The plan by Republican legislative leaders to further rig our state’s already extremely gerrymandered voting maps is a slap in the face of the people of North Carolina.”

Various North Carolina Democratic lawmakers, including Governor Josh Stein, have also outwardly opposed this proposal.

“They are failing the voters of North Carolina by deciding for them who their congressional representation will be,” Gov. Stein said, in part, in a video posted to X on Oct. 20. “It’s outrageous. The people should be choosing our representatives.”

State law prevents Democratic Gov. Josh Stein from using his veto stamp on redistricting action. Litigation challenging the map is almost certain, with allegations of harming the voting power of Black residents likely.

Residents were asked last week to submit public comments on the proposal.

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By April Baumgarten

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    MANDAN, North Dakota (WDAY) — A Fargo activist has pleaded guilty to theft charges that allege she misappropriated state-issued funds to her family.

Faith Monique Shields-Dixon, 46, entered guilty pleas to three felony counts on Monday, Oct. 20, in Burleigh County District Court. Two other counts of theft will be dismissed.

The charges allege Shields-Dixon gave grant money from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to businesses owned or managed by her relatives from Feb. 3, 2022, to April 10, 2023. Those businesses included her husband’s food stand, her brother’s music and production company, and her sister-in-law’s dance studio, according to court documents.

Shields-Dixon applied for $1.5 million in grants from the DPI through her nonprofit, the Faith4Hope Scholarship Fund, according to court documents.

The grant was meant for after-school programs that help students who were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 school closures, North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in a statement issued after Monday’s hearing.

Shields-Dixon started her nonprofit in 2016 as a way to help low-income families, according to the Faith4Hope website. That website is no longer available online.

The DPI approved $350,000 for the fund that would be handed out over the course of three years to Faith4Hope, court documents said. Shields-Dixon allocated $124,000 to her family’s businesses, according to reimbursements described in court documents.

The DPI asked the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, which Wrigley’s office oversees, to look into Shields-Dixon’s nonprofit after “initial disbursements revealed significant conflicts of interest in violation” of the DPI grant program, Wrigley said in his statement.

“The DPI works hard to support strong programs for students while also making sure public dollars are spent responsibly and with accountability,” Wrigley said in the statement. “We all want to ensure the money is being used to benefit children who participate in after-school programs, and this criminal prosecution should serve as a deterrent to others who might try to use these funds unlawfully.”

Charges were filed Oct. 10, 2024, in Burleigh County District Court because state money was involved and the DPI is based in Bismarck. Monday’s plea hearing was held in Mandan, which is the Morton County seat. Burleigh and Morton counties use each other’s courthouses interchangeably.

A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 20 in Morton County. Prosecutors from Wrigley’s office plan to ask Judge Bobbi Weiler to sentence Shields-Dixon to 11 months in the Burleigh-Morton Detention Center, according to a plea agreement she signed.

Her defense attorney, Dane DeKrey, will argue for four months behind bars, the agreement said.

In a news release issued earlier this month, Shields-Dixon asked the public to wait until after her sentencing to draw conclusions. Facts of what did and didn’t happen in the case are expected to come out during sentencing, DeKrey told The Forum after the Monday hearing.

He and prosecutors agree Shields-Dixon did something illegal, DeKrey said.

“The specifics of what and how are going to be the central focus of the sentencing hearing,” he said, adding that will determine her sentence.

Shields-Dixon is an activist in the Fargo-Moorhead area who has fought for the rights and voices of people of color.

Her husband, Charles Dixon, was also charged with two felony counts of theft in connection to her case. A four-day trial for his case is scheduled to begin Nov. 18.

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By Matt Henson

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    KITTSON COUNTY, Minnesota (WDAY) — A church trip took an unexpected turn for Cindy Vagle on Sunday, Oct. 19, when a bald eagle became an unlikely co-pilot.

Vagle was driving along U.S. Highway 59 from Lancaster to Lake Bronson when she spotted the bird in the opposite lane. A few miles later, she discovered the eagle clinging to the grille of her pickup.

“Here the dang bird is hanging on the front of the truck still alive,” Vagle said.

About an hour earlier, Vagle had slowed down when the eagle flew across the road. She heard a thump but didn’t see the bird until she reached town. She carefully avoided disturbing it.

“Very beautiful, but just hanging there moving its head side to side just looking at me. I was like ‘Ohh … I better not get too close to that thing because it had quite the beak,” Vagle said.

The eagle’s feet were caught in the grille. About an hour later, an officer with the Department of Natural Resources arrived and rescued the bird, releasing it back into the wild. Vagle said the officer confirmed the eagle was not hurt.

“I wish I knew what was going through that bird’s mind, that must have been quite the experience for it,” Vagle said.

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